10 Awful Championships WWE Doesn't Want You To Remember

WWE acknowledging the North American Heavyweight Championship would mean them confirming that a certain tournament in Rio De Janeiro wasn't real.

It's a shame, because this belt was the only strap Ted DiBIase legitimately held in WWE, but its short history has been quietly pushed to one side as part of the Intercontinental title's complicated origin story. A 25-year-old Million Dollar Man was handed the gold on an episode of Championship Wrestling in 1979. After successful defences against Nikolai Volkoff, Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, and a long rivalry with both Valiant Brothers, DiBiase dropped the belt to Pat Patterson.

This is where you have to separate fact from fiction.

Patterson travelled to Brazil later that year to challenge Johnny Rodz, the reigning South American Heavyweight Champion, to a winner-takes-all match. When Pat returned to the United States as the champion of two continents, he was awarded the new Intercontinental Championship. Except the only real part of that story is that Patterson and Rodz both existed, the rest was completely made up. WWE isn't afraid of crowning their first champion in a fictional tournament, but this one gets confusing because Paterson carried on holding the North American Heavyweight belt.

When Pat was shipped off to New Japan Pro Wrestling at the end of 1979, he took the NAH title with him. Seiji Sakaguchi won it and Patterson returned to the US empty handed. At least he was still Intercontinental Champion... but how could he hold that belt if half of it was in Japan? The best thing to do is ignore it!

Sakaguchi held the belt during storylines with Antonio Inoki, Andre the Giant, and Hulk Hogan before the strap was quietly retired once and for all.