Next Great "Champion vs Champion" Match

[IrishCanadian25]

The Champion vs Champion match was once highly unique and a massive event. Before brand splits, PPV-type matches each week on cable TV, and 9 title belts in a single promotion, a title match between a world- and a mid-card champion was something to behold. THREE such matches come to mind:

Hogan vs Warrior, Wrestlemania 6. The obvious choice. The first massive champ vs champ event that I know of. Both titles were on the line, and a double champion was assured. This allowed the Ultimate Warrior to drop the IC belt without being beaten for it, and transitioned it to Mr. Perfect seemlessly.

Hart vs Michaels, Survivor Series. LONG before the 1997 Survivor Series was the 1992 Survivor Series, in which the 2nd half of a double main event was new WWF Champion Bret Hart (he had won the title from Ric Flair a few weeks prior at a house show taped for Colisseum Home Video) and new IC Champion Shawn Michaels (who had taken the IC belt from Davey Boy Smith at a Saturday Night's Main Event just days prior). Shawn cut a few promos talking about having "nothing to lose, and everything to gain." The two men had fought over the IC Title back when Bret was the champ, including competing in the WWF's first ever Ladder Match. The Main Event of SS92 was a technical classic that displayed the skills of the WWF's two young studs. Bret, of course, retained.

Hogan vs Vader, Uncensored 1995. For a while, WCW announcers like Tony Schiavone and Jesse Ventura reminded fans that the United States Champion was technically considered the #1 contender to the WCW Title. Problem was - those matches never really happened, because the US Champ was defending a title of his own. Well, in 1994-95, Big Van Vader was the US Champ and decided that he wasn't fond of Hulk Hogan coming into HIS WCW and winning HIS title belt from Ric Flair. So Vader went after Hogan, and this leather strap match was set up at Uncensored 1995. Ric Flair got invovled, and Hogan wound up winning.

I had one more, but I forgot it. Maybe one of you can remind me.

Anyway, here's what I want to ask:

Do you think these kinds of champion vs champion matches will ever occur again? Will they mean anything? Who in the current WWF or TNA could you see putting on a MAJOR CvsC match?

 

[Deexter Jorgan]

You forgot about Survivor Series 97 A cocky Shawn Michaels beat Davey Boy Smith for the European Championship at One night only, both he and Bret wrestled a technical exibition until the bell was rang as Michaels had Bret in the sharp shooter, in controversial fashion this match allowed Michaels to walk away with the prized WWE championship holding both The European Championship and WWE titles till he later dropped the strap to his friend Triple H in a match which was less than epic on monday night raw.

Even though this match was controversial and technically the European title was not considered a midcard belt, it was still a champion vs champion match none the less and is still spoke of till this day and has led to Brets final encounter with Vince Mcmahon ten years later.
Lance Storm Vs Booker T United states/Cruiserweight/Hardcore champion vs the WCW champion, it was supposed to be lance storms swan song, his defining moment to claim the companies biggest prize and transition from midcard dominance to the most dominant heel in WCW history, instead the match was thrown away on free tv which had booker retain before losing the world title to an up and coming scott steiner whilst lance storm was left to lower card mediocracy.

If the Money in the bank happens Drew's way we could see Drew Macintyre go against the WWE or even World heavyweight champion on either Raw or smackdown, the problem is will people still want to see it?, the fact is it wasnt the matches that made these encounters seem epic, it was the story, the booking and the fact that you had the two biggest stars from the main event and midcard go at it to see who can walk away with the bragging rights of a champion.

 

[Shocky]

I guess the most recent big match with the Champion vs. Champion (and probably should be the most important one) would have been the night the WWF and WCW Championships were unified. WCW Champion Chris Jericho vs. WWF Champion Steve Austin, the winner becomes the man to reunify the titles for the first time since the early 1960's (if you believe that the WCW Title had the proper NWA Lineage).

You move onto 2003 when the European title was merged into the Hardcore Title, then merged into the IC title, and ultimately The Original IC title would be merged into Triple H's World Title.

Also, US Champion Goldberg vs. WCW Champion Hulk Hogan was a pretty big fucking deal back in the summer of 1998.

I guess to clarify though, would this Champion vs. Champion scenario be with both titles on the line (Warrior v. Hogan) or the More Important title on the line (Hart vs. Michaels). You could also consider the winner take all tag matches (Backlash 2001, and whatever IYH with Dudez With Attitudez winning)

Onto topic though, I'd imagine that the next Big Champion vs. Champion match will be whenever the WWE decides to temporarily make a Unified Champion of their two world champions. It won't be a permanent thing, but I can't imagine the WWE would completely rule out slapping two titles on one guy at the same time. The Mid card titles aren't as prestigious as they once were when Warrior vs. Hogan headlined Mania. If you put the IC title in the main event of Wrestlemania now, the collective no one gives a shit could be heard for miles.

 

[Milkyway!]

It would have to be WWE champion vs World Heavyweight champion to mean anything, because mid card titles obviously no longer matter. They just aren't pushed enough anymore.

I assume this could only happen if someone like Jericho got cocky and decided he was the best champion ever, and that the other champion didn't deserve the same limelight as him. He was the first ever Unified Champion, and he dang sure was going to be the next. So Jericho (or any other great superstar, I just chose Jericho because he's already been a Unified Champion) goes and challenges.

Who would I like to see him challenge? None other than a massively over babyface Randy Orton. Get this guy over as the next great face. He and Jericho could have one DANG good wrestling match, and both of them could put on a great, entertaining feud.

 

[Tastycles]

There could be a big champion vs champion match at a WrestleMania whenever the WWE wanted to do it, to be honest with you. It has two major champions, and it could easily force the champion to drop one of the titles soon afterwards in order to maintain the brand split etc.

Admittedly, it would be throwing all the eggs in one basket as it were, but it would be huge. Indeed, perhaps that's what they should have done this year between Cena and Batista - there was enough story in the Jericho and Edge storyline to maintain it without the title, and Cena and Batista is certainly huge enough to be included in the list of big title vs title matches. How would you set it up? Have the Royal Rumble winner win the Elimination Chamber, and then challenge the other titleholder with his earned shot. That's the only title on title that would matter a jot these days.

 

[Super Hans]

i think the days of champ vs champ will not be seen for a while,the days of having your number 2 guy be slowly built up seem to be a thing of the past.unless tna catch up in the ratings and force wwe into there a game.on the roster right now the only slow burner could be the miz.against whom i dont know

 

[Tenta]

Well, it's not as though the WWE hasn't done it recently, IC. Hell, just last year's brand draft, ECW Champion Jack Swagger and John Cena put on an excellent match. No titles on the line, but it was still technically a champion vs. champion match. Even ealier than that, IC, we still had Kane and Triple H in a title for title match, in which the Intercontinental and World Heavyweight Championship were unified for about six months. And judging by how little we remember that match, I'm not sure it'll mean much, unless both titles were on the line. Actually, nevermind, because in the case of Triple H VS. Kane, both titles were on the line. And let's not take away from how over Kane was at this period; this was a legitimate Champion VS. Champion match.

The only way you're going to make these title for title matches mean anything is if you go way old school, like the WWE, NWA, and AWA used to do, and allow your champions to go one on one, even in non title matches. And, as we're aware, that's never happening. Even then, it wouldn't matter as much. Remember when Taz fought Triple H in a Champion VS. Champion match? Well, if you are, you're one of about thirteen. The concept of Title for Title used to be so novel, but now it's just kind of thrown in there. The Mid Card Champion isn't near as established as he used to be (Drew McIntyre, that's looking right at you), and unless a name like Jericho, who was already World Champion, were to go down and win the IC Title (again), it just wouldn't mean diddley squat