Should The Miz Drop The IC Title To Kofi?

[Jack-Hammer]

It was announced on last night's episode of Main Event that The Miz would take on Kofi Kingston for next week's episode. After a brief confrontation between the two after Kofi's match, and following their confrontation during the Larry King segment on Raw this past Monday, Miz agreed to face Kofi for the Intercontinental Championship.

Pretty simple question: do you think Miz should drop the title to Kofi?

For me, I'm leaning towards yes for a couple of reasons. For one thing, Main Event is a brand new show and there are still doubts by a lot of people as to whether or not WWE will continue to make the show a priority. If WWE wants to keep the show feeling relevant, then I do think having title matches and title changes happen on the show at times is a solid way of doing that. Next week will be the first a WWE title has been defended on another WWE show besides Raw & SD! in years I think. Even though next week will only be episode #3, it keeps the momentum going.

Another reason is that WWE hasn't had a strong babyface IC champ in quite a while, several years really. Kofi strikes me as ultimately being destined to remain primarily in the mid-card picture, he's over with fans, he puts on entertaining matches and can actually talk a little bit. The title has lost some momentum since Cody Rhodes lost it and Kofi could be an excellent champ if he's given some priority. It's true that Kofi has had the title 3 times already but none of these runs were much to speak of. With Triple H wanting longer title runs, another run might be Kofi's big chance to possibly break out, or at least continue to strengthen the mid-card picture.

Miz has been IC champ for almost 3 months and I do like that he continuously puts over the IC title. During Miz's run, he's lost several non-title matches but has "risen to the occasion" during title matches. I like Miz but, personally, I'm getting to where I'd much rather have him on commentary than wrestling. He's pretty damn good on commentary in my opinion and as Triple H's power continues to grow, it might be the best use of him. Allegedly, Triple H isn't a big fan of Miz and the odds of Miz returning to greatness as Trips gains more and more influence might not be likely if the rumors are true.

 

[D-Man]

I can't agree with Jack-Hammer here. My reasoning is simple: Kofi has held this title on three other occasions. Each occasion averaged a little over two months. In those months that he was champion, the runs were stale. None of his feuds worked, the reigns were forgettable, and the title actually regressed from him holding it.

Now, for the sake of having a title change on a new show, you think the IC title should be taken off the Miz? This is a guy who just got pushed and was given his own talk show, is still gaining momentum and heat on a weekly basis, and has constant interaction with other superstars, thus making all of his appearances on WWE's programming more relevant than Kofi could ever make them. I don't think this is the right time to have Miz drop his title.

I can agree that the IC title hasn't had a strong babyface run in quite some time. But who do we blame for that? I'm blaming the lack of star power in the midcard division. Guys were given the ball and didn't get the reactions we were hoping for. So, they can't give another babyface another lackluster title run just because they're a babyface. If WWE wants longevity, allow a successful heel to hold the title for a long period of time so the next babyface who defeats them can gain a TON of babyface momentum. This is similar to what was done in the past with Ricky Steamboat, Ultimate Warrior, Triple H, and Edge. This way, the heel has a memorable run and the babyface gets instantly pushed.

 

[Last Man Standing]

YES!

I can't really add much more to the points you already made. But I'll reiterate having a title change on Main Event would show fans it's can't miss programming.

Plus it can't hurt WWE to position another face higher on the card in case of an emergency. With situations like right now with Cena it would be great to see someone like Kofi face Punk on a PPV. But for one reason or another WWE doesn't build up more than two or three faces at a time. Hopefully that changes sooner than later.

 

[Danny84]

NO kofi is good but untill they do somink new with his gimmick he just cant b a champion he bores the crap out of me i would have him attack a main eventer abit like jay leathel had to do on ROH to prove he should b going after the world title turn him in to a right bad ass get him to attack cena or orton like punk and say big show r beating down orton or cena out comes kofi everyone thinks he is gonna help cena boom trouble in paradise crowd would go nuts for it

 

[Shotaro]

I think Kofi is perfect where he is in the mid-card. Could he be more relevant? sure, but that doesn't change the fact that as D-man said, keeping the title on Miz and giving him a meaningful reign means that whoever takes the belt off him will get a nice rub and a decent push from just one match.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

However, the problem is that there aren't enough strong midcard faces so Miz's reign isn't going to be any more meaningful than it already is. The midcard is probably at its weakest point in the past decade. Long reigns that haven't meant much or the champions losing all the time haven't helped it at all. I liked what I heard from Kofi last night and if they will let him do it consistently, then I say put the title on him. He's a solid wrestler and has been always over. I'm not saying it will but maybe what we saw last night could be the thing that propels him to a possible world title win in the next few years.

 

[Trance Metaphor]

I don't want to see Kofi Kingston with the IC title AGAIN. That guy has held all the Mid-Card titles multiple times and winning another one makes it worse for him since his career is going nowhere in terms of evolution. He's the same guy from the day he entered. He had that onetime hint of change during his program with Randy Orton, but that was it. He's just not exciting in my eyes and for him to win the IC title again means I'll be skipping his matches. As I said before, even the crowd isn't all that excited about him anymore. The Miz is doing a good job by winning his title matches. It's giving the IC title a good amount of restoration again. That title needs to be regarded as such by guys like The Miz and Cody Rhodes. What the WWE needs to do is establish more Mid-Card names. They need to release guys that aren't going anywhere and are just rotting in the back. Even as enhancement talent, some guys are just waste of space. They need to bring in guys like Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Kassius Ohno for the Mid-Card division to pick up again with some fire. The Miz should be IC Champion for a bit longer just to put over the title. They should start utilizing guys like Tyson Kidd and Zack Ryder more by making them win respective matches. Those guys should be the ones fighting for the IC title. Also, I doubt The Miz is in any rush to main event anytime soon, so why not keep him around for a few more future reigns? I'm personally tired of seeing certain talent winning a "stepping stone" title once and never returning ever again. It's all just World titles after World titles. There needs to be a breath of fresh air.

 

[LeviCook]

I don't think Miz should drop the title just yet. As you said they're expecting longer title reigns and it feels like Miz just became champion. He hasn't been champion for very long. You also said that you feel like he has little chance of getting back to the main event, then why would he want to lose the championship? My point is it would hurt Miz right as of right now. Of course there will come a time for him to drop the championship but that time isn't now. It helps keep him semi-relevant and i'm sure it's better than whatever else they would do with him. They could easily make the Intercontinental title exciting again with The Miz. He just got his own talk show so everything seems to be alright currently. If they were going to have him drop the title Kofi would be a pretty good choice. Kofi almost always puts on an entertaining match and grabs the attention from children and families. Personally i would like to see Kofi get that push that no one believes will ever happen. But who says they couldn't change his character and push him into the mid-card? He could become the more serious Kofi that we saw shortly when he feuded with Orton. Bring the attitude back for the feud with The Miz and then continue on so afterward. As of right now i lean more towards no. Unless they were to do something differently with Kofi. Otherwise we see him smile and hop around and none of it really has any meaning. Then in a couple months another heel would beat him and you would forget all about Kofi's reign altogether.

 

[theBec2101]

Yes, and then he should leave the WWE and go do something else. Kofi should be where Ziggler is at now. If Kofi didn’t have that medical condition he would of been WWE champ or WHC by now.

 

[akathelaw]

Kofi really doesn't need another championship at this time because he has no momentum. He's a solid wrestler but his mic work and character leave something to be desired. His tag team with R-Truth should continue to pursue the tag team titles for a little while longer since Team Hell No has raised the profile of the division drastically.

 

[bittermang]

Yes, but only after a long feud full of wrestling with plots centering around respect. "You're just a spot monkey." "You're a reality show crybaby." "This belt says I'm not. Where's your belt? Oh, lost it again?" *fight fight fight*

Those two can make that belt look good, and they don't even need a ladder to do it. Just let'em go.

 

[Boourns]

I think Kofi should eventually get the title but, the feud is essentially a week old, I'd rather see them both feud for the title until Survivor Series so they can both help each other out. Think about it, Kofi is incredible in the ring and would make The Miz look great for a month but, The Miz is a natural on the mic (I won't comment on how good he is or anything like that but, he's comfortable in any case.) and therefore could help Kofi look stronger and develop in that area. If the feud is dragged out it will keep both of these guys in the spotlight for a long time and get them both more crowd response over time and very likely them help them develop individually too. However, what happens to these two after this feud? Or perhaps more importantly what happens if these to do not feud?

 

[Aydin feradoff]

I hnow its my first time on here but when on the wrestlezone website time to time for years know. I think this is a great tool for true pro wrestling fans. I think the miz shouldnt lose the title to kingston. I mean their both great in ring wrestles. I just think that miz is better on the mic and is a little better in the ring to.

 

[#MrScissorsKick]

For Kofi to be relevant back in the WWE's and fans eyes, Kofi needs to win this title again. The Miz's popularity to me seems as if it's fading by the day. Maybe that's just me. Kofi is an outstanding athlete and very capable of entertaining just about any average WWE fan. I think if he does win the title, he should possibly get a push. I just think he's too talented in the ring not to be. Being the mid-card isn't a slap in the face, for many, it's a start to on the way up. Would Kofi bring some prestige to the title? I would hope so. I think the Miz is annoying and the WWE has enough egotistical wrestlers on the roster (CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler, Damien Sandow, Curt Hawkins, PrimeTime Players...etc.) I would like to think Kofi will put off the upset on the next WWE Main Event.

 

[Nick_Mundus]

I've never been a big fan of Kofi Kingston and I feel as though WWE just hands him title reigns. How often is it that we see Kofi without some kind of title? Not often enough. I don't think he should go over The Miz yet. Establish a legit feud and then have him go over the Miz after a few unsuccessful attempts. It's too soon IMO because Kofi JUST left the tag team scene

 

[Kong]

I dont think Kofi will win it, if anything I see Ryder back in the picture.

Anybody else notice that Ryder has been hitting the roids lately. Way more muscular in the back and traps. All over for that matter. Id say 10lbs of muscle. Same with Heath Slater. He looks pretty juiced up now. His nipples are swollen.

Maybe if Kofi hit the juice like the rest of the guys, but other wise I say no.

 

[HBsam31]

If they let Kofi do what he did on Monday consistently then I think they should give him another chance with the IC title. Every time Kofi gets some momentum they seem to pull the rug out from under him. Let him talk, give him interview time, and give him consistent time to defend the belt in decent feuds and I think he could be a great face IC champ.

 

[Da Solo]

At first I was against it, due to Kofi needing to escape midcard hell, but now it looks better and better every time. First off, forget Team Hell No for a second: Kofi deserves mad credit for the tag division coming back. Even though Air Boom flopped, his reign with Truth really re-established the titles as something of merit, and if it wasn't for him, they'd be dead travel weight for Primo and Epico. If they booked him as the IC champ the way they did as the Tag champ, he'd get his shine and the IC title can regain some steam since Cody dropped it. As for Miz, his stock is falling, and it's dragging the title with it. He doesn't need it, and he needs to either get that bounce-back program or stay announcing. Maybe the title doesn't have to switch hands at Main Event, but it needs to switch at some point.

 

[Akhilleus]

I'm going to say no, and I like Kofi. In fact I like Kofi Kingston so much, that I think he should skip right over any of those titles. Over the last week or so, I have for whatever reason felt like Kofi Kingston should already be in the world title picture. I think that Kofi should be in the World Heavy Weight title picture. Maybe he's not ready for a run yet, but I think he is definitely a low tier main eventer. I thought Kofi was spoiling away down in the tag team division, and I'm glad that he is finally going to get out. But before that he was trapped in the mid card.

Kofi Kingston has won three tag team championships, three intercontinental championships, and two United States championships. He has conquered the mid card already, and it's time to move on. Some people may think that because he was in the tag team division, he was at a low level. But Kofi in reality has been just a level below the main events for awhile in my opinion, and I think he should finally come up and have another big team feud. So I think Kofi should enter a feud with Del Rio. He can finally get started with another one on one singles feud, and Del Rio would be perfect for the job. Of course I would love to see Kingston have a world title run, but I can't see it going over from Sheamus to Kofi, especially because of how hot Sheamus is. If anything I think someone would have to be used as a bridge for a month or two, and have Sheamus drop it to a heel, who would then drop it to Kofi. They could always have Sheamus be forced to vacate it for whatever storyline reason, or maybe even a kayfabe injury. I could also see Kofi win it off of Sheamus in a championship scramble match.

But talking about a world title run for Kofi Kingston is a little bit of a stretch for the time being. I'd like to see it happen, but it sadly won't anytime soon. So starting things off with some feuds with bigger names is a great way to start, and I personally think that is what Kofi should do for now. But if he was to have one more title run, I wouldn't mind that either. Just as long as Kofi and Miz actually feud, and don't just battle over the title. I wouldn't even mind seeing it as a way to change back the belt appearance, because I personally don't like it. So one last title run wouldn't be bad, just as long as Kofi actually feuds one on one with The Miz. I think those two could work well together, and like Del Rio, Miz would be a good way to start. I also don't want to see Kofi hold it long, we don't want him lingering in the main events again. So I'd prefer Kofi just skip this stage and go right to the main event picture, because frankly I think he's ready to do it.

 

[Hard Hit Prince]

Some of the points made by the OP and others is the lack of a good babyface run, but what about actually turn The Miz a babyface? It's obvious that despite him being pretty much a guy that people make fun on the locker room, he is also very talented specially in the microphone and it comes out to personal tastes to choose between him and the other two great talkers in CM Punk and John Cena.

I think that Miz is the best talker on the roster, he doesn't come out scripted, never. In the ring he is actually growing, or given more freedom at least. He can use his momentum and the fact that he has never been a babyface, to actually do something new y turning. I love Kofi too, but Kofi does not have the credibility to be a guy that actually beats his opponents everytime. I hope that the match turns out to end in a good bac and forth match where The Miz ends up retaining, thus gaining some prestige in his IC Run. Let him turn face, and have new storylines with guys like Cody Rhodes, Damien Sandow, Daniel Bryan... A lot of things can be done to have a good credible reign in the midcard.