11 WWE Stars Quickly Elevated From Secondary To World Championships

7. Stone Cold Steve Austin (1998)

Even the blindest of the blind knew that Austin was going to be WWE Champion sooner or later. All of the hubbub among egos through the stormy fall of 1997 on the path toward Montreal was simple window-dressing. It was really the decider for who got to do the honors for Austin at WrestleMania 14. Before then, Austin forfeited the Intercontinental title out of spite on a December 1997 episode of Raw, a scene that would have future implications. By dropping the belt to The Rock, he paved the way for Rock's historic nine-month reign with the gold in which he perfected many of his trademark quirks. Austin also knocked down McMahon in the same segment, building to the greatest feud of all time. Though it was still four months out from WrestleMania, Austin's future plans were clear. As for Rock, well....