Intercontinental Title

[Goberz2K8]

We all know, over the past few years the Intercontitnetal Title has lost a lot of Prestige.Now, since Rey Mysterio has become Champion he, has been defending it and in a half decent feud with Dolph Ziggler and has, been defending it on more PPV shows and so on, in a sense it is giving the Title a little more prestige than it had say, in the last year or two. I was wondering if you agree, Im not saying its its gona be at the level of the 80's or early 90's or even if it gets that amount of prestige, I wanted to see what you think about it, sicne Rey has it. I see it has gained some prestige, not as much as it did, But what about your opinions?

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Almost everything that SmackDown has been doing has been solid gold in my opinion over the course of this year. I've found the Mysterio/Ziggler feud over the IC title to be great, it's kept me constantly entertained, both guys come out of each contest looking better than they did going into it, a young guy is getting a rub from a respected veteran, they have great matches against one another, etc. What's not to like?

The WWE is finally devoting time to titles other than the WWE or World Heavyweight Championships. And because of that, the titles have become more prestigious. This feud with Ziggler feels like a breath of fresh air, it's new and the performance of both guys in the feuds makes the audience believe that these two really care about winning that strap. It's a formula that the WWE has all but abandoned for its mid-card and tag titles over the past few years and it's great to see them applying it again.

 

[imagekmcl]

I think this feud between Rey and Ziggler is money, Rey demanded that they give him a legit run with the IC title because of what they did to him on WHC. I loved the match this guys had at Summerslam, back and forth wasn't sure who was going to win, 2 counts all over the place it was a great story and that is what the WWE now is lacking in and that is telling great stories in the ring. This is absolutely bringing more prestige back to the IC belt and continuing to have a feud last longer than just a month. I also like what they are doing with the US belt as well it's been a long time since you heard someone say they are coming after the mid card title like the Miz is doing, I think the US title needs a bit more work, I really haven't seen it be defended that often but hopefully this will start pushing it more. Hell maybe if these two titles get enough respect again maybe they will bring back the TV title and put it on ECW...but that IMO is just hopeful thinking.

 

[farlance]

To bring more prestige to these mid card titles, WWE needs to devote more time to doing promos from the champion and challengers stating how important it is for them to hold that title. I like seeing the Miz talk about wanting the US title, but you never see the champion cutting promos drawing attention to themselves, and making his reign memorable. Half the time I have to stop and think for a minute who the US or intercontinental champ is let alone remember who the last 2 or 3 were. There is so little hype, and half the time they are not even defended on top PPV's. If WWE did something about it, they could easily bring the prestige back.

 

[thebigbadfox]

I have to totally disagree that Rey is doing all the work to bring back the prestige... I think Jericho did most of the work... his fued with Rey Rey really started bringing the IC title back to the forfront.... rey and Dolph have done a good job keeping up with it but Ive always said and even had threads about it Jericho is the WWE and WWE titles savior

 

[BernacK6]

The IC Title will never be at the level it was back in the early 90's and the beginning of the Attitude Era, when it was meant to be a stepping stone to the WWF Championship. It used to be the workhorse division, where the performers were not just mid carders. Today's champions (Jericho excluded) do not hold a candle to yesterday's IC Champions. I like Rey Mysterio alot, and he is a deserving champ in today's market, but the prestige was forever removed from this belt when it was unified by HHH and Kane years back. They disregarded a great deal of history when they removed the belt and to bring it back and do what they've done with it has sorta tarnished its meaning. I want to see the IC Title defended at every PPV backed by a powerful story. They just don't have the performers chasing the belt to do this. Ziggler has the future star look all over him, and I like the attempts at restoring the belt's prestige, but until the classic matches and great stories return, WWE is stuck with a belt that doesn't nearly draw like it should.

 

[johnbragg]

Would it help the IC/US titles to make a ruling that if you held the IC/US belt for 120 days/4 PPVs/12 defenses that you would get a guaranteed shot at the World/WWE title? It would give everyone outside the main events a good, solid reason to shoot for the midcard titles, while creating drama as a champion approaches the qualifying milestone.

Or would it undercut the title, reminding us just how far below the World title it is?

 

[johnbragg]

Bernack6: Would you favor a rule that guarantees an IC Champion a World Title shot if he holds the belt long enough? (4 months, 3 Pay per views, 12 defenses, etc.)

 

[Sivsyboi]

I think that to help the belts prestige, they need to bring back the 30 day defense limit. It would force WWE to keep the storylines up and have it defended. I'm not saying that WWE are doing a bad job about it, but it would help make sure that WWE don't let it fade into obscurity again.

 

[Henry Hill]

Bernack6: Would you favor a rule that guarantees an IC Champion a World Title shot if he holds the belt long enough? (4 months, 3 Pay per views, 12 defenses, etc.)

This is an interesting idea, but if the plan is to add prestige to the title, it won't work. In essence this makes the Intercontinental a "Number One Contender in waiting." This doesn't add any prestige to that title. I recall a time back in 1992 when there was a PPV main event that was for the IC belt. i refer of course to the Bret Hart/British Bulldog match from Summer Slam that eminated from wembley. I doubt that the IC title will ever be that high up on the totem pole again, however i do believe that rey mysterio's current run is adding a lot of prestige to a title once held almost as a joke. I hope it stays on Rey for a while, and while i really like what dolph ziggler is doing, i think Rey needs to feud with someone else. More opponents and a long win streaks against them will make the title more important, not having it become a world title opportunity.

 

[johnbragg]

I don't know how much difference that would make--it's not like they forget about the midcard titles for months at a time. Maybe put a little more emphasis on wrestlers earning a shot at the midcard belt.

 

[johnbragg]

I think, for everyone but the 3-4 guys hovering around the World Title, "Number One contender in waiting" is a pretty good goal. As it is, Kofi Kingston, Miz, Primo, Carlito, Evan Bourne, JAck Swagger and MVP aren't getting meaningful title shots in the next year anyway. Storylinewise, except for the Royal Rumble and Money in the Bank match, there's no way for them to break through to challenge the Cenas, Ortons and HHHs. If the midcard title was a steppingstone to the world title, then the guys I listed would be realistically competing with the HBKs and Mark Henrys for that shot.

 

[johnbragg]

I think I'm not so interested in adding "prestige" to the IC or US titles as I am in using those titles to give focus to the characters. As it is now, it's good that Miz has a goal on RAW, to defeat Kofi Kingston and become US champion. On the other hand, why does he want to be US Champion anyway? What good does that do him? With my idea, that US title is a step--a huge step, but a step--towards every (singles) wrestlers' ultimate goal--the world championship.

 

[Nascarman]

When Rey loes the IC title it will help a lot. It seems everyone loves him but in my opion anyone that small doesnt need any gold outher than lightheavy title. However him and ziggler have had a decent fude. who would have thought Ziggler could prop up Ray and make him halfway enteraning.
I liked Johnbrag's idea of makeing champ 1 contender for world title after a while. Maby 10 Ic def. = 1 wwe title shot or somthing like that.

 

[Henry Hill]

I think I'm not so interested in adding "prestige" to the IC or US titles as I am in using those titles to give focus to the characters. As it is now, it's good that Miz has a goal on RAW, to defeat Kofi Kingston and become US champion. On the other hand, why does he want to be US Champion anyway? What good does that do him? With my idea, that US title is a step--a huge step, but a step--towards every (singles) wrestlers' ultimate goal--the world championship.

I don't disagree that the ultimate goal should be the world title, but look back at wrestling history and you will see that midcard titles have created some amazing matches and feuds because they are prestigious. i am not for a minute going to say that for any reason there should only be the goal of becoming US or IC champ, but for midcard guys, having a title that isn't just thrown around, and does have some prestige ultimately prepares them for what the world title will be like, and it gives people an opportunity to see that. My point: Santino winning the IC belt on his first night in the company. At the time umaga was an unstoppable machine hell bent on destruction and seemed primed for a main event push. then he loses to Santino, who did nothing after. what was the point? sure it freed up Umaga to feud with Lashley at WM, but santino has been toiling in mediocrity since. Now look at Randy Orton's win over RVD. RVD being who he was added credibility to the belt. Orton's win over him for that belt gave him some credibility. What really helped and primed him for what was soon to come was a seven month reign that he spent feuding with mick foley, edge, and shelton benjamin. After that run he won the world title. The prestige of the belt helped to get orton to the next level the same way it could with Miz, Kofi, Ziggler, Knox and all the others who need some time before the big one.

 

[BernacK6]

Bernack6: Would you favor a rule that guarantees an IC Champion a World Title shot if he holds the belt long enough? (4 months, 3 Pay per views, 12 defenses, etc.)

John, interesting thought, but not quite what I was getting at. I was more or less trying to say that back in the day, the IC Title was typcially around the waist of 1 of 2 men: 1) The best actual wrestler on the roster (Bret Hart, Mr. Perfect, Shawn Michaels) OR 2) The next man the WWF/E was trying to push to the Main Event Scene (Austin, Rock, HHH). It had a lot of prestige because the men who held it went on to bigger and better things and when you held the IC Title, you were the man everyone needed to take notice of. The IC Title's prestige really started to go downhill when they allowed Chyna to win it. She was an integral part of the story in those days, but a woman should never have held that belt.

I think the only flaw in your suggestion, while creative & something worth thinking about, is that it turns the WWE from storylines & character development into an actual ranking system. The WWE has always strived off of the "Who's Next" aspect of wrestling, and if you had stipulations like your idea, the element of surprise disappears.

 

[BernacK6]

Bernack6: Would you favor a rule that guarantees an IC Champion a World Title shot if he holds the belt long enough? (4 months, 3 Pay per views, 12 defenses, etc.)

John, interesting thought, but not quite what I was getting at. I was more or less trying to say that back in the day, the IC Title was typcially around the waist of 1 of 2 men: 1) The best actual wrestler on the roster (Bret Hart, Mr. Perfect, Shawn Michaels) OR 2) The next man the WWF/E was trying to push to the Main Event Scene (Austin, Rock, HHH). It had a lot of prestige because the men who held it went on to bigger and better things and when you held the IC Title, you were the man everyone needed to take notice of. The IC Title's prestige really started to go downhill when they allowed Chyna to win it. She was an integral part of the story in those days, but a woman should never have held that belt.

I think the only flaw in your suggestion, while creative & something worth thinking about, is that it turns the WWE from storylines & character development into an actual ranking system. The WWE has always strived off of the "Who's Next" aspect of wrestling, and if you had stipulations like your idea, the element of surprise disappears.

 

[BernacK6]

Bernack6: Would you favor a rule that guarantees an IC Champion a World Title shot if he holds the belt long enough? (4 months, 3 Pay per views, 12 defenses, etc.)

John, interesting thought, but not quite what I was getting at. I was more or less trying to say that back in the day, the IC Title was typcially around the waist of 1 of 2 men: 1) The best actual wrestler on the roster (Bret Hart, Mr. Perfect, Shawn Michaels) OR 2) The next man the WWF/E was trying to push to the Main Event Scene (Austin, Rock, HHH). It had a lot of prestige because the men who held it went on to bigger and better things and when you held the IC Title, you were the man everyone needed to take notice of. The IC Title's prestige really started to go downhill when they allowed Chyna to win it. She was an integral part of the story in those days, but a woman should never have held that belt.

I think the only flaw in your suggestion, while creative & something worth thinking about, is that it turns the WWE from storylines & character development into an actual ranking system. The WWE has always strived off of the "Who's Next" aspect of wrestling, and if you had stipulations like your idea, the element of surprise disappears.

 

[Goberz2K8]

I have to totally disagree that Rey is doing all the work to bring back the prestige... I think Jericho did most of the work... his fued with Rey Rey really started bringing the IC title back to the forfront.... rey and Dolph have done a good job keeping up with it but Ive always said and even had threads about it Jericho is the WWE and WWE titles savior

I never totally sad that Rey was brining all the prestige, but he was doing well with it, and his feud with Dolph was also helping.

Shame Rey is going to be suspended.

 

[johnbragg]

It wasn't the prestige of the Ricky Steamboat Ultimate Warrior Intercontinental title, it was the successful feuds he had with Foley and Edge and Benjamin and RVD over a period of months. A rule that basically says a run like that earns you a world title shot makes a lot of sense to me.

The Santino win wouldn't have been so bad under this system either. He would have been a target for the entire midcard/upper midcard roster looking for their big chance.

 

[Age of Orton]

To be honest with you, since the title is vacant at present, or should be, WWE should have a 8 man tournament, first round next week and semis on the show before Breaking Point and finals at the PPV.. or to coincide with name, have the semi's and finals on the ppv, now that would make the IC belt look awesome, Personally if I had to do this with 4 guys I have Morrison, Ziggler, Kane and Matt Hardy, have Morrison/Kane and Hardy/Ziggler now people will see this as a step back but I'd give Morrison the belt, due to him being the shining star on smackdown at the moment, have him hold it till maybe Armageddon and drop it to Ziggler so 2010 he's fresh off a solid title run and ready for the world title picture.