10 Times WWE Actually Elevated Midcarders To Become WWE Champions

9. Sgt. Slaughter

Sgt Slaughter WWE Champion
WWE.com
"YOOOOOOU PUUUUUUUUKE!"

Some WWF lifers probably were puking when the company plucked Sgt. Slaughter from the declining AWA for another go-around in 1990 and turned him into an Anti-American sympathiser. This was a complete sea change for the once-patriotic army gimmick, but it did turn Slaughter into a main event star.

Here's the thing: Sarge had been in top feuds during earlier runs with the company, but most expected he'd be a token midcarder when he returned (after six years away) in the '90s. Vinnie Mac had other plans - he wanted to capitalise on real-world issues and have Slaughter turn against the USA in favour of Iraq.

This storyline was deemed so important that Vince put Sarge over The Ultimate Warrior at the 1991 Royal Rumble and gave him a short run as WWF Champ. That, for the first time in modern promotional history, made Slaughter a genuine headliner. Nobody could've predicted that one.

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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.