Does the W.W.E. need a Strictly Television Championship?

[TheOneBigWill]

How many times, on these boards alone, have we discussed how the absence of the Intercontinental, United States, and Tag Team Titles on PPV's has essentially devalued those belts?

But when you truly step back and think about it, it's not like any of these Championship's are being defended on a regular, or even bi-monthly schedule, on Pay per view. So as it stands, it's not devaluing them at all. If anything, it's helping to restructure and replace the little value they have left.

Think of it this way, the Championship has lost a lot of it's legacy. So it needs to restart, and begin a new. And where does most things restart? At the bottom.

Thus, regular title defenses on weekly televised shows, will help bring a new audience into regularly wanting to see the Championship being defended, and possibly switch hands. And once it's regained an audience all to itself, bam.. you give it it's second chance and "glory" by elevating it back to Pay per view.

Similar to how a wrestler hasn't really made it until they've started appearing on PPV's regularly, a championship that doesn't make it to the bigger stages lack "oomph."

I agree that it doesn't exactly make a Wrestler feel as if they've "made it" until they've appeared on a Pay per view, (not the Rumble match) on their own. However, the Pay per view stage is also the stage set for the biggest, most important feuds.

And as you can clearly see, nothing below the Main Event level, regarding those titles, seems to be important enough.. and I don't forsee that changing any time soon. But there is at least hope, with C.M. Punk.

Having 3 World Heavyweight titles is really what's hurting the p.p.v. stage. Once upon a time, the company only held three titles, max. Now it's closing in on 10.

Furthermore, if you take away the Intercontinental Title from PPV defense, you cost the world matches such as: Hart vs Henning, Michaels vs Razor, HHH vs Rock, Foley vs Orton, etc. Sad state of affairs.

But that was then, not now. Now is the day of "Street Fights" between the owner's son and the #1 contender of 'a' Heavyweight title match. Now is the day of three Heavyweight title matches, instead of just one. Long ago are the days of a structured mid-card section of Pay per views.

So we won't be seeing anymore classics like Michaels/Ramon, Hart/Hennig, or Rock/Triple H.

They tried with Benoit/MVP, but that was one of the last meaningful mid-card title defenses and matchs that a Pay per view has hosted. You could go the route of Benjamin/Hardy, or Hardy/MVP.. but no one seems to care enough to remember them over the true classics.

And I doubt WWE wants to give away those matches on TV regularly.

Why wouldn't they? Giving away a guaranteed Championship title defense is a promise in ratings. People want to see title matches. And the Pay per view scene looks to be focused more on the three Heavyweight titles, than the 4 mid-card titles.

You know it's true. It's not like they couldn't devote some small amount of time to replace 1 feud on a card, to host an Intercontinental or United States match.. yet they don't. Why? To go in favor of what, more importantly.

Let's jump to a quick review of 2008's Pay per view line-up. Out of the entire year, the Intercontinental & United States title's were defended a grand total of SIX TIMES. (barring me missing anything) One of those times, it was in a "Winner take all" match that included the Women's title as well.

So surely there has to be a positive reason why collectively, two of the best mid-card Championships in wrestling history were only defended six times. What could have been more important?

Constant rematches between Big Show & The Undertaker? Shawn Michaels & Chris Jericho. Okay, I'll give a flex on the H.B.K./Y2J storyline.. but not Show/Taker.

What else?

#1 contender's matches FOR mid-card titles, yet not the actual title match itself? Why? So what's that say? That the rise to become a contender, is more important than becoming the Champion itself?

What else?

Random one month feuds, like Jeff Hardy/MVP, or Big Show/Khali? Possibly, but you'd think they'd just move the weakest Championship off the card, in favor of the mid-card title not being excluded.

How about Finlay/Mark Henry? All for what reason? That feud could've clearly been on E.C.W. more than being apart of an actual Pay per view.

Finally.. collectively, the Women's and new Diva's Championships were defended on Pay per view a grand total of 5 times, while they had 4 extra diva/women's matches in general. That's at least 9 total diva matches, on Pay per view, in a single year. WHAT FOR?!

So am I to sit here and believe that watching 10 Diva's in a tag match is more important than possibly seeing the United States or Intercontinental title being defended properly on Pay per view? Well, that's apparently what the W.W.E. wants me to believe.

SO in conclusion, WHY NOT have the Intercontinental title become a weekly televised (only) defended Championship? It'd certainly give it more spotlight then it's received all of last year. And it's not like it'd hurt or devalue it any worse than being left off a card for diva tag matches with no point.

 

[NSL]

Furthermore, if you take away the Intercontinental Title from PPV defense, you cost the world matches such as: Hart vs Henning, Michaels vs Razor, HHH vs Rock, Foley vs Orton, etc. Sad state of affairs. And I doubt WWE wants to give away those matches on TV regularly.

Like Will said, they haven't been a big part of a PPV in forever. There also hasn't been a IC PPV match at that level in ages.

By giving the matches away for free regularly, you make people watch, and eventually, one of the matches would work well enough to spark a feud. Then, they can move it to a PPV, and people would tune in to see what happens. It'd get is notoriety back, and some of the aura that surrounds being an IC champ would return. The last time I cared about the belt, was when Ric Flair won it, because of the name attached to the belt. If they're not going to give a big name the belt, then two little names better put on one hell of a feud over it to make me care.

This doesn't need to be an announced event. No one needs to come on TV and say "This belt will only appear on TV". Even if they don't do it weekly, they can do matches bi-weekly, and still have 26 matches, and 26 promos for the year to try and make it important. If that doesn't happen, then obviously something entirely different needs to be done to make it important again. Punk is the perfect guy to do this with too. We (except for Will) all love him, and we (read: KB) tune in to watch him every week. By keeping the belt on him, and submersing him in a solid feud, that isn't with Regal, the belt will start to grow steadily in popularity.