5 times the underdog surprisingly won the WWE Championship
WWE has told many successful underdog stories over the years. From Kofi Kingston recently, all the way back to Pedro Morales, the company has occasionally shocked fans with upset title wins. Superstars like Rey Mysterio and Jeff Hardy have built very successful careers off of being perennial dark horses.
Vince McMahon's promotion has time and again crafted the tale of the long shot achieving a crowning moment against all odds to raucous organic crowd reactions. This has generated intense affection for these "common men fighting the establishment" among the company's fans. As a result, these underdog wins are engraved firmly into most fans' fondest memories of professional wrestling.
HE. HAS. DONE IT!
@TrueKofi HAS WON THE #WWEChampionship at #WrestleMania!!! https://t.co/nrn2a8kSLm
Underdog world title wins have turned ratings wars, launched so-called B-plus players into superstardom, and changed perceptions about what makes a champion. The classic David-and-Goliath dynamic does not always stick the landing, but when done right, it pays off spectacularly.
Here are 5 times the underdog surprisingly won the WWE Championship.
#5: Pedro Morales shocked the MSG crowd by becoming the third WWE Champion in 1971
RIP Puerto Rico's Pedro Morales! 4th @WWE champion, after Buddy Rogers, Bruno & Ivan Koloff. 1st won Feb 8, 1971 defeating Koloff, held 1,027 days losing to Stan Stasiak in Dec 1973. 1st Triple Crown Winner w/ Heavyweight, Tag & Intercontinental belts!
es.pn/2RTXnyM
Three weeks after Ivan Koloff ended Bruno Sammartino's legendary 2803-day WWE (then WWWF) title reign, Pedro Morales challenged the Russian Bear. Few expected Morales to win, since 21-day title reigns were almost unheard of at the time. The champion looked unbeatable, having just dethroned the top professional wrestler of the previous decade.
Additionally, Koloff's 60-pound weight advantage and the fact that Morales was United States Champion (a title he would have to vacate if he won) reinforced the belief that the challenger would lose.
In reality, the Bear was being used as a transitional champion to avoid pitting crowd favorites Sammartino and Morales against each other.
Nonetheless, the title change delightfully shocked the Madison Square Garden crowd as they roared with joy for their hero.
Morales would go on to hold the title for over 1000 days.