10 Greatest WCW Champions Ever
9. Booker T
One of the few beneficiaries from the tumultuous Vince Russo era of WCW, Booker T was perhaps the last midcarder to achieve genuine elevation from the New Yorker's equitable booking style.
Trapped as a tag wrestler and midcarder-for-life underneath the locked-in main event crew before Russo's arrival, Booker had long been favoured by Bret Hart, Chris Benoit and others for his fierce consistency and the charismatic fire that allowed brother unit Harlem Heat to over-achieve for much of the decade.
His ballyhooed five-time five-time five-time five-time five-times with the Championship in a single year were emblematic of perhaps the single worst creative annum in any title's history, but being entrusted as a safety bet with the belt was one of the few badges of honour any WCW performer could earn in a troubling final tenure for the company. A beloved babyface when he did snare the prize, Booker at least felt more credible at the top than regular opponent and perennial Vince Russo apologist Jeff Jarrett.