Profitable a WWE Championship will be the fruits of some critical exhausting work for a famous person. The second they’ve their arm raised after a match and the title is handed to them will be one of the vital satisfying of their careers.
Through the years, although, there have been quite a lot of stars within the firm who’ve gained titles with out truly having to wrestle for them, whether or not as a result of a brand new belt being created or a champion being compelled to relinquish their very own championship.
On that observe, listed here are 4 WWE Superstars who gained championships with out wrestling.
#4. Asuka was given the Uncooked Girls’s Championship after Becky Lynch introduced her being pregnant
The newest instance of a famous person being given a championship with out wrestling for it was Asuka on the Uncooked after Cash within the Financial institution in 2020.
The Empress of Tomorrow had gained the occasion’s marquee match the evening earlier than, securing the briefcase that gave her a title match each time she needed.
Nonetheless, the reigning Uncooked Girls’s Champion Becky Lynch introduced the very subsequent evening that she was pregnant and can be vacating her title.
As an alternative of making a match for the vacant championship, Asuka was merely handed the title after it was revealed to have been contained in the briefcase she’d gained the evening earlier than.
#3. Ted Dibiase purchased the WWF Championship from Andre the Large
Feb 5, 1988: @HulkHogan misplaced his title to Andre the Large after Ted DiBiase paid off the ref on Friday Night time’s Predominant Occasion. #80s Andre then surrendered the belt to the Million Greenback Man (however ultimately led to the title being vacated). https://t.co/tR8auCU8Yy
True to his character, Ted Dibiase used his cash to get his arms on the WWF Championship when he paid Andre the Large to give up the title to him.
Andre had simply gained the belt from Hulk Hogan when referee Dave Hebner counted the pin regardless of the Hulkster’s shoulder being up earlier than three. This all led to the “Evil Hebner” storyline, with it being revealed that Dave’s brother Earl was truly the one officiating the match. However that is an entire different story.
Andre instantly bought the title to The Million Greenback Man, and for 3 home exhibits, Dibiase was billed because the WWF Champion and defended the belt towards Bam Bam Bigelow.
Not lengthy after, WWF President Jack Tunney declared that Dibiase wasn’t the champion and the reign was invalid. The title was quickly taken from him and a match was held at WrestleMania IV to crown a brand new champion.
#2. Rob Van Dam was handed the WWE ECW title following its launch
When WWE determined to relaunch the ECW model, the corporate wanted a headliner for the present.
They needed somebody to paved the way and be the face of the model as its champion, however as an alternative of holding a match to crown one, they merely handed the title to Rob Van Dam.
RVD, who had lately gained the WWE Championship from John Cena at ECW One Night time Stand, was a becoming first champion for ECW’s revival. Seeing him maintain each the WWE and ECW titles was satisfying for followers.
It was disappointing, although, that the model did not give anybody on the roster an opportunity to wrestle for the belt at first and that Paul Heyman was simply handing it to Van Dam like some form of prop.
#1. Triple H was given the brand new World Heavyweight Championship by Eric Bischoff
When Brock Lesnar, the WWE Unified Champion, turned unique to Smackdown, Uncooked wound up lacking a world championship.
Because of this, Eric Bischoff determined to carry again the well-known “Huge Gold Belt” that was utilized in WCW and NWA to symbolize their world titles. Thus the World Heavyweight Championship was revived in WWE.
Nonetheless, as an alternative of forcing Uncooked’s high stars to face off over the distinguished new championship, Bischoff merely handed it to Triple H. The Cerebral Murderer was one of many greatest superstars within the firm on the time, and it made excellent sense for him to guide the Uncooked model.
With that being mentioned, seeing him handed the title left a bitter style in followers’ mouths, and it was the launching pad for what turned the Recreation’s “Reign of Terror”.
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