10 DUMB WWE Title Changes (We Didn't Want To Admit Were GENIUS!)
9. Sheamus (2009)
What was that about McMahon backing new horses?
Fans had settled into a pattern of John Cena and Randy Orton trading the WWE Title in recent years, so a newbie like Sheamus winning at TLC 2009 was a bolt from the blue. Nobody saw it coming, and therein lies the true beauty of unexpected change. Sheamus rocketed up the ranks in mere months, then ploughed through Cena’s seemingly-invincible armour like it was nothing to him.
The Irishman has been treated like a top star ever since, which really shows the strength of JC's act. WWE making sure Sheamus went over in a singles match (one with the tacked on tables gimmick) was the genius part. There's no way his first title win would've meant as much had it happened in June 2010's Fatal-4-Way scenario, put it that way.
A lot of folks were dumbfounded when this newbie went from ECW > Raw > WWE Champ in short order, but it did launch a new star and create a bonafide main eventer overnight. It's hard to argue with that sort of thing regardless of what some haters thought in '09.