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The world of professional wrestling was turned upside down a few months ago when jobber Jinder Mahal shocked fans to capture the WWE Championship from Randy Orton at WWE Backlash 2017, shortly after WWE Wrestlemania 33. It was a meteoric rise for the man who was regularly jobbed out to people without a second thought.
The major reason for the shock is that rarely, if ever, is someone able to overthrow the tag of jobber and turn into a major force. But, what isn't as rare is people who end up leaving their jobber status in the WWE and embark on a tour of the indie scene in order to rebuild their reputations and earn back the respect of the fans.
There are some high-profile instances of superstars leaving the WWE due to the lack of respect afforded to them and then showing exactly what they're capable of by winning championships in smaller promotions.
So, without any further ado, here is our list of five WWE jobbers who went on to become World Champions in other promotions:
#5 Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre's career was supposed to go just one way: up. Debuting as The Chosen One -- a gimmick mirroring real life circumstances where The Scotsman was handpicked for superstardom by Vince McMahon -- great things were expected of him and for a while, he looked on track to achieving those things.
But, then he fell off a cliff, with his whole career reduced to jobbing for people as a member of the 3 Man Band (or 3MB). Ironically, Jinder Mahal was also a part of the group. Then, Drew left to find himself on the indie scene and boy did he do well.
He evolved as a performer and won World Championships in TNA, Evolve Wrestling, WhatCulture Pro Wrestling, as he established himself as one of the best indie performers out there. And, then it was time to come home.
McIntyre signed with the WWE's NXT brand earlier this year and is the current NXT Champion after defeating Bobby Roode for the belt at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III.
#4 Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes' WWE career started off as a very promising one. Son of the late great "American Dream", Dusty Rhodes, Cody had loads of potential and was earmarked for the big time when he was drafted into the Legacy faction led by Randy Orton.
Unfortunately, he never really fulfilled his potential and was soon relegated down the card. The kicker came when he was forced into the Stardust gimmick and his transition into the role of jobber was complete. How far the mighty had fallen.
But, then Cody decided to leave the company and the change was profound. He went from overlooked WWE Superstar to a worldwide indie darling as a part of the famed Bullet Club. His return to the mountain top was completed earlier this year when "The American Nightmare" became the Ring of Honor World Champion.
#3 Christopher Daniels
Way back in 1998, when Christopher Daniels was just establishing himself as a potential star, he got a chance with the WWE and signed on to a developmental contract. What followed next was pure agony as he was jobbed out every week with no signs of improvement. It was a harsh lesson for the youngster and one that caused him to leave the company.
Over the next decade and a half though, Daniels became one of the premier talents on the indie scene. A founding father of Ring of Honor, he became a huge star for the hardcore wrestling audience with his performances at ROH and later, TNA.
He won the TNA World Heavyweight Championship but the Ring of Honor World Championship is one that had always eluded until earlier this year, at the ripe old age of 47, Daniels finally got his hands on the big one.
#2 Daniel Bryan
Not many people remember Daniel Bryan's original run with the WWE. He was a no-name jobber who surprisingly had a match with John Cena who was also an unknown talent back then. While things went up for Cena, they didn't for Bryan and he quit the company to join Ring of Honor as a founding member.
He went on to have one of the greatest ROH careers of all-time under his birth name, Bryan Danielson and became an indie darling with a stupendous amount of support behind him during his years there. Then, the WWE came calling again.
Debuting as a member of The Nexus, Bryan became a household name and one of the hottest stars on the planet until injuries prematurely ended his WWE career. But, he seems hell-bent on a return to the ring on the indie scene in the near future.
#1 AJ Styles
Again, not many people know this but AJ Styles used to be a member of the WWE's roster as a jobber before he decided to leave and pursue greener pastures. Those pastures brought AJ to TNA where he became a star that shined brighter than any other in the promotion.
He would win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship and enjoy a superb run in the company until disagreements with management saw him depart for the Far East to New Japan Pro Wrestling and Bullet Club, where he instantly became the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
After that, he finally returned to the place it all began when the WWE made him an offer he couldn't refuse. From there, he has become WWE Champion to complete his return to the pinnacle of professional wrestling.
