10 Unlikely WWE Champions With Hugely Memorable Title Runs
1. Mick Foley
As far as unlikely WWE Champions go, they don't come much more unlikely than Mick Foley.
At 287lbs with a wrestling style that was unorthodox to say the least, Foley was about as far away from Vince McMahon's archetypal champion as you could get. He wore a mask, didn't have a bodybuilder's physique, and even wrestled in a shirt at the time - a million miles away from the glitz and glamour of Hulk Hogan.
Nevertheless, when Mick Foley - then wrestling as Mankind - won the WWF Championship on 4 January 1999, the crowd reaction told the entire story. When the ref's hand slapped the mat for three, the fans exploded.
Just over six months after he had put his body through the torment of Hell in a Cell, it was clear that the fans had a lot of love for the 'Hardcore Legend'. When Foley finally achieved his dream of becoming champion, the crowd's jubilation was just as genuine as his.
Despite being a transitional champion, tasked with getting The Rock ready for Steve Austin at WrestleMania XV, his title feud with the 'People's Champ' from November '98 to February '99 was spectacular. Foley's dedication and selflessness proved that he belonged at the top and his stature as one of the all time greats was bulletproof from then on.