12 Times WWE Broke Its Own Golden Rules

10. Rey Mysterio Wins The World Heavyweight Championship

Under the leadership of Vincent Kennedy McMahon in the 1980s, WWE gained a reputation as "the land of the big men." It was a well-deserved title, and one that - despite recent strides in the opposite direction - still largely describes the company today. McMahon has been quoted as saying that he wants champions who turn heads at airports, and even though most of his greatest stars haven't been giants, that hasn't stopped him from barking up that tree. The 5'3", 175 pound Rey Mysterio won the Royal Rumble in 2006, dedicating his win to Eddie Guerrero, but he soon lost his WrestleMania title shot to Randy Orton. While Mysterio ended up back in the match and won the belt - a seemingly always-planned end to the tumultuous storyline - behind the scenes, things were anything but stable. According to former WWE writers speaking candidly on the Wrestling Observer Radio program, McMahon had to be all but coerced into agreeing to put the title on Rey, and even went so far as to bitterly state, "He'll never be my champion." Surprisingly, Mysterio racked up another World Heavyweight Title reign in 2010 and a WWE Title reign in 2011, but both were short-lived. Still, after hearing firsthand accounts of the weeks leading up to WrestleMania XXII, his first victory seems almost miraculous.