Championships in WWE are a funny thing. In their most traditional sense, they’re a mark of excellence, achieving a symbiotic balance between the wrestler boosting the prestige of the title, and the title adding to his or her own credibility. Titles have historically gone to top stars to represent the company, and afford a reason for wrestlers to feud as they seek to obtain championship glory. One need look no further than the first champions in WWE. Buddy Rogers carried forth the legacy of NWA prominence and main event status, only to pass the torch to Bruno Sammartino who’d be the standard-bearer for eight years to follow. For the Intercontinental Championship, the first man to get his hands on the belt was Pat Patterson, a fringe main eventer and loyal company man who’d set that title off as one of importance and prestige.

For all of the value and history attached to championships, however, there are those times when belts changed hands as a storytelling device, like when Vince McMahon pinned Triple H during their 1999 rivalry. There are also those times when titles moved because of injury, like John Cena’s second world title reign coming to an unceremonious end in Fall 2007, or out of unplanned happenstance, like when Mabel from Men on a Mission was too heavy for Quebecer Pierre to kick out of his pin, costing the latter man’s team their tag titles. And then there are those cases when a title win happened based on pity.

It's rare for WWE to let personal matters outweigh business considerations or Vince McMahon’s master plan for the creative direction of his Universe. Nonetheless, it has happened, and this article looks back at fifteen WWE title wins that happened out of pity.

15 Christian - World Heavyweight Champion

via wwe.com

Christian took a winding road to the top of WWE, which included starring in the tag team division, working the mid-card, and then defecting to TNA in the interest of getting more of a shot at the top of the card and refining his skills accordingly. He returned to WWE as an upper mid-card guy, even getting a shot at the top of the ECW brand.

It looked as though Christian never would truly break the glass ceiling and become a main event guy. However, when his real life best friend and long time on air associate faced a sudden end to his career due to neck and spine issues, which vacated the World Heavyweight Championship, WWE turned to Captain Charisma. He was subbed into a match Edge’s arch rival at the time, Alberto Del Rio, for the World Heavyweight Championship.

Whether it was pity for someone clearly in Edge’s camp, or just trying to tell a feel good story, Christian picked up the underdog victory and the world title.

WWE made it clear enough that it didn’t see Christian as the guy in the days to follow, as he would lose the title to Randy Orton in the same week. While Christian would hang around to feud with Orton for a period of months, and even regain the title on a technicality, he was never really treated like a top guy the way a world title reign would usually imply.

14 Rey Mysterio - World Heavyweight Champion

via youtube.com

At 5’6” and well under 200 pounds, Rey Mysterio certainly didn’t fit the mold of a world champion in WWE. However, after Batista went down to injury, it left the World Heavyweight Championship picture in flux heading into WrestleMania season for 2006. More to the point, Eddie Guerrero had passed away in a true wrestling tragedy, as the wrestling community lost one of its favorite figures, and a guy who had been entrenched in the main event picture. Out of these circumstances, WWE gave Mysterio a chance.

As a popular star who had been real life close friends with Guerrero, there was reason to expect fans to feel sympathy for him.

Moreover, given his diminutive size, he fit the profile for the ideal underdog, fighting with Eddie’s spirit instilled in him.

Mysterio would pick up the win of a life time at WrestleMania 22, pinning Randy Orton in a triple threat match. That title reign wouldn’t last long or have many real highlights. It nonetheless shored up Mysterio’s legacy and set him up to be taken seriously as a main event threat and legend for years to follow.

13 Bret Hart - United States Champion

via pinterest.com

It’s hard to imagine a Superstar departing from WWE under worse terms than Bret Hart did in 1997. The infamous Montreal Screwjob saw him unwillingly drop the WWE Championship to Shawn Michaels, who was not only Hart’s on screen enemy, but his real life nemesis. The defeat went down via phantom submission in front of a Canadian crowd, and could only be trumped by an ugly, and very real altercation between the Hitman and Vince McMahon backstage.

Fast forward to 2010, and it’s evident McMahon wanted to make things right. After Hart had lost his brother Owen, been forced into abrupt retirement, and suffered from a stroke, McMahon offered the olive branch. The two sides slowly rebuilt trust, from a DVD documentary and match compilation, to a Hall of Fame induction, to Hart returning to Monday Night Raw.

Hart would win an on screen rivalry against McMahon himself, and, as something of an encore, relieve The Miz of the United States Championship. It was a silly win, given Hart wasn’t in a physical condition to take bumps, or otherwise work a full-fledged match. That last title win seemed more emblematic of WWE celebrating his legacy, and offering the fallen warrior one last moment of title glory in a WWE ring.

12 Becky Lynch - SmackDown Women’s Champion

via pinterest.com

When WWE split up the Raw and SmackDown rosters in 2016, it included divvying up the newly credible women’s division. While top talents Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks went to Raw, Becky Lynch, who’d lived in their shadow, had the opportunity to head up the SmackDown women’s locker room.

While Lynch is truly a terrific talent, she didn’t have the charisma, buzz, or upside of a Flair or Banks.

On SmackDown, WWE offered her a token moment in the sun as the brand’s first Women’s Champion.

While it’s possible management intended for her to be the face of that division, it’s more telling that she’d drop the title to Alexa Bliss come winter and never get her hands on it again. As such, that title win comes across less as a career milestone than as WWE throwing her a bone for her talent and supporting efforts to get the division over with fans.

11 Zack Ryder - Intercontinental Champion

via wwe.com

Zack Ryder made his first appearance at a WrestleMania at the twenty-fourth edition of the show, playing one of Edge’s sidekicks, whom The Undertaker unceremoniously dispatched of. Despite appearing in battle royals and large scale tag matches in the years to follow, he’d never actually get to hear his music played at a ‘Mania until eight years later. For the die hard WWE fan who had gotten himself over via YouTube and social media only to face setback over setback, it was a big deal for him to get a spot in the WrestleMania 32 Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match.

It was a bigger deal for him to win and celebrate the victory with his dad.

Ryder would drop the title to The Miz the very next night. The title change confirmed WWE didn’t have long term champion plans for Ryder. The win offered a feel good moment and paid tribute to Ryder’s years of service, but more so seemed granting the long time roster member a brief moment of celebration, only to set up bigger heat for The Miz.

10 The New Age Outlaws - Tag Team Champions

via pinterest.com

It’s not unusual for a tag teams first time capturing gold to represent that they’ve arrived as a duo, either as an import from outside WWE, or after gelling as a tandem on the main roster. Such was the case when The New Age Outlaws—the overachieving standout duo of the early Attitude Era—when they unseated the Legion of Doom for their first tag titles in 1997.

Seventeen years later, The Road Dogg and Billy Gunn were no spring chickens.

In early 2014, the veteran tandem had been working a nostalgia run in WWE. Fresh off a heel turn, they took the tag titles off of Cody Rhodes and Goldust, on behalf of The Authority. While the two were still over on the mic, and Gunn in particular was still remarkably fit for his age, the two were well past their prime. Their month and a half as tag champs at that point in their careers was less a validation of current stars than a lifetime achievement award for two old warhorses.

9 Jillian Hall - Divas Champion

via wwe.com

Jillian Hall’s WWE main roster tenure stretched from 2005 to 2010. During that time she was one of the most talented female in ring performers WWE had. Moreover, while her gimmick as a bad singer was silly, she committed fully to the bit, making the most of the comedy act she was saddled with.

Unfortunately for Hall, she starred during a period when WWE privileged beautiful women over talented women, and was largely marginalized as a result.

She finally got one Divas Championship victory in late 2009 on an episode of Raw. It’s telling, however, that she was forced to defend the title the same night she won it, and in so doing, promptly lost it. Getting to hold the title at all felt like a bit of thanks from management to a dedicated performer who never really got her big break.

8 Andre The Giant And Haku - Tag Team Champions

via wwe.com

Andre the Giant is both figuratively and literally one of wrestling’s biggest legends. By 1990, however, he was a shell of his former self, particularly in a wrestling ring. Yes, he was still enormous, but gone was his grace and control of his body that had been key to making him such an iconic star. WWE got its last value from him by plugging him into a tag team for his final full time run with the company.

It’s hard to say WWE pitied Andre, given incredible respect the company had for him. This did largely feel like giving the Giant his due, though.

While he technically had one WWE Championship to his name, it was one on a spurious three count by a bribed ref. This was Andre’s lone true, legitimate title reign. Interestingly, it was also Haku’s only title reign, as the workhorse of the team got the rub from Andre’s star power, Bobby Heenan’s management, and this one opportunity to hold gold.

7 The Brian Kendrick - Cruiserweight Champion

via si.com

The Brian Kendrick is an undeniable wrestling talent whose speed, agility, and technical acumen offered him a respectable career. In 2016, WWE brought him back into the fold, less as in his signature high flyer role than in the spot of the grizzled veteran of the Cruiserweight division. And he won that division’s title.

The Cruiserweight division has had its ups and downs. Kendrick never really seemed earmarked to be the guy, but when TJ Perkins drew lukewarm reactions as champ, Kendrick was a suitable, recognizable guy to put the title on. Particularly as he began to play a washed up old star, there was an element of kayfabe imitating real life, and a sense this one last title reign was an equal parts bit of pity, and thank you to a guy on his way out of the spotlight for good.

6 Gerald Brisco - Hardcore Champion

via cagesideseats.com

The WWE Hardcore Championship was never the most serious title. Given the 24/7 rule, it wasn’t unusual for it to change hands multiple times in the same night, and it was a gateway for a variety of talents to have technically won a title, while it nonetheless remains difficult to really think of them having been champs. Consider that the slate of former champions includes Pete Gas from the Mean Street Posse, Headbanger Thrasher, Molly Holly, borderline senior citizen Pat Patterson, and borderline senior citizen Gerald Brisco.

To be fair Brisco’s not one but two title wins were mostly played for laughs.

He pinned Crash Holly when he was literally sleeping and, after losing the title, won it back by pinning Holly again during the middle of a different match. Still, the wins, also felt like a bit of a thank you to a great wrestler who never got to shine in the ring for WWE, though he had been a valued business partner and backstage associate to Vince McMahon. This would be the only title he’d ever win in WWE.

5 The Hart Dynasty - Tag Team Champions

via pinterest.com

After Bret Hart had returned to the WWE fold, the next generation of his family and friends got a small push, with nephew DH Smith and trainee Tyson Kidd winning the tag titles as the Hart Dynasty. Bret’s niece Natalya was in their corner.

The young team would get a few months with the title and perform reasonably well. However, this was clearly a time when WWE wasn’t taking tag teams all that seriously. It was telling that they dropped the belts to Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre in a clear move toward making tag teams more of a focal point again. The general sense is that The Hart Dynasty got a title reign as a gesture of respect toward Bret, and in acknowledgment that Smith and Kidd were underutilized throughout their WWE tenures.

4 Roddy Piper And Ric Flair - Tag Team Champions

via wwe.com

Roddy Piper and Ric Flair are undeniable legends of the wrestling business. At the time of this writing, Flair has held more world championships than any other wrestler anywhere. While Piper never got his hands on a proper world title, that’s largely a matter of happenstance. Had he not hit his peak stardom when Hulk Hogan was enjoying a multi-year reign atop WWE, there’s little doubt he would have gotten his shot.

It’s remarkable that either of these guys could go in the ring at all in 2006, each over 50 years old. WWE nonetheless gave them an opportunity. Based on a fan vote, they were the legends selected to tag up and challenge the Spirit Squad for the tag titles, and in a feel good, nostalgia fueled moment, they picked up the win. Piper in particular was too broken down to work a full-time schedule, so it’s clear it was a token reign, which only lasted a little over a week before they lost the titles to Rated RKO.

3 Kane - ECW Champion

via deviantart.net

If you don’t respect anything else about Kane’s WWE career, you have to give the devil his due for his longevity.

Kane has made his gimmick work for a long time, and it’s telling, too, that ten years ago WWE seemed ready to salute his service as he appeared to enter the twilight of his career. So, after only one brief reign as WWE Champion very early in his tenure, The Big Red Machine was gifted the ECW Championship, and so given the chance to lead the ECW brand starting at WrestleMania XXIV.

The way he won was telling—surprising Chavo Guerrero, choke slamming him, and pinning him in seconds.

The reign to follow wouldn’t demonstrate a ton of technical savvy or finesse, but would be a fitting tribute to the career Kane had had. Little did we know, he’d keep trucking along another ten years.

2 Goldust And Stardust - Tag Team Champions

via pinterest.com

The tag team of Cody Rhodes and Goldust caught lightning in a bottle when they had their father, Dusty Rhodes, in their corner and they defeated The Shield for the tag titles at Battleground 2013. The moment felt like it could have sparked a new white hot period for the tag division, or like it might be the foundation for building Cody Rhodes as a main event star.

None of this was meant to be. The team settled into a staunchly mid-card role, before unceremoniously dropping the titles to The New Age Outlaws in early 2014.

When Cody was rebranded as Stardust, it felt like a last ditch effort to cash in on the young star who had made a variety of gimmicks and storylines work, and yet had never escaped mid card standting.

That Stardust and Goldust would win the tag belts felt like a hollow echo of what the team had once been, throwing them a bone with the acknowledgment that Goldust’s time had passed, and Cody was actively being squandered in the moment.

1 Chavo Guerrero - ECW Champion

via tumblr.com

When it comes to the most criminally mis- or under-utilized WWE stars of the 2000s, Chavo Guerrero certainly rates. Sure, he had opportunities to shine in the Cruiserweight division. In his prime, though, he was probably among the top ten in ring workers WWE had to its credit, not to mention that he had the Guerrero wrestling family name behind him. Still, he was most often a directionless mid carder, subjected to painfully silly gimmicks like Kerwin White and playing Jack Swagger’s mascot, and enduring a horrendous comedy feud with Hornswoggle.

One of the few glimmers of hope for him was an ECW Championship reign in 2008. He bested up and comer CM Punk to take the title, and looked like he might be taken seriously for once. In retrospect, this was a largely meaningless, token win for Chavo. He was used as the transitional champ to move Punk out of the ECW ranks, while moving toward featuring Kane on top of the brand. Chavo would end up losing his title in a farce of a match that lasted under ten seconds at WrestleMania 24.