MID-CARD TITLES

[Flava Flav's PMing Bitch]

So yeah this has been brought up quiet a bit before. The Mid-card titles are meaningless, so I was thinking about what WWE could do to make them worth a damn again, then something hit me. I’m not sure how true, if at all this following statement is but when I was younger a friend of mine once said whoever held the IC title was the number one contender for the world belt. Now that might never have been the case at any time during WWE history and I’m fairly certain it is not, but maybe that would work.

Let me spin this real quick. Say a superstar could only compete for the WHC WWE championship after holding the US or IC title for a certain period of time, maybe they have to hold their respected Mid Card title for at least three months before they could qualify to compete for the big belts. You could throw in a thing where the longer they hold the Mid-Card title the more pull they’d get when they went after the big gold. Have it so once they hold a Mid-Card belt for a year they may forfeit the title for a championship match any place, any time with any stipulation they like, kind of like money in the bank. But to me this seems like it would increase the drive for wrestlers to go for the mid-card belts, and it gives them a nice reason to be around. Just my ramblings though.

Now accepting Praise, Insults, Money, etc.

 

[Slowdude]

Mid Card Titles aren't meaningless anymore. Every since Wrestlemania the WWE really have been trying to bring back the IC/US/Tag Titles up so they are worth something. The IC is the best example, some of the greatest matches this year were contested between Rey Mysterio and Chris Jericho over the IC Title, After Rey/Jericho Feud Rey went onto to face Ziggler twice, since Rey got suspended he dropped the IC to Morrison, now we get a Morrison vs Ziggler mini feud until Rey returns. If the IC is still meaningless after the past 5 months then I don't know.

Also the Tag titles, for a few months after being unified they were meaningless. After Jericho/Edge/Show (Jericho again) won them, the titles have been featured on four or five ppv's in a row. They still aren't what they use to be but they are getting there.
The US is probably the worse, Kofi doesn't get much screen time on Raw but there has been a couple of PPV matches for the US title. I blame the US title being on Raw for this though.

Allot of US/IC Champions over the past couple of years have ended up with World Title shots during their reigns. My problem is with your #1 contender suggestion, people were (Pre-WM25) were holding the US/IC for long periods of time but never defended them (Shelton for example with the US title last year - this year). Does Shelton deserve a World Title shot for never appearing on TV? No

Essentially,
SD Midcard = Good
Raw Midcard = Meh, overshadowed by everything but thats Raw for you (If you aren't Cena/HHH/Orton etc your screen time is limited)

 

[SSJPhenom]

IDK what you are trying to do with this thread.

I hate your idea really. I don't think that it would work at all.

Here is what the WWE could do to make the U.S. title (I'm only going to address this one because I think that the IC title is more prestigious) mean something: Actually give it air time. The mid carders are usually, consistantly the best performers on the roster and in this case you have Kofi who is a hell on an in ring performer and he is the U.S. Champion and you have people like Hornswaggle getting more T.V. time than him? That is complete and utter bullshit people. WWE has lost what little brains that they had left. They really had something going here with this Miz/Kofi feud. Now watch them try to throw in a title match between the two at Beaking Point. WWE are the ones that make the title worthless. You actually have to see the champion every once and awhle for him to mean something.

 

[johnbragg]

But storyline-wise, if the midcard title was a recognized stepping stone to the World title scene, even WWE writers would have a hard time leaving the US/IC champion on the shelf for months doing nothing. The entire upper midcard/fringe main event roster would be demanding midcard title shots, logically. On RAW, HBK, Mark Henry, Big Show would be in the US title mix when they weren't busy with the tag titles. On Smackdown, besides Mysterio, Jericho and Morrison--no, wait, those are the guys who would be demanding IC title shots to clear their path to the top.

 

[johnbragg]

You could also write the midcard-champion-earns-a-WHC shot by making it a certain number of defenses.

This would also add heat to midcard title feuds. If the rule is 120 days, and Morrison holds the title until dropping it at the December PPV to Matt Hardy, then Morrison is logically furious at Hardy for snatching away his chance to main event Royal Rumble for the World title.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Overall, the mid-card titles to mean something again in the WWE. On Smackdown, the IC title has really gained a lot of prestige since WrestleMania. Some of the best matches of the year, in any company, have been for the title. Mysterio deserves a lot of credit for rekindling interest to the title, as does Dolph Ziggler. Smackdown is a show that's been doing everything right for much of this year. They've been building the mid-card scene in general, young guys have been getting very solid pushes, the IC title means something again, and really good matches take place on the show a lot.

As for Raw, I don't know what the hell Raw's problem is. It seems as though it's flirting with the idea of bringing real prominence back to the U.S. title but then just stops all of a sudden. It's a shame too because there are a lot of solid, young and talented mid-card guys on Raw that are consistently having to take a back seat. Primarily what's happening on Raw is the DX/Legacy and Orton/Cena feuds and that's a shame really. Kofi Kingston has brought a lot of credibility to the title, he's exciting to watch in the ring and really makes the fans believe that he's very proud and thrilled to be the champion. The real problem is that he's not featured nearly enough and I don't get that. The last time Kingston was on Raw, it was in a fatal fourway against Swagger, Carlito and the Miz and it was a really good match, so I just don't get what the problem is.

The U.S. title wasn't a part of SummerSlam and it doesn't look like it'll be part of Breaking Point either. At this point, I hope not because the WWE shouldn't just throw in a U.S. title match for BP at the last minute and expect anybody to give two shits about it. The problems the U.S. title have aren't big or difficult to fix. The IC title has a constant presence on SD and that's what needs to happen with the U.S. title.

It looks as though the Hornswoggle/Chavo debacle might be winding down at long last. It's a shame ultimately that's is what Raw has devoted more time to than the U.S. title scene. I admit that I've found some of Hornswoggle/Chavo entertaining, but it's time to move on to something that can be both entertaining AND meaningful.

 

[Suneeboy]

Don't know exactly how it would work, but your premise is a good idea. The Mid Card on Smackdown is pretty good, but on RAW it is in the background. This gives the division actual value and minimizes guys just floating around (see Kofi, Carlito, Primo, Swagger, Miz...they are absent every other week on RAW).

A title shot makes people hungry. Especially mid carders who want to come up not only from a kayfabe standpoint, but from a real life standpoint. If you can get a midcard title and carry it well you would be gauranteed a shot at the main event. There are a lot of logistics that would have to be worked out, but it makes sense. Wrestling has incorporated "real" sports tactics in the past such as knockouts, tap outs, etc. so why not have a mid card title be a gateway to the main event? If you are the champion that means you are the "best" in your division. That leaves you in principle no other way to go but to move up the ranks and fight bigger guys. Without taking the undefeated streak into account, Goldberg's run in WCW was textbook on how you should be moved up the ranks.

Expand your horizons please. Some of you sound like you are buying into the PG, Family Show, Variety Show, Guest Host bullshit that the WWE has watered you down to accept. Stop settling for less and demand innovation and at lease a little bit of commen sense realism in your fucking wrestling shows.

 

[axle124]

First, I love the argument about the smackdown midcard title vs the raw midcard title, Its not really a fair comparison. Smackdown's roster is full of midcard guys who can wrestle but not cut promos, that is why that show has more actual wrestling time. Smackdown is the second tier show. No one on the Smackdown roster except the Undertaker and maybe Chris Jericho could have any face time on the Raw Show.

Now for fixing the raw mid card title, you have to get the belt off the ubertalented kofi and put it on jack swaggar or the miz, preferrably the miz. He could hold the belt for about 4-6mos and cut promos saying he is the best US champion there ever has been. In this scenario, Jack Swaggar, Evan bourne, and MVP would be the opponents. Evan Bourne would have to work on his mic skills. Kofi could be in the matches for his spot ability, but could never win the belt without a manager.

Of course another course of action would be to bring back the manager ie: bobby the brain, slick, jimmy hart, and paul e dangerously. Have a guy who can cut promos have a stable of guys like the kofi kingstons or evan bournes, that can really put on great matches but lack the mic skills to make the title mean anything. I don't really know what happen to the manager.

 

[lamo78]

The IC belt used to be prestigious. Then it turned into something that the charasmatic and fan's favorite wrestlers held. They sometimes use the belt to test out superstars potential to see if they have what it takes to be in the spotlight with bigger storylines and ppv's and things like that.

The big belts are for the main eventers. The mid-card belts are for when they feel they should throw a wrestler a bone who is over with the fans, but not main event status. These belts are for people who can't always handle the main event spotlight because they are lacking something. Mic skills or personality or whatever. Kofi is over with the fans. How many times has he cut a promo?

 

[XgringolocoX]

I think Coldfeet has got something here. If the titles don't mean anything, then why bother with them. If you have a more clearly defined ladder in the WWE, then the assention to the title is what it's all about.
The feuds would be better, some guys scratchin n clawin to get to the top. Other guys struggling to maintain that spot on top. Oops, top guy piss of the GM? Send him back to the bottom of the ratings ladder!
If the midcard titles are actually seen as a benchmark on your way to the top, then they will mean much more.

 

[JBK2008]

Ever since Wrestle Mania 25, WWE has done a nice job putting focus back on the titles. Jericho and Rey got a ton of attention in their feud towards it and now Morrison will continue to do it. Kofi has constantly defended the gold in impossible situations and has the crowd wondering how long he's going to hold onto it. Nothing needs to be done, other than maybe putting Kofi in a real feud and not these crazy matches.

 

[byrnside]

The IC belt used to be prestigious. Then it turned into something that the charasmatic and fan's favorite wrestlers held. They sometimes use the belt to test out superstars potential to see if they have what it takes to be in the spotlight with bigger storylines and ppv's and things like that.

The big belts are for the main eventers. The mid-card belts are for when they feel they should throw a wrestler a bone who is over with the fans, but not main event status. These belts are for people who can't always handle the main event spotlight because they are lacking something. Mic skills or personality or whatever. Kofi is over with the fans. How many times has he cut a promo?

I agree with this to an extent. Of course the mid card titles are for testing the mid carders to see if they can handle. But in the past, they've also been used as a way to tide the mid carders over until it's their time to take over the reigns as WWE/WHC champ. I think the WWE is doing a great job, especially with the IC title, in bringing the prestige back.

 

[RH23]

The only mid-card title that is still being poorly used is the US title. Y2J and Big Show as tag-team champs have really made the division somewhat watchable; the IC title has been one of the best titles to watch because of Y2J vs Mysterio, and who knows, maybe John Morrison will have a good feud with Ziggler? I do think the US title is in need of some sort of change. The problem with the US title has been stated already, its on Raw. Raw is the flagship show, and the only people who get a lot of air time are HHH, Orton, Cena. How to fix the US title? Well they really need to start giving the champ more air time; not only the champ, but the whole division; that and give us a decent feud. But thats easier said than done. Idk what the hell happened to the Miz vs Kofi... That would have been a decent feud. How about Kofi vs Chris Masters vs Jack Swagger vs Evan Bourne vs the Miz? Have them all feud with each other. Just throwing an idea out there.