10 Unlikely WWE Champions With Hugely Memorable Title Runs
5. JBL
When APA badass Bradshaw turned his back on his partner Faarooq after several years of tagging together, the overnight metamorphosis into John 'Bradshaw' Layfield was a lot to take in for regular viewers. Replacing the jeans and t-shirt of the APA with a cowboy hat and suit, JBL was a stark contrast to his former self.
Bradshaw rose to the top of SmackDown within a matter of weeks and received a monster push following his gimmick makeover. Within two months, he was challenging Eddie Guerrero for the WWE Championship at Judgement Day 2004. The questionable ascent up the ranks was justified immediately and his brutal bout with Guerrero put him on the map as a serious main event player. The physicality dished out by the challenger validated his position on the card and led him to WWE Championship glory a month later.
After defeating Guerrero for the title at The Great American Bash, JBL would go on a long run as WWE Champion and the 'Texas Longhorn' would become the longest reigning champ since Bret Hart in 1994. The 281 day run would stretch all the way until WrestleMania 21, when he lost the title to another main event newcomer, John Cena.
Coincidentally, Cena had a pretty decent run for himself too after that.