11 WWE Stars Quickly Elevated From Secondary To World Championships

6. The Rock (1998)

What a difference between two reigns. As a babyface Intercontinental Champion, Rocky Maivia was so vanilla, he made Roman Reigns look like Roddy Piper. As a villain leading a repurposed Nation, Rock reigned for nine months as Intercontinental titleholder, hurtling toward the pantheon of stars on the merit of his unmatched charisma that had finally been tapped into. Rock finally lost the belt in a transcendent ladder match to Triple H at SummerSlam 1998, during which the New York crowd loudly hailed the 'People's Champion' as, well, the people's champion. Less than three months later, a now-babyface Rock turned back heel during the Survivor Series 1998 tournament final for the vacated WWE belt, further elevating his profile as McMahon's corporate kingpin. By mid-1998, Rock's elevation was beyond inevitable, and he was getting that gold, whether he was face, heel, or neutral.