10 Times Wrestlers Were Literally Given Championships

10. Pat Patterson (WWF IC Title)

As the old chestnut goes, WWF North American champion Pat Patterson travelled to Rio de Janiero, Brazil in September 1979 to take part in a tournament for the vacant South American Heavyweight Championship.

With footballing icons Pele and Zico in attendance at the Maracana stadium, Patterson bested four of the southern hemisphere's brightest stars, including the masked Mamarracho in the final, to become the inaugural WWF Intercontinental champion.

Well... even the then-WWF didn't go into quite that much detail.

Back in the 1970s, with only regional television coverage and the dictates of kayfabe holding firm, all that was required to convince the wrestling audience of a phantom title win, was to simply tell them it happened.

Neither the date, arena, nor the faux participants were ever revealed then or to this day, as Patterson was immortalised as the first ever holder of what would come to be known as the 'workers' title.

Ironic, since Pat was probably sat on his arse when he 'won' it.