WWE might be the largest pro wrestling promotion in the world, but they are not the only destination out there for the performers to showcase their talents. Throughout the years, we have seen pro wrestlers jump between various promotions and expand their horizons all over the globe.
RELATED: 10 Wrestlers Who Lost Their Title Immediately After Winning It
Likewise, we have also seen WWE Superstars leave the promotion and make a name for themselves in other companies. A select few Superstars reinvented themselves almost immediately and won major championships within a year since leaving WWE. With that said, let's take a look at 10 of those unique wrestlers who have managed to achieve the magnanimous feat.
10 Rhyno - 6 Months
After the closure of ECW, Rhyno made his WWE debut in 2001 and aligned himself with Edge and Christian. He went on to hold the Hardcore Championship on three occasions from April to June 2001.
He was also a part of the Alliance in the Invasion storyline and competed in the main event at the titular PPV in July 2001. His four-year stint in WWE ended in 2005 when WWE released him from his contract following an incident at the WrestleMania 21 afterparty.
Following his release, Rhyno signed with Impact Wrestling in July 2005 and immediately climbed up to the main event picture and won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from Jeff Jarrett at the 2005 Bound For Glory PPV within just six months from his WWE release.
9 Mickie James - 5 Months
Mickie James got released from her WWE contract earlier this year along with various other superstars as a part of the promotion's budget cut measures. The release sparked some controversy after James claimed that WWE sent her belongings in a trash bag, which led to Stephanie McMahon issuing a public apology.
Following the release on April 15, Mickie James made her NWA debut in June 2021 and also returned to Impact Wrestling in July. She went on to receive her fourth reign with the Impact Knockouts Championship at the Bound For Glory pay-per-view in October 2021 by defeating Deonna Purazzo, who had also won the title within three months since her WWE release in April 2020.
8 Mick Foley - 7 Months
After getting storyline fired from WWE following his Kiss My A** segment with Vince McMahon on the August 21, 2006, episode of Raw, Mick Foley returned to WWE after 7-months in a storyline that he tricked McMahon into giving his job back.
He competed for the WWE Championship in a losing effort in a five-pack challenge match at the 2007 Vengeance: Night Of Champions PPV. He made some sporadic appearances, and after a stint as a commentator, Foley left WWE on September 1, 2008.
RELATED: 10 Things Most Fans Forget About Mick Foley's Career
Foley signed with Impact Wrestling two days later and quickly rose to the main event scene by winning the TNA World Championship from Sting at the 2009 Lockdown PPV in just seven months since leaving WWE.
7 Gail Kim - 2 Months
Gail Kim became the inaugural Impact Knockouts Champion in a 10-women Gauntlet for the Gold match at the 2007 Bound For Glory PPV. She has held the title for a record seven times throughout her career with the promotion, and she went the extra mile by making her second reign even more special.
After a controversial exit from WWE in September 2011, Kim returned to Impact Wrestling and almost immediately redeemed herself by becoming a double champion. She first won the Knockouts Tag Team Championship along with Madison Rayne on the November 3, 2011, episode of Impact. She followed it up by winning the Knockouts Championship by defeating Velvet Sky at the Turning Point PPV.
6 Victoria - 6 Months
Tara, who worked under the name Victoria in WWE, finds herself as a part of this list with her Impact Knockouts Championship victory in 2009.
After nine years with the promotion, Victoria left WWE in January 2009 after WWE officials allegedly told her that they didn't have any plans for her, which resulted in her asking for her release.
She signed with Impact Wrestling in May 2009 and competed under the name Tara. She started feuding with the Beautiful People faction, which led her to defeat Angelina Love for the Knockouts Championship on the July 9, 2009, episode of Impact.
5 Bret Hart - 8 Months
After the infamous Montreal Screwjob incident, Bret Hart had a point to prove to Vince McMahon and WWE. He took all his frustrations to WCW and looked to make a huge impact in the promotion.
He made his WCW debut on the December 15, 1997, episode of Nitro. Due to his 60-day no-compete clause with WWE, Hart didn't compete in WCW until his first match against Ric Flair at the 1998 Souled Out PPV.
After a failed attempt to capture the WCW World Television Championship, Hart defeated Diamond Dallas Page for the vacant WCW United States Championship on the July 20, 1998, episode of Nitro, in just eight months since leaving WWE.
4 Kurt Angle - 9 Months
After a decorated career with WWE, the promotion granted Kurt Angle an early release from his contract in August 2006 owing to health reasons. Angle claimed that he couldn't take any time off, and he continued to work hurt on numerous occasions, which prompted him to leave the promotion.
He went on to sign with Impact Wrestling in October 2006 and entered into a feud with Samoa Joe, and eventually ended the Samoan Submission Machine's undefeated streak.
RELATED: 10 Things Fans Should Know About Kurt Angle's TNA Run
He defeated Christian Cage and Sting in a three-way match to become the inaugural TNA World Heavyweight Champion at the 2007 Sacrifice PPV. He achieved this feat in just nine months since he left WWE.
3 Christian Cage - 7 Months
It's safe to say that 2021 has been a spectacular year for Christian Cage as he went on to main event three PPVs of three major promotions in the same year.
Christian's final WWE appearance came in the 2021 Royal Rumble match, where he briefly reunited with his friend and former tag-team partner Edge.
He went on to sign with All Elite Wrestling in March 2021, and with the promotion's partnership with Impact Wrestling, Cage went on to capture the Impact World Championship from Kenny Omega at the premiere episode of AEW Rampage on August 13.
It's is not the first time Christian Cage won a world title with Impact, as he did the same back in 2006 when he won the NWA World Championship in February 2006, after leaving WWE in October 2005.
2 Brodie Lee - 8 Months
The late Brodie Lee finds his name among this unique list with his AEW TNT Championship victory against Cody Rhodes last year.
Brodie Lee competed in WWE from 2012 to 2019 under the name Luke Harper as a part of The Wyatt Family and later The Bludgeon Brothers. He's also a former two-time SmackDown Tag Team Champion and a 1-time Intercontinental Champion throughout his WWE career.
After his release in December 2019, Brodie Lee signed with AEW and debuted as the leader of the Dark Order faction. He soon rose to prominence by defeating Cody Rhodes on the August 13, 2020, episode of Dynamite to capture the AEW TNT Championship, which he won eight months after his WWE release.
1 Jon Moxley - 2 Months
After his successful stint as Dean Ambrose in WWE, Jon Moxley looked to expand his horizon to other globally recognized promotions. His first stop on the way was New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Moxley's WWE contract expired in April 2019, and he won the IWGP United States Championship from Juice Robinson in the Best of the Super Juniors 26 Final in June 2019.
He proved that he could do much better than that after signing with All Elite Wrestling. He defeated Chris Jericho at the Revolution PPV in February 2020 to win the AEW World Championship and became the first wrestler to hold championships in AEW and NJPW simultaneously.
