5 WWE Superstars who got world title pushes out of the blue
When WWE decides to push a Superstar to the main event scene, they usually start slow. The Superstar gets regular wins and builds up momentum, getting over with the WWE fans in the process. This may take months or years, depending on different cases.
Long-term booking plans are extremely rewarding if carried out smoothly and WWE has had bucketloads of stars who have been built up over a period of time en route to their first WWE World Championship.
However, that is not the case for everyone. There have been several examples of a WWE Superstar getting a sudden push towards the world title. It may have arisen due to shock value, a last-minute change, or the intention of building a new megastar.
While WWE usually takes their time with prospective main-eventers, they have strapped the proverbial rocket on some Superstars all the way to the WWE or Universal Championship from out of nowhere.
Here are five WWE Superstars who got world title pushes out of the blue.
#5 JBL
Right after WrestleMania 20, SmackDown's main event scene was pretty bare. Eddie Guerrero was the WWE Champion, but the two top heels of the brand were gone. Kurt Angle had some neck problems, while Brock Lesnar quit the company. WWE had to fast-track a heel challenger for Guerrero's title, especially since Triple H's move to the Blue brand was immediately reversed.
Enter Bradshaw, the popular Texan brawler, and member of the APA (Acolytes Protection Agency), alongside Farooq.
After his partner got fired, Bradshaw transformed into John "Bradshaw" Layfield. He instantly entered the main-event picture and had a couple of tremendous WWE Title bouts with the Latino Heat. JBL won the belt at the Great American Bash, around 3 months after donning the suit and the cowboy hat.
It was a stunning ascension for the former Acolyte, who would go on to hold the WWE Championship for 280 days. JBL's rise to the top was so quick and sudden, showing WWE's incredible ability to adapt to certain situations.