Bring out the Intercontinental Championship

[ZexImmortal]

the Intercontinental Championship (I hope i spelled that right, to avoid further failure (assuming i made one) its IC for the rest of this post)

the IC title puzzles me in many ways. I raise an eye brow when i see Miz...Ray...Swagger...Christian...you know FORMER WWE/WORLD Champions!who just got drained to that.


i start thinking the IC title is only there to keep the popular on TV just to shut us up.

i was good with the IC title at first...it was for the next big guy we need to keep our eyes on (Minus Drew...he just faded away...and big Zeke)


now i ask...what makes the IC title "Prestiges"


allow me to play pretend again with all of you:


LETS JUST SAY!

we changed the concept of the IC title all together. give it more creditably. like ummm.....hmmmm....it can NEVER be defended in a 1on1 match. there MUST be at LEAST 3 people in a match for the IC title.

this gives the title more "FIRE" (Couldnt think of anything else) to its matches, we see Triple threats, Fatal Four Ways, 6 pack matches of guys trying to rise up!


The IC title would give its champion the vision of: "Overcoming the odds" and gives more opportunities to more talent. giving fans the image of "Now this is guy i need to watch" or "an IC MATCH! Dont change the channel ANYTHING can happen"

(This was my idea for the rumored return of the Hardcore Title)

 

[anvilx8]

No offense, but I don't really understand your logic behind it only being defended in non 1 on 1 matches...

I think it is getting its prestige back. All it takes is for someone who deserves it to hold the title, and successfully defend it for a while. I WOULD like to see it primarily won by those who haven't yet won the wwe or world title.. then it would be a stepping stone like it's meant to be.

 

[Casban]

I personally like that the Miz is holding it right now, before he left he was on a losing streak and needs something like this to build him back up, im not sure on other peoples opinion of The Miz but i find him very entertaining.

Though i do think the title needs to be used as a stepping stone to the main event occasionally, i cant remember the last time this was the case.

As for your concept about it being defending only in a match with atleast 3 people, i personally im not a fan of this idea, occasional triple threats or 4 ways for titles are good but only having it defended that way eliminates any chance of having a decent 1 on 1 fued over the title, and i never like 3 way fueds but that is just my opinion.
I am interested to see what other people think.

On a side note i notice you mentioned the hardcore title, This concept would fit perfectly with that title, more people, more action, more weapons, more violence, its just a shame that cant happen in the current PG era but it would be a great idea if the landscape and target market of the WWE was different

 

[TheImpactPlayer]

I think the problem with the IC title is they don't make the story lines that revolve around it personal or intense enough. They never make us believe that it is so,ething that they are striving for. When Shawn Michaels held the title he made us feel like it was the most important thing in the world to him. The audience knows now that the IC title is just some belt you can hold until you can fight for the world title. Where are the ladder matches for the IC title, the submission matches, or the no dq matches. The IC title gets none of that.

 

[Casban]

I think the problem with the IC title is they don't make the story lines that revolve around it personal or intense enough. They never make us believe that it is so,ething that they are striving for. When Shawn Michaels held the title he made us feel like it was the most important thing in the world to him. The audience knows now that the IC title is just some belt you can hold until you can fight for the world title. Where are the ladder matches for the IC title, the submission matches, or the no dq matches. The IC title gets none of that.

I completely agree with you the IC title does need and Intense & Personal feud, There is not much more i can add to that as you hit the nail on the head, Currently right now it feels like a filler title and the feuds (when there is one) are lackluster and feels like something they just threw together which seems to be the case with most of the titles these days.

How can the IC title be used as a stepping stone if its not cared about.
It should be an opportunity to give it to someone and let them run with it and use that person to their full potential to see if they are good enough to progress.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

The OP's idea would be the opposite of the idea of the IC title... for it to work it needs to go back to the original concept of the IC title being the "Workhorse" title... they guy who maybe "should" be world champ but who is considered the best worker gets the IC and carries it... Where the IC started losing it's lustre was when it became "a stepping stone" to greater things. Before Bret no IC champ won the big one, except Savage. Since then almost no World Champ has not won the IC first...

The ways to get the IC back to its glory are: -

1) Merge the US and IC titles... If you must keep 2 World titles fine, but only one mid card belt, and it is on both shows. You can keep #1 contenders on both shows, meaning the IC title has potentially two different opponents (not triple threats all the time) to worry about.But while you hold that belt, you are #1 contender but you have to put your IC title on the line for the shot.

2) With the exception of title v title or exceptional circumstances (injuries etc) no IC champ gets a World title shot after losing the belt within a year. Too many guys go "through the belts" too quickly. Bret again was the nadir of this. When the IC was at its peak, it was a while before people got a World Title match after losing the IC belt, these days it's often the next week. Guys pre-Bret who are considered great IC champs NEVER got World shots, much less winning, Tito Santana, Greg Valentine, Ricky Steamboat and Mr. Perfect for example. This sounds like I am bashing Bret a lot, but I am not, simply his 2nd IC reign/World title win set the template which has been followed since for elevating guys to main event from the IC.

3) Ranked Contenders for each title making it a division - At it's peak the IC title, like the others were ranked in dirt sheets and wrestling magazines. It was fluff and based on opinion but it was good. Like in boxing and the old time, have managers "horse trade" for matches, have contenders face each other and make the IC more a division.

4) Long reigns exclusively... no hotshotting - The reason the IC title worked in the late 80's and early 90's was that title changes were rare enough that when they happened they were memorable. Honky Tonk Man dropping the strap looking back was obvious, but the way they did it and the length of time he had held it made you remember both the loss and the reign itself. In todays WWE titles change like buying and selling cars, it's impossible to list all the champs anymore. Get back to that thing of holding the title once meaning more than 9 times or 16 times or whatever... cos in reality Jericho holding it 9 times means he lost it 9 times...

5) Bring in the TV title - Replace what the IC title means today with the old style TV title, that belt can change hands often, give Cesaro/Miz level talents something to fight over and prepare people for the rigours of being "the guy" after all if Cena works 365 and is "The Guy", a good way to start is to hold a belt that has to be defended on EVERY TV show...

 

[vampirek]

I fail to see any logic in this.

Think about the two midcard titles, the IC title is being held by former champions who have gone down the ranks and those who are near ready to compete for the World titles.. The US title is being held by upcomers and lower ranks wrestlers. If anything the current order is working well and actually makes the IC title look more credible given who have held it.

The problem with the OP's idea is the champion doesn't have to lose to lose the title, this could happen all the time... so how does it make the current champion credible if they never beat the former champion for it?

Since then almost no World Champ has not won the IC first...

Apart from Brock Lesnar, Cena (never held the IC title), Undertaker, Sid, Kane, Mankind/Mick Foley, Vince McMahon, Big Show, Batista, ADR... thats some list for 'almost no'

 

[dman1373]

i dont get why they dont get rid of one world title and have the mid card titles as brand titles. So the world champion becomes more important and the mid card titles do as well.

 

[sdelfin]

thtrobtaylor knows what he's talking about in his post. I agree with much of that. And the deal with Bret getting the belt was not something that was planned too far in advance as I understand it.

Using the example of the old NWA United States Championship, that was a belt that was kept prestigious as former world champions would go after or hold that belt as well as guys who were on the rise. And even the TV title was kept strong as former US and world champs like Windham and Steamboat and other strong wrestlers like Arn Anderson would hold it. There's nothing wrong with a former world champ holding an IC or US title, it's all in how the champs are booked. If you have your champs lose on TV a lot, as WWE does often such as with the Miz, Santino and even Christian, that destroys a lot of the value the championships have.

And I don't like the idea of changing the IC title to some kind of multi-man championship. First of all, it's a bad idea to do that with an existing title with real history. I also don't like the idea because it's basically a championship for gimmick matches and there need to be fewer gimmick matches, not more. The people in the ring need to carry the show, not the stipulations.

 

[Kelso1ftw]

I think the IC title will push Miz into the next level just like the US title did back before he got his first championship reign. He definitely has what it takes to be main event status, but he has lost steam, a lot of it, and this could just kind of put him over the edge, give him some good feuds with a guy like brodus, someone that is up and coming that can boost both of their names and push them both to the next level. Plus all these guys deserve it and they are there for basically one purpose, and that's to help put over young and new talent.

 

[JBK2008]

While I like the concept of overcoming the odds in matches with multiple challengers, alot of these storylines fall on the writers who put the focus too often on the drama and NOT the championships. This goes for all the titles in the WWE. We've seen it too often and most recently with the AJ/Punk/Bryan/Kane angle.

You want the prestige to be brought back to the championships? Then creative needs to write around the titles and not the superstars gimmick or whatever else stupid reason they can come up with. Titles are supposed to be a main drive in the WWE. That's what each guy in the back is there for. It's such a simple concept, yet creative time after time screw it up!

 

[TempestH]

There's nothing wrong with Miz as Intercontinental Champion. The problem is that because there are two WORLD Championships, it isn't the big deal that it once was in the past.

The World Heavyweight Championship, which was once seen as equal to the WWE Title, has been reduced to being the "stepping stone" title that the IC Title used to be. If they scrapped the World Title and boosted the name of the IC Title a bit, things would change.

I would rather see guys Alberto Del Rio, Sheamus, or Dolph Ziggler as a dominant IC Champion than a paper World Champion that opens up almost every PPV and is a glorified midcarder whenever they show up on RAW.

I say they should let Miz have a long run with the belt, then at WM29, have a big name like John Cena challenge Miz for it. Cena has never won the IC Title, and wants to complete the Triple Crown (since the U.S. Title doesn't count towards it), while Miz wants to finally have a Mania match where the focus is on him rather than someone else like The Rock, Laurinaitis, or sharing the spotlight as part of a tag team. Cena can win the IC Belt off of Miz at WM29, and boost it's value a bit before dropping the belt to a rising star like Daniel Bryan

 

[Truewrestlingfan-andy7979]

Are you completely stupid? Really? Really? Really? YES, YES, YES, you must be. So, Shut the Hell Up!!! Let's all realize that your idea is outrageous. The IC belt is the best belt for the undercard champion. It once carried the WWE for years. Use your stupid idea for the US championship. Destroy the belt that WCW did years ago. I personally could care less what happens to that belt. Leave the IC belt and the stipulations of its matches alone. Im so sick of John Cena and his stupid storylines being the main event for everything. Cena is the Lex Luger of the 21st century. Not the WCW Luger, the Lex Express Luger. PHONY, PHONY, PHONY. He is like Hogan in the fact that Cena has three moves too. The IC champion needs to close out shows sometimes. In fact, have a crazy scene with any member of the roster close out Raw everyweek besides the same boring stuff. "I don't care if you boo me, the universe pays their hard earned money, so they can boo me," according to Cena. "And you have to earn respect, I live it my whole life," sounds like Blah Blah Blah Boring Bullshit to me again and again and again and again, over and over and over and over.

 

[theBec2101]

The problem with the IC belt is that it gets forgotten about or they keep passing it around to people to appear that there is no value to the title. Even though I don’t care for the Miz, I don’t mind him holding it. But let some star power in there. Why can’t Randy, Alberto, Albert, Sheamus go for the belts. Austin, Rock, Warrior, Bret, Perfect etc. made it worth something. It just seems like this era just devalue all other belts besides the WWE and WHC. Even those two don’t end PPV’s like they use to. I remember entire stables/fractions that were their goal, to get all the gold such as DX, Horsemen, Evolution, and NWO. Where are all the good storylines for these titles too?

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Since 1993 there have been only 4 real ways to get to the main event/world title -

Via the IC (or in some cases the US or ECW titles)
Via The Rumble win
Via King Of The Ring
A special push

Nash, Shawn, Austin, Rock, Angle, Eddie, Benoit, Rey, Ziggler, Bryan, Triple H, Edge, Jericho, Christian, RVD, Booker T, Orton, Jeff Hardy. The guys you mention did not need the IC title as they either took another route, such as Royal Rumble win, King Of The Ring.

The only real 2 you mention who got pushes outside this were Kane and Foley both of whom were pushed to pop ratings/buy rates. Kane got his first World title for only one night remember, and Foley's title win "put a lot of butts on seats" and turned the tide of the Monday Night Wars (Vince having the belt was a vanity measure, but even he won the Rumble first!).

Cena, Miz and Sheamus all did the same via the US title... Henry, Punk and Swagger via the ECW title (which was the same level)

Undertaker and Sid were main eventers from the day they debuted in the WWF, Taker won his first world title from Hogan in 1991, much like Kane a one night reign but he had been considered "main event" since his first match at Suvivor Series 90, same for Sid Justice who was involved in main event matches his first night in.

Even JBL had served a long term apprenticeship via other titles, the European, Hardcore and Tag Titles. For a time the IC belt wasn't there and the US was, there are variables.

But since Bret moved that quickly between belts and as my list shows, the majority of champions (and the higher number of reigns) have been by former IC champions.

I WANT them to not use that, I want them to bring Ambrose in as main event from day one etc... shake it up a bit so push is not so predicable, midcard title, Rumble or MITB win, title win, yawn, rinse repeat.

 

[KoC417]

the Intercontinental Championship (I hope i spelled that right, to avoid further failure (assuming i made one) its IC for the rest of this post)

the IC title puzzles me in many ways. I raise an eye brow when i see Miz...Ray...Swagger...Christian...you know FORMER WWE/WORLD Champions!who just got drained to that.


i start thinking the IC title is only there to keep the popular on TV just to shut us up.

i was good with the IC title at first...it was for the next big guy we need to keep our eyes on (Minus Drew...he just faded away...and big Zeke)


now i ask...what makes the IC title "Prestiges"


allow me to play pretend again with all of you:


LETS JUST SAY!

we changed the concept of the IC title all together. give it more creditably. like ummm.....hmmmm....it can NEVER be defended in a 1on1 match. there MUST be at LEAST 3 people in a match for the IC title.

this gives the title more "FIRE" (Couldnt think of anything else) to its matches, we see Triple threats, Fatal Four Ways, 6 pack matches of guys trying to rise up!


The IC title would give its champion the vision of: "Overcoming the odds" and gives more opportunities to more talent. giving fans the image of "Now this is guy i need to watch" or "an IC MATCH! Dont change the channel ANYTHING can happen"

(This was my idea for the rumored return of the Hardcore Title)

Giving the IC title to former World Champions does in fact give that belt more credibility and allows to help build up more stars. The up and comers who can now beat guys like Miz & Christian will be able to say they defeated former World/WWE Champions thus making them a more credible opponent for the current champions.

You're trying to incorporate the old WCW logic "omg I can't change the channel something unpredictable might happen". The problem with this logic is:
We've seen everything from:
- Hostile take overs
- Guys getting set on fire
- Flaming tables
- Guys getting tossed off of triple cages/thru the ring and thru & off the cell.
- 6 pack challenges that actually made me want to GRAB a 6 pack because they were so confusing/hard to follow not just from an in ring action standpoint but the announcers couldn't keep up with the action.
- Spears off of ladders

My point is I don't believe the wrestling world/IWC as a whole really wants/needs that unpredictable feeling anymore because it's all been done. What we want/need is relevant consistent storylines and ACTUAL wrestling matches. There would be so much less barking/whining if guys like Ziggler, Swagger, Jericho, and even Santino were just given the opportunity to WRESTLE not make a$$es out of themselves. Santino is a very talented guy he just can't ever show it because he has to play the clown. But it's my feeling that we don't need that unpredictability all we need is for the wrestling show to be about 1 thing.... WRESTLING. Not this social media/Twatter/whos going to sing the next boring song situations. Give us 10-15 minute solid back and forth matches and the unpredictability will come on its own naturally. HBK/Undertaker is one of the best examples I can come up with as of late:
Single match, back and forth you didn't know who was really going to win (hence the unpredictability) yet nobody has really ever complained about it.