10 Unrecognised Wrestling Championship Reigns

1. €œThe Million Dollar Man€ Ted DiBiase - WWE Champion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIE8XvGVMbg 1988€™s The Main Event television special -- broadcast on February 5th -- still holds the record for the most watched wrestling program in history. 33 million viewers tuned in to witness the epic rematch between Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant, for Hogan€™s WWF Championship. The events of that evening now live in infamy. Andre controversially beat the Hulkster, thanks to an impostor referee who was paid off by the €œMillion Dollar Man€ Ted DiBiase. However, the ref wasn€™t the only person DiBiase paid off. Andre had been with the millionaire for some time and was being used by DiBiase to steal the championship title away from Hogan. Curiously, despite the impostor official ignoring the fact that Hogan kicked out at two, Andre€™s WWF Championship victory has been officially recognized by WWE. However, it€™s what Andre did with the title, immediately following the match, that caused further controversy. The Giant from Grenoble in the French Alps, handed the belt over to DiBiase, declaring the Million Dollar Man the new WWF Champion. In the weeks following The Main Event, President Jack Tunney declared the championship exchange invalid, and stripped DiBiase of the gold. A tournament then took place for the vacant title at WrestleMania IV -- which saw €œMacho Man€ Randy Savage leave with the belt. Because of DiBiase€™s underhanded tactics, his short title reign -- which actually saw him defend the gold on a handful of house shows -- has never been recognized by the WWE. What do you think of the refusal to recognize these championship victories, and can you think of any other hotly contested championship reigns? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.