The WWE Belt System is Broken The history of Professional Wrestling has seen many faces, era’s, and companies. From small independent start ups, all the way to the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE), Wrestlers have been battling it out in the squared circle all over the world, for countless Federations and Promoters. After all, the sport of Professional Wrestling is over 100 years old, believe it or not. Over all that time there have been endless stories, characters, grudges, signature moves, and memories. The one thing all of these era’s share, across 50 states, 100 years, and thousands of Wrestling companies, is the idea of a Champion. One man who is the best that promotion can display. The one who climbed the ladder by fighting, and beating, the best that company had to offer. Champion. His prize? A shiny gold belt to wear around his waist as proudly as any heavyweight fighter. A strap that means as much to that Wrestling roster as any trophy that can be won, regardless of sport. A Champion doesn’t need to brag about his victories, the belt says it all. Throughout Professional Wrestling the debate used to rage over who was the true Champion of the sport. Did the man make the belt? Was Hulk Hogan the true king of the industry when he was WWF Champion, or was it WCW Champion Ric Flair? Did the honor of being the industry’s star go to Bret Hart, the most technically sound performer of his era? Or was it Sting, a larger than life character who took the Big Gold Belt back from the evil nWo? Does the ECW Heavyweight Champion factor into all of this? Was the most cult-followed Wrestling company the true representation of the fans? In that case men like Taz, Sandman, Mike Awesome, & Rhino need to be considered in the debate for Pro Wrestling’s pure powerhouse. How about the ratings war days? Was the beer chugging, finger flipping Stone Cold Steve Austin the ruler of the Pro Wrestling mountain? I could argue that ‘The Man’ in the business those days was Goldberg. After all, the man was the reigning Champion for the #1 rated Wrestling company in the world. The common thread here, is that although the debate may rage over who was ‘The Man’ in Pro Wrestling, there was never a debate over who was on top in his particular company. There may have been many stars, main eventers, and big draw names, but there was undeniably a king of the promotion’s mountain. A Champion. Were there secondary titles in those companies? Absolutely. ECW had a World Television Title that was their secondary Championship, but was held in very high esteem. The most notable Champion to hold that belt is certainly Rob Van Dam, and it was a title he cared a great deal about, held for over a year, and brought a great deal of respect to. He was not holding a title on the level of ECW Heavyweight Championship, but the strap elevated his status, and he certainly felt like a Champion. However, when Mike Awesome, Sandman, or Justin Credible were Heavyweight Champion, they were still clearly the focus of the company, and the man on top for Extreme Championship Wrestling. A Champion. WCW had 3 secondary titles during their peak (I am dismissing the WCW Hardcore Title because, c’mon), the Cruiserweight, Television, & prestigious United States Championships. That may seem like a lot, but WCW really did make a system that worked, and the belts truly felt bracketed and slotted properly. The Cruiserweight Championship never felt like a ‘filler’ title in the old World Championship Wrestling. Only men of a certain weight class even qualified for the title, and it was much more like today’s ‘X Division’ in TNA. There seemed to be an entire division within the company dedicated to that title alone, and it truly became a highlight on WCW programming. Big names in the business like Rey Mysterio, Dean Malenko, Juventud Guerrera, Billy Kidman, & even Chris Jericho himself are former Cruiserweight Champions, and that title was highly sought after, and very respected. The Television Title was introduced to audiences in 1974, and was meant to be a title that would be defended every time (old)TNA/WCW put on a televised event. It may sound gimmicky, but huge names is the Wrestling world held and defended that title with pride. Arn Anderson, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Scott Hall, & Booker T are former Television Champions, and it carried enough weight to be a true accomplishment because of the history that came with it. It really felt like the holder of that belt was an up-and-comer who people should keep their eye on as he climbs the ladder. Certainly a title worth having. Without a doubt the secondary championship for WCW was its United States Championship. This belt was held by legends such as Harley Race, Ricky Steamboat, Vader, Chris Benoit & even Steve Austin are former World Championship Wrestling US Champions, & give WCW credit – that belt always felt like a big deal and the holder was the clear #2 in the company. In 1998 no star in the business was rising quite as fast as Bill Goldberg, and WCW put the US Title on him to see how he could handle being a champion while skyrocketing up the ladder. He held both the US Title & WCW Championship at the same time (although he would give up the US title as to not dominate everything in WCW) and the classic picture of him celebrating his victory over Hollywood Hogan shows him holding both titles high in the air with pride. The United States Championship was an honor, and one the men on that roster didn’t take lightly. With all due respect to these titles however, there was never any doubt that the Big Gold Belt was the true prize, and around the waist of the company’s biggest draw. Goldberg walked into that Nitro as US Champion, but it’s when he captured the gold and defeated the legendary Hogan that he became the company’s face. Not for 1 second did that feel untrue. Goldberg was a meteor crashing through WCW, but he wasn’t their Champion. Not without the belt. When a Championship means so much that 1 match can feel like you’ve taken 100 steps, you know it means something. The World Wrestling Federation(Entertainment) is no stranger to secondary titles either, and has become the problem which lead me to write this piece. The Intercontinental Championship, although secondary, was one of the largest prizes in Professional Wrestling. It was a title that unified the WWF North American Championship & the South American Heavyweight Championship for the first time, and that alone was a monumental moment in Professional Wrestling. It’s first Champion was Hall of Famer Pat Patterson, and was instantly a championship worth having. In many ways it was the first ‘undisputed’ championship in WWF history, as it combined the titles of 2 of the biggest promotions in the industry. The belt meant as much to some Wrestlers as the WWF title, because of the history and lineage that came along with it. Listing the notable champions would take pages, as men like Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, The Ultimate Warrior, Randy Savage, & Triple H have all used it as a stepping stone on their way to the top. The belt is so prestigious, that in his documentary ‘Breaking the Code’ the first recognized ‘Undisputed Champion’ said his career goal all along was simply to become Intercontinental Champion. Jericho is the record holder for carrying the title 9 times, and it should really show you what that belt meant to young Wrestlers on their way up. The World Wrestling Federation European Championship was introduced in February of 1997 when the British Bulldog sunset rolled Bret Hart to capture the title and become it’s first holder. It was created to pump up WWF’s foreign presense, & obviously Europe in particular. In fact, the tournament to crown the first European Champion was held in Germany, and it’s first Champion was appropriately a European – the British Bulldog. A combination of a huge celebration by the European crowd and a victory over a very respected Bret Hart made the belt feel important & credible right away, and was a welcomed addition to the WWF Title family. Stars such as Shawn Michaels, Owen Hart, Eddie Guerrero, & Kurt Angle are all former European Champions, and when the Heartbreak Kid held the European & WWF Title at the same time, you know it was a belt worth having. Later the belt became a sort of afterthought title, and was made to look silly when guys like Shane McMahon & Al Snow held it, but there is a lineage there, and a proud one. Although the WWF Hardcore Title was held by some impressive names in it’s company’s history, including Mankind, Kane, Big Show & believe it or not Undertaker, it was always a very gimmicky title that provided fun, but was certainly not a high ranking belt. It was more about capatalizing on the brutality that became so poular in ECW, and if you really want to know what the World Wrestling Federation thought of the title, just look at a picture of the actual belt sometime. That pretty much says it all. Also worth noting is that WWF had a ‘Light Heavyweight’ Championship, held by names like Christian & Jeff Hardy. However the focus on that division and title was always an afterthought for the WWF, and once they strapped that belt on Gillberg, you knew they had given up on it. So, why have we covered the history of biggest titles in this era’s history? Well, if you noticed, when these companies were independent structures with their own history and title lineage, there was a clear order of importance. There was no confusion as to who was the true Champion, and more notable, the ranks of the other titles. ECW Heavyweight was bigger than the ECW Television. WCW’s order was World Heavyweight, US, Television, and separate stars for it’s Cruiserweight. WWF had it’s Champion, IC Title holder, & European Champion. In that order. No ifs, ands, or buts. Now, the WWE Title system is a very broken one, and in need of a major overhaul. The problem began when the WWF became the only show in town. No one pushed Vince McMahon & his Wrestling Titan quite like the ratings war with WCW & the cutting edge ‘new school’ Wrestling Paul Heyman’s ECW was pumping out. The World Wrestling Federation had to constantly push the envelope to keep up, and it produced the most pure fun period in the industry’s history. When WCW & ECW couldn’t keep up financially any longer, WWF bought them out, literally owning the competition, and crushed both companies in Vince’s hand, rather than let them remain as separate entities under his ownership. I could write all day about how poorly managed the WCW/ECW Invasion was. It was the biggest storyline in Wrestling history, period. It was something no one thought would ever really happen, the WCW Title being defended on WWF TV. ECW stars teaming with WCW to finally kill the giant, right on it’s own turf. It was the dream of the Wrestling world, but turned into a complete disaster. Honestly, it was brutal based on even regular storyline standards, not to mention the HUGE potential of a full fledged Wrestling war. The biggest problems that came after the Invasion was wrapped up. The WWF now had a very expanded roster, and more notable, a LOT of belts. At one piont, the WCW Heavyweight, US, Cruiserweight, & Tag Team Titles were defended on WWF programming in addtion to the World Wrestling Federation Championship, Intercontinental, European, Light Heavyweight, Hardcore, & Tag Team Titles. That’s 10 Championships in 1 company. Think about that – 10. Thank God the ECW titles didn’t carry over as well, or we’re talking about an even more staggering 13 belts to be won in 1 Federation. Yeesh. In 2002 the WWF realized that this had gone too far, and began unifying titles. Rob Van Dam for example won a ladder match against Jeff Hardy to capture and unify the Intercontinental & European Titles. The Tag belts became unified by The Brothers of Destruction, & The Light Heavyweight was absorbed by the Cruiserweight Championship. We all know that Chris Jericho became the first WWF Undisputed Champion of the World when he became the first man to be recognized as WCW & WWF Champion at the same time, but even after all that, WWE still hasn’t managed to get the new system quite right. As 2013 winds down and WWE begins to prepare for it’s 2014 run, it’s belt system is broken. We can all agree that the highest priority belt in the company is the WWE Championship. Now that the brand extension has ended and RAW & SmackDown are now filled by the same roster, the gold held by Randy Orton is the clear prize for WWE. The problem, is the other 3 singles male titles. Is the Intercontinental Title more prestigious than the United States Title they absorbed from WCW? Are they on the same level, the secondary Championships they once were during the days of 2 separate companies? Is the US Title the new European Championship, a belt that is prestigious but really just a filler title for up-and-comers or mid-carders with no real chance of becoming a main eventer? It feels like the Intercontinetal Title is still the ‘bigger’ belt of the 2, but with Curtis Axel having no real rivarly for the strap, combined with him rarely defending it, make the title feel almost insignificant. This is the Championship that Chris Jericho set as his career goal. This is one of the first Unifying Titles in major Wrestling history. This is a belt that has been worn by hall of famers on their way to legendary status and Heayweight gold. Now, no one even comes out on RAW claiming to want it. Wrestlers like Kofi Kingston, Miz, Ryback, Wade Barrett, Fandango, Dean Ambross, Seth Rollins, & Antonio Cesaro should be men on a mission to claim the Intercontinetal strap and prove they have taken the next step, and are ready for many more. Say what you will about Axel, I for one think he has no charisma, and is only slightly above average in the ring. I don’t think he has what it takes to be a big star in WWE, but if the company does, they should be booking the young IC Champion as a powerhouse, who wins despite big name talent trying to take him down. Axel feels like just another guy. Case in point – this Sunday is a PPV called Night of CHAMPIONS. The gimmick of the PPV is that EVERY title will be defended. The Intercontinental won’t though. That’s how lost he is. The United States title is one that is very frustrating as well. In 2012 it appeared that Antonio Cesaro was going to be the man to elevate that title back to level it belonged on. He was a physical, intimidating heel who was very proud to be wearing the US belt. He spoke of it’s history, and vowed to be the greatest of all US Champions. His momentum slowed greatly however, and he dropped it to Kofi Kingston, who also did nothing of note with the title. When young potential mega-star Dean Ambrose captured the US gold from Kingston, it appeared that the real boost that title deserved was finally upon us. He was a member of The Shield, a team who had as much momentum as any performer in Wrestling when he beat Kofi. Ambross has the charisma,skill, and look of a great heel Champion, and the amount of pride he showed in winning that belt. Clearly, this will be the man to show the WWE Universe what a US Champion should look like, and how to book one properly. Nope. Dean Ambross captured the United States Championship on May 19, 2013. That means he’s been the Champion for roughly 4 months. Can anyone name me his biggest rival for the belt in those 4 months? How about his biggest moment as US Champion? Can someone even name a big time title defense he’s had? Anyone? Me neither. The worst offender of them all, a true insult to the Wrestling world, is the way WWE is handling the Heavyweight Championship of the World. WCW’s Big Gold Belt was brought back when Eric Bischoff awarded it to Triple H during the brand extension, renaming it the World Heavyweight Championship. It was meant to be RAW’s title, and it embodied the history that came before it. At one point you could argue that the WHC was a bigger belt in World Wrestling Entertainment than the WWE Title itself, and main evented many Pay-Per-Views. You may remember when Bautista had the chance to take on any Champion he wanted, he chose World Champion Triple H over fighting for the WWE title. CM Punk vs Jeff Hardy for the Heavyweight Championship in 2009 was the last time the Big Gold was the closer of the show, and in many ways was the beginning of the end for the belt’s prestige. What does the World Heavyweight Championship actually mean now? Is it still considered an equal title to the WWE gold? It can’t be. Is it the secondary title now, and if so, where does that bump the IC & US titles down to? Can the US Championship have real value if it’s the #4 title? That seems like a stretch. Fans of the WCW era will remember the Big Gold Belt being a massive prize in Professional Wrestling. Ric Flair made it seem larger than life. Hulk Hogan made a statement that the nWo had arrived by spray painting the title. One of the most loved performers of all time held that title multiple times, with great pride, and when he won it back form the nWo, it was a huge moment throughout Wrestling. I’m talking about Sting. WWE needs to realize that to Wrestling fans, that’s not just some title, that’s Booker T’s history making moment. That’s Goldberg’s arrival. That’s Sting’s belt. Alberto del Rio is a fine Champion and solid Professional Wrestler. But right now, his biggest rival is his former ring announcer. Let that sink in. The man who holds the belt that once ruled Pro Wrestling, the belt held in WWE by Triple H, Edge, Bautista, The Big Show, Mark Henry, John Cena, & CM Punk, is now around the waist of a man who is feuding with his former personal ring announcer. That is just not good enough. It’s hard to pin point a specific time when the belt lost it’s shine. Sheamus in 2012 was a strong Champion, and to me, the perfect kind of guy for that belt. The Heavyeight Championship of the World may never be on equal ground witht the WWE Title again, and I understand that. What it should be however, is the clear 1A in the WWE. Sheamus, Ziggler, Henry, Show, even Brock Lesnar should all be highly motivated to win that strap. It should be recognized for the prestigious, high value prize that it is. Performers who can’t seem to break into the WWE Title seen should be scrambling for the chance to hold the WHC. Ryback, for all his bullying and ‘big guy’ attitude, has never even sniffed around at the WHC. Wasn’t this a man fighting for the WWE Title a few months ago? Shouldn’t Ryback be ‘Hungry’ for gold, and recognize the WHC as the next step after losing to Cena? Kofi Kingston & Cody Rhodes never even mention the desire to fight for that belt. CM Punk & Chris Jericho once held that title with pride, now can you think of the last time either of them even cared about the Champion, yet alone wanting the belt back for themselves? Remember when Triple H called out the roster to watch Daniel Bryan’s beatdown on RAW? Alberto del Rio, the Hevyweight Champion of the World, was standing next to the Great Khali & 3MB. Wow WWE, wow. The New Corporation is power hungry, and obsessed with ruling the WWE with an Iron fist. The fact that they recruited the US & Tag Champs before even considering talking to the WHC about being involved, proves that title is practically an after though. Del Rio is a heel with a so called prestigious title, why not bring him into the Corporation? The only reason I can think of, is that the WWE considers it a filler title with little behind it. That’s a sin. The WWE is doing a wonderful job building up the rivalry for the WWE Title. Daniel Bryan vs Champion Randy Orton is exciting, captivating, and feels personal. Daniel Bryan wants that gold, and wants it bad. It’s everything a Championship should mean. A star who wants it, more than anything, and will stop at nothing to capture it. The current WHC story? Rob Van Dam thinks you’re mean Alberto, and he’s going to stick up for his announcer friend that who we didn’t even know you talked to. You think you can bully my announcer even though I’m RVD and clearly don’t need one? No on his watch. That is pitiful. It would be pitiful if it was a traditional feud, but this is for the company’s ‘other Championship’? If WWE doesn’t do something soon, that title will be unable to recapture it’s shine. I thought we were on the right track with Ziggler, but WWE dropped the ball hard on his title run, and it appears he’s no where near getting back in the hunt. With no real rival, no real direction, and no real desire from the locker room for the title, it appears the Big Gold Belt is just lost in the shuffle. The WWE needs to re-evaluate itself in several ways, and it appears that process has started. I believe that they are finally aware that the current edition of John Cena isn’t working anymore. The ‘shoot’ style promo’s being cut are refreshing and bring energy to the product. However, it is an undeniable fact that the belt system is broken. The Intercontinental & United States Champions rarely wrestle one-on-one, and defending their belts are an even rarer sight. They have no bitter rival, no feud on the horizon, and have been booked so poorly that I can see why others on the roster aren’t even interested in winning their gold. Not good enough. The Heavyweight Championship is being disrespected by becoming a hollow trophy used to shut guys up who are demanding to be pushed. How do you fix it? You can start by rewarding the victory. How exciting would it be if winning the US Title guaranteed you a shot at The Heavyweight Champion? What if the IC Champion became entitled to a guaranteed final 10 number in the Royal Rumble, greatly increasing his odds at main eventing Wrestlemania? Suddenly there is a real reason to want those titles. Beyond history, prestige, and feeling like a title holder, those belts elevate their status, and can directly result in higher Championship glory in their immediate future. It’s just a thought, but it’s more energy than WWE seems to be putting into caring about their once beloved belts. The Belt Bracket was a system that worked for almost 100 years. You knew who was the man, and who was on their way. Championships were held by Wrestlers good enough to be called Champions, and there was a great level of pride that came with that. You looked at the men wearing the gold differently, and you knew that not just anyone was on his way to the ring. An Intercontinental Champion was on his way to even bigger things, but was honored to be wearing his belt. The United States Champion was a surging star, a direct threat to the Heavyweight Champion, and a clear part of the company’s future. World Wrestling Entertainment needs to begin to respect and appreciate the titles it holds, or drop some of them all together. Out of respect for the industry, the history, and the men who wore them before, it’s time for WWE to wake up and recalibrate. World Wrestling Entertainment is constantly hyping up their stars. When you see the Intercontinental, United States, & Heavyweight Championships, they immediately begin to list off Hall of Fame names and legendary moments associated with the gold. If they expect us to keep buying this, they need to stop dwelling so much on those titles history, and start focusing on their futures. -I’m Jason Moltov
Posted on: Wed, 11 Sep 2013 18:41:14 +0000
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