5 Times WWE literally handed a title to a wrestler without them winning a match

#1 Vince McMahon created the Hardcore Championship for Mankind

Vince McMahon tricked Mankind into believing that he's helping him

In 1998, WWE unveiled a new title: the Hardcore Championship. The inaugural champion was Mankind, who received the belt as a "kind gesture" from WWE Chairman Vince McMahon. It turned out that it was just part of an elaborate setup from Vince, who had been using Mankind, who was, shall we say, weak of mind, to unwittingly do his bidding as an unwitting member of The Corporation.

It all came to a head when Vince's cronies helped Mankind defeat McMahon's bitter rival Stone Cold Steve Austin in the semifinal of a one-night tournament to crown a new WWF Champion at Survivor Series 1998. Mankind didn't realize he had received help to win, and moved on to race The Rock in the final match. It would turn out that Mankind was not Vince McMahon's friend after all, and in a recreation of the previous year's Survivor Series scandal (the infamous Montreal Screwjob), The Rock was able to defeat Mankind when McMahon forced the timekeeper to ring the bell the moment Rocky was able to lock in the Sharpshooter.

The awarding of the title was a means to an end for a brilliant scheme, and the title itself went on to become a very entertaining entity to itself, and even became a title defended under 24/7 rules!

In 2019, Mick Foley revealed the 24/7 Championship to the world, a belt that was essentially the Hardcore Title without any of the "hardcore" stuff. Titus O’Neil was the first-ever 24/7 Champion, and he won this title...

By just picking it up while it sat in the middle of the ring.