When was the World Heavyweight Championship the most prestigious??

[pepentorresHHH]

I was watching Goldberg vs Triple H at Unforgiven 2003, and it was surprising to see Goldberg put everything on the line just for a shot at the title, then a question came to mind, when was the time when this particular title was more coveted? more desired, more prestigious?? i think that between 03 and 05..... it was held by some of the greatest champions of all times, Triple H made it seem like there was nothing in life more important than being the World Champion and it main evented most of the pay perviews.

Discuss......

 

[SWANTON]

I THINK it was more important when it was on RAW because you know RAW being THE A SHOW
BUT remember at the the same time smackdown had THE WWE championship wich is top title

 

[Mr. HD]

It had to be when it was on RAW.

RAW was the flagship broadcast at the time and they wanted to push the World Heavyweight Title as the most prestigious prize in the WWE as much as possible.

I think what made it so prestigious is cause of Triple H. Bash him if you want, but Triple H brought some glory to that title and made people look good doing it. His feuds with Orton, HBK, Batista, Benoit, etc. made that Championship look so much more worth fighting for than the WWE Championship on SmackDown.

Once the title went to SmackDown, they never pushed it the way they did. They treated it like they treated the WWE Championship when it was on SmackDown; like a secondary title. The World Heavyweight Title didn't feel like the prize of SmackDown, it just felt like a secondary title.

What I'm really saying is that it all depends on who holds it. HHH held it on RAW and made it look like the best prize in the WWE cause he was no doubt, THE Man.

 

[akathelaw]

I agree, the years where Triple H, Shawn Michaels and Goldberg were going for the WHC there was a huge amount of importance lent to the title. Goldberg is also heavily associated with the WHC design and probably was a main reason the belt was brought back. When Goldberg was building his win streak in WCW the fans couldn't wait to see him capture the WHC (and "beat" the nWo), and when he did finally win it the image of Goldberg wearing the World Title was all over, and the belt kind of became his trade mark. I'm sure Vince realized that he had alienated all the fans who preferred WCW to his product and understood that "crash TV" and "pro wrestling" could make him money at the same time, hence the brand split, reintroduction of WCW's top title and of course the most famous guy to carry it who still had gas in the tank.

Personally I think Daniel Bryan's WHC run adds some real world prestige since Bryan is an accomplished worldwide performer and I think the indies matter, so seeing an indy star make it to the big leagues validates all the guys who are making the worldwide indy wrestling market so good.

 

[xavyer]

Well, i agree that when it was on RAW it had more value considering that superstars such as Triple H held it, but is not so much the fact that it was on Raw, because at Smackdown big names also held the title, like the Undertaker, Edge,etc. and also gave big value to the belt, it's just now they just give the title to anyone, i'm not saying that Daniel Bryan is bad or anything like that, but in my opinion he still got a long way to go, they made him champion too soon, and that's one of the reasons that titles loose value, but i think that if at Wrestlemania the WWE puts the title on Sheamus, it will be a step in the right directios, because he has actually paid his dues and he's becoming a main event player, and he has the personality of a fighting champion, in my opinion, the WWE should unify the WWE and World heavyweit titles, that way it will definitly increase the prestige of the champion.........

 

[TheChosenOne10]

I think it was most important when it first came to Raw and was awarded to HHH. His reign made it feel special, he made it clear it was his title and he'd do anything to hold onto it. Though around when Benoit won it it went down a little for some reason even though I loved his reign. It really went down when Batista took it from HHH and over to SD. Guys like Khali won the belt and it was terrible. Rey's reign was awful, not his fault just booked terribly. But during the Undertaker/Edge feud it felt important. It main evented WM and Summerslam but after that its gone down and hasn't been even close to the prestigious level it was when it first came in.

 

[ProWrestlingFan]

The World Heavyweight Championship was most prestigious when it was on RAW from 2002-2005. HHH carried the World Heavyweight Title with such a passion that not many others can. I liked the World Heavyweight Championship being the top prize on WWE's flagship show that is RAW. Kurt Angle, Batista and Edge's title reigns were decent.

In my opinion World Heavyweight Championship is the most prestigious title in the WWE and always has been since its NWA/ WCW days.

I hate the idea of World Titles being unified but if WWE unifies the titles then they should keep the same World Heavyweight Title design though I don't think it will happen as WWE has two separate brands Raw and Smackdown and its good to have separate titles for both shows.

 

[Diet Soda]

In addition, during the time that the World Heavyweight Championship was on Raw, the WWE title on Smackdown was being held by superstars enjoying their first major title reigns, such as JBL, Cena, Eddie, Brock, and so on, as opposed to the WHC being held by seasoned vets such as HHH, Goldberg, and HBK.

 

[Charlesworth]

In WCW. Where it belonged. It has become more of a greater Intercontinental title. In WCW it was the top guy who held it. In terms of WWE, it has been at its most prestegious lately, with the likes of Christian, Randy Orton, Mark Henrey and Daniel Bryan holding it within the last year. (note: the absence of Big Show....)

 

[logan_punisher]

yea i will agree with charlesworth on this one. its be more prestiges this whole year giving mark henry the champion. he got injured and randy orton is always a goof title holder even if the titles the wwe champion also. you see it as christian getting it more for edge having to retire it would of been anothern good run with it. i accually like this thread to be honest.

 

[DeathClutch]

In WWE from it's inception when HHH was bistowed with the belt especially the old WCW Belt give it the illusion of being grand and HHH getting it handed to him really helped make him look like a douche for being handed the belt, but the fact when he dropped it the champions were Shawn, Goldberg, HHH, Benoit, Orton, Batista, Kurt then Rey was made too look like one weak champion, Booker T didn't look to great either in the grand scheme of things. As a whole I perfer the World Heavyweight Belt than the WWE but prestige wise I'd say WWE has always felt more important until the spinner the belt.

 

[byrnside]

I have to agree with the masses on this one and say it was between '03 and '05 with a lot of emphasis, for me as a fan, being in 2004 when Triple H and Benoit held the titles for most of the year. It's actually the reason why I like the title more than the WWE title now. Of course the "spinner belt" has a lot to do with it, too. Up until C.M. Punk won the WWE title, I felt like the World Heavyweight title was almost more like the "work-horse" title the Intercontinental title was in the late 80s and early 90s.

 

[OXYDOL7]

It was and is a WONDERFUL thing for the belt to be revived and used by the WWE. But it will ALWAYS be remembered as the NWA/WCW belt and the GREATEST holder of that belt will ALWAYS be: RIC FLAIR!!!!!!!

 

[midgensa]

Definitley when it was around the waist of Triple H and had the likes of him, Goldberg, Undertaker and Shawn Michaels.

I actually would call it pretty damn important all the way from its inception until The Great Khali won it in July 2007. At that point they had him carry it a while and then get destroyed in a feud with the WWE Champion following the WHC. That left the WHC weak in my opinion and it just has not recovered.

It has sill had very strong champions (Jericho, Edge, etc.) but with the likes of Khali, Swagger, Henry and Christian holding it while never sniffing the WWE Championship ... it just doesn't hold up ... at least not right now.

 

[PlayTheGame]

If we're talking about WWE's incantation of the title, then you have to go with its early years. First off, the title was on Raw, the A-Show, giving it immediate credibility and attention. Triple H dominated the early title picture, stressing how important it was to be the holder of the title. He made it seem extremely important, and it meant everything to him. He was able to hold it for quite some time, adding to its prestige, and was able to defend it against some very formidable opponents- RVD, Kane, Kevin Nash, Booker T, etc. Some were even able to win it from him- HBK, Goldberg, Benoit, Orton, & Batista. All very credible, established early-champions that put on great, memorable matches. Add in the fact that the first-ever Elimination Chamber match was a World Heavyweight Championship match, and that all but guarantees that the early years of the World Heavyweight Championship were its best- when it was on Raw and held primarily by Triple H, with Evolution by his side.

 

[Foshinzo]

I would agree that WrestleMania XX when the title headlined the triple threat between HHH and Michaels, two of the biggest names, ever, and Chris Benoit, who was definitely, at least at the time, the most underrated wrestler in the world.

When it was the Raw title, it was important. When you're being chased on the A show, then you're the A title. It was arguably revolved around the biggest names, when Triple H was running rampant across the WWE and JBL was headlining Smackdown shows.

The WWE Championship took it back when Brock was wrestling for it, IMO. As much as the legacy of the WWE Championship has been diminished in the Cena Era, especially in recent years, CM Punk isn't defending the WHC at Mania; he's the A champion, so he's got the A belt and that's where the WHC is left. I sort of feel like the WHC is the new Intercontinental Title. It's presence has made the IC less valuable, because it has become the pinnacle of young, sort of middle card champions. Cody has done a good job to try and keep the IC relevant, but what happens when he moves on to the WHC or even the WWE Championship? Who's going to keep that belt relevant, Ezekiel Jackson?

The WHC has hit it's pinnacle, the two world titles novelty has worn off, and we need to go back to just one in order to make the WWE Champion look stronger. I'd rather have one crowning achievement than two pats on the back. I know this isn't the right place to lobby for this argument, but I feel like it's relevant, here.

 

[Cats Pajamas]

Happy Thursday faces & heels as well as the few "tweeners" amongst you. If you ask this viewer, the World Heavyweight Championship is as prestigious today as it ever was.

The idea that the Title has been "drained like a tub" of its prestige is a pig in a poke that people are buying all too often. Daniel Bryan is the champion of the Blue Brand and whether you like him, or you don't like him, he's got something that everyone on the roster wants a shot at... AJ, err... the Title.

I'm by no means a Daniel Bryan fanatic, but until I see Bill Goldberg come back, squash Bryan, then dump that title in the trash I have no reason to believe his reign was any better. As a matter of fact, I'd say the title being held by a tried and true wrestler rather than a guy who couldn't wait to get it out of "the biz" is doing more for it.

The title is what you make it. You can look back and call Swagger a fluke champion with all the nonchalance that God's willed you. You can also forget about the rebuilding phase the WWE was in because WHC "heroes" like Goldberg & Benoit had disappeared so abruptly from WWE television if such is your perogative, but judging by how vested each Smackdown star is in attaining said Title I'd say its importance is still nothing to snub. Simply put: if the title has depreciated, the talent must've too. Otherwise, you're just playing favorites, playas!

Kick back and celebrate your champion; this antiquated notion is all in your head. Until next time... shoot for the stars, don't fall prey to "the negative", smile on your brothers and best regards, wrestling fans.

You found the secret message! "That oughta hold the little bastards over..." - (allegedly) Uncle Don

 

[King Patrick Star]

If the question is when was the World Title the most prestigious as far as its own peak, I would say when the Big Gold Belt was WCW’s and Raw’s Major Title.

If the question is when was the World Title the most prestigious as far as being “Champion of Champions”, I mentioned my opinion on this before.

September 2, 2002 to June 6, 2005

I think from a little after Brock Lesnar won his first WWE Championship to a little after John Cena won his first WWE Championship, Smackdown was equal to Raw.

June 23, 2008 to April 13, 2009

Then again from the middle of Triple H’s 7th WWE Title reign (12th overall) towards the end of his 8th WWE Title reign (13th overall), which was also his last, Smackdown again was equal to Raw, in my opinion.

I think having the WWE Title on Smackdown sort of balanced the shows for me. Raw got the live time slot and Smackdown got the “Richest prize in our industry today”. Fair trade off for a couple of years here and there. With the World Title on Smackdown, it just screams the letter B, the number 2, and the words "World Championship Wrestling".

And I’m sticking to it. When the WWE Title was on Smackdown, I think it was equal to Raw. I think that those two time periods was the closest Smackdown ever was to Raw, but I don’t think Blue was ever better than Red. Realistically, it couldn’t have been better. Equal yes, better no.

 

[lowandmighty]

It was never the most prestigious title. It was just pushed more at the beginning of its wwe life so the long time wwe fans would accept it as a world championship.
I always saw the wwe title being more prestigious even around the time HHH had the world heavyweight championship and brock lesnar and jbl, eddie guerrero etc the wwe title.
They never actually said that the world heavyweight championship was the most prestigious belt. Just because it was the last match at wrestlemania or summerslam a couple of times doesn't really mean shit because they only did that so people would take notice of it.

I also don't think because it was the nwa title originally its more prestigious because wwe is and in my opinion always was way more prestigious than the nwa ever was.
I'm sorry to all the people who think otherwise but loads of people world wide have never even heard of fucking nwa and as for wwe they have. If you mention nwa to them they'll say "don't you mean nwo?"
nwa sucks and so does the world heavyweight championship.
I took that belt seriously when Hulk Hogan had it in wcw and that's it, that is absolutely it.
If a wrestler hasn't held the wwf/wwe championship at least once then they've never been the real champion of wrestling.

 

[Mustang Sally]

It was most prestigious at a time all of us are too young to remember. (Keep in mind, you students of history, that just because something happened before our ability to remember doesn't mean it wasn't of importance).

But from what I've heard from folks older than us, the heavyweight championship was thought of more highly when guys like Bruno Sammartino and Bob Backlund held it. These were the days before Pay-per-views and champions defended their titles almost exclusively at house shows once a month. For years and years, Bruno sold out 19,000 seats at the Felt Forum of Madison Square Garden every 30 days. I was told that title matches were more highly regarded and anticipated back then because they occurred less frequently and rarely featured the champ defending against anyone but the highest ranked challenger.

Plus, in the past, the title didn't change hands as frequently: more people were chasing the guy who held it instead of a bunch of them passing it around like a baton in a relay race. Additionally, no one but a top wrestler ever won it; you didn't see championship reigns by Vince McMahon and David Arquette in those days. In other words, the heavyweight title wasn't a joking matter.

I love the way wrestling is today, but in considering when the title was of highest prestige, you've got to go back quite a ways.

 

[I Use To Wrestle]

In my opinion the heavyweight championship belt had the greatest meaning and respect in the 50s and 60s and part of the 70s. For one thing wrestling was considered real by most fans then, not entertainment and that is the main reason for my choosing those time periods. A championship belt really meant something then...

 

[Last Outlaw]

It was equal to the WWE title during 2002-2005. I thought the WWE title was clearly more prestigious after Mysterio won it at WM 22 not only because Rey didn't look credible but also because it was at SD, the "B" show.

In recent years, it has looked weak though especially now where you can see the WHC feud isn't even given a great deal of importance. Can you also imagine guys like Kane, Henry and Christian getting token reigns for their loyalty for the WWE title? It simply wasn't going to happen. A guy like Swagger who they decided to push wouldn't have been booked for the WWE title either since that would kill any credibility of it.

A lot depends on who is holding it too, though. Whenever Taker has held it from 2007-2010, it's greatly added to the prestige and value of the title.

 

[Dagger Dias]

This question has two different answers. One for when it was the most prestigious in kayfabe, and one for when it was the most prestigious in historical value. I assume that the threadstarter meant WWE's World Heavyweight Championship title. It has been around for just under a decade and has had quite an interesting lineup of champions who have held it.

In terms of kayfabe, it was the most prestigious during the two different timeframes when it was Raw's world title. Whichever title is the top prize on Raw is by default "the most prestigious prize" in WWE due to Raw being their flagship program. So from the title's creation in late 2002 until summer 2005, and then again from summer 2008 until Wrestlemania 25 it was the most prestigious title in WWE as far as kayfabe goes.

For historical significance the answer would be quite different. I would argue that it began to really lose prestige around 2006. Rey was the first one to hold the title who I felt should never have. Then a year later The Great Khali was the not-so-great World Heavyweight Champion in what many call the belt's worst reign. Swagger, Big Show, and Mark Henry have now also held the belt. It is nowhere near as prestigious as it once was.