Best World Champions to Never Hold the Mid-Card Title First?

[IrishCanadian25]

Since the spam section has the "Best Wrestler to Never Be World Champion" thread going...again...I figured it was time for a change.

When someone asks what The Ultimate Warrior, Bret Hart, The Rock, Randy Savage, Steve Austin, Triple H, Edge, Randy Orton, Goldberg, Chris Jericho, Diesel, Diamond Dallas Page, Booker T, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, etc have in common, the answer is - all former World Champions who started off by winning their promotion's mid-card championship.

That's an impressive list. What I want to ask is who the greatest (or even the worst) World Champions were who did not make a pit stop at a mid-card title first are. Some obvious choices-

Hulk Hogan. He's actually never held any mid-card title to my knowledge. Never won the IC or US Titles, Hogan was synonymous with the main event. He did hold the Tag Titles, but we're counting singles here.

The Undertaker. Won his first WWF Title a year after his debut, and never really looked back. In fact, I don't think he ever won a mid card belt either.

Big Van Vader. A three-time WCW World Champion, Vader had accomplished these tasks years before he won the United States Title, which he brought with him to a taping of Boy Meets World.

Brock Lesnar. He was a King of the Ring, but he never won an IC or US Title first.

There, the four obvious ones are out of the way. Think critically - who are other World Champions who didn't first win a mid-card belt in the WWF or WCW?

 

[Ty Burna]

Andre The Giant- Now I don't know how much this actually counts, but he was WWF Champion once, and never won a midcard title before then. So he's on the list.

Ron Simmons- Yes, the Ron Simmons. First African American to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. In WCW he won two different tag titles, but as a singles competitor, he never won a midcard title in WCW, only the World Heavyweight title once.

Psycho Sid- Won the WWF Championship twice, and no mid card titles to speak of while in the WWF. Now in WCW he did win the US title before winning the World Heavyweight Championships, but in the WWF he slingshotted to the main event without ever receiving the Intercontinental title.

There are a few, if I find anymore I'll post them. Oh and I didn't pick who the best was, obviously Hogan takes this in a walk, I don't see how you could argue anyone else really. I thought it was interesting trying to find some wrestlers that passed over the mid card title, and from the looks of it, it seems to be more wrestlers in today's era are being hot shotted to the main event, where as compared to in the past, you worked your way up through the mid card title and then on to the main event title scene.

 

[Showtime]

Although I know his name does not belong in any sort of Best of category, The Great Khali does indeed fall into this group of World Champions who never held a middle card title first.

For that matter now, someone more deserving to be mentioned in this group of greats you brought up is The Animal Dave Batista. He has won a few tag team belts, but never a middle card title.

Mick Foley and I guess specifically Mankind also falls into this group as well. It took Foley damn near the majority of his career to finally win the World Title and before that he had just a pair of tag title reigns in the WWE and one in WCW.

Lastly, and this is a barely, Kane fits into your group of people to win a World Title before a middle card title. Kane came in bigger than he ever was during most of his career and his fall to the middle card is similar to that of any dying star that burnt out too soon.

Of my four, I'd say Mankind is the Best World Champion to not win a middle card title first. He's had some great matches and has wrestled his heart and body hard enough for so long to be deserving of that honour. Clump in your four to the equation, I have to give the nod, of course, to Hogan, who will forever, arguably, be the best wrestler ever, with Taker a close second.

 

[King Patrick Star]

In TNA, you have:

• Ken Shamrock
• Ron Killings
• Jeff Jarrett
• Raven
• Rhino
• Christian Cage
• Sting
• Abyss
• Kurt Angle
• Mick Foley

Now, my question is, if one has won a Mid-Card Title in another organization, does that count as winning a Mid-Card Title first?? Out of this list, I would say Kurt Angle, but if his WWE run counts, then my only choices would be between Ron Killings, Abyss and Mick Foley. I wonder who I would pick between these three.

 

[SavageTaker]

I am going to go with The Undertaker.

Within his first years in the company (WWF/E) he had defeated Hulk fucking Hogan, something not many can say they have done, and he beat him for the World Title, another thing that not many people can say they did during that era. And he just couldn't go to the mid-card after a huge accomplishment like that. Yes he was put in meaningless feuds but he wasn't downgraded to the Mid-card like we have seen happen to other people.

I think the lowest title that The Undertaker has ever held would probably be the hardcore title and that isn't even a mid-card title in my opinion.

So I think that The Undertaker is one of the best to have won a world title without holding a Mid-card title first before winning the world title.

 

[pyrusane]

Ric Flair sort of fits into this category. He did win the US title four times between 1977 and 1980. However, this was with the NWA, prior to the formation of WCW. In the last 28 years, he has won 16 world titles, 1 US title, and 1 IC title. His sole WCW US title reign wasn't until 1996, and his IC Title reign was after all of his world titles. Now, because he did win the NWA US Title prior to the World title, he wouldn't fit in that company. But, if we are looking at each organization seperately, then the first title he ever won in the WWF/E was the World Title.

 

[Thriller Ant]

Would you count the Cruiserweight Title as a midcard belt? I really have no idea where I would put it, but if you don't, Rey Mysterio is another member of this club. Hogan is clearly the best of this group, followed by The Undertaker, but at this point I'm just curious about how many members of this "club" there are.

 

[NSL]

Great topic, IC. Thinking back, it's tough to think of people who won their titles backwards...Even Goldberg held the US Title before holding the WCW Championship.

I'll stick with what I know then, and that's ECW. Sandman is a former 5-time ECW champion, but never held the TV Title. I don't even think he was ever in the midcard there. When he started, he was a jobber, and then catapulted to the main event, and never looked back.

Shane Douglas also won the ECW title first, and became the face of the company. His most memorable feuds were over the TV title, and the angle with the Pitbulls was the focus of the company for almost a year.

Another person who never held a midcard title, but held the big one, is Tommy Dreamer. He only had one reign on top of the company, but it's one more than he had as midcard champ.

 

[Paradox100]

Ok, this man came to mind, and checked my facts, to make sure I didn't make an ass out of myself. Macho Man Randy Savage The other ones I can think of, have already been posted.

 

[RKO_Legacy]

I agree on the Randy Savage post above me. He was a great champion considering he only held the big one.

 

[Tastycles]

You need to check your facts better, Savage won the IC title and lost it against Steamboat at WrestleMania III, it was kind of a big deal.

I think Hogan is the obvious one, but I'd just like to throw a few other names out there. The Giant won the WCW title without winning a midcard title, and then the Big Show won the WWF title without winning a midcard title there, which matches Hogan, I think.

Just about everyone before Hogan did it, but that was when midcard titles didn't really exist.

Yokozuna is the only one I can think of that hasn't been mentioned without looking at a list, but he did win the Royal Rumble.

 

[eljay7i]

Sgt. Slaughter did when he won the title at the 1991 royal rumble against the Ultimate Warrior.

The Iron Sheik also did it in 1983 in MSG when defeated Bob Backlund.

 

[Paradox100]

Oh, you guys were right, I knew he held both titles, but I thought he held the IC title afterwards. My bad, I made an ass out of myself anyway, haha.

 

[CaptainCavendish]

I agree on the Randy Savage post above me. He was a great champion considering he only held the big one.

Uuum, Randy Savage held the Intercontinental Championship back in late 1985 and lost it at WrestleMania 3. He was the 2nd longest reigning IC champion in history, right behind Honkey Tonk Man and he didn't win the World's Championship until WM4........