The WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Debut in the fall of 2002 on the RAW brand as the brands main title when then-RAW general manager Eric Bischoff awarded/handed it to Triple H. Now for the past two years now the brand split has been lifted. So the WHC has little meaning now that the brand split is no more. It's been looked on upon as the "upper mid-card championship" since 2010. The WHC is now that title for guys like Kane, Mary Henry, Christian, and Chris Jericho. It's like it's the current version of the WWECW championship.
WWE chairman Vince McMahon has never really gave the WHC it's due respect. With the history of the title going back to the NWA/WCW days with guys like Harley Race, Dusty Rhodes, and Ric Flair (WOOOO) holding the strap. Now the belt is just a shell of it's former self! Alberto Del Rio held the WHC strap for the majority of this year as a face and as a heel. But why would the WWE have guys compete for a title that they know is just a second place belt? So with that being said. The World Heavyweight Championship needs to disappear.
-WWE Title #1
-WWE IC Title #2
-WWE U.S. #3
-WWE Tag Team Title's #4
-WWE Diva's Title #5
So where would that leave the position of the so-called World Heavyweight Championship?
The World Title served a purpose during the brand split, it showed us who Smackdown or Raw's champion was, and it was, at times, a bigger deal than the WWE title, especially around 2004-2005. But now that the brand split is essentially over, the World title should be retired, and ADR, RVD and other should be fighting over the Intercontinental title to raise it's credibility, which is sorely needed.
But to say Vince McMahon never gave the World Heavyweight Title its due respect is nonsense. While it wasn't given much respect when it was the WCW title, it was given a lot of respect when it was reintroduced in 2002. Say what you want about him, but Triple H made that title a big deal, a bigger deal than Brock Lesnar made the WWE title. It was the World Heavyweight Title match that ended Wrestlemania 20, remember that.
Not to mention guys like Batista, Edge and the Undertaker, who made the title look like a big deal. It was when WWE made it clear that Raw was the A show while the World Title was on Smackdown that caused the World Title to suffer. Usually, there was an even split of talent. Batista on one show, Cena on the other. Angle on one show, Triple H on the other. And then WWE decided to throw all their top stars onto Raw around 2009, 2010, and Smackdown and the World suffered as a result.
I loved the CM Punk vs. Jeff Hardy feud. But it was CM Punk vs. Jeff Hardy, one upper midcarder, and one underachieving semi-main eventer fighting for a world championship. It made it very clear that Smackdown was the number 2 show, and the World Title was the number 2 title. It was never going to headline Wrestlemania or anything. Raw, meanwhile had Orton vs. Cena, a feud that was a big deal.
So to say that WWE never showed the World Title any respect is flat-out wrong. They showed the title a lot more respect that WCW showed it in 2000. But it should be retired, and the Intercontinental title should be made the number 2.