2014 Pro Wrestling Thread

In WCW in the late 80s, early 90s, they used to say the US titleholder was the No. 1 contender, except they'd never win the world title.

The E could do something similar, except have the IC guy win every couple of years.

 

That's what they do with the X Division title in TNA -- every year, the champion has the right to cash in the title for a World title shot at Destination X. Presuming they remember to do it this year.

 

I love your idea but that's why I said even if they never really get a shot. It just adds prestige to holding the belt, that's all.

 

One reason I suggested having a ladder match for the IC title is the chance that it could have a "holy shit!" moment that elevates the winner, and the whole division. Like, I think the tag division has mostly been irrelevant in the Raw era, except when it was showcased with extreme rules matches and those performers (the Hardy Brothers, Christian and Jericho, etc.).

It would also help if they had guys not going after the main title instead pursue the IC belt. Jericho is the last established guy to really chase after it, I believe. I'm not sure if guys like Del Rio, Orton, Sheamus, etc. have ever challenged for it.

 

I think that recent booking of the IC title gets too much blame in lowering the prestige. I see it as cyclical. Recall that guys like Val Venis and Godfather, who were never going to sniff the world title, held the IC title in the late 90s, tarnishing it after guys like Stone Cold, Rock, and Triple H went to war over it. Then the IC title regained its prestige as guys like Jericho, Benoit, Angle, etc., started fighting over it in the early 2000s. It didn't help that The E retired the IC belt temporarily around 2003, only to revive it (along with the US title) back when the brand extension was in full swing. Like I said, Cody brought some luster back after it was put on lousy workers like Ezekiel Jackson.

If the Shield break up, I think Ambrose and Big E should be immediately put in a singles program to merge the IC and US titles.

 

It's been a couple of years, but Big Show won it at WM 28 (beat Rhodes, in fact). JBL and Mysterio also had a feud with it, leading to JBL's awesome 14-second Wrestlemania retirement match.
But, yeah, it's largely been a wasted opportunity to either elevate someone or solidify a main event contender as a badass, beat all comers champion.
I wouldn't mind an angle where one guy makes it his mission to win all the gold there is to win. I think they've tried it a few times, but having a heel take the Tag and IC belt, then chase after and win the world title and hold it for a couple of months could be different.

 

I wish that if we were going to have lesser titles, there was some sort of unique reason for their existence. Something that makes that title anything other than the JV Championship.

Something like "Must be defended once a week" would work.

 

Sorta like the TV title of 80s-era NWA? Defend it every week on TV, 10-minute matches.

For comparison's sake: Mid-Atlantic NWA, the stuff with which I grew up, had the following titles: U.S., National, TV, Mid-Atlantic, Western States Heritage, Jr. Heavyweight, World tag, National tag (which was replaced with the U.S. tag) and World six-man tag. And it didn't seem like there were too many belts. In modern WWE, we've got a much larger roster and the following titles: WWE World, IC, U.S., WWE World Tag and Divas. And there's chatter that the IC and US belts will be combined at WM. And they still can't figure out how to book them.

 

Exactly like that.

I don't like generic singles titles fought under the exact same rules and eligibility as the main title. It's just JV.

 

I loved the TV title in pre-Nitro WCW.

 

The problem isn't the belts, it's the fact that the WWE has hamstrung itself with the way it handles title defenses.
With very few exceptions, the booking is built to put the titles up at PPVs (when they even remember) which leads to months-long feuds where the participants only fight for the gold every four weeks.
It just leads to the same bland back-and-forth booking that minimizes the surprise element that should be there for a title. EVERYONE should be chasing for titles. All the time. Instead we get three singles titles (counting Divas) and one tag team championship where there are only a couple of people in the rotation for them a year.
Logically speaking, if you're a guy like Brodus Clay, what are you doing in the company if you're not trying to get a title?
What's the point of this title-less feuds if the belts are supposed to be what the wrestlers go for?

 

Would love to see a TV title in the fold if they ever drop the U.S. belt. Set things where it has to be defended once a week on any show, maybe just the big two. All matches for it have a 20-minute time limit. When used right, those time limits can really help build a match and a feud.