Bringing More Prestige: Kofi or Rey?

[Planty]

Sorry if this thread has been done before, I think I relatively remember a title like this but I can't find it on the forums so I may have been dreaming it.​

Before Wrestlemania, many fans complained about regular title changes for the US and IC titles. A memory in the minds of many, is the Ricky Steamboat title win over Randy Savage at Wrestlemania 3. Though to some now, titles such as the IC and US just don't have that star-appeal anymore.

We've seen some pretty consistent reigns though as IC and US champions respectively from Rey Mysterio and Kofi Kingston.

Though the reigns couldn't be anymore different.

***​

KOFI KINGSTON
US Champion: June 1st- Present

First Won:

• MONDAY JUNE 1ST, WWE RAW- Defeated Montel Vontavious Porter.

Successful Defenses (5):

• SUNDAY JUNE 7TH, Extreme Rules- Defeated Matt Hardy, Montel Vontavious Porter and William Regal
• THURSDAY JUNE 25TH, WWE Superstars- Defeated Matt Hardy and Montel Vontavious Porter
• MONDAY JUNE 29TH, WWE RAW- Retained through Double Countout against The Big Show
• SUNDAY JULY 26TH, Night of Champions- Defeated Montel Vontavious Porter, The Miz, Jack Swagger, Carlito, Primo
• MONDAY AUGUST 17TH, WWE RAW- Defeated Carlito

Defended Against (8):

• MVP (3)
• Matt Hardy (2)
• Carlito (2)
• William Regal
• The Big Show
• The Miz
• Jack Swagger
• Primo

Feuds:

• None (Unless you count Big Show or Carlito)

***​

REY MYSTERIO
Intercontinental Champion: April 5th- June 7th; June 28th- Present

First Won:

• SUNDAY APRIL 5TH, Wrestlemania 25- Defeated John 'Bradshaw' Layfield.

Successful Defenses For First Run (1):

• SUNDAY MAY 17TH, Judgement Day- Defeated Chris Jericho

Defended Against:

• Chris Jericho

Mysterio later lost the IC Title to Chris Jericho on June 7th 2009 at Extreme Rules in a No Holds Barred match.​

Regained:

• SUNDAY JUNE 28TH, The Bash- Defeated Chris Jericho.

Successful Defenses For Second Run (3):

• FRIDAY JULY 10TH, Smackdown!- Defeated Chris Jericho
• SUNDAY JULY 26TH, Night of Champions- Defeated Dolph Ziggler
• SUNDAY AUGUST 23RD, Summerslam- Defeated Dolph Ziggler

Defended Against (2):

• Chris Jericho
• Dolph Ziggler (2)

Feuds:

• Chris Jericho
• Dolph Ziggler

***​

Overall Verdict:

While both men have had very different reigns and its tough to compare, I've got to give this to Mysterio. Kofi Kingston has defended against numerous men, but they haven't all looked like legitimate opponents. I think what contributes more to titles is remembering feuds rather than the oddly spread defence. Mysterio has defended, and traded the title shortly, with the reigning record-holder for most reigns. Plus he's currently making Ziggler look like a million dollars. Kofi hasn't really had a feud for the title. Lastly, Mysterio won the title at two PPV's including Wrestlemania, the biggest event on the WWE calendar. Kofi won the title on RAW which probably won't be remembered in years to come. But Kingston is still doing a fantastic job. Mysterio though edges it for me. Thoughts?

 

[Mr. 619]

Rey Mysterio for sure has the edge. I really like Kofi Kingston, but his U.S title reign has been kinda forgetable. Its not his fault though, its just the midcard isnt given the attention it deserves on Raw. There are some weeks Kofi isnt even on Raw. Rey on the other hand is consistently on Smackdown in FUEDS for the IC title. His fued with Jericho is a candidate for fued of the year. Now he is fueding with Dolph Ziggler. Dolph really makes it look like he wants that title. For Kofi it seems that every title defense is just against random challengers. I feel that when he defends his title, its just cause they have to book a defense. For the IC title, Jericho, Ziggler, and Mysterio (when he was challenger) had a great desire to be champion.

So in a nutshell, I think at this point people are allot more attentive to the IC title scene then the U.S.

I.C Champ > U.S Champ
Rey Mysterio > Kofi Kingston
Smackdown > Raw

 

[BananaHeel]

You have a point there, Planty. Not only has Mysterio proven time and time again against Main Event stars, but has been around and has more of a fan base than Khofi. But I'd like to compare something real quick- Mysterio debuted in 2002 or so and gave people a reason to watch the cruiserweights again. When Khofi joined up, he was an instant success, winning the Intercontinental Championship and was widely talked about for a rookie. Mysterio had ECW, WCW, and WWE experience. Khofi came out of nowhere and was an overnight draw. So I would have to say when it comes to the past few years, Khofi Kingston beats out Mysterio, if only barely.

 

[dvayne]

Raw has the better midcarders (Carlito, Masters, Swagger, Miz, MVP) Kofi has defended more times than Rey but he's not really in a legitimate feud at this time which I think is hurting his title reign. I think a lengthy feud with Masters or The Miz could be exactly what he needs to get over as a champ. It wouldn't hurt either if he got a PPV match either since he missed Summerslam. Maybe start a program with Masters and at Breaking Point have him go over Masters in his own specialty (submission match)

Rey on the other hand is a former world heavyweight champ that has gone up against another former heavyweight champ (jericho) to where their feud was one of the highlights of smackdown. The IC title has been defended over the last few PPVs gaining its credibility and has been in a good feud with a future star Dolph Ziggler.

As far as Smackdowns midcard you have Matt Hardy, John Morrison (both about to make the jump to mainevent imo), Mike Knox, Finlay, R Truth, Hart Dynasty

So I would give it to Rey right now but with a little time and a proper feud Kofi and the Raw roster will bury Smackdown's midcard (Only because Smackdown actually pushes their talent into mainevent)

 

[Poop Master Flex]

Rey hands down. I like Kofi but to be honest I still don't care much for the US title. I actually started giving a shit about the IC title (especially during the Rey/Jericho feud) and Rey has alot to do with that. I feel ziggler will take the title from him within the next few months and working with Rey, if he does in fact win the title, It will help elevate Zigglers (or whoever does beat Mysterio) status make him seem at least somewhat credible.

 

[gd]

It has to go to Mysterio here. First of all, he has had legitimate feuds for the belt. By feuding with the likes of Ziggler and Jericho while holding the belt, it has made it seem like an asset. Kofi has more or less just been thrown in random matches just for the sake of defending his title.

Rey has also been on every PPV since he has held the title. Kofi has been on some, but not others, including Summerslam, the 2nd biggest PPV of the year. Rey has definetly brought more prestige to the IC Title, but a lot of it is because he's a bigger star. He has been a main eventer before and has been a main stay in the company for years. Kofi is nothing more than a n00b. The reason Rey has had actual feud and more PPV matches is because he's a bigger star, and that has made the IC Title more meaningful.

 

[StInGeR-HBK]

I have to go with Rey on this one. He has had better feuds with legitimate stars and is helping bring back the prestiege to the title. Kofi has done a good job defending the title but against random people at random times. I don't even think he had a match at SSlam. That tells you a lot about what the WWE thinks of the belt and of Kofi at the moment. They didn't even bother finding him a good opponent to face at the PPV.

 

[Motor City Mayhem]

I have to go with Rey Mysterio here, he is a bigger name guy, hes more over then Kofi is, and has a World Heavyweight Title to his name, the feud with Chris Jericho put the prestige back into the Intercontinental Championship and is now in good feuds, with the feud of Jericho vs Mysterio and Ziggler vs Mysterio.

But thats not to discredit Kofi Kingston and his title run as United State Champion either, he has done great, some of his matches are amazing, I think of the match against Carlito was really good in my opinion. He has defended it greatly and to no disrespect of him I'm gonna have to go with Rey tho.

 

[Klown_Karnage]

I'll go with Rey on this one, not just because I'm more a fan of him than Kofi, but because Rey's always had the more personal storylines. It's not about who's got the title or how many times they've defended it, its about how they're able to connect with the crowd and make the most of their stories, and Rey's got this one.

That being said, not really Kofi's fault. I think creative have really dropped the ball where Kofi is concerned. They need to give him a good personal feud and fast. What I'm really hoping is that the upcoming thing with The Miz attempting to take the title does get very personal indeed. That's what Kofi needs.

 

[Super Crazy]

I have to pick Mysterio here. Rey's been actually having feuds for the Intercontinental Championship. His belt, is actually garnering pay per view time. Also, I feel since Mysterio has been around longer, he is more established thus his name alone brings the belt up a few notches.

Creative really dropped the ball with Kofi. They gave him the belt off MVP and he's never had a feud over it since winning. He''s just been thrown out there for random defenses against random opponents. See, all it would take is one legit, 2 or 3 month feud over the belt, and people might say that it's about the same with Mysterio maybe just edging him out.

Kofi needs something to get him going again, I mean he's hardly seen on tv now, he's like the Motor City Machine Guns of the WWE.

 

[anklebreaker]

I don't think there's any doubt that Mysterio would take this. It doesn't help Kofi much that Rey is a former world heavyweight champion. As garbage as that run was, that alone makes Rey the winner of this debate by default.

On another note, IMO, if you really want to make the IC and US titles a big deal again... you put the US belt on HBK for year and IC belt on Ziggler for several months.

Both can blaze a trail to WM where HBK would drop the us title to miz and Ziggler can drop the IC to morrison or truth.

 

[SSJPhenom]

I'm sorry, but I have to give it to Kofi. Kofi is making the U.S. Title something to be proud of again and is making it a match to look forward to. He is having some of the best matches on Raw, week in and week out and plus, he defends his title a hell of alot more than Mysterio. I like Rey Mysterio as well, but I think that Kofi is being a better champion right now and is making the mid card on Raw, definately out shine the mid card on SD. When is the last time we have heard of a quest to get a mid card title? That is what is happening on Raw right now. Kofi is on his way up.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

I'm sorry, but I have to give it to Kofi. Kofi is making the U.S. Title something to be proud of again and is making it a match to look forward to. He is having some of the best matches on Raw, week in and week out and plus, he defends his title a hell of alot more than Mysterio. I like Rey Mysterio as well, but I think that Kofi is being a better champion right now and is making the mid card on Raw, definately out shine the mid card on SD. When is the last time we have heard of a quest to get a mid card title? That is what is happening on Raw right now. Kofi is on his way up.

Tsk...Tsk...Tsk

Mysterio has defended his title more than Kofi has his. Rey has defended at least seven or eight times against Jericho and Ziggler. Kofi to my knowledge has defended it in that six-pack challenge at the Bash and against the Big Show I believe and that is it.

Rey Mysterio is having the best matches in the WWE week in and week out. Kofi couldn't even get on Summerslam this year. Miz, Swagger, MVP, and Bourne are making the midcard more than Kofi is. Rey Mysterio and Dolph Ziggler are doing fine in their own right.

And to respond more to your ridculous statement, you asked when the last time there was a quest for a midcard title. Ummm, how about the one that Dolph Ziggler is making trying to get the IC Title.

Think before you post. You'll save yourself further embarrassment.

 

[BooCocky]

This really isn't a question, Rey's had some good feuds for the title, his Jericho feud and matches were excellent and both Ziggler pay per view matches have been very good. Kofi has had a hard time finding a place on a Pay Per View Card, Mysterio hasn't therefore I give the edge to Rey. Rey's had a lot of airtime and a lot of effort has been going into his feuds. This is always a good thing. Everyone knows Rey is IC champ, and I have a feeling that people have a hard time remembering who the US champ is at this very moment.

 

[CM Punk Circa 2004]

Hand's Down Mysterio. I like Kofi he's fun and full of energy but Mysterio is 3x the Wrestler Kofi is. Im still waiting for Kofi to whip out a egg and kiss it...

 

[SSJPhenom]

Tsk...Tsk...Tsk

Mysterio has defended his title more than Kofi has his. Rey has defended at least seven or eight times against Jericho and Ziggler. Kofi to my knowledge has defended it in that six-pack challenge at the Bash and against the Big Show I believe and that is it.

Rey Mysterio is having the best matches in the WWE week in and week out. Kofi couldn't even get on Summerslam this year. Miz, Swagger, MVP, and Bourne are making the midcard more than Kofi is. Rey Mysterio and Dolph Ziggler are doing fine in their own right.

And to respond more to your ridculous statement, you asked when the last time there was a quest for a midcard title. Ummm, how about the one that Dolph Ziggler is making trying to get the IC Title.

Think before you post. You'll save yourself further embarrassment.

No one is embarrassed. Did you read the very first post on this thread? Rey is having the best matches in WWE? While I agree that he had the best match at the Bash, I hardly think that his matches with Ziggler are the best in the WWE right now. His feud with Jericho, all be it great, wasn't the be all end all in professional wrestling, but it was the best that you could get from Mysterio.

Simply put, I'd much rather watch a Kingston match week in and week out, than a Mysterio match. His match with Carlito on Raw last week for the U.S title(which you left out of your list that was incomplete) was just as good as any Mysterio/Ziggler match. Kofi more than deserves to be on the PPV card, but at least we get great matches from him everytime we see him. We don't have to wait until a PPV.

Tsk tsk tsk, please think before you respond, you would save me the trouble of having to write back to correct you.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

No one is embarrassed. Did you read the very first post on this thread? Rey is having the best matches in WWE? While I agree that he had the best match at the Bash, I hardly think that his matches with Ziggler are the best in the WWE right now. His feud with Jericho, all be it great, wasn't the be all end all in professional wrestling, but it was the best that you could get from Mysterio.

Simply put, I'd much rather watch a Kingston match week in and week out, than a Mysterio match. His match with Carlito on Raw last week for the U.S title(which you left out of your list that was incomplete) was just as good as any Mysterio/Ziggler match. Kofi more than deserves to be on the PPV card, but at least we get great matches from him everytime we see him. We don't have to wait until a PPV.

Tsk tsk tsk, please think before you respond, you would save me the trouble of having to write back to correct you.

To prove you wrong yet again, Mysterio has had great TV matches as champion against Edge, Punk, and Jericho. Doesn't matter who you prefer more, it's about who is bringing more prestige to their respective title and it is no doubt Mysterio. The IC Title was more of a joke than the U.S. Title and Mysterio along with Jericho saved that title. He deserves to be on PPV's yet can't find a spot to be on one. Kind of sounds like how the IC Title was.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Mysterio takes the edge for who brings more prestige, although I've been quite pleased with Kofi as U.S. Champioin as well. Mysterio has gone up against legitimate main eventers and has really had some legitimate feuds for the title.

As of right now, it seems that the WWE is pushing Miz/Kofi for the title and I'm pleased with that. The Miz came out on Raw last week and just plainly said that he was going to be the next United States Champion. I found that so incredibly refreshing. I can't remember the last time I saw a wrestler step into a Raw ring and declare himself openly just going after a title that wasn't a world title. The Miz is someone that's surprised me, he's very much improved over the past year or so.

On SD, the Rey/Ziggler feud is a good one. They had a great match at SS last night and, even though Ziggler lost, he came out of the match looking better and stronger than he did going into it. All in all, Raw and Smackdown's mid-card title scenes are very interesting right now.

 

[SSJPhenom]

To prove you wrong yet again, Mysterio has had great TV matches as champion against Edge, Punk, and Jericho. Doesn't matter who you prefer more, it's about who is bringing more prestige to their respective title and it is no doubt Mysterio. The IC Title was more of a joke than the U.S. Title and Mysterio along with Jericho saved that title. He deserves to be on PPV's yet can't find a spot to be on one. Kind of sounds like how the IC Title was.

This is what I don't get about you. How have you proven me wrong? Just saying that those matches that you mentioned were good, doesn't make them good. What if I didn't like them at all? Isn't it a matter of taste and what match styles you like? Alas, you are right though, Rey and Jericho brought back the IC title, but my point here is, it took two established main eventers to do it, while Kofi is bringing respect back to the U.S. title by himself. For me, I would much rather watch a Raw match with Kofi than a SD match with Mysterio. Not saying Mysterio is bad, but Kofi is new and more exciting for me to watch.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

This is what I don't get about you. How have you proven me wrong? Just saying that those matches that you mentioned were good, doesn't make them good. What if I didn't like them at all? Isn't it a matter of taste and what match styles you like? Alas, you are right though, Rey and Jericho brought back the IC title, but my point here is, it took two established main eventers to do it, while Kofi is bringing respect back to the U.S. title by himself. For me, I would much rather watch a Raw match with Kofi than a SD match with Mysterio. Not saying Mysterio is bad, but Kofi is new and more exciting for me to watch.

You said Kofi had defended the title more than Rey Mysterio when he clearly hasn't and that's where I proved you wrong. Kofi hasn't brought that much respect back to the U.S. Title because half the people forgot he's even champion. And about Kofi bringing prestige by himself, I find that to be erronoeus. So when Kofi has good matches, all the credit goes to him right? So what happens if he has a bad match? Surely you won't say it's all the opponent's fault.

 

[SSJPhenom]

And back to your point. If you have forgotten who the U.S. Champ is, then you aren't a wrestling fan that deserves the right to even post on this forum. So all those, "good," matches that Mysterio has had, he deserves all the credit for those? I mean, you named some top notch guys in your list, while out of all the people that Kofi has defended against or has gone up against while being champion, he was by far the better performer. I happen to think that without another ME guy to put him over, Kofi Kingston is doing a great job on his own. Now imagine when he does get that rub, he can really be something special.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

And back to your point. If you have forgotten who the U.S. Champ is, then you aren't a wrestling fan that deserves the right to even post on this forum. So all those, "good," matches that Mysterio has had, he deserves all the credit for those? I mean, you named some top notch guys in your list, while out of all the people that Kofi has defended against or has gone up against while being champion, he was by far the better performer. I happen to think that without another ME guy to put him over, Kofi Kingston is doing a great job on his own. Now imagine when he does get that rub, he can really be something special.

I never said that Mysterio's good matches are all his doing. You implied that Kofi is doing it by himself. People forget who a champion is all the time. It doesn't make them any less of a wrestling fan or have less of a right to post on these forums. Kofi may get the rub or he may not. It's all in time.

 

[SSJPhenom]

Again though, it took two established main event guys to do what they did with the IC title, and don't get me wrong, his they were great and the IC title is definately back up there, in terms of respect. Like I said, however, Kofi hasn't feuded or defended against any established stars yet and he is putting on the best matches on Raw every week. So I do think that Kofi is doing a great job on his own and if he does get that rub, he would be one hell of superstar in the future.

 

[hArdyPUNKmArk]

It's pretty simple to determine, Rey Mysterio.

Rey has had better feuds, better match's and a better overall reign. I like Kofi, don't get me wrong, but he just hasn't given the title the prestige the IC is getting right now.

It's good to see both titles getting decent time on each show though. This time last year we had Shelton as US champ and he did NOTHING. We had who? Santino as IC champ?! We've definatley got better mid card titles than last year, that's for sure.

But in response to the topic, I will go with Rey.

 

[Yakuza Kid Yoshi]

I say Rey Mysterio because of the fact that he has wrestled more established wrestlers. Although Kofi Kingston has won a six-pack challenge and a fatal-four way match he hasn't really "entered" a feud for the title while Rey Mysterio has already entered feuds for the title against Jericho and Ziggler.