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The wrestling business is quite competitive. Plenty of Superstars make it to the spotlight. But for every WWE star who reaches main event level of the show, there are several others who are being wasted on the sidelines.
Naturally, WWE stars want to make the most of their time in the spotlight. They often try to give back to the wrestlers who have helped them throughout their careers. For several competitors, championship victories are fleeting, but they provide wrestlers with a chance to dedicate the win to someone else.
Over the years, several WWE stars have dedicated these moments to members of their family who recently passed away or to the friends who have supported them throughout their difficult rise to the top.
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The following list looks at just five current WWE stars who have dedicated their championship victories to fellow wrestlers.
#5. Rey Mysterio dedicates Tag Team Championship win to WWE Hall of Famer Eddie Guerrero - SmackDown 2005
In 2005, Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio were close friends outside of the WWE ring, even though the two men had recently wrapped up a deeply personal storyline involving Mysterio's son. When the former world champion passed away, his death came as a shock to several WWE stars. Many wrestlers dedicated their matches to the memory of "Latino Heat."
Just a month after Guerrero's death, on the December 16 episode of WWE SmackDown, Mysterio and Batista teamed up to take on the WWE Tag Team Champions, MNM. Mysterio and Batista won the match and dedicated their victory to Guerrero.
Likewise, Mysterio later dedicated his historic Royal Rumble victory in 2006 to his friend. He then entered storyline that included Guerrero's widow, Vickie and his nephew, Chavo Guerrero. Mysterio received a huge push in 2006 as part of a storyline where Eddie was regularly mentioned.
Mysterio ultimately won the World Heavyweight Championship for the first time at WrestleMania 22, and Vickie and Chavo celebrated on the ramp with the new world champion.
#4. Charlotte dedicates WWE SmackDown Women's Championship win to Ric Flair - SmackDown 2017
Charlotte Flair has fought her way through the ranks in WWE, and she is now become the most decorated female wrestler of all time. The current WWE Women's Tag Team Champion is the daughter of WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair.
After her brother, Reid passed away in 2013, Flair dedicated her NXT Women's Championship win the following year to the memory of her younger brother. He was was later used as part of a storyline with Paige.
This occasion wasn't the only time Flair has dedicated a championship win to her family. "The Queen" was able to capture every championship available to the women of WWE by November 2017, and she dedicated her win on WWE SmackDown to her father.
"If I win tonight, I will be the only woman in history to hold every single title. But I'm in Charlotte... it's surreal. There's only one person that I could dedicate this win to and that's my dad because I wouldn't be here, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to be in the WWE, if it wasn't for my dad," said Flair.
"The Nature Boy" has been an integral part of Charlotte's WWE career since she first rose to fame as Superstar on WWE NXT.
#3. Kalisto dedicates Cruiserweight Championship victory to WWE Hall of Famer Eddie Guerrero - RAW 2017
Eddie Guerrero passed away 14 years ago, but the former WWE Champion has had a huge impact on several current stars, including Sasha Banks and Kalisto.
Kalisto won the WWE Cruiserweight Championship on an episode of Monday Night RAW in 2017, where he defeated Enzo Amore. After the match, he took to Twitter and revealed that he dedicated his championship win to the memory of "Latino Heat."
It was later reported that the fact that this match fell on Eddie Guerrero's fiftieth birthday was a major factor in WWE's decision to give Kalisto the Championship, as it was a fitting moment to coronate him.
In 2017, the WWE Cruiserweight Championship was featured on Monday Night RAW on a weekly basis. It was also the centerpiece on WWE 205 Live. The title has since been moved to NXT, and it has been renamed the NXT Cruiserweight Championship. Jordan Devlin is the current champion, but WWE also recognizes Santos Escobar as the interim titleholder.
#2. Keith Lee dedicates NXT Championship victory to WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry - The NXT Great American Bash 2020
In the summer of 2020, WWE Superstar Keith Lee was making history as a member of the NXT roster.
Lee took on Adam Cole in a Winner Takes All main event match at NXT Great American Bash. With his victory, Lee ended Adam Cole's 403-day reign as the NXT Champion. He also also won both the NXT and North American Championships.
Following the match, Lee paid his respects to his late coach, and he also recognized the contributions of WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry.
I believe Mark Henry said to me that I would bring back — forgive me if I misquote him, but, I’m fairly certain I was paying attention when he said I would bring back — ‘big man magic.’ Mr. Henry, this one’s for you, too. But more importantly, McKenzie, my coach who just passed away, just last week, once told me I would be the top, I would be one of the best this industry has ever seen. Today, he’s a prophet, and for me it doesn’t get sweeter than that," said Lee.
Lee was later called up to the main roster. As a member of WWE RAW, he recently came up short in his quest to become the WWE Champion.
#1. Shelton Benjamin dedicates WWE Raw Tag Team Championship victory to Shad Gaspard - TLC 2020
Former WWE star Shad Gaspard passed away back last year when he was caught in a strong rip current. Gaspard instructed lifeguards to save his son first before he disappeared under the water.
Several WWE stars including The Miz, John Morrison, and Chris Masters were part of the search for Gaspard, but his body washed up on Venice Beach the following day.
Gaspard was part of the WWE roster for several years, and he made many friends with his fellow Superstars. His death impacted many people in the wrestling industry. Shelton Benjamin was close with Gaspard, and a few months later, "The Gold Standard" won the WWE RAW Tag Team Championships at WWE TLC in December 2020. Naturally, he honored his friend in this special moment.
At WWE TLC, Benjamin and Cedric Alexander were victorious over The New Day, and Benjamin dedicated the win to Gaspard.
It was also later revealed that Benjamin left the show so he could celebrate with Gaspard's son, Aryeh.
