Gold Changes Hands: New Champs Are Here

[Jack-Hammer]

Last night at WWE Payback, every title in the WWE was on the line and three of them changed hands. Curtis Axel defeated Wade Barrett & The Miz in the opening bout of last night's show to win the Intercontinental Championship. Immediately following that match, AJ Lee successfully challenged Kaitlyn to win the WWE Divas Championship. For the fourth match of the night, we saw what appears to be a double turn as Alberto Del Rio defeated Dolph Ziggler to become World Heavyweight Champion.

Axel winning the title, even though he's a heel, had something of a feel good moment to it. He gave a little salute to his father, Curt Hennig, and won the title on Father's Day. Curt Hennig is often regarded as, arguably, the greatest IC champ of all time, so Axel winning it, and the little salute suggests that he "won" it for his pop, was a nice feeling. I hope Axel is given a good run with the title because, lately, it seems as though the title's been the kiss of death, at least when it comes to poor old Wade Barrett.

AJ Lee winning the title in what was an honestly really good match, the biggest surprise of the night in fact, was the right call to make. Not only that, she won the title cleanly. AJ is easily the most over Diva WWE has had in a very long time, so I'm hoping they take this opportunity to use AJ as someone to build the Diva Division around rather than simply have her as a gal who is merely holding the title for a little while.

Del Rio winning the WHC last night was a surprise, as was the, assumed, double turn that took place during the match. As I've said in a few other threads, Ziggler's concussion tore asunder whatever plans WWE might have had for Ziggler, but this could be a way of giving him a fresh start as a courageous heel. Looking at the match, Ziggler seemed to be selling a head injury that could indicate, kayfabe, that he wasn't totally over the injury or that the match may have aggravated some lingering effects of the concussion. Del Rio is better as a heel as he just wasn't clicking as a babyface and I think Ziggler has the potential to be a great underdog babyface.

 

[The Butcher]

Very much a feel good moment in the IC title match. I lobbied hard for Axel to win. It was the right move. Miz and Barrett have been languishing. If either disappeared tomorrow I wouldn't miss him. They need real freshening up, not new finishers, face turns, or video packages. Substantial storylines and victories would be a good start. Back to Axel, though, the push is on and it's working. Some may still cry "McGillicutty" but for me this is a new character who has a penchant for pulling off fluke-ish wins. It's fun, plus it equates to more Paul Heyman, which is never a bad thing.

The Divas match was better than I expected. WWE screwed up by not striking while the iron was hot with AJ, and the Divas title and division are just about worthless. But, that said, she's still the most over Diva. It was a good match, and it made me happy for AJ, who's a legit lifelong wrestling fan.

The World Heavyweight Championship match was very entertaining. An apparent double-turn, both participants played their roles expertly. I enjoyed Del Rio as a face, but the minute his face run stalled it died; he needed a change and WWE has obliged. Ziggler has been a heel his entire WWE career, so hopefully last night's events give him a chance to let the fans cheer for him and his quality in-ring style. Even without the seeming changes in allegiance, though, it was a good match and the title change was smart considering that Dolph's run started poorly and then died when he got concussion. Now Dolph can chase the belt valiantly while Alberto holds onto it smugly, roles both should execute with aplomb.

 

[The Champ]

I'm sure it was a nice moment for Axel to win the title that his father made famous on Father's Day. With that said, I couldn't care less about his push and his title win is easily the least exciting of the three.

AJ and Kaitlyn put on a really good match, and AJ's reaction to winning was one of the most adorable things I've seen in a long time. You could tell that it meant so much to her, having been a fan since childhood and having overcome what she's overcome in her life to achieve her dream. She deserves it 100 percent and hopefully the Kaitlyn feud continues to grow, as it has the potential to be (and already is, in some ways) the best diva feud we've had in many years.

As I said in its own thread, the double turn was a cool surprise as no one saw it coming, and I'm interested to see where it goes. We haven't had a legitimate double turn within a match in a long time, and I think WWE played it well. While I don't think they fully realized Dolph's potential as a heel, I think he can definitely work as a face. Del Rio bored me last time he was heel, but it's possible that this run could be better.

 

[DanielRyan]

Of all three title changes the most shocking one was obviously the WHC match. I don't think many people expected to see Ziggler drop the title immediately upon returning from his concussion but it was done very well and I for one looking forward to see the aftermath on RAW tonight.

The IC title match was surprisingly good but I don't care much for Curtis Axel yet so it's kind of 'meh' to me.

The Divas title match was fine but I thought that Kaitlyn was going to retain so AJ winning was another surprise.

 

[HereComesThePain87]

The WHC title change was the biggest surprise to me. The fact that they did not strip Ziggler of the belt made me believe they had plans for a solid run for Ziggler.

 

[MCMG]

This has really helped Axel and winning the belt, in a very good match, is going to help his career. He needs to find a good feud and this will be a very good title reign for Axel. Winning the belt on fathers day was a nice touch.

AJ and Kaitylin put on a great match; however, it is slightly annoying that Ziggler dropped the belt. Having a month or two of Ziggler and AJ as the champs would have been very good. It was a shock that Ziggler lost in his first defence. I expected him to hold the title for the summer but it may have been due to injury.

Del Rio will have an ok title reign. I do think he will simply be a transitional champ and may well be victim of another MITB winner.

 

[Harthan]

The Intercontinental Championship is great, as long as WWE remembers to pay attention to you. Fortunately for us, Axel has Heyman, and no one can not pay attention to Heyman. My hopes are high for a truly excellent Intercontinental Championship reign with Axel as champion. So far he's shown us much improved ring skills, so he's clearly capable of some good wrestling, but he's also built a resume of cheap wins and classic heel tactics, which means this run should be great fun as he dodges the efforts of all comers probably for a good while until someone knocks him off in grand fashion. I really think this will be an excellent run with the title. Everything Axel does already lends himself to it, and as I said, with Heyman managing, there's no chance this falls out of the spotlight.

The Divas championship change was a good move. They really did make Kaitlyn's run very interesting in the end with the great secret admirer swerve. It was on the fringes of TV and rushed, but its payoff was pretty awesome, and in mainstream wrestling today that constitutes one hell of a storyline for women. AJ has deserved to be champion for a while, though - she is easily the best Diva the WWE has, on the mic, in the ring, anywhere. If indeed Ziggler is turning face, it's also pretty logical that they're likely to split, which means she'll need something else to do. Much like Axel, it's very unlikely she'll fall to the fringes of WWE in the way past Divas champions have, as she has consistently been a pretty major character for over a year now. Likewise with Axel, this could very well be one of the best Divas championship reigns in a good while.

The Alberto del Rio move is interesting. I am apparently in a minority of people who really like Alberto del Rio as a face, even moreos than I did as a heel, when I was also apparently one of a minority of people who liked Alberto del Rio. So, you can probably imagine that I'm fine with del Rio winning the title. I am somewhat concerned about him turning heel again, though, since I've really come to enjoy face del Rio and face Ricardo Rodriguez. It is possible they could actually feud the two and leave Ricardo as a face, but that's almost certainly going to end in Ricardo becoming a jobber. Probably for the best if he were to maintain his current role. I just don't see del Rio as long for the title, though - as Orton, Bryan, and Kane wrap up with the Shield, and Sheamus lurking, and still the possibility that Ziggler just wins it back from him, I think he's got too many contenders and it seems likely this title change was just a catalyst for the double turn. I would expect him to lose it Smackdown's MITB winner, which will probably be one of those five guys. Or, maybe, in a ridiculous longshot, CM Punk, but I only say that because right now no one has any idea what his next move is.

 

[Magic Mark]

I'm happy about each title switch. Giving most of the titles to heels makes fueds WAY more interesting. It gives something for the heel to brag about, and a face contender can cut promos along the lines of "You don't deserve that title" or "That title will return to it's rightful owner by Sunday".

Curtis Axel winning the IC title kinda leaves me a little iffy, however. I like how the weight of the belt is taken off of Barrett (so that he can get involved in fued with a higher-caliber wrestler), but I'm just not that big on Axel himself. YES! he's fluid in the ring, and YES! he has a great manager in Paul Heyman, But I mean really, what makes him stand out from everyone else other than the fact that he is a third-generation superstar? Not much.

AJ Lee winning the Divas Title makes sense. I think that she needed the gold (or, silver in this situation) to get herself over JUST a little bit more with the fans that haven't already.

And last, Alberto Del Rio turns heel while Ziggles turns face. Gotta love it. Though I'm not that big of a fan of Del Rio, I am a fan of Ziggler, and turning him face gives all the Smart marks out there an excuse to cheer for him. However, losing the title to ADR makes his whole cash-in rather pointless. Why couldn't someone else win MITB, put Ziggler in a fued with either CM Punk or any other face and THEN do the face turn. But at this point, i'm just happy it happened, and that everybody went home happy.

 

[BillAlfonsos_Whistle]

Happy for Axel and glad his push is real. Now it will be very interesting to see if he can sustain and build himself up or fade away like most guys. I think he has the right people behind him (Heyman, McMahon, HHH) and he will eventually be a WWE championship contender. His in-ring work is great and he is getting better and better at cutting promos with Heyman. The guy is a miracle worker.


AJ winning is cool and all but I really would like to see her be abusive towards Ziggler about her being champ and him not helping facilitate his face turn and her as Sensational Sherry at WM9 if you will. Since Ziggler is clearly in the drivers seat for the "next HBK" type push eventually.

Del Rio winning the belt is hogwash.
The face that he was booked as the face and Ziggler as the heel in their feud at any time in WWE history is shameful and more proof the writers have their thumbs up their asses.

 

[Jerichoholic8894]

I'm glad Curtis Axel won the title. I'm sick of the IC Title being just a prop for one of the mid card guys they don't know what to do with, now I feel Axel will at least have good feuds for it adding the Paul Heyman mix to it.

I was actually surprised Ziggler dropped his title, i'm starting to wonder if the WWE see's something wrong with Ziggler that the fans can't see. (Maybe lockeroom attitude is bad?)

AJ winning the title is a nice change of pace, makes the Divas division a bit more interesting.

 

[Shotaro]

I can't say I disagree with any of the moves (one of them might be dubious but more on that in a second)

Axel is the right guy to be the Intercontinental Champion right now. It's a push the old fashioned way and I'd like to see him with the belt for quite some time, it also allows Barrett and Miz some freedom to do something, anything, differently. Both guys have lost all of their momentum and badly need to get it back.

AJ is also the right choice to be Divas champion. I actually think that there is an element of Trish/Lita going on with those two and if the match last night was anything to go by we'll be seeing plenty more from them and plenty more top quality matches to go with it. Who'd've thought that Kaitlyn who produced one of the worst WWE matches in history is now arguably partly responsible for one of the greatest Divas matches in recent memory. WWE backed the right horse in both cases with those women and they'll both be huge by the time they're done.

Del Rio was it seems a forced move, Ziggler has been away with a concussion for some time and the way they set the match up from the go it was Del Rio is a heel and Ziggler is the face. I would say its the crowd in Chicago but it really wasn't, it was a double turn and that is really exciting, I'd love to see Rodruiquez turn on his employer but I doubt it'll happen anytime soon

 

[newwaveknight]

It does suck that Ziggler dropped the title back to Del Rio, but because of the whole concussion problem, it did kind of kill his WHC momentum, especially considering the HUGE pop that he got when he cashed in his Push in a Briefcase.

And as far as Axel getting the IC belt, I think he might be able to pull it off. It helps having Heyman cut promos for him as his manager, plus he can say a couple of lines on the mic without completely killing himself.

If they do have a double turn and Ziggler goes babyface, why not have Wade Barrett feud with him for the WHC for a little while? I think Barrett's ready for the big time.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I support all three of these title changes.

The one that interests me the least is Alberto's. Even though the double turn was an idea worth trying, I have no interest in seeing a face Dolph Ziggler. At all. I'll give it a chance, mind you, but it's not something I'm in any hurry to see. I also already know what Del Rio as a heel was like, and was enjoying his face run. I defended Ziggler retaining as WWE had invested so much time into his MITB push and this is how his second (yes WWE, I refuse to "forget" the first one) World Heavyweight Championship run ends? That wasn't the spectacular reign he deserved. That rant aside, I like Alberto more than Ziggler so seeing him with the belt again is not something I will complain about. There are plenty of faces for him to feud with. My only issue with the title change is that Ziggler's MITB win and push now feels like it wasn't worth going through with anymore.

Axel winning the Intercontinental Championship was the right move to make. He has the skills to make the belt mean something again if he is given a true chance to have great matches with it and retaining while WWE also lets his opponents look strong. Have Heyman hype up the matches for him. Barrett, as much as I like him, had an awful reign. All of his IC title runs have been lackluster and he deserves better. Axel will be better for the belt though so I look forward to what is to come next. Also, I'm just glad that Miz did not win it.

AJ winning the Divas Championship was the best title change of the three. I love that WWE appears to finally have found a diva worth pushing as the champion. There's more to being Divas Champion than being attractive. AJ can do promos and work a match, you see both of the above very rarely with the division these days. If the segment from Raw with AJ, Stephanie, and Kaitlyn is any indication of how this run will play out, then it could be the best the division has been in 3 or 4 years. I really hope WWE give AJ a lengthy run and eventually let her feud with Natalya. An angle between the two best girls on the roster would be phenomenal for the belt, especially if Natalya is being built up while AJ goes through other challengers before her. Regardless of who her challengers will be, WWE made the right call and as the future of the division AJ deserved the belt a long time ago.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

Axel may have a good title reign or he'll have one pretty much like every IC champion in the past couple of years. It's going to be about who he faces and if there is going to be "prestige" back to the belt like many people thought Barrett and Miz were going to do, then he needs to beat big names. Problem is, do you see any big names stepping down to fight him for that belt? Cena isn't going to do it and I don't see Punk, Sheamus, or even Bryan doing it either. Maybe Orton or Kane but does beating Kane mean something in 2013 as compared to 2003? Probably not. We'll just have to see.

 

[I_Am_Electro_Boy]

I think the main two reasons for ADR winning the title was 1)to plant the seed for his heel turn (how he won it) and/or 2)so when Dolph wins the title back it's a fresh start and isn't hindered by his concussion. If the first reason is the actual reason I see his reign being very long but if it's the second reason I see his reign ending at MITB or SummerSlam at the longest.

Curtis Axel's title win was perfect timing. I think it was a anniversary of his dad's IC title win (correct me if I'm wrong) and he won the title his dad held on Father's Day. I think Axel could do something for the title but hopefully he goes away from Barrett and Miz because they've been in the IC title picture for too long now.

I was hoping AJ won the Divas title. The match itself was the best divas match I've seen in a long time. AJ being the most over diva right now meant she needed to hold the title. It looks as though WWE is finally thinking about the divas division and with AJ holding the title I see the divas maybe beginning to mean a little, if it's not too late.

 

[Mustang Sally]

I think the main two reasons for ADR winning the title was 1)to plant the seed for his heel turn (how he won it) and/or 2)so when Dolph wins the title back it's a fresh start and isn't hindered by his concussion.

Add to #1 the suggestion that Dolph is about to turn face. Talk about killing two birds with one stone; the whole idea might be to get them to switch places and keep battling for the title. Since the fans were booing Del Rio like crazy on Monday night, they might have kept Dolph off TV to give him his own stage later in the week, when he's cheered to the rafters for his courageous performance at the PPV.

I don't think Dolph is good enough to be a world champion, but WWE plainly does.....so that's the way it's gonna be. It won'tl take long for him to win the belt back from ADR, and he'll get to do it as a face, with all the accompanying good feelings that go along with that.

Really, I believe ADR turning bad is predicated on Dolph going good because Del Rio's run as a good guy didn't last nearly long enough, imo. Either way, we'll be seeing from them what we did before......just from the other side.