Battle of the Midcard Titles: Intercontinental vs. United States

[RoyHahn]

Quite simply, which title has more value? I would clearly say that the United States title is the more valuable of the two.

1) The United States Championship is defended far more regularly on pay-per-views. The US title was featured in Wrestlemanias 20, 22, and 23. In the past year, it has been defended at Backlash, Night of Champions, and The Great American Bash. For Backlash, as in the past, an entire feud revolved around the title. We have not seen anything of the sort in the recent past with the Intercontinental title. The only PPV at which it has been defended this year was Night of Champions, and even then, there was no feud - the opponent to Jericho was revealed right before the match.

2) The US Champs actually seem proud of their belt. Did Jeff Hardy or Jericho seem to care much about their belt? With Kofi and Santino it's clearly different, but the two before seemed to regard their belt as merely an accessory. The US title is a source of pride to every champion, and they reflect that in promos and matches.

3) Look at the recent champs:

United States Championship:
Shelton Benjamin - one of the best technical wrestlers and a rising star
Matt Hardy - an over upper-midcarder
MVP - a solid wrestler who is ready to break into the main event
Chris Benoit - no need to say anything
JBL - a former WWE Champion
John Cena - a rising star
The Big Show - a main event wrestler

Intercontinental Championship:
Santino - a complete joke and a jobber
Kofi Kingston - a no name
Chris Jericho - didn't wear the belt, spent more time as a special referee
Jeff Hardy - never defended the belt

Quite simply, the US title seems to be a legitimate championship rather than a prop, and therefore, it has more value.

 

[Tim]

I'm going to also have to say the US Championship recently. The Intercontinental title is being held by pretty much a jobber at the moment, while the US champion is facing off against the WWE champion. A bit different. Also, the US title is being used to elevate mid carders and below, for example the current person, Shelton Benjamin, while the IC title isn't really being used for anything; it's not elevating Santino. The US title scene is much more active, they defended it recently and the No 1. contender could be a number of different mid carders, but when was the last time the IC belt was defended? Who's even the No. 1 contender? The IC title has now just become basically a bit of bling.

 

[klunderbunker]

I have to agree. No one lately has meant anything to the IC belt. Its practically dead, and there's one reason for that right now, and he has one eyebrow. What does this guy possibly bring to the title? He's funny. OOOO. It makes me shake my head to think that this man is now the man holding the title that Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat fought for in from of 93000 people. Kofi was starting to bring a bit of dignity to the belt as he was what it was intended to be in the first place: Young, talented, over, and athletic. He was, to me at least, the perfect IC champion for right now, and he would have been the first good one in a long time. The US title on the other hand, while not the best wrestlers hold it, is seen as a legit title. Good wrestlers hold it, the matches are actually serious, and you get decent feuds over it. I like the IC belt more, but this isn't close at all, and that's kind of sad.

 

[jpfizzle]

I have to agree. No one lately has meant anything to the IC belt. Its practically dead, and there's one reason for that right now, and he has one eyebrow. What does this guy possibly bring to the title? He's funny. OOOO. It makes me shake my head to think that this man is now the man holding the title that Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat fought for in from of 93000 people. Kofi was starting to bring a bit of dignity to the belt as he was what it was intended to be in the first place: Young, talented, over, and athletic. He was, to me at least, the perfect IC champion for right now, and he would have been the first good one in a long time. The US title on the other hand, while not the best wrestlers hold it, is seen as a legit title. Good wrestlers hold it, the matches are actually serious, and you get decent feuds over it. I like the IC belt more, but this isn't close at all, and that's kind of sad.

Santino is the exact type of wrestler that should be holding the title, he is a mid-carder and it should be taken off of him by another mid-carder. When Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat fought over the title they also were mid-carders and the 93000 were there to see Hogan/ Andre.

The Intercontinental will always be the bigger of the two titles for me, particully seen as how the US title has it's history rooted in WCW and NWA and now both are on WWE television. I say the Intercontinental title is bigger because if they were to unify them right now I believe WWE would call it the Intercontinental title still because that is the title that they made famous.

 

[Dead Kennedy]

I've always liked the US Championship more than the Intercontinental Championship for some reason, especially when it was active in WCW. I just liked the way they did that whole division in WCW. When guys like Dean Malenko held it, it was more prestigious than the WCW World Championship in my opinion.

Even today, the holders and contenders in the US Title picture is better, in my opinion. The IC title picture has been a bit shaky ever since the end of the Attitude Era. So right now, the US Championship is the better championship in my opinion.

 

[Ross_Gilbert]

I agree that the United States Championship seems to have had a lot more prestige recently, but what worries me the most is the angle they have going with Santino and the Intercontinental Championship. Do you really think they'll keep the title on him long enough to play out the Honky Tonk thing? There are few wrestlers on Raw I'd like to see compete for the Intercontinental Championship these days, all of the Superstars seem to be involved in the World Championship picture or the Tag Team scene... Other than that who is left on the show? Deuce, D-Lo Brown, Jamie Noble, Snitsky, Paul Burchill? I wouldn't want any of those to hold the Intercontinental Championship bar Jamie Noble, although I don't like his character he's a hard worker and despite years of jobbing I feel he deserves a decent little push, but sadly the Cruiserweight division is non-existant at the moment.

I realise I've probably gone off topic with my rant, but I like ranting.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Too many title related threads.