10 High Profile Wrestlers With Forgotten NWA Championship Runs
7. Rhino
As the last man to hold the ECW Championship before the company folded, Rhino came into the WWF with some extreme momentum in 2001.
Winning the Hardcore Title, US Title, and even appearing in the main event of the Invasion PPV in a matter of months, Rhino's career was on fire. Unfortunately, a serious neck injury curtailed his momentum dramatically and, by the time he left the company, 'The Man-Beast' was reduced to jobbing on Heat and losing to Batista in minutes on Raw.
A fresh start was needed and, after his swansong at ECW One Night Stand, 'The Man-Beast' made his debut in TNA. Rebranded as “The War Machine”, Rhino looked totally refocused and in the shape of his life. As a result, when Kevin Nash was pulled from the main event of Bound For Glory 2005, Rhino was the right man, in the right place at the right time.
Rhino would win three matches at Bound For Glory, culminating with victory over Jeff Jarrett in the main event to become the NWA Champion. Sadly, he would lose the belt just two days later. While the brief run is largely forgotten in the muddy history of early TNA, the win was a huge achievement for Rhino and was even referenced on WWE television when Rhino returned to WWE in 2016.