10 Incredible Transformations From Jobbers To WWE Champions

6. Diesel

Kokina Yokozuna
WWE

Now isn't the time for debating exactly how poorly Diesel drew as WWE Champion in 1995, not least when your writer's author page will have various long-form defences of the decision to go with 'Big Daddy Cool' in the archives.

Much of the argument centres around subjectivity, but...just look at 1994 Kevin Nash. A Vince McMahon trying to flush artificial enhancement out of his company and still go with giant babyfaces would have been insane not to give him a go. Seven foot tall, handsome and charismatic, Nash felt like an 1990s upgrade to the earnest 1980s superhero, and had proven his in-ring worth enough in lost New Generation classics with Bret Hart and his friends in The Kliq.

He was also really, really smart, as proven in the moves he made to make it to WWE in the first place. Onto yet another loser in the hilarious but under-utilised Vinnie Vegas gimmick in WCW, Nash had already been a Master Blaster and the legendarily rotten Oz before telling management he was getting out of wrestling entirely just so he could escape to Stamford. That consecutive bosses in Atlanta saw an athletic seven-footer and made him look at the lights was perplexing, but karma caught up with Ted Turner's wallet when 'Big Sexy' returned a few years later.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett