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Debuting on April 29,1999, SmackDown has been a staple of WWE programming for over two decades now. Despite being billed as the B show to WWE's flagship offering, RAW, the Blue Brand has always been the superior show as far as in-ring action goes.
From the mid-2000s to its resurgence following the 2016 Brand Split, SmackDown has always given RAW a run for its money.
One of the Blue brand's biggest has been its ability to put the spotlight on young, up and coming Superstars.
Names like John Cena and Brock Lesnar started their careers on the Blue Brand and went on to become megastars in the business. SmackDown's moniker of being the 'Land of Opportunity' holds true to a certain degree as, over the years, a plethora of superstars have risen through the ranks to become a top tier talent on the Blue Brand.
As SmackDown moves into a new era with its premiere on FOX on October 4, here are five WWE Superstars who rose to superstardom during their time in the Blue Brand
# 5 Eddie Guerrero
One of the best in-ring technicians of his times, Eddie Guerrero had built quite the resume prior to arriving in WWE in 2000.
The Guerrero family scion was an established star in his native, Mexico and had won the Best of the Super Juniors in 1996 during his time in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Guerrero was the backbone of WCW's Cruiserweight division and would hold the WCW Cruiserweight Championship on two separate occasions.
The Texas-native would shock the world at No Way Out 2004 when defeated Brock Lesnar to become WWE Champion. He would successfully defend his championship against Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 20. Guerrero would drop the title to JBL at Great American Bash in a Texas Bullrope Match ending his reign at 133 days.
Guerrero's in-ring career came to an abrupt end following his untimely death in 2005. He was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006.
Eddie Guerrero has inspired a plethora of current WWE Superstars and will go down in history as one of the greatest to have ever laced up a pair of wrestling boots.
#4 Rey Mysterio
Rey Mysterio made a name himself as one of the best Cruiserweights in the business before arriving in WWE.
His matches against the likes of Psychosis, Dean Malenko and Eddie Gurrero during his time in WCW received to widespread acclaim from both fans and critics.
Although Superstars like Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart before him became World Champion, many felt that Mysterio was too undersized to ever reach the top in Vince McMahon's 'Land of Giants'.
Mysterio was a part of the 'SmackDown Six' in the mid-2000s along with Eddie Gurrero, Edge, Kurt Angle, Chavo Gurrero and Chris Benoit.
Mysterio entered the 2006 Royal Rumble at No. 2 and won the 30-man Battle Royale by last eliminating Randy Orton.
The Master of the 619 would capture his first World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Orton and Kurt Angle in a Triple Threat Match at WrestleMania 22.
Mysterio's win at Mania was another indication of a massive shift in WWE which saw smaller, more well-rounded performers rise to the top.
Mysterio would win the world title twice before leaving the company in 2015. Following his departure from WWE, Mysterio would return to AAA and work for promotions like Lucha Underground and New Japan Pro Wrestling.
#3 John " Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL)
One of the most controversial figures in the business, John Bradshaw Layfield made a name for himself as part of APA alongside Faarooq (Ron Simmons). The duo would win the WWE Tag Team Championship on three separate occasions before Bradshaw branched out to singles competition in 2002.
In 2004, Bradshaw would develop a character which saw him as an aristocrat, coming out to the ring in limousines and referring to himself as John 'Bradshaw' Layfield.
JBL defeated Eddie Guerrero in a Texas Bullrope Match to win the WWE Championship at The Great American Bash 2004. He successfully defended his championship against the likes of The Undertaker, Booker T, Kurt Angle, and The Big Show.
JBL would lose the WWE Championship to John Cena at WrestleMania 21. His title reign of 280 days is the second-longest world title reign in SmackDown history behind AJ Styles.
JBL retired from in-ring competition following his quick loss to Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania 25. Following his retirement, the former WWE Champion has taken up multiple roles inside the company.
He was the General Manager/ Commissioner of NXT for a brief period and was the lead color commentator for SmackDown before leaving the booth in September 2017.
#2 Jeff Hardy
The Charismatic Enigma will go down as one of the popular Superstars to ever grace a WWE ring. The Younger Hardy's aerial offence and never-say-die attitude has captivated wrestling fans for over three decades now.
The Hardy Boyz have are one of the most decorated tag-teams in wrestling history, winning titles in every major promotion that they have been part of. Much like Edge, Jeff was seen as a tag team specialist who would never become a top singles star.
The Charismatic Enigma had won numerous mid-card titles during his initial singles run but it wasn't until the late 2000s when Hardy would become a top singles star in the company.
At Armageddon 2008, Hardy would finally realize his lifelong dream as he defeated Edge and Triple H to become the WWE Champion. Jeff Hardy's feud with CM Punk over the World Heavyweight Championship was one of the best feuds of 2018.
Hardy battled Punk in a TLC Match for the World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of SummerSlam 2009 in a losing effort. He would once again lose to The Straight Edge Superstar, this time in a Loser Leaves WWE Steel Cage Match on an episode of Smackdown following SummerSlam.
This is was Hardy's final match in WWE before his return at WrestleMania 33. Hardy is currently out of action due to an injury.
#1 Kofi Kingston
Kingston's career has seen him being boxed as a 'perennial mid-carder'. The Ghana-native has held the IC and the United States Championship on numerous occasions. He is a part of one of the most beloved factions in WWE in the form of The New Day, who have been the backbone of the company's tag team division for over four years now.
But despite all of that, Kingston becoming a World Champion was always a distant dream. If you'd told us a year ago that not only will Kofi Kingston become WWE Champion but he would also have one of the strongest WWE Championship reigns in recent history, we would, in all likelihood, have laughed it off.
But not only has The New Day Member has carried the prestigious prize in the company with utmost panache and has been a great ambassador for the company.
Kingston finally got his shot at glory when he challenged Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35. The build-up to this match has been one of the best stories WWE has told in recent memory.
What made Kofi's quest for the World Title even more fascinating was the fact that he was going up against Daniel Bryan, a man who had a similar trajectory to World Title as that of the Dreadlocked Dynamo. Kingston defeated Bryan to win the WWE Championship in what was the best WWE main roster match of 2018.
Kingston is currently scheduled to put his WWE Championship on the line against Brock Lesnar on Smackdown's premiere on FOX.
