10 Times WWE Actually Elevated Midcarders To Become WWE Champions

10. Jinder Mahal

jinder mahal wwe champion
WWE.com

Will Jinder Mahal ever be WWE Champion again? Probably not, and yet he can point to one of the most unlikely title wins in history. His 2017 triumph over Randy Orton came out of left field, but it was viewed as a reward for hard work, determination and the self-sacrifice needed to totally reshape one's body.

It wasn't built to last.

Still, WWE can point to Mahal as someone who was elevated after years of obscurity on the midcard. Jinder's previous roles, as The Great Khali's foil then as a member of the comedic 3MB, didn't drop one single hint that he'd someday hold the top prize.

Mahal will always be able to crow about being champion, and that'll give his character a little more edge regardless of what he does. Some might think he sucked as champ, but Jinder was lifted out of his undercard slumbers, albeit temporarily.

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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.