US and IC title have never meant so much

[J~P]

It's funny for years and years I read how bad people wanted the I.C and U.S title to mean something special again. Well I feel like it's here, but now people are saying Barrett, Cesaro, and Sheamus deserve better. Their is only one World title now thus meaning only one world champion. With that being said Daniel Bryan really is the best option to BE world champion because of the story, and a story means everything in this business.

Haven't you guys noticed how much they have meant lately? Cesaro, Barrett, RVD, Sheamus are all phenomenal talents, but that's what makes them perfect for these two titles. They don't need to be in the World title feud right now.. In the mean time these wrestlers can bring some importance back to these titles.

I haven't looked forward to a I.C or U.S title match in years. Now when tuning on RAW The Shield/Evolution, Daniel Bryan storyline, and the U.S/I.C title matches are the things I look the most forward to. I mean every match with those guys come close to stealing the show.

One of WZ's biggest critics Josh Isenberg was saying how they should be doing better then this.. That's what bothered me most is back in the day being in a I.C title feud was a huge thing. You wouldn't find anyone saying "oh man these poor guys are stuck in a mid-card title feud. Because for one it was never considered mid-card. It was more of an upper mid-card. People were gracious when their guy held one of those titles.

But then WWE downgraded it and definitely made it feel less important to hold that championship. It bothered me, and it bothered me for years. But here we are now.. Daniel Bryan as World champion and he should be. This could leave people who are getting big, and cracking that glass ceiling in limbo.

WWE however decided let's throw these guys all in a feud for our mid-card title, and these men within a month have convinced me that the I.C and U.S title are more important now then ever. Of course given the World title situation with Bryans injury has done nothing but help. For example tonight the last match of the night feautured Sheamus the U.S champion and former world champion Del Rio.

We also had an exciting, excellent match in RVD/Cesaro. These guys are perfect right now for the upper-midcard title. And they're elevating these titles to a whole new level. I've never been this excited about the I.C title and U.S title since I was just a toddler.

I loved the I.C tournament was one of the most entertaining tournaments I've watched. How do you guys feel about the U.S and I.C titles? Am I just marking out or do you guys feel like that they're finally gaining their recognition back? I for one love Cesaro, Barrett, Del Rio, and Sheamus in that title picture. You guys can call it a demotion, but I feel as if it's a promotion. These guys are bringing importance back to two titles I've always loved. And they deserve all the credit right now!

 

[PeterSellersSTL]

I'm happy with Cesaro-Sheamus, and Barrett-RVD. I'm hoping for a fatal-four-way unification match between the four down the line. But with no WWE-WHC title picture I'm a bit hesitant to give WWE that much credit.

 

[TheICChampion]

Come on, people. Doesn't anyone have any patience anymore? For years, the WWE made it seem as though the IC and US titles meant very little. It's going to take a while for them to try and build up their importance again, if that is indeed the road they are going down. Meanwhile, I'm just going to kick back and enjoy two matchups that should be very interesting to see, regardless of whether or not the belts are on the line. As for what you said, BigTuna52, while they may not be the best thing going for this upcoming PPV, it certainly could be a lot worse. I, for one, am glad that these title matches aren't the main selling point of this PPV.

 

[Gibby]

In 1992 the Intercontinental Title headlined Summerslam in front of 80000. Based on that evidence alone I'd say that it has somewhat slipped in perception since then: owing to passing it around a bit too often in the early 00s, additional titles such as European and Hardcore and accomodating the ECW & WCW legacy as well.

They're doing a nice job with the current elevation of the titles but they've only been able to occur in the effective retirement of the WHC. In days gone by, the IC champ was generally someone who could make the leap to main event, who could pose a threat. I love Barrett, but is he ready? I don't think so.

 

[Viola Moonlight]

Well, considering that the WWE World Heavyweight championship is on the shoulders of someone is injured and with the upcoming Pay-Per-View having no World title match, the WWE had no other choice but to buff the mid-card championships over the last few weeks. Don't get me wrong, the IC title tournament and removing the US title from Dean Ambrose were all steps in the right direction (done before Bryan's inactivity) but the lack of the main title being contested has propelled the mid-card titles to bigger heights much faster than they probably should've. Hell, an argument could be made for the Tag Team titles (with the Uso's getting the rub from aligning with Cena) and the Diva's title (dedicating time for character development) as well.

Hopefully, this promotion of the championships won't be overshadowed once the World title is back in commission. We'll just have to wait and see what happens but for now, enjoy the ride for seeing these titles get some time on the program alongside guys who are considered World title contenders and rising stars of our business.

I'd like to add that with reports coming out suggesting that Bad News Barrett is among one of three men to be the next big star (alongside Bray & Roman) who happens to be the Intercontinental champion, maybe they could be permanently heading into the direction of having the IC title as a grooming belt for future World champs. If that becomes the fate of the IC title then I wouldn't mind having the US title stay around the mid-card. There are a lot of promising stars who can be shot into the ranks who can benefit from the US title whilst established players can use the IC title to shoot their success.

 

[L@RISANO]

It's funny for years and years I read how bad people wanted the I.C and U.S title to mean something special again. Well I feel like it's here, but now people are saying Barrett, Cesaro, and Sheamus deserve better. Their is only one World title now thus meaning only one world champion. With that being said Daniel Bryan really is the best option to BE world champion because of the story, and a story means everything in this business.

Haven't you guys noticed how much they have meant lately? Cesaro, Barrett, RVD, Sheamus are all phenomenal talents, but that's what makes them perfect for these two titles. They don't need to be in the World title feud right now.. In the mean time these wrestlers can bring some importance back to these titles.

I haven't looked forward to a I.C or U.S title match in years. Now when tuning on RAW The Shield/Evolution, Daniel Bryan storyline, and the U.S/I.C title matches are the things I look the most forward to. I mean every match with those guys come close to stealing the show.

One of WZ's biggest critics Josh Isenberg was saying how they should be doing better then this.. That's what bothered me most is back in the day being in a I.C title feud was a huge thing. You wouldn't find anyone saying "oh man these poor guys are stuck in a mid-card title feud. Because for one it was never considered mid-card. It was more of an upper mid-card. People were gracious when their guy held one of those titles.

But then WWE downgraded it and definitely made it feel less important to hold that championship. It bothered me, and it bothered me for years. But here we are now.. Daniel Bryan as World champion and he should be. This could leave people who are getting big, and cracking that glass ceiling in limbo.

WWE however decided let's throw these guys all in a feud for our mid-card title, and these men within a month have convinced me that the I.C and U.S title are more important now then ever. Of course given the World title situation with Bryans injury has done nothing but help. For example tonight the last match of the night feautured Sheamus the U.S champion and former world champion Del Rio.

We also had an exciting, excellent match in RVD/Cesaro. These guys are perfect right now for the upper-midcard title. And they're elevating these titles to a whole new level. I've never been this excited about the I.C title and U.S title since I was just a toddler.

I loved the I.C tournament was one of the most entertaining tournaments I've watched. How do you guys feel about the U.S and I.C titles? Am I just marking out or do you guys feel like that they're finally gaining their recognition back? I for one love Cesaro, Barrett, Del Rio, and Sheamus in that title picture. You guys can call it a demotion, but I feel as if it's a promotion. These guys are bringing importance back to two titles I've always loved. And they deserve all the credit right now!

Since around Wrestlemania season, I said guys like those you mentioned and a few others who should be considered Upper MidCarders, should be the ones fighting for these titles so as to elevate them.

The return of RVD into the IC title scene has also helped it as well and also the concept of tournaments for the IC title has been refreshing programming to say the least.

I think it is a step in the right direction and as a fan, one can only hope that the guys mentioned such as Barrett, Cesaro, Sheamus,etc...are the ones who will fight for these titles to bring up their level of prestige again to a respectable level in the near future and they don't just drop it back to a no-hoper who doesn't deserve TV time or doesn't do title defenses at all.

 

[Creepy Old Man]

SummerSlam 1992 main event: Bret Hart vs. Davey Boy Smith for the Intercontinental Championship.

World War 3 1998 main event: Bret Hart vs. Diamond Dallas Page for the United States Championship.

The last few weeks have been an improvement, but there's a looooong way to go. The fall those titles have incurred since the 1990s has been nothing short of tragic.

 

[Attitude_Era_Guy]

WWE needs to take time to build up the credibility of the Mid-card titles again. Otherwise, it's going to seem like anybody in a feud for one is being wasted.

 

[TheLogan27]

I would disagree. I don't blame ppl like Cesaro or Sheamus going after the US title or Wade Barrett and the IC title and that whole deal but I still just don't care. This is a classic case of how the title is suppose to make the person and the person is suppose to make the title marriage. For instance the has-been RVD won't bring that title up. And putting the title on RVD won't do anything either. But say if you book RVD chasing the IC title and it culminates in a latter match with Wade Barrett going over then you have something there. It seems like there is really nothing to strive for when it comes to those titles. The booking for those 2 titles are horrible

 

[J~P]

I would disagree. I don't blame ppl like Cesaro or Sheamus going after the US title or Wade Barrett and the IC title and that whole deal but I still just don't care. This is a classic case of how the title is suppose to make the person and the person is suppose to make the title marriage. For instance the has-been RVD won't bring that title up. And putting the title on RVD won't do anything either. But say if you book RVD chasing the IC title and it culminates in a latter match with Wade Barrett going over then you have something there. It seems like there is really nothing to strive for when it comes to those titles. The booking for those 2 titles are horrible

What makes RVD a has been? He still puts on great matches.. His pops are still louder then a majority of current wrestlers and even some main eventers. You just call him a has been because he's a legend now. Of course putting him against Barrett helps elevate the I.C title especially when/if Barrett goes over. Now if he became champion then I think it'd be a bad decision seeing as he's already a legend and isn't going to prove much as champion. But he's perfect as a contender for that title. He makes it feel more important.. Barrett vs RVD is an exciting match up.. that has to deliver.

The booking for those title have been better then ever. Cesaro/Sheamus has made the U.S title feel more important then it has in years, maybe decades. Every match has delivered since after wrestlemania. Cesaro chasing the U.S title has been keeping me hooked, because he's just one of a couple interesting talents right now. I hope they hold off on him winning but eventually does.

Also I'd like to apologize for the misleading title. I meant the U.S and I.C title haven't meant so much in a long time. Of course they use to mean a lot more. It will take time for them to bring that importance back, but they're on the right track in my opinion.

I'd love a title unification match at Summerslam just to focus more on one title instead of two. Eventually a double title match could even be a possibility with the World title and I.C title.

 

[USMNT]

I think you guys have the right idea, but are on the wrong track.

The titles aren't the issue. The IC and US title are static. They can't really be more or less prestigious. They are what they are. The issue is the credibility and booking of the man holding the belts.

The IC champion and US champion in the past have been huge stars. Or guys that were guaranteed huge stars.

Look at the lineage of the either belt. It certainly is easier to make the IC belt feel more important when it is Mr. Perfect vs Bret Hart. Or Hart - Bulldog, or Owen - Austin or Savage and Steamboat. The US title is even more prestigious when you think Piper, Race, Valentine, Rotundo, Sting, Windham, Blanchard, Flair, Austin, Steamboat, Goldberg, DDP, Hart, Jarrett, Henning ....

Those guys were mega-stars, in their prime when they held the IC/US title.

Look at today, we all love #BNB, but no sane person would confuse him for a mega star.

The difference is simple. In the glory days of both the IC/US (and even NWA TV title) the MAN made the BELT. Now, WWE is trying to do the opposite and have the BELT make the MAN. And that simply isn't possible.

The best possible scenario for raising the prestige of the IC/US would be for Barrett and Sheamus to have a unification match and for Sheamus (I know, you love #BNB, but perception is reality and Sheamus is perceived as a much bigger star) ... for Sheamus to carry the belt for a long time until someone that has gotten over WITHOUT the belt to take it from him.

As long as WWE keeps trying to make the BELT put over the MAN, it will never work.

 

[kadroan]

I agree with what you're saying. The only thing is how creative prioritizes those titles for a long duration of time.

It just seem so easy for them to lose focus of the titles and just have a random title change on a Main Event or pre show to get a buzz.

I'm hoping a unification match comes out this summer. I'd love to see Barrett/Sheamus/RVD/Cesaro in a fatal four way for the titles like WM 2000.

 

[Softcore Holly]

Wow, for the first time in ages we're having both titles defended on a PPV, not the pre-show but on the actual PPV and people still want them unified? And not with lower card people like Axel, R-Truth, Kofi, Swagger, Sandow, etc etc but actual popular guys like Cesaro, BNB and former world champs in Sheamus and RVD. Considering that a mere month ago one title was on a guy that was going nowhere fast(Big E) and the other most people forgot he even had it this is absolutely amazing, and still one of the titles must go!

I honestly don't see how a unification helps anything, at all. Making only one less title doesn't do anything if creative doesn't care, that just gives them one less thing to care about. Right now we're seeing them put in more effort than they have in ages, and it is awesome. And there's absolutely nothing stopping them from continuing along this path, which will only benefit us by giving us more cool matches in future PPVs.

I see a bunch of you talking about big matches in the titles' past, unification won't help at all in getting them back there. I know we all love to bash creative whenever they do something we disagree with, but I just can't believe that they're so dumb that they need 1 less title just to make a mid-card title meaningful.

So here's hoping that they continue the great work that they're doing now and hopefully don't toss a bunch of that away just for a unification match that'll do nothing in the long run.