Mick Foley
WWE loves to tell its feel-good stories. A story of redemption from a wrestler who has busted their buns to get to the top of the mountain. It’s a common program, but one that works more often than not, and most can thank the incredible run of championships by Mick Foley for that.
Foley was WWE’s journeyman. A man who the fans loved, but one who was never going to win the big championship. Sure, he had his tag team championship reigns to boast, but it was his historic WWE Championship win that made him a legend.
That first win only opened the floodgates to a great run that saw him capture three WWE Championships over the course of a year. He may not have been the office’s choice, but Mick Foley was the feel-good champion of the Attitude Era.
Chris Jericho
Every era needs great champions for all levels. Title holders that bring prestige to a championship and make it an important part of programming. That is the crucial role Chris Jericho filled during the Attitude Era. His debut was a huge moment for WWE, and Jericho followed that up by maintaining a stranglehold over the Intercontinental Championship.
His four IC Championship reigns included incredible matches that brought prestige back to the championship that had been lost. The Intercontinental Championship was always known as the workman’s championship, and Jericho was the perfect vessel for that ideal. So good, in fact, that he was rewarded as the company’s first Undisputed World Champion as the era came to a close.
