The Two World Championships of WWE

[CyberPunk]

I was at work today thinking about the MITB and Summerslam, the two world titles on the line in these PPVs and the storylines behind these when suddenly my mind went to the world titles in WWE. For last 10 years, WWE has had 2 world chamionships, WWE championship and World Heavyweight championship. Before I go for the discussion part, let's compare the history of these belts.

WWE Championship: Established in WWWF in 1963. 43 champions till date. First champion was Buddy Rogers. Longest reign by Bruno Samartino at 2803 days (almost 8 years). Shortest reign by Andre the Giant (30 seconds). Most reigns by John Cena (9 times). Current design is "spinner" version (though the centrepiece no more spins).

World heavyweight championship Established on RAW in 2002 (after Stephanie McMahon decided to keep the WWE Championship on Smackdown!). 20 champions till date. First champion was Triple H. Longest reign by Batista (282 days). Shortest reign by Jeff Hardy (3 minutes 8 seconds). Most reigns by Edge (7 times). Current design is the smaller version of the "Big gold belt".

Now legacy wise, WWE championship is far older than the World Heavyweight championship. Some of the all times great have become the WWE champion. Some great stories revolved around the WWE title. Having said that, One cannot argue the legacy of the 'big gold belt' which was the primary heavyweight title of NWA/WCW (even in WWE till they made their own smaller version) . Also, WWE championship has been a gimmicky championship, sometimes customized to fit the champion's gimmick, while WHC looks like more of a wrestling championship (may be its just me but anyways).

My question is:

Which title has been more prestigous over time (if you do count NWA/WCW before was established back in E in 2002)?

Which title would you prefer as the top title in the E?

Do you see World Heavyweight title as a higher midcard title than a main event title at this point of time?

Do you ever think that WWE title would be a second fidle to WHC title any time?


As a side note: Which design do you prefer of the two world titles?

 

[Sheamus' Suntan]

First of all I see a LOT of the replies being quite samey here...but here are mine.


Which title has been more prestigous over time (if you do count NWA/WCW before was established back in E in 2002)?
WWE title. Easily. It's the one with the most amount of reigns and the one that WWE values higher.

Which title would you prefer as the top title in the E?

World Heavyweight. It looks like a PROPER title and looks great on just about anyone that wears it.

Do you see World Heavyweight title as a higher midcard title than a main event title at this point of time?
No. It's the SMACKDOWN World Title. while Smackdown is the B show, they have main events just like RAW does.

Do you ever think that WWE title would be a second fidle to WHC title any time?
It did in 2004 and despite the amazing shows that were going on, ratings were in a slump. They've learned from their mistakes, WHC likely won't ever play 2nd fiddle again.

 

[Corpse_Machine]

Which title has been more prestigous over time (if you do count NWA/WCW before was established back in E in 2002)?
Easily the WWE title, its way more prestiogous than any title in history.

Which title would you prefer as the top title in the E?
I'd prefer to see the WWE championship be the top title but get rid of the little glamourous belt they have now and bring back a classic style belt, like the title Eddie Guerrero had in 2004.

Do you see World Heavyweight title as a higher midcard title than a main event title at this point of time?
No way, if you think that then get your head checked. It is Smackdowns main event title, and your kinda saying that the likes of Orton, Undertaker and Edge are nothing more than midcarders.

Do you ever think that WWE title would be a second fidle to WHC title any time?
In my opionion not any time soon, the WWE title is Raw's title and Raw is the flagship show and always goes out live. Unless the shows swapped titles during a draft or somethin.

 

[SickJames]

Why must people keep doing this?

That belt IS NOT the NWA/WCW title.

The title history on WWE shows that. It's got two totally different histories

So they used the design, but it's THEIR World title they established in 2002.

The Rock is a former WCW champ, NOT (WWE) World Champ, do you not understand that?

Yet ppl still get this mixed up, I understand why but the facts are facts

And undoubtedly it's not opinion, the older title is the more prestigious and that's the WWE title


and anyone who thinks otherwise is lying to themselves


if you wanna debate WWE title vs the ACTUAL NWA/WCW title, that's different, but that belt isnt anyway connected to the NWA/WCW title save for the look.

 

[xxxdaniel_ariesxxx]

Which title has been more prestigious over time (if you do count [the WHC as the] NWA/WCW [Championship] before was [re]established back in [the] E in 2002)?
if you count the lineage of the NWA/WCW Championships as part of the Lineage of the World Heavyweight Championship, than I think you'd have to say that the WHC has been more prestigious over time. It was THE top belt from the 50's all the way into the 80's. The WWE Championship actually used to be regional championship of an NWA territory, and thus was officially inferior to the NWA World Championship for many years. Than for a large part of the 90's WCW was the top company, and therefore the WCW title was more prestigious. And by proxy, since the WHC was the top title on the flagship show from 2002-2005 it was the most presigious title then (even though personally I was a bigger fan of Smackdown between 2002-2003, but that was just me personally)... So, over time the NWA/WCW/WHC has been more prestigious.

Which title would you prefer as the top title in the E?
I'd prefer them to merge the two titles as the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and use a slightly larger version of the Big Gold Belt as the Championship.

Do you see World Heavyweight title as a higher midcard title than a main event title at this point of time?
No, I see it as something to make Randy Orton feel better about the fact that he got demoted to the B-show on the zombie/alien channel.

Do you ever think that WWE title would be a second fiddle to WHC title any time?
It could. It has in the past, it even main evented WretleMania XX and 21 (even though WM21 was were SuperCena won his first WWE Championship, the WHC still went on last) and 24

 

[King Patrick Star]

Which title has been more prestigous over time (if you do count NWA/WCW before was established back in E in 2002)?

In my own opinion, and I’m sure others share the same opinion, the WWE Title is the most prestigious Title over any time period compared to the NWA WCW World Title.

Which title would you prefer as the top title in the E?

I, as do many others, including Vince himself, prefer the WWE Title as the top Title in the “E”.

Do you see World Heavyweight title as a higher midcard title than a main event title at this point of time?

I see the World Heavyweight Title as the 2nd place Title in the WWE Universe. Comparing today to the late 90s / early 00s, before WWE bought WCW and ECW, I’d say the current World Title is like the past’s Intercontinental Title, the current Intercontinental Title is like the past’s European Title, and the current United States Title is like the past’s Hardcore Title in terms of point of view. I can explain further if necessary.

Do you ever think that WWE title would be a second fidle to WHC title any time?

Even when the WWE Title was on Smackdown and the World Title was on Raw, I still viewed the WWE Title as the number one Title in the WWE Universe. This is similar to my view of the Intercontinental Title, currently on Smackdown, being number 3 and the United States Title, currently on Raw, being number 4.

As a side note: Which design do you prefer of the two world titles?

Actually, my favorite design is the Undisputed WWE Title design that Triple H debut after WrestleMania X8. The Big Gold comes in second place, and then the Attitude Era WWE Title design comes in third.

 

[xxxdaniel_ariesxxx]

The title history on WWE shows that. It's got two totally different histories

Yet they released a 3 disc DVD set call "The History of the World Heavyweight Championship" were they recognize both the lineage of the NWA and WCW Championships (which were also two totally separate titles) as part of the lineage of the WHC, so they are really quite confusing about this issue...

So they used the design, but it's THEIR World title they established in 2002.

... And if you look on the Title history of BOTH the WWE Cruiserweight Championship (established in 2001 using the old WCW Cruiserweight Championship title belt), and the WWE United States Championship (established in 2003) they recognize the NWA and WCW lineage of both titles as part of the lineage of their Championships, so again, very confusing on this issue.

 

[Miz_Mark]

Why must people keep doing this?

That belt IS NOT the NWA/WCW title.

In defense of the people who make this "mistake," WWE is constantly muddying the waters on this front themselves. Case in point: the new WWE Greatest Superstars of the 21st Century DVD, which states Big Show to have become the first and only man in history to hold the WWE, World Heavyweight, and ECW titles, when Show has never held the World Heavyweight Title, but instead held the WCW title.

Or, even more glaringly, the History of the World Heavyweight Championship DVD... which gives the belt the history of the NWA/WCW title. I'm sorry, I know that if you look at the title histories, they are distinguished, but the WWE routinely declares them to be the same title. So, really, it's justified for anyone to say.


As far as which title is more prestigious currently, that is the WWE title, and historically I feel the same way, but it's certainly true that when the WHC was held on Raw, it was pushed as the premiere title. Now, I don't believe that will happen again, but it is always possible.

 

[xxxdaniel_ariesxxx]

Which title has been more prestigous over time (if you do count NWA/WCW before was established back in E in 2002)?

This is the part that is confusing most people, I think... It didn't really make sense to me, so I attempted to decipher what I THOUGHT he was trying to say, which was if you considered the lineage of the NWA and WCW Championships in the lineage of the WHC, which would be more prestigious... hopefully it can be cleared up

 

[The_8000]

Which title has been more prestigous over time (if you do count NWA/WCW before was established back in E in 2002)? Which title would you prefer as the top title in the E?

Do you see World Heavyweight title as a higher midcard title than a main event title at this point of time?

Do you ever think that WWE title would be a second fidle to WHC title any time?

Obviously the WWE title is more prestigious these days, the title wouldn't be on the flagship show if it wasn't considered the 'best' title in WWE. The World Championship does have a lot of history and background - but in NWA... the WWE Championship has had history in the WWE/WWF, therefore it would be considered the best title because of it being the title of the superior show. And rightly so, why have a title that wasn't even born in the WWE be the top title?

The World Title is the highest title on Smackdown - it's meant to be level with the WWE Championship (even though we all know it's not really as prestigious) but still, the title does have a big reputation, and anyway it wouldn't make sense to make it a midcard title, the name suggests it to be bigger than that.

And no, the WWE title will always be #1. It's been on Raw far too long to be seen as an inferior title.

 

[The Suplexer Perfecter]

Or, even more glaringly, the History of the World Heavyweight Championship DVD... which gives the belt the history of the NWA/WCW title. I'm sorry, I know that if you look at the title histories, they are distinguished, but the WWE routinely declares them to be the same title. So, really, it's justified for anyone to say.

It's not justified when the NWA title still exists and being held by Adam Pearce at NWA events.

WWE can claim whatever they want, like saying the WWWF title and IC titles were won in Rio De Janerio, but that doesn't make it true.

Now on the topic of the thread: the World Heavyweight Title was more prestigious from 2002-2005 since it was on Raw and main eventing Wrestlemanias 20 and 21, as well as many duel branded Raw/SD PPVs during the days when they only had 4 duel branded PPVs.

But when Cena came to Raw with that title, the WWE title was more prestigious. They did switch them briefly when Triple H was on Smackdown, but I'd say they were some what equal then.

Right now the WWE title is more prestigious.

Which title would you prefer as the top title in the E?

The WWE title because that's the company's title, created when they left the NWA almost 50 years ago.

Do you see World Heavyweight title as a higher midcard title than a main event title at this point of time?

No I don't.

Do you ever think that WWE title would be a second fidle to WHC title any time?
It was at Wrestlemania 20, 21, and 24 and other PPVs.

 

[CyberPunk]

I know that the World Heavyweight title in WWE and that in WCW or NWA are different (I acknowledged that in the history as well). But, WWE has recognized the NWA/WCW heavyweight champions. Booker T, Big Show etc are recognized world champions in WWE for holding WCW championship. They acknowledge the fact that World Heavyweight title originated from NWA/WCW heavyweight title. They haven't recognized any one else's championships outside of WWE except for NWA and WCW. Moreover, I gave you the option if you do want to consider NWA/WCW lineage of World heavyweight title, not that you have to.

 

[RawDealWrestling]

The fact the WWE title looks like some kind of gem encrusted clock makes it less significant in my opinion. When Punk said the first thing he would do would be to get rid of the god awful title I was so happy...not the case though