The Intercontinental & United States Championships Deserve Spots On the Card

[ABMorales787]

When it comes to Wrestlemania, the main event's are shaped with ease. Especially this year with a match announced a year ahead. The real challenge is in making a midcard worthy of being considered "major". They have tough acts to precede after all. A key oftenly ignored are the midcard titles. The U.S. and I.C. titles. Since the draft extension, starting at Wrestlemania XX, these two titles have only been defended a collective total of 3 times. None of which were under the same show card. Normally these title gives the up and comers something to actually fight about. But it's something that has gone untapped in Wrestlemania for too damn long.

The last 4 of 6 U.S. Champions have had opportunities at a World title after their runs with 2 winning said World titles and 2 being former World Champions when winning it. Those are some pretty impressive stats given previous runs with the belt. Meanwhile, the Intercontinental Championship hasn't been seen to mean as much as it does today since the days of Randy Orton. His protege has grown up the card alongside the only prestigious title which is once again a major price. Last year, they tried to fit Sheamus vs Daniel Bryan for the U.S. title. But it was cut in favor of other things. Two guys who today (and even back then) were main event caliber were outed from the big show. The idea of holding Money In The Bank (which I am firmly against as you can see here.) in the event also cuts these Champions from their chance to shine brighter due to how only one of the MITB matches held at 'Mania did not feature the Intercontinental Champion (25) and the U.S. Champion has been featured in 3 of them.

The Intercontinental title is the title that was on the line when the great matches of Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat, Hulk Hogan vs The Ultimate Warrior (along with the WWE Championship), Rick Rude vs The Ultimate Warrior and on. There is no need to mention how instrumental the United States Championship was for WCW. As such, the need for these two titles to FINALLY get the proper exposure along with it's respective holders should really go unsaid. The midcard is the glue of any PPV. Why has Wrestlemania become an exception? It should not. It strengthen's the midcard and with a major event that has John Cena vs The Rock, 2 World title matches and possibly a match involving Shaquille O'Neil, the midcard needs as much structure as it can to stay on equal standing with these major matches on such a major show.

So for the sake of the Champions, for the sake of the midcard and for the sake of their history and the fan's, put those two titles on the line at Wrestlemania 28. WWE will not regret it.

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

I see what you're saying Killjoy, but it depends on who is holding on to the belts come the big show. Right now, if Cody Rhodes were carrying the IC title into Mania (which I believe he will do), then I think he'll defend the gold against someone in a one-on-one match. That'll shine the spotlight on Rhodes and his foe much more than a multi-man cluster-y'know what would. Perhaps it'll be Goldust in the much talked about career vs. title match. I'd like to see that. Rhodes is probably the best IC champion we've seen in many a year with a fairly memorable run thus far.

The United States Championship I see as something that's far less likely to be involved in a singles feud. There are plenty of midcard guys on RAW that aren't involved in anything major that WWE likes and wants to put on the big show. If there isn't any Money in the Bank this year, then I could see the belt being defended in a Championship Scramble or a Six Pack Challenge or a variation of any of those matches. WWE wants to get as many names as possible on the card and pulling one of these will allow characters like Brodus Clay, Kofi Kingston and even Zack Ryder an opportunity to shine on the card.

I think we're far more likely to see the IC belt defended than the US, but it's very possible for both to be on the card. We'll just have to wait and see.

 

[King Patrick Star]

This right here, this whole “IC and US Title should be on WrestleMania” talk, is exactly what I’ve been typing about for the past few years. The IC and US Title should be on the WM card, if not every PPV card.

This is why WM XIX is my favorite WM and favorite PPV of all time. Every Championship in the WWE at the time was defended at WM XIX, granted the IC and US Titles were both “retired” at the time. Both WWE and World Titles, both WWE Tag Team and World Tag Team (technically) Titles and both the Women’s and Cruiserweight Titles were all on the line on the Grandest Stage’s Greatest Night. As far as I know, this is the only time, after WWE bought WCW / ECW, it has ever happened, but if I’m wrong, someone please tell me.

Anyway, back to my point, every Title should be defended at every PPV. It only makes sense. The WWE should put Wrestling first and then Entertainment second, because it’s WWE not WEW. The Titles should be the focus of the 4 major Storylines with the non-Title feuds as extras Storylines to use. I personally don’t like it when the IC or US Champions were included in the MITB match at WM or the MITB PPV itself, but then again, Vince is a Billionaire and I’m not.

 

[Mr. HD]

This right here, this whole “IC and US Title should be on WrestleMania” talk, is exactly what I’ve been typing about for the past few years. The IC and US Title should be on the WM card, if not every PPV card.

This is why WM XIX is my favorite WM and favorite PPV of all time. Every Championship in the WWE at the time was defended at WM XIX, granted the IC and US Titles were both “retired” at the time. Both WWE and World Titles, both WWE Tag Team and World Tag Team (technically) Titles and both the Women’s and Cruiserweight Titles were all on the line on the Grandest Stage’s Greatest Night. As far as I know, this is the only time, after WWE bought WCW / ECW, it has ever happened, but if I’m wrong, someone please tell me.

Anyway, back to my point, every Title should be defended at every PPV. It only makes sense. The WWE should put Wrestling first and then Entertainment second, because it’s WWE not WEW. The Titles should be the focus of the 4 major Storylines with the non-Title feuds as extras Storylines to use. I personally don’t like it when the IC or US Champions were included in the MITB match at WM or the MITB PPV itself, but then again, Vince is a Billionaire and I’m not.

All the titles were up for grabs at WrestleMania 18 shortly after the end of the Invasion Angle. IC, European, Tag Team, Hardcore, Womens, and Undisputed. All the gold was on the line that night and there was even room for Rock/Hogan, Taker/Flair, Austin/Hall, Edge/Booker, Angle/Kane. Pretty stacked card.

But back to the point, the mid card titles don't get defended as much because the champs are sometimes thrown into the Money in the Bank Ladder Match, but this WrestleMania is shaping up to be something big and these titles need to be defended. The way Cody Rhodes has brought relevance back to the IC Title, it's a given that he has to defend it at WM. A career vs title match against Goldust would be very good. And Swagger is probably gonna walk into Mania as the champ and lose to Ryder.

 

[JGlass]

I could see both the titles being defended at Mania, but possibly not the US.

If Cody holds onto the title until Mania, which I think he will, he's definitely going to put it on the line. I don't know against who, but there are a variety of choices for Mr. Rhodes. Christian could come back as a face, and I have confidence that they could potentially steal the show (if the show didn't feature The Rock vs. John Cena later that night). The WWE could also throw a star from Raw in the ring with Cody as they are wont to do during Mania season, and we could see anyone from Zack Ryder to Kofi Kingston to The Funkasaurus Brodus Clay in the ring with Cody.

The US title is a little more tricky. If Zack Ryder still had the belt, I would have little doubt that he'd be wrestling in a match at Mania with the belt on the line, perhaps even in a title vs. title match against Cody Rhodes. Some may say Ryder's popularity has waned in recent weeks, but I still think he has as much support as ever. But with the belt on Swagger, I think we'll be seeing Ryder in a different role come Mania.

Swagger is nowhere near the star that Ryder is, and in my opinion it's unlikely he'll gain enough momentum in time for Miami. He'll likely be left off the card. If the WWE does decide to throw a US Title match on the card, count on it being a silly gimmicky match, like Swagger vs. Santino or Swagger vs. Brodus Clay. It may even be a dark match used to get the crowd going. If the US Title is on the live show, I don't think we'll be getting much more out of it than a few cheap pops. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with cheap pops, but that's all we'll get.

So to sum it up, I'll be shocked if the US title gets a real match on the show, and I'll be shocked if the IC title doesn't.

 

[Bernkastel]

I agree with the poster that said that it depends on whomever holds the titles oning into Mania, and it also depends on who's chasing them. Rhodes may lose the IC title before the Rumble, or sometime in between then and Mania. And right now he really doesn't have any solid competiton for the title. I prefer Ryder chasing the US title going into Mania, but I have my doubts of a program with Jack Swagger lasting that long.

Honestly if WWE can't put together solid one on one programs for the big PPV at Mania, I wouldn't decline to see a three or fourway dance for either title. That way one or both titles at least make the card.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

I do not think that any match deserves a place on the Mania card, you have to earn that place up their. WrestleMania is supposed to be the showcase of the Immortals, the biggest show that WWE puts on every year and ideally it should consist of the best 6 or 7 stories that a company can put on at that time. Does a story regarding the IC or US title need to be put on every year? Nope.

In fact, if you consider who exactly holds the midcard titles in the company these days, you'll realize that it's very hard for the IC or the US champion to be among the top 10 wrestlers in the company even. If you consider the fact that you have the two world title holders, the number one contenders for the respective titles, about 7-8 fringe main eventers and upper midcarders like Sheamus, Kane and Randy Orton who are not involved in title feuds, that makes the IC or US title holder the 13 best wrestler in the company. A far cry from the 3rd or the 4th best position which was the time when the IC title used to be featured prominently on the card. Given such a hierarchy it would take rather an exceptional performance from a IC or US title holder to force his way up the card.

But I do think that Cody Rhodes has managed to put up that exceptional performance. He has had a long title reign and has consistently been more entertaining than most upper midcarders in the WWE. He has held up his end of the bargain but he does need a good opponent. In fact Cody has been so good, that I do not neccesarily think that it would be a bad idea for him to have a non title match against a main eventer at Mania. Sure, it may be detrimental for the title but it will be beneficial for Cody. Someone like a Sheamus or a Wade Barrett or perhaps even both would be good choices. In fact, what I would like to see i Cody himself say that his title is not on the line at Mania as it is not a prestigious enough title for a show like Mania. That will give him some great heat among old school fans.

I do not see Ryder or Swagger making it to Mania though. Ryder was given the belt via his popularity due to his extra curricular activities than his talents as a wrestler and he needs to establish himself as a good wrestler before he gets a place at Mania. He is popular though, which means he is perfect dark match material. Swagger is even below Ryder in terms of popularity and will probably need Ryder to even get himself upto Mania dark match level.

 

[ZLT-truth316]

If the IC title is still held b Cody Rhodes I think it should be a singles match but on the other hand for the United States title why not make it a battle royal? When was the last time you saw a match like that at mania for a mid-card title? With guys like Kofi Kingston, Mason Ryan, Zack Ryder and Jack Swagger to name a few you can have a good 10-15 men battle royal no?

 

[Suibon]

Should mid-card title contentions have a place on Wrestlemania? That depends on the titleholders when the granddad of them all comes to roost, as well as what those titleholders will be able to do to deserve a spot on the card.

Take Cody Rhodes, for instance. He's been IC champion for a few months now after beating Ezekiel Jackson for the title; he hasn't been in a relevant title defense thus far except with Booker T, partly because the Smackdown roster suffers from a drought of sufficiently over mid-carders, partly because of ongoing storylines involving Cody, but he's taken that mid-card title to heights we haven't seen in years nevertheless. Now with a possible storyline involving him and Goldust (in a sweet ironic twist that reminds me of Faulkner - I lol'd at 'the only hope of the Rhodes family'), it's possible that we will see him retire the Bizarre One (or possibly just plain old Dustin) at Miami. And why not? He has proven himself a solid mid-card champ and can hop in to the main event once he loses the IC title to someone deserving his turn (maybe The Hidden One, maybe T_d D_B__s_, maybe - and my mark's showing - Santino Marella).

​

 

[thebarber]

Completely agree, for the titles to be viewed as important they need to be treated as such. Unfortunately, I cannot see both belts getting their own match this year. With Rock vs Cena, WWE Title match, WHC Title match, Divas title or womans match of some sort, MITB, Show vs Shaq, Taker vs whomever....theres 7 matches already. As Mania general;ly has 9-10 matches, I would assume there will be at least one tag match on the show which leave 2 spots. Id love to see and IC and a US Title match, but I cannot see it happening this year. I see Swagger in the MITB match and Rhodes defending the IC Title, probably against his brother.......so in effect, both belts will probably get buried this year. This would suck.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Not necessarily. If they arent a big deal going into it, you dont put them on there. Just throwing some old shit onto Mania isnt going to work. They need to be built through feuds over them, and legit guys carrying them, obviously, and the interest in and of itself will put it on the Mania card, not simply the name.

You MAY have a shot at IC title Vs Career in Cody Vs Goldust, which could have a pretty proper build to it considering how prolific an IC champ Goldy was in his day.

the US title on the other hand, needs some pretty strong monster building of Swagger, and some decent challengers....Of which there are very little.

Simply throwing them on WM just because will do nothing to make them viewed as more important as they are now. It works the other way around. They must be important in order to WARRANT a spot on Mania, which will be the ultimate confirmation of their rise to being a prolific goal again.

 

[D-Man]

There's two ways to look at this...

First off, Wrestlemania is the biggest PPV and payoff of the year, both financially and entertainment-wise. If the WWE truly valued their championships, they would showcase them during this event. In the past, ALL titles were defended at Wrestlemania. Elaborate storylines and major buildup happened to the point where every single belt gained weight in importance. Over the years, through many factors (including but not limited to: belts losing importance, too many titles exist, not enough time during the PPV, etc) the WWE decided to only showcase their storylines and matches with top-priority during Wrestlemania in order to iron out the kinks of (possible) lackluster matchups. And here we are.

Secondly, if we're being realistic, the WWE has a PPV meant for defending and showcasing all of their titles: Night of Champions. Regardless of how weak some of the storyline buildups are for specific titles, and regardless of whether said matches wouldn't draw like the main event feuds, the WWE still created a platform for what we've requested in terms of ALL titles being defended on a PPV.

So, for me, it's a really tough call as to whether it matters if the IC and US titles deserve spots on the card. On one hand, the WWE already showcases them during NOC. On the other hand, we want these titles to regain their old meaning so badly and we know that matches at Wrestlemania can do this. But in the grand scheme of it all, fact is that the IC and US titles just don't draw. And if Wrestlemania is supposed to be the powerhouse payoff of the year on ALL levels, if we're talking business here, leaving out the weak title defenses and making room for more important feuds is probably the smarter move.

In conclusion, I can take it either way. However, I don't deem it a necessity for Wrestlemania to have to contain these title matches. I'd rather see a more meaningful and emotional show than a show full of matches based on fans' personal principals.

 

[The Eighties]

It's a shame that the both titles value has dropped so far that they are no longer a prestige match at Mania, but that is the reality of it.

Cody has done a good job as IC champion and I could see a match for the belt happening between him and Goldust, but if Cody ends up facing Sheamus for instance, then it's likely to be non-title.

I can't really see WWE doing Ryder vs Swagger even if Zack miraculously returns from his broken back in time for Mania, he's more likely to face Kane with Swagger shoved into the MITB match.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I'm certain that we will see at least one of these two titles defended at Wrestlemania. Lately they put one midcard title on the line at Wrestlemania instead of all of them. We already have Night of Champions showcasing every single championship being up for grabs. The midcard titles are not as important as the world titles so they rarely get put up for grabs at the same show. Would I like to see both titles defended? Absolutely. I'd want every title to be defended given that you'd think that every title should be on the line at the biggest show of the year, but if they were then what about Night of Champions? That show's gimmick of every title being on the line at once makes it special. That's why one of the midcard titles will inevitably end up being left off the show.

Taking a look back at each Wrestlemania since the brand extension, there has actually never been a Wrestlemania where both the Intercontinental and United States Championships were defended. That's an interesting trivia note. See for yourself:

Wrestlemania 18 - Intercontinental Championship
Wrestlemania 19 - Neither
Wrestlemania 20 - US Championship
Wrestlemania 21 - Neither
Wrestlemania 22 - US Championship
Wrestlemania 23 - US Championship
Wrestlemania 24 - Neither (ECW Championship got a 10 second match though)
Wrestlemania 25 - Intercontinental Championship
Wrestlemania 26 - Neither, although Miz held the US title and was in action.
Wrestlemania 27 - US Championship (dark match)
Wrestlemania 28 - ????

The Intercontinental Championship has only been defended at two Wrestlemania's since the brand extension, and one of those was the Rey VS JBL match which was shorter than JBL's promo before the match started. The US Championship has been defended at 3 Wrestlemania's, 4 if you count last year's dark match. I would really like to see them make history here by defending them both although I doubt it will happen. The Intercontinental Championship has better odds of being defended because it been neglected more at the show of shows and it will be a great opportunity for Rhodes to really showcase his skills if he is still champion by that point. I'm hoping for both but I think we will be getting just an Intercontinental Championship match this year.