Wrestlers to get called underrated typically had a lot of great moments, but they weren’t as remembered as other top names. World champions in wrestling are receiving the biggest possible push when holding a company’s top prize. This is inherently a thankful position, but some noteworthy names have underrated legacies looking back at their work.
Not everyone will be viewed as a tremendous champion right away or get enough opportunities to be talked about as much as the all-time greats. Quite a few interesting names did a lot better in the world title scene than one would assume on first thought. The following wrestlers had the most underrated world championship reigns that deserve more love today.
10 Diesel
The WWE Championship run of Diesel led to a lot of criticism towards Kevin Nash for business going down during this time. This was already happening after WWE lost Hulk Hogan, but Diesel having a long title reign led to him receiving some unfair blame.
There were a few underrated matches and programs for Diesel as WWE Champion. Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels had classic matches with Diesel during his title reign. Nash would have been more appreciated at any other time holding the gold.
9 Christian Cage
WWE and TNA each featured Christian Cage winning world titles during various points there. TNA was the first of the two to put Christian in that position winning the NWA Heavyweight Championship. Cage was an outstanding champ, but TNA eventually prioritized Kurt Angle and Sting over him.
Christian returned to WWE after his TNA contract ended and finally reached the top of that mountain. The World Championship wins for Christian featured short reigns but an outstanding feud against Randy Orton. Even Cage’s most recent Impact World Championship reign as part of AEW featured underrated moments.
8 Steve Corino
Paul Heyman booked his world champions very differently from what WWE and WCW did during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Steve Corino was a perfect example of someone gaining momentum but feeling like a huge surprise of a choice for the ECW Champion.
The heel work made Corino a valuable performer cutting promos that got the audience against him before every match. Corino’s matches were also better than most on the ECW roster, and he deserves more credit for having an underrated reign after the company lost many of their top names.
7 Jon Moxley
The recent AEW Interim Championship reign of Jon Moxley has reminded fans how underrated he was during his first AEW World Championship reign. Moxley’s title run got lost in the shuffle of Kenny Omega’s following reign and the bigger names joining the company.
Most people would not have first picked Moxley as AEW’s best world champ, but he clearly deserves to be in the conversation. Even Moxley’s WWE Championship reign as Dean Ambrose is quite underrated since it helped establish Smackdown as the better show in the 2016 brand split.
6 Eddie Edwards
Impact Wrestling has seen Eddie Edwards becoming one of the most decorated and longest tenured wrestlers. Edwards initially signed with TNA back when he was teaming with Davey Richards in the American Wolves. TNA never expected Edwards to become a singles main event act when he debuted.
However, an injury to Davey opened the door for Eddie to get a shocking moment to upset Bobby Lashley for the TNA World Championship. Edwards won the same title in recent years during the Impact rebuilding time. Both reigns featured the fans buying into Eddie after he did really well in the top spot.
5 Scott Steiner
The end of WCW featured few positive things after too many bad decisions doomed their future. Scott Steiner’s rise to the main event scene was among the few great things. WCW turned Steiner heel for a singles run in 1998, but he didn’t get that big push until 2000.
Steiner always received a strong reaction during his time as the WWE Champion. WCW likely would have made Steiner a multi-time champ if the company lasted longer. Steiner remains an underrated world champ for that great stint ending too soon and never getting another world title reign elsewhere.
4 Mike Awesome
Paul Heyman took a risk by not just signing Mike Awesome based on his Japan work but by pushing him in the main event picture. Few fans knew of Awesome since it was harder to watch international shows before the internet exploded.
Awesome won the ECW Championship faster than anyone expected. Heyman did a great job having Awesome feel different from anyone else due to his larger size and power moves. Awesome’s title reign is remembered for the controversial ending when he signed with WCW, but he was outstanding before then.
3 Bobby Roode
The average wrestling fan would likely guess AJ Styles or Kurt Angle for the longest reigning world champion in TNA history. However, it was Bobby Roode who accomplished that during his first time holding any world title in wrestling.
Roode played a tremendous heel and continued to grow in the role as TNA World Champion with the company having arguably their biggest success during this time. The WWE run has made fans forget just how successful Roode was in TNA as one of their greatest homegrown stories.
2 Drew McIntyre
The lack of a live crowd during the pandemic hurt a lot of wrestlers pushed in 2020. Drew McIntyre was scheduled to win the WWE Championship right when the shut down changed the world. WWE still followed through with McIntyre winning the top prize from Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 36.
Drew had an underrated world title reign that never picked up the steam it would have if things were normal. The matches and storytelling still deserved more respect for a first-time WWE Champion. McIntyre potentially ending Roman Reigns’ title run could see him getting his due with crowds now back to react to his moments.
1 Vader
It is quite sad that WWE rarely brings up Vader in the many productions looking back at WCW’s history. The signing of Hulk Hogan and the New World Order eventually forming led to many people not acknowledging any of WCW’s history before then.
Vader thrived as the dominant heel WCW Champion at a time when WCW needed someone to step up after losing Ric Flair and Lex Luger. The outstanding matches and heel work made Vader a true intimidating heel. Vader is an all-time underrated world champ and among the best WCW success stories.