Whatever Happened To Mid Card Main Events?

[Heavens Vibe]

Remember back in the days when it was possible to watch e.g. an intercontinental match on WWE or even a PPV and have it shown as the main event.

Looking back at WM in the year 2000 we saw what in my opinion was the main event of the night, and guess what? It wasn't a championship 1v1 battle, it didnt include the face of the company or something.

So heres the question, do you think we could ever see the return of a mid card match "main eventing" whether it be official or just the highlight of the night.

Share your thoughts.

 

[jholcomb22]

I'm guessing you are calling the main event of WM 2000 the intercontinental/european 2 falls championship match. I don't know if you are asking in this thread "when is the last time a mid card match stole the show?" because everybody knows the main event of WM2000 was the fatal 4 way for the WWE Title. It was the last match, most important match, and featured a McMahon in every corner.

As far as a midcard match "stealing" a show, it hasn't happened in a while, but with up and coming talent, it could happen again. Daniel Bryan has been putting on great matches lately and might have stole a show if not for Punk/Cena and Orton/Christian who have put on a string of really good matches.

 

[The Future Rises]

Well there was midcard match that apparently stole the show just recently. It was the opener of Bragging Rights 2010. Raw's United States champion Daniel Bryan went toe to toe with Smackdown's Intercontinental champion Dolph Ziggler.

This match was definitely the match of the night though it was between two midcarders and it was in the opener. Even WWE.com rated it the second greatest match of 2010 just behind Undertaker/Michaels. This match without a doubt stole the show at Bragging Rights 2010. And was one of the most competitive back and forth solid wrestling matches that I've seen between two midcarders.

 

[gh88us]

Back in the day, i've been watching wwe since the mid 80's, during a 3 hours ppv there would be 2 so so matches, then a semi main event match, then 2 so so matches then another semi main event, then 20 so so matches then the Main Event. You alway had 9 solid matches during a PPV and most matches lasted a good 10-15 minutes.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

What the fuck are you talking about? WM2000 had Rock, HHH, Foley, and Show plus all the McMahons and was for the WWE title. Just because YOUR favorite match wasn't that doesn't mean it was the main event.

If you are referring more to the 80s when a mid card match could main event, well back then most matches were squash matches too. I don't think you want that.

Midcarders shouldn't main event because they aren't a draw. People would have no reason to care.

Back in the day, i've been watching wwe since the mid 80's, during a 3 hours ppv there would be 2 so so matches, then a semi main event match, then 2 so so matches then another semi main event, then 20 so so matches then the Main Event. You alway had 9 solid matches during a PPV and most matches lasted a good 10-15 minutes.

More like so so match, squash, squash, so so match, hyped match (which would be a modern day midcard match), squash, squash, so so match, hyped match (modern day 2nd main), so so match, so so match, main event.

There was a TON of squashes back in the day. Even though the main events of a card where feuded over for a year, the rest were pretty much thrown together. Ever try to watch all of WM 5? It's just 7 minute punch/kick after 7 minute punch/kick. Then the main event. I'll take today's shows over that any day.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I could see the midcard matches potentially being the highlight of the night again but they will never main event again, at least not in WWE. The IC title no longer has enough prestige and the fans want a great closing match/segment so the only logical option due to the current style of booking is to use main eventers and legends in the closing moments of the show. The blame lies with the booking. If they book the midcard to mean something again rather than just being another hurdle on the way to the world titles, then and only then will a midcard main event ever be possible again.

 

[EastCoastFan]

Back in the day, the World Champion was rarely on TV outside of an interview or promo, the idea being that if you wanted to see him, you had to pay for it. As a result, the I-C and tag team champs got a lot of TV time to show their stuff.

Once the Monday Night Wars started, WWF and WCW always had their top guys on the show in their tooth-and-nail battle for ratings. Having the champ on TV all the time became the norm. As a result, with a World title defense on every show, the other titles lost a lot of their prestige. It also didn't help that the midcard titles became steppingstones to try and get people over. As a result, someone like Albert can claim to be a former I-C champ.

 

[Shakin' Abe]

Blame Russo and Bishoff for putting the strap on Davis Arquette in WCW and making a mockery of the belts. If the World Heavyweight belt doesn't matter, how can the mid card belts? The mid carders don't draw dick, that's why they are mid carders. If the fans take to a mid carder, such as The Miz, then he gets a push. Most don't. Look at how ridiculous R Truth has become. he has replaced Santino in the comedy segments and can't and won't ever be a main event guy, so Vince will use and abuse him as a mid carder.

 

[911 JP]

I think WWE are obviously still relating to the kids as much as they have since they turned PG. The kids want to see there hero, if they are not seeing John Cena, Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton wrestle then they are not happy. To end a show and send the crowd home happy these days we need, let me rephrase, we see John Cena standing in the ring after looking like a super hero. This is all directed at the kids. Seeing John Cena dominate 3+ guys and doing the whole climatic 5 moves of doom is what the kids want. Seeing to mid card guys put on a 5 star match, kids wouldnt give a shit about. People say that WWE had a PG era back in the 80's and that, as another poster said were squash matches, but that is what entertains the kids. If the kids in the 80's saw Hogan shake his fists and fire himself up and come back to life and win the match they would love it! Same in the modern era with Cena ending every Raw looking dominant. It is what the kids want to see. Seeing Dolph Ziggler and Daniel Bryan put on a wrestling spectacular would not interest 99% of the kids watching WWE programing, they watch to wear their merch and immitate John Cena. Therefore I believe Mid Card mainevents are no more because of the kids, disagree with me all you want but the points I stated are very realistic figures as to why main eventers are not mid carders.

 

[Marzyk]

I remember when RAW would have a main event match at the end of the first hour, then a main event match or segment at the end of the second hour.... However, that was because they had so much star power that neither match hardly ever had a midcarder in it. For instance, I can remember attending a RAW taping, back then, where the first hour main event was The Rock with The Dudleys VS Kurt Angle with Edge & Christian... and the second ended with a segment that featured Stone Cold, Mr. McMahan and Mick Foley. Not to mention that segment followed a HHH match... What I am saying is that when you have double main events it is not to display midcarders. It is to get the most out of tim having a large stable of stars, at one time.

 

[Captain Mike]

For an IC or US Title Match to headline a PPV it would have had to have had a huge build up for it to happen. but on RAW ans SD! I don't see why there cannot be more of it to be honest. Titles do not get defended enough in my opinion in this day and age so why not have a US or IC Title match main event RAW or SD! one week or so every now and then. It would really help in getting those champions and challengers some great screen/air time and it puts a bit more prestige and desire into wanting to hold those titles and wanting to see them defending...

 

[Jeff]

As long as the WWE has two main event titles, you won't be seeing (or at least rarely seeing) an Intercontinental or US Title match main event a show again, and certainly NEVER main event a PPV. I feel as if the IC and US title mean as much as the European Title meant in the late 90's early 2000s. The WWE really needs to evaluate the titles they have. I always said that...

WHC and WWE Championship should merge into one main event title which means you are the best in the business today.

US Championship should mean you are the best wrestler on Raw and IC title should mean you are the best wrestler on Smackdown. This would give both main event superstars a reason to want to challenge for this title as well as actually help a mid card superstars career when he wins the title, rather then mean next to nothing.

Now all three of these titles will mean something, and all three of them can mean something on a PPV card. Plus a IC Title main event match on Smackdown or a US Title main event match on Raw, actually might be exciting.

Also they need to bring back the cruiser weight title...but that's a whole different topic.