8 One-Time WWE Champions Who Deserved A Second Reign

5. JBL

The Texan became WWE Champion almost by accident. With Brock Lesnar leaving to try to make it in the NFL and Kurt Angle and The Big Show out injured, Smackdown were thin on heel headline talent. So they decided to thrust longtime midcarder/tag teamer Bradshaw into the spotlight. It was a real sink-or-swim moment for Bradshaw. Transformed overnight from a beer-drinking, barroom-brawling redneck to a suit-wearing, limo-riding financial wizard, it was a tough change for some to accept. Matters weren't helped much when JBL resorted to racist cheap heat in his feud with WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero. After their first match, an incredible blood bath at Judgement Day, was called to a halt when Eddie was DQ'd, a Texas Bullrope match was set up for The Great American Bash. Astonishingly, JBL won the match and the WWE Title, when Smackdown GM Kurt Angle reversed the decision. Those in the arena, online and in the wrestling press were stunned. How could this man, who had for the longest time been associated with mediocrity, be the WWE Champion? Then, something even more surprising happened: JBL got good. A true heel, he would only ever escape by the skin of his teeth. He was dynamite doing promos and angles, too. JBL had a long, 280 day reign. Eventually, he dropped it to John Cena at WrestleMania 21. JBL got a couple of tile matches over the next couple of years, sure, but WWE didn't put the belt on him again. Which is a shame, because JBL proved he was a worthy champ during his 2004-05 reign.