Another year without the IC title...

[Showtime]

being defended at Wrestlemania. With CM Punk advancing to MITB, that means the IC title will go undefended again for 6 straight Wrestlemania's. The last time there was an IC title match at Wrestlemania was Wrestlemania 18 where RVD defeated champion William Regal (Note: The IC title was still retired at Wrestlemania 19, so it's actually been 7 Wrestlemania's without an IC title defense). How in anyway are we supposed to take seriously a title that's so rarely defended, even on wrestlings biggest stage, that gets about little to none real storyline push or time, and is not strongly pursued or cared about by the general middle card?

The answer is, it's not supposed to be cared for anymore, WWE has decided that as so. With more main event talent then ever, all the storylines and TV time have to go to them and not the ever growing middlecard. Unlike the 90's when there were only 4 or 5 main eventers ever, now there's at least 12, and more still to come with the middle carders bitting and clawing to get to the top while the current main eventers refuse to leave. The prestige and value of the IC (and US) title has been diminished to the status of the former CW title, worn and defended, but given little to no other attention. The CW title was there before just to give the CW wrestlers something to fight for and hold, the IC title has now become essentially the same thing for all the remaining middlecarders. The World titles are what everyone is after, hence why the middlecard champion is always in MITB cause fighting for a chance to win the World title is more important than successfully defending the IC belt.

The only possible solution I can think of to resurrect the IC title comes from Jericho when he held it this year. In the midst of his early feud with HBK, Jericho talked about HBK's performance when injured and stated he'll defend the IC title every night. That promise never became true, but the idea could improve the worth and value of the IC and US titles. Make them the TV titles as someone once suggested. Have them defended every night, make it mandatory, even in tag team matches. If the champ ever gets pinned in tag matches, he loses the belt. This way the IC and US titles are hotly contested and there could be a good chance you'll see a title change happen on free TV, which is usually a good ratings draw, and that's something the WWE always wants. Punk could make an excellent person to follow Jericho's prior example. Punk is the WWE's workhorse and wrestled more matches last year than anybody else. Having him successful defend the IC title every night for 6 months, will get Punk more over and give the IC title more exposure. Hell, we could also see some very good back and worth feuds this way, like Booker T and Benoit had in WCW (and kinda unsuccessfully in WWE) or more little one's like Jeff's back and worth trade with Morrison.

So could my idea work at all? or is the IC title doomed forever to be a meaningless belt? Should it be defended more at PPV's and Wrestlemania or should their spots be used for the eleventh matchup between, say, JBL and Cena. Your ideas, right below!

 

[Theo Mays]

I actually would be up for Punk coming out and saying he will bring prestige back to the IC title and defend every night on Raw. It could provide some interesting matchups and potential feuds.

 

[DJ-LyRiX]

I've been waiting for this thread to pop up since I saw that Punk would be in MITB. Punk may lose the IC title before then, and it could still be defended, but this is unlikely.

I've never really cared about the IC Title, and the US Title gains and loses respectability as Smackdown is more likely to have Title tournaments etc. Benoit, JBL, & Booker etc. holding and challenging for the belt on SD! in the past gave it a bit of prestige. Shelton holding the belt and defending it frequently does a good job of building it up too. Looks like SD! might be heading for Benjamin vs. MVP vs. Chavo (?) for WM. Or they'll put Shelton into the MITB for the 3rd time. I want Helms involved with MITB too.

 

[hArdyPUNKmArk]

Yeah i like the idea of Punk stepping up and wanting to defend it more often. I'm not sure about every week as it might get boring and be right back to where it was, no prestige about it. If Punk were to defend it every 2nd or third week it would be good, he could make an open challenge, who ever walks down the ramp can have an IC Title shot, that would add some surprise to the match as well, not knowing who would challenge him...

I agree with the poster above me too, Helms would be sweet in MITB.

 

[BigDaddyKewl]

He was last years winner so hes a good contender to win it. The money in the bank is a tradition now and they need credible mid carders to be part of it. There is just not room for all the titles to be defended.

 

[rowdy ruben]

i was hoping punk wouldent go over last nite cause i really wanted to see the i.c. tilttle defended this year at mania. its been way to long and pissed that a tittle that suppose to mean something isent on the card for the biggest ppv of the year. now i hope punk losses the tittle nd some how ends up on the card by mania

 

[butsecks]

the IC belt is meaningless nowadays...it used to mean something, like a wrestler after carrying that belt would go on to bigger things. so who really cares if it is no longer at mania anymore? WWE doesn't care, and neither do i.

 

["Cool Guy" Jensen]

I was thinking about the Intercontinental Championship never being defended at Wrestlemania, since WM22. I was closely examining the IC Champions since the last Wrestlemania, being Jericho, Kingston, Marella, Regal, and Punk. I was hoping that a credible wrestler would go into Wrestlemania as the Intercontinental Champion. That was the main reason why I was so happy that C.M. Punk won the title so close to Wrestlemania... hoping that he would defend the title for the first time since 2002. I see that I was happy for no reason. I thought to myself, ''Punk won the Money in the Bank last year, so he won't qualify again... he'll defend his title''. Boy was I wrong. I'm not opposed to seeing C.M. Punk in the Money in the Bank match at Wrestlemania, but I would have really loved it if he would defend the title instead. If you look back, Wrestlemania X8 was the last WM before WWF became WWE, and since then (with the exception of WM XIX in which the title was inactive), the title has never been defended at Mania, but I hope that there is a first time for everything.

 

[Criss Hardy]

I dont know whats wrong with WWE sometimes, alot of young guys that they want to push could really benefit from that like Jack Swagger, Shane Helms, Mr. Kennedy, MVP, Shelton Benjamin or R-Truth.
I know Shelton already held it and im not sure about Kennedy but if they used it right it could really get them over.
They used to act like if you won the I.C. Title you were likely to eventually become a world campion but its just a joke now.

 

[Starchild]

Well we have to look at the full spectrum in this discussion. It is true that the IC title hasn't been defended in several years at Mania. It's also true that the IC champion has always been in a high profile match since the last Mania IC title match (not including WM 19 during the time it was unified)

At WM 20, Orton was the champion. But he was in a storyline with Evolution (Orton, Batista, and Flair) against Rock & Sock...which is a pretty big time Wrestlemania match for my money.
At WM 21, Shelton was the champion. He was involved in the first MitB ladder match...for a shot at a world title. A pretty big opportunity in my estimation and certainly worthy of forfeiting an IC title match for.
At WM 22, Shelton was again champion...same story. He even defended his title against RVD's MitB briefcase several weeks after Mania only to lose.
At WM 23, Umaga was the champion. He was involved in a huge McMahon/celebrity/brand supremacy storyline against Lashley in a match where McMahon or Donald Trump would have to shave their head depending on who won. Again, something that overshadows the IC title, so it was pointless to include the title in the match. Also Lashley was ECW champion at the time when that title was still somewhat of a big deal, so it too was not on the card.
And finally at WM 24, Jericho was champion and in the MitB ladder match...same as Shelton in the two above.

So while I agree that the IC title has lost some credibility, I can see why is hasn't been defended at Mania. The champion at the time for Mania all these years has been in a more high-profile match than an IC title match. At least it's not the champion not appearing on the show or just having a regular singles match and the title just being ignored. Same goes for this year...Punk it appears, will be in MitB which he won last year and won a world title with, despite how poor of a reign it was. I think Punk as champion will bring some prestige back to the belt, and it doesn't necessarily have to be defended at Wrestlemania to have that.

 

[NSL]

If the Kane v. Punk rumors are true, then there's still hope that the belt will be dropped before WrestleMania. In a different thread, I had stated that maybe Punk forfeits the title because he has bigger fish to fry.

If Kane does get the title before WrestleMania, it's a good lateral move for the belt, because a heel can work better with it, and feud with a number of faces that Punk couldn't. Potential feuds with Kofi and Bourne would work for some good matches, and could even pull off a decent match for WrestleMania.

There's also the chance at a Rey v. Kane feud for the IC Title, but I'd hope the WWE wouldn't force that feud at us again.

 

[Criss Hardy]

ya to bad neither of them are as good in the ring or anywhere near as over with the crowd as hardy

I think I would know more than you about them, If you watch some of their matches from OMEGA or even their recent matches you can see they have alot of potential, I never said they were as good as Jeff but they could be close if they were used right.

 

[LayneStaleyLives]

The intercontinental title is becoming, to titles, what Ric Flair was before he retired. It has a rich and respected history, it has meant a lot to many wrestlers becoming major stars... but its now it's pretty much being jobbed. Dunno if that really makes sence, but to see something once so celebrated and cherished not being defended on the most celebrated stage in wrestling history is sickening. If WWE wants to focus on their little main eventers so much, then they should kill off all titles but their world titles because the other titles seem utterly worthless.

We all know that most of the midcarders are capable of putting on more entertaining matches than main eventers... but hey! Let's watch Edge win the World Title every month and give the baby his toy. I would rather watch something like Kofi vs Shelton personally... that match I would gladly pay to see.

 

[Infinity]

personally I think WWE is gonna try and use Punk to put some legitimacy back into the title... but having the title continually undefended at WrestleMania, it really kills me. CM Punk in the Money in the Bank made me wanna cry... then again, I really don't like the clusterfuck the MITB has become.


Oh, and LOL to the guy that said Helms isn't as good in the ring as Hardy. I don't even know which Hardy he's talking about, but he's better than both, period. As for Shannon Moore... uh, he's alright I guess, but Helms is a way better worker.

 

[bunnyman1985]

i think that sometime in the next year the writers will think that the mitb has become stale depends on the outcome of this years 1.
i think this years 1 will be: punk,rey,kane,kofi,miz,morrison,finlay,shelton
an if they think its beciome stale then they should give the match more time an also hang the ic an u.s title above with the case
so whoever gets the case can choose which title they want.
then the other 7 can battle it out to decide who will be the other champion

 

[Omega]

it's possible we could see the IC and US Titles defended on Superstars

I really hope we do but it will be interesting to discover what titles will be defended on superstars, I was sort of hoping for the whoile midcard to get a boost sort of like ecw but all the brands have an actual reason to be there, there could be some decent title vs title feuds to with possibly shelton or punk holding both at the same time but only really featured on superstars,

personally can't wait for this program to debut does anyone know when this would be?

 

[Phoenix]

If the Kane v. Punk rumors are true, then there's still hope that the belt will be dropped before WrestleMania. In a different thread, I had stated that maybe Punk forfeits the title because he has bigger fish to fry.

If Kane does get the title before WrestleMania, it's a good lateral move for the belt, because a heel can work better with it, and feud with a number of faces that Punk couldn't. Potential feuds with Kofi and Bourne would work for some good matches, and could even pull off a decent match for WrestleMania.

There's also the chance at a Rey v. Kane feud for the IC Title, but I'd hope the WWE wouldn't force that feud at us again.

Problem is Kane is in MITB too. When I first heard bout the Punk/Kane program, it had some potential for a match at WM, but now they're both in MITB, it could lead to two possible things:

1. The IC is put on the line as well
2. Kane and Punk will have some moments against each other in the match to build up the feud for the IC Title