11 WWE Stars Quickly Elevated From Secondary To World Championships

8. Shawn Michaels (1996)

The parameters for qualification were extended to include Michaels, who had handed over the Intercontinental belt to Dean Douglas little more than five months before WrestleMania 12. A month after the abdication, Michaels would be knocked silly by an Owen Hart enzuigiri, the opening salvo in the story of, "Michaels overcomes an injury to realize his dream of winning the World title." As far back as August 1995, McMahon had approached Bret Hart with the idea that, after Hart eventually felled Diesel for the WWE title, he would drop it to Michaels at the forthcoming WrestleMania. That leaves little doubt that Michaels' big moment was planned out quite far in advance, and handing over the IC belt, however controversial, had the symbolic bent of a cash-in to it.