9. The Miz (2010)
By contrast, The Miz was a different kind of WWE Champion when he gained the title in 2010. Signing with the company in 2004, Mike Mizanin was instantly one of the most unpopular guys backstage. Not only was he disliked by fans for his over-the-top personality, but he was also shut out in the cold by most of the locker room. There's little doubt that The Miz had to win over a lot of people in WWE. Come 2008, he had started to do exactly that. Forming a well-received tag-team with John Morrison, The Miz began proving himself. In 2009, things went further, and his first singles feud was booked against none other than John Cena. Even though he was cannon fodder for the star, Miz showed ample skills on the microphone, and he was noticeably improving inside the ring. Fast-forward to late-2010, and WWE officials made the decision to make him WWE Champion. Winning the 'Money In The Bank' contract in July, The Miz cashed in on Randy Orton in November. Sadly, even though fans initially cheered the idea of someone new at the top of the card, he wasn't accepted as a true main event star. Regardless, Miz still got to headline WrestleMania XXVII.
Jamie Kennedy
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
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