Mid-Card Titles to World Titles

[Louie Lips]

I was just thinking about this. People like MVP, Mysterio, Shelton Benjamin, William Regal, etc. have all had legitamte reigns as either US or IC champion. This means that they are the dominant wrestler for the mid-card. However, I think that as a reward for being at the top of the mid-card they should receive some sort of World Title shot. For example, lets say MVP holds the title for another 5 months. Why not give him a title shot while he's still in possession of the US title? Your thoughts please.

 

[Hillmania]

I could see that. But I'm pretty sure HHH vs Regal, while a good match, wouldn't sell out a middle school. It'd have to be done on a Monday Night Raw or something. Like a clash of the champions type of thing.

 

[Big Daddy Fool]

It'll be like Warrior Vs Hogan at WM. Well not really bc no one in the company now is as over as those two were. It might be good idea because it might give the mid card titles some validity they have been missing since the invasion

 

[Total Impact]

WCW was good at making the US or TV and in Rey Misterio's case Cruierweight Champion face the World Champion either on Nirto or at PPV as the WCW considered all there mid card titles as legit titles as the WWE just use theirs as shinny props. WWE is not good at that idea as they know they will never let the mid-card guy when the match or even progress it as a storyline. I mean WCW would have the US Champion defend his belt first against the World champion, win the match then have a rematch for the World title, in the words of John Madden "Boom" you got you a stroyline.

I would love to see this done in the WWE hell I've been wanting to see this for years but the WWE will not let the mid-carders shine unless they are former world champions to mid card wrestlers. Hell what I really want to see is a mid-card title main event a Rawor Smackdown or better yet a PPV. I mean only SummerSlam in England and maybe one In your House has ever had the IC Main Event the show. While WCW & ECW let the mid card titles sine on free TV and PPV.

Lets face it, the WWE doesn't care about midcard titles or tag belts. If it ain't the WWE or World title, it doesn't matter. That what happens when you live in the Money in the Bank era. Do you think Mr. Perfect would have ever competed in MITB during his run as IC Champion? No because the IC title in Perfect eyes was bigger than Hogans little belt.

 

[GNR8701]

Only two men were able to hold IC and WWF/E titles at the same time. Warrior and HHH are both ego-maniacs who will do whatever it takes to get titles and Warrior had alot of leverage based on his status and HHH is too powerful backstage to get in to... I dont see anyone being that legitmately full of themselves that they would need to carry two titles at the same time to validate themselves. That being said, I dont see anyone holding two titles - so why have the US champ go for the title when he wont win it anyway. The best thing to do would be to do some kind of angle where the champ causes you to lose the IC or US and then you fued over his title and take it off of him.

Picture this: MVP holding the US title and WWE title at the same time while HHH, Orton, HBK, Big Show are all left without anything.

 

[Diablosbomb]

I think they should have a heel wwe/world champ (orton would be PERFECT) then you have him talk about he is great and his legacy is only improving, but he wants more, he wants the best legacy ever. In order to do this he needs more gold, and therefore he is going after the US title. Have MVP beat him and have them feud for a little while, with Orton not able to take the title off of him. Have Orton win a few matches that aren't for the title, but never able to go over for the title. Eventually Orton gets really mad and causes MVP to lose his title to someone else, setting up the feud for the WWE title between the two, eventually having Orton drop the title to MVP. This gives MVP and the US Title some serious credit, and in the meantime it doesn't hurt Orton, just builds him up as a power-hungry, greedy heel champ. And it helps with the PG Bullshit, by having a moral of being greedy doesn't get you what you want.

 

[Pearljamming72]

I'd like to see the the IC and US titles used like MITB, but different: you could exchange your title with the GM at anytime for a WWE or WHC title match (since you technically should be the #1 contender), but once you do this you have to vacate your IC or US title, so in other words you better win or else. The the vacant title can be filled on the next Raw or Smackdown via tournament, fatal fourway, battle royal, whatever. I think this could make the seconday titles more prestigeous and make some excellent TV.

 

[Diablosbomb]

having people trade it in for a world title doesn't give it prestige. It takes it away. Giving it prestige means people fighting on it for the pure fact that they want to be the IC/US champ. It means giving everything you have just to have the honor of saying you are a champion. Making so they trade it away for a world title shot makes it a joke. It becomes a stepping stone. Superstars wouldn't want it for the sake of being a champ and having a strap, they would want it because then they can just throw it away and go after the other titles.

This is what people complain about, no one WANTS to be the mid card champ. They just come in and are after the top title. I'm not trashing it, i think perks should come with the mid-card titles, like being treated like you are a champ, not just another superstar. But with the option to give it away for a shot at another title it makes people want it for the wrong reasons.

 

[Pearljamming72]

You say the IC and US titles become stepping stones..isn't that what they should be? A testing ground for the futureHBK,Hart,Savage,HHH,Rock,Austin)..And by cashing the belt in for a title match, I'm not talking about a match against an exhausted champ like we're used to seeing. More like, the IC champ comes out at the beginning of the show, hands the IC title to the commish and says Tonight I want a shot at the WWE Championship...Imagine if Tito Santana, Ricky Steamboat, or Bret Hart could have done this during the 80's early 90s Hogan era..Then if the former IC champ doesn't win THE title, he'd be hell bent on regaining the IC title against a newly crowned IC champ, not only to regain what he gave up, but for another shot at THE title in the future...Not a flawless idea I know, but then we could have title matches without the need of idiotic storylines and focus more on the gold and wrestling.

 

[Mark0820]

The easiest way to get prestige for the titles is to have the established stars go after the belts. Have HBK vs MVP for the title because HBK wants the title again. Have Taker go after the US title as it's a belt he never held, etc. The fans see the main event guys going for the title and see the belts mean something.

 

[Total Impact]

Main eventers holding the belt is ok, but it makes the mid-card wrestler look weak, do what the WWE did with Cena & Orton have them go over on main event wrestlers when they are mid-card champions as it gets the titles over quick. It worked for WCW back in the glory days.

The WWE should just watch what WCW did, I mean the US belt was a Heavyweight title that meant something and the WWE has turned it into a version of the European championship.

The best way to give back the titles legit status is to have the opposites. Basic thing is that if the WWE champion is face, the US Champion is heel and if the WWE Champion is heel, the US Champion is face and they should never be the same unless it’s a stable or something of that kind and have the two champion maybe feud at times or even interact with each.

Another thing would be to put the mid-card title on a mid-card wrestler who can talk. Hell the best mid-card champions are the ones that could talk and sell their title as a legit title. I mean what makes titles look bad is the fact that no one wants to hold the mid-card title and they find every way to get the world title.

What made John Cena a great US Champion was the fact that it was “his” belt. He had a custom made belt and the US title was Cena, hell he was getting major pops as US Champion. Same with Randy Orton as the IC title was his belt and he carried the belt with pride and did great promos on being champion and had great matches as champion.

What the mid card titles need is a great talker as champion who can sell the belt and the WWE to give the mid-card champions great storylines and feuds over the title. Stop treating the belt as a prop. Can someone give me the last great mid-card title storyline that is a wrestling classic?

 

[FiveTymeWCWChamp]

I remember back in the day that the IC Champ was an automatic top contender for the WWF title and the same in WCW with the US title. Why doesn't that happen anymore? If the mid card champ would challenge the world champ and have a credible match, doesn't that make the mid card title look stronger?

 

[pun2003hh]

If memory serves me correctly, WCW had a great way of handling the US Champion in situations like this. When a mid carder was US Champion, he would automatically become the #1 contender the the World Championship after defending the US Title successfully 5 consecutive times. This is how Goldberg earned his title shot against Hogan.

This is a great way to being importance to the midcard titles. Spread out the title defenses, and make each one that more important by making each successful defense a step closer to getting a World title shot while making the title much more sought after.

 

[bxbigshow]

You need main eventers to put over the midcarders, while HBK seems like someone willing to do it...Undertaker doesn't seem the type to go after anything less than a World Title.

Mid-card champs should get a major title shot every now and then. For the heel (mid) champ, push it as greed..."I want more!". They can lose the match against a face (major) champ. Attack'em after the match with a chair....set up a feud where somehow the heel loses his belt to someone else.

In reverse have the "championship commitee" decide that he's done so well he deserves a shot for the title. Heel (major) champ get jealous...does what he can to keep the match from happening, setting up serious heat for a major feud.

I also want the Mid-card championship defended as a main event on Raw/Smackdown. Have it after a PPV where the Major Title Main Event was so big, both stars "earn" the night off. That way you have a legit reason to not feature Story A as the main event. Also Raw closes the 9:00 hour with a sub main event, sometimes the bigger match on the card. Feature a title defense there a few weeks.

Devote time to the matches...if it's for the title give it 20 minutes. Have a few of them go to TV time limit draws...BUILD A STORY!!

Sorry for ranting...