Six WWE Superstars Who Grabbed the Brass Ring Against All Odds

Do you believe in miracles!? Whether it’s the ‘Miracle on Ice’ in 1980 or the Chicago Cubs finally winning the World Series after a century, sports fans are always rooting for the underdog. 

When it comes to WWE, the WWE Universe craves the unpredictable. 

Here are six times a WWF/E superstar grabbed the brass ring even when management may or may not have backed them.

A Celebration in Saudi Arabia

When Sami Zayn was added to the Undisputed WWE title match at Night of Champions with Cody Rhodes and Gunther, fans assumed he’d take the pin. Instead, he rolled up WWE’s golden boy and became WWE Champion. Zayn is from Canada, but his roots trail back to Syria and the Middle East. He is the first Muslim Grand Champion, and wore religious clothing throughout his championship match. The WWE champ celebrated with the fans of Saudi Arabia, and told the camera it took him ten attempts to win the big prize. A feel-good moment that caught both the fans and belt customizers off guard. He lost the belt to CM Punk nine days later, but as a wise man would say, “I’d rather have him win and lose in nine days, than not win at all.”

WOO! WOO! WOO! You Know It

Out of everyone on this list, Zack Ryder is probably the most underrated superstar who got over with the fans. Ryder’s journey to the top was thanks to his YouTube channel ‘’Z! True Long Island Story” rather than due to the WWE’s backing. This ruffled feathers, but he did win the US title in the early 2010’s. Fast forward to WrestleMania 32, and Ryder shocked the WWE Universe by winning the Intercontinental Championship in a ladder match. He celebrated with his dad in the ring, but lost the belt to the Miz the next day thanks to an assist from Maryse. He departed WWE and became the ‘Indie God’. After making a name for himself, he signed using his real name, Matt Cardona. He is now involved with Danhausen’s backstage theatrics, but is in the same company and brand as his wife Chelsea Green. Despite his rocky road, Cardona grabbed the brass ring, even if it was for a short period of time.

A Miracle on Bourbon Street

If anyone tells you WWE’s plan all along was to have Daniel Bryan main event WrestleMania 30, they are lying to you. Vince McMahon wasn’t about to let this happen, and The Authority made Bryan’s life miserable on-screen. WWE’s original plan was for Batista to return as a face and win the Royal Rumble before facing Randy Orton at ‘Mania. Fans revolted when the Animal won, and Bryan wasn’t featured in the match.

Then everything changed. CM Punk walked out of the company and was planned to face Triple H at ‘Mania. Instead, the Game accepted Bryan’s challenge during the ‘Occupy Raw’ segment. He lost to the American Dragon in the opening match. Then, Bryan tapped out Batista and celebrated with the ‘YES Movement’. Unfortunately, he had to relinquish the belt due to concussion protocol. No matter what, Daniel Bryan climbed the mountain and altered WWE’s vision for WrestleMania. He retired, but was cleared years later and now is with AEW using his real name.

Have A Nice Day, WCW

At the height of the Monday Night Wars, WCW was dominating the ratings over WWF. The NWO was the hottest thing in wrestling, but good things usually don’t last forever. Vince Russo took over creative and drove the company to the ground. So much so that on the January 4th, 1999 episode of Raw, WWF beat their competition after 83 weeks. WCW announcer Tony Schiavone informed their audience that Mick Foley was going to win the WWF title on Raw, “That’ll put some butts in seats”. Monday Night Raw was pre-taped, meaning WCW could spoil their competitors' results. Little did they know, 400K wrestling fans changed the channel to watch Foley win the big one. With the assistance of Steve Austin, who had one of the biggest pops in pro wrestling history, Mick won the big one. Years later, Vince McMahon bought WCW and the ‘War’ was over.

ALL ELITE ALLIN

The AEW fans waited in anticipation for Darby Allin to get this moment in the sun. The daredevil is known for his death-defying stunts, and many believed he’d never win the title. In mid-April, on AEW Dynamite nonetheless, Allin fought MJF for the AEW World title. He hit multiple coffin drops on the champ, and pinned him to take the belt. Over 39 days, Darby Allin had five great title defenses, including a brutal bout with Tommaso Ciampa. He dropped the strap back to MJF, but Tony Khan at least capitalized on the momentum.

This is her House Now!

Since 2000, there hasn’t been a female superstar who was destined for greatness from the start. Sure, Gail Kim established the Knockouts division in TNA, while Trish Stratus and Lita pioneered women’s wrestling before the Divas/Women’s Revolution existed. However, Paige was ready to rock when she made her main roster debut. The day after WM 30, The Rock told Paige she was winning the Divas title in her debut. When she confronted AJ Lee and manipulated her into putting the title on the line, Paige hit her finisher and won. She is the youngest female champion in modern WWE history, being 21 years old at the time. She later retired due to a neck injury, but returned to AEW as Soraya. The English native then signed with WWE and is now one half of the tag champs with Brie Bella. They're called ‘Scream Mode’, and may not walk out this Saturday with the titles, so stay tuned.