Just put them over!

[Lee]

I was thinking about one of my favourite feuds of recent times in MVP v Chris Jericho. Here you had a former Main Eventer who had a mid card belt, and then you had the up and comer in MVP. This was a good feud and eventually MVP went over Benoit and it pretty much cemented him in as a good worker, even when on a losing streak. the feud itself also helped MVPs in ring work grow heaps and bounds.

To a lesser extent the same can be said with John Cena and Kurt Angle/Chris Jericho. So it got me wondering, why isn't this happening anymore? You have a former main eventer in JBL holding the IC belt, should he be having a match with Rey Mysterio another former Main Eventer or should he be feuding with someone who has yet to take the step, such as Kofi Kingston? I am just using JBL as an example here, please don't do a rant about how much he sucks.

Your thoughts are appreciated.

 

[Mustang Sally]

You have a former main eventer in JBL holding the IC belt, should he be having a match with Rey Mysterio another former Main Eventer or should he be feuding with someone who has yet to take the step, such as Kofi Kingston?

You make an interesting point and I would respond by saying that whatever angles should happen eventually will happen.

Using Kofi as an example, it should be noted that he had a very brief championship run and will undoubtedly get longer runs in the future. It reminds me of Edge; years ago, he was seen as a future champion and he won the world title only to lose it days later. He eventually came into his own and has been a headliner ever since. The same can be said for Kofi. There's plenty of time for him and WWE will likely have him as a star in the future.

But there's also room for JBL to have some "non-vital" title defenses while he's still around. Personally, I'm with you..... I would rather see him in a program with Kofi than Rey, yet JBL is running out the string until retirement and while I prefer to see him putting over younger stars, I can still see why the company has him doing what he's doing.

RAW, Smackdown and ECW each do about 50 original shows a year. There are a virtually limitless number of match-up combinations they can run and many wrestlers who are waiting for their chance. It'll all happen.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

It did wonders for John Cena and MVP so I think it will work for somebody like Kofi Kingston. I thought he was on the rise after he beat Jericho for the IC Title at Night of Championship but lost it a month later to Santino and he hasn't been the same since. JBL would be great for somebody like Kofi as he doesn't have to do all the talking and his style is the opposite of JBL's. If JBL beats Mysterio at Wrestlemania, I can see him feuding with Kofi with Kofi coming out on top.

 

[mattmcgee85]

I think they should of had JBL challenge Cm Punk at Mania for the title, and put Rey in the MITB match.Imo, it could have done two things:

1) Give a younger guy a good program for a push, and Punk needs that again because he is really over with the live crowds.
2) Gives JBL a real chance to make history at Wrestlemania 25, since I don't think his history making moment, whatever it is, is goning to be that great as of now. JBL challenges punk for the title at Mania and wins he becomes a triple crown winner in his home state.

 

[jellmoo]

Please don't give the belt to Kofi Kingston. It would mean he gets more camera time. I can't stand the goofy "smiling face" that comes out with that shit faced grin and is just ever so wonderful! It's like watching Rocky Maivia all over again.

I agree with the principle to an extent though. Instead of possibly giving the rub (you never know, JBL might leave Mania with the title) to somebody that could use it, it does seem somewhat odd to give it to an established star.

However, if we're lucky, maybe WWE knows what it's doing here. Maybe they are planning on adding a little more prestige back to the title by having a more established guy have a strong run with the title, featuring the title at PPVs, and using that as a base to later establish up and comers. Instead of having the title passed around with no buildup, the title could be a genuine focus for angles, making it much more valuable than what it is in it's current tarnished state.

 

[Cerebral_King_of_Kings]

I agree, up-in-comers need pushes against main event stars. Remember a long long time ago when Shelton benjamin went toe to toe with HHH. Really put Benjamin over.

Side thought: I've been wanted to say this for a while but couldn't find a appropriate place to do so. ok, for JBL's "history making" thing, I have two thoughts on what they could be.

1.) JBL may interfer with the Undertaker V.S. Shawn Michaels match causes Taker to loose, and therefore "making history" (IMO I hope not)

2.) Retire at Mania after beating Rey, and with the title. (He would take the title to retirement wiht him and therefore "making History" (again all IMO)

 

[theeffinman]

while i don't like jbl for the world title pictue i love him with the ic belt. an established star holding the belt can be nothing but good for it. he'll beat rey at mania, then i think wwe will start a program between him and an up and comer. C.M. Punk will win the M.i.T.B and go after the ic title instead of the bigger championships. and i think this fued would be great.

 

[Dave]

Have to disagree with you there, there is no way anyone would ever turn down a shot at the WWE/World Heavyweight title to go after the IC title.

 

[Tastycles]

It's quite a good thing to do, and it'd work well. Whoever wins out of JBL and Rey should drop the title to an up and comer, but only after a long feud. It gives the old timer the recognition they deserve by having the title, and it'd mean more to win the title off Rey Mysterio than it would off a career midcarder like William Regal or off someone who has the title because there's nothing better for them like Santino. All in all, good plan.

 

[Bud78]

I personally think this could be a good thing for the IC belt. We all want some credibility restored to the IC belt well then we need to have matchups between two established stars for the belt at wrestlemania. I don't love the matchup but these are two guys who have been at the top but aren't going to be there again, for very long if they are, and I think they should be fighting over this belt and I believe having it fought for between two former world champions is a good way to do it.

 

[WATSONationWWE]

IMO the wwe needs to let JBL walk out of WM and say he is going to retire with the belt. then HBK comes out and challenges him and wins it. then he redesigns it to the old white IC title. then after a few months john morrison(a young guy with taletnt) challenges him for it and wins. That would bring lots of prestige back to the title and bump morrison to the main event scene

 

[Suneeboy]

IMO the wwe needs to let JBL walk out of WM and say he is going to retire with the belt. then HBK comes out and challenges him and wins it. then he redesigns it to the old white IC title.

Why the hell would HBK come out and challenge JBL at 'Mania, when he is fighting Undertaker at WM?

JBL retiring as IC Champ at Mania sounds cool. Would've liked to have someone other than Mysterio being his opponent, but I'll take it. I really can't tell which they this will go now, because JBL has been jobbing a lot lately, but he still has to make "history". Whoever wins I really don't care, I just want them to put a story line around the belt so an up and comer can get it.

 

[Diablosbomb]

1.) JBL may interfer with the Undertaker V.S. Shawn Michaels match causes Taker to loose, and therefore "making history" (IMO I hope not)

2.) Retire at Mania after beating Rey, and with the title. (He would take the title to retirement wiht him and therefore "making History" (again all IMO)

I am worried about number one. I know it sounds "childish" or whatever, but I think the end of Taker's streak would be the end of me watching wrestling.

As for number 2, JBL has already announced that his "history making moment" has nothing to do with the IC title. (Which is why I am nervous about number one.)

I know this has to do with the IC Title a little bit, but does everyone remember the mention of a deal with Vickie after JBL's IC Title win? What if that deal is to have JBL enter the World Title match making it a fatal four way and him winning it to be World and IC champ. Making history as he is only the third(i think) to hold a World/WWE/WWF Title and the IC title at the same time. (just putting it out there)

 

[PhoenixBuster]

I remember a time when the I.C. Title was the focus of story lines. When there were superstars like Edge and Lance Storm having fantastic matches with each other over the strap and continuing superb feuds. Where have those days gone?

 

[Randy2.0]

Maybe Rey is going to win the belt at Mania and drop it to Evan Bourne. I mean they are friends, maybe have Bourne turn into this crazy superstar who needs to beat Rey Mysterio and does so at say Night of Champions to finally become Champion. Then maybe Bourne will feud with people like Kofi Kingston, Tyson Kidd.

 

[Chrisjeffers]

He said he was making history at wrestlemania...
Beating up the smallest guy in wwe won't do that.
but he retired after losing to rey last time... will history repeat itself?
.
.
.
.
.
But... It would be historical if he gave the belt to Mpv....
US and IC champion?

Insted of fixing it... combine it
just like the tag titles...
each brand has its champion.
all brands fight for unified tag and the ic/us title/s
Its always cool to carry two titles!

 

[bulldog76]

Patience.

Let's say for the sake of argument that JBL wins. Then we have a former champ who just beat another former champ to retain his IC title. JBL goes on to a lengthy title reign beating the likes of other past IC champs. Now JBL looks near unbeatable. Then when the right guy comes along, his victory will look all the more impressive. How many people did JBL hold off until Cena finally went over? Made Cena look huge when Undertaker couldn't even get the WWE Championship off of JBL but Cena could.

Hogan/Goldberg. Triple H/Batista. Just about anytime Flair dropped the title. You get the idea of "who can get this title off of him?" just to have the most unlikely capture the title.

 

[bulldog76]

Maybe Rey is going to win the belt at Mania and drop it to Evan Bourne. I mean they are friends, maybe have Bourne turn into this crazy superstar who needs to beat Rey Mysterio and does so at say Night of Champions to finally become Champion. Then maybe Bourne will feud with people like Kofi Kingston, Tyson Kidd.

Then you go back to the problem you have now; major title lacking prestige. How often does a top title go from one first-timer to another? It happens (Eddie/JBL/Cena and Benoit/Orton) but not too often. But notice something. JBL was champ nearly a year before Cena took him down. Benoit defeated the top 3 stars on RAW (Kane, Michaels, HHH) before losing to Orton. Usually, first-timer beats champ, loses to someone credible, and then later down the road an established star drops to first-timer. To put the title on Bourne and have him fued with Kofi and Tyson makes it seem more like the cruiserweight championship than the IC championship which used to be the next step to the world title. I like the idea of JBL vs Rey. Two guys who have stood on top of the mountain could re-establish credibility to the IC title with a good reign.