Ranking Wrestling's Most Shocking Surprise Every Year 1990-2020

17. 2004 - JBL Wins The WWE Championship

Hulk Hogan John Cena nwo
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A choice that chased off many online supporters that had become accustomed to SmackDown in particular being the destination for the best in-ring work, career midcarder JBL emerging from the dying embers of The APA to become WWE Champion wasn't that far removed from the rush-job to anoint Jinder Mahal in 2017.

Outgoing titleholder Eddie Guerrero had handpicked him to carry what he felt was becoming a burden, but audiences needed more convincing. Promos eventually did the job, but even rose-tinted nostalgia doesn't drag the title defences beyond passable by present day standards.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett