10 WWE Jobbers Who Became World Champion
4. Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson will forever be known as the wrestler who defied everything the McMahon clan believed to be true about top tier "WWE Superstars". Being frank, they should've known that fans at large put a lot of faith in genuinely likeable characters with heart who could also wrestle rings around the competition. Physical size was never a dealbreaker for the audience. Or, at least, never as big a game changer as Vince McMahon thought it'd be.
The 'American Dragon' proved that by overcoming the odds in 2013 to become the hottest babyface in the industry. Then, at WrestleMania XXX, he rode the crest of a wave to become WWE Champ by beating Triple H, Randy Orton and Batista all on the same night. This was huge, and not even serious health concerns/retirement could stop Daniel Bryan from tasting more glory in subsequent years.
Glancing at the fairly average-looking (in terms of physical stature) boots n' tights pro who graced WWF rings between 2000-2003 didn't exactly inspire anyone to scream, 'He's a future 'Mania headliner, guys!'. If anything, despite getting a look in because he was trained by WWE great Shawn Michaels, Danielson was too heavy on technical skills for the fed chiefs to care much about during the height of 'Attitude'.
Dragon did the honours for everyone from Lance Cade and Jerry Lynn to Sean O'Haire, Nunzio and John Cena across numerous enhancement roles on TV and in dark matches. Little did anyone know that this technical wizard would go on to charm everyone senseless.
The fact Danielson did so by being a bloody excellent wrestler must be pleasing to traditionalists who favour in-ring action over WWE hype.