https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C544cMCn6A0 David Arquette is easily the most famous instance of a non-wrestler holding a major championship. Arquette, who is an actor, was brought into World Championship Wrestlings storylines in order to help promote the companys official movie, Ready To Rumble. Arquette starred in the film as a diehard wrestling fan turned competitor, and his involvement in WCW would become an example of life imitating art. Arquette was initially seen on WCW television on April 12th, 2000. After involving himself in an angle with Eric Bischoff, the actor was put in a match on the following weeks Thunder broadcast. It was a tag match that saw Arquette team with Diamond Dallas Page against Eric Bischoff and Jeff Jarrett. According to the rules, whoever scored the pinfall would win DDPs WCW World Championship. Well, wouldnt you know it, Arquette controversially picked up the fall, thus becoming WCW Champion. Vince Russo, who was booking WCW at the time, thought the storyline of Arquette as champ would help garner some mainstream press and more attention. It did, but the reaction from wrestling fans was not good. The following Mondays Nitro broadcast saw a loss of around 600,000 viewers as compared to the week before. Initially, Arquette attempted to relinquish the championship, saying that he was undeserving. However, he was forced to defend his title in a Triple Cage match at Mays Slamboree PPV. His opponents were Jarrett and DDP, and Arquette was to simply avoid harm and aid DDP in winning back the title. However, with Arquette stood atop the cage, Jarrett and Page simultaneously climbed it, heading for the title suspended above. Suddenly, Arquette struck Page with a guitar as Jarrett grabbed the belt. It was all a swerve. However, not many people saw Slamborees main event, as the PPV only generated 55,000 buys from fans. This number was half of the previous months Spring Stampede buyrate -- which saw about 110,000 viewers for the broadcast. Fans were turned off by the Arquette title win and many wouldnt return. WCW experienced their worst buyrate in history later in the year. Their annual Starrcade event only brought in about 40,000 viewers. There were many things that led to WCWs demise, and while no one single thing led to the company going out of business, David Arquettes World Heavyweight Championship reign surely drove a great deal of fans away for good. In defense of Arquette, he was supposedly against the idea from the start, knowing that fans would hate it. Furthermore, he donated all of the money he earned from his time in WCW to the families of Owen Hart, Darren Drozdov, and Brian Pillman. Despite his lack of popularity among fans and viewers, Arquette was a classier champion than most. Can you think of any other non-wrestlers who were somehow able to win championship gold? Let us know in the comments below.
Douglas Scarpa is a freelance writer, independent filmmaker, art school graduate, and pro wrestling aficionado -- all of which mean he is in financial ruin. He has no backup plan to speak of, yet maintains his abnormally high spirits. If he had only listened to the scorn of his childhood teachers, he wouldn't be in this situation.