When did IC Title become a joke

[Pimpin]

I've looked all around the RAW section of this forum & couldn't find a topic that's similar to this but if any of y'all find another topic on this then do whatever is best in your minds.

We all know that the IC title has become nothing more than a joke for a long time now but when exactly did it become this way. Well I think that it became a joke for good whenever Jericho beat Jeff Hardy for the title a year ago & hardly ever defended it or came out with it.

So when do y'all think the IC Title became a joke?

 

[JTS32]

I think the prestige of the title hit bottom with Jericho's most recent reign however I think it finally hit the "joke" stage with Santino Marella. Not so much his reign because they tried to make it relevant with the "Honk-o-Meter." A flawd angle but at least an effort. The joke was how he won it. Never should a title with that history be won when your "girlfriend" pins someone for another championship. That in my mind is when the IC title became a joke.

 

[seven3too]

speaking as an older fan i can say that the ic title was my favorite title because it showcased the best talent.. and i can also say that the shit hit the fan FEBUARY 14, 1999 at in your house st. valentines day masacre with val venis. if you look at the title history from there on it became a prop. look at the stupid gimmick since that time and the less than worthy talent that held the strap..a pimp, a road dog,(whatever that is) a women, a porn star, it was just stupid. sure there were some shining stars in that period. guerero,benoit,van dam,edge,orton jeff hardy. but by in large, it baceme a prop. even triple H who held it twice since valentines day 1999 didn't need it cause he has a world champ 3 months prior. and only held it for the power trip angle. the guys who were worthy didn't hold on to long enough to give it back value. from 1979 to 1999 there were 50 ic champs from 1999 to 2009 there has been an additional 70..that's 10 years. it's sad that guys like test (before falling off the wagon) didn't hold it longer. it might have saved his career. lance storm is another one. it became the kiss of death unfortunatley for too many wrestlers.

 

[MikeKillam]

The title became a joke when all of the big name superstars started competing only for the "big titles." It became a joke when WWE made two world titles, the US title, and two sets of tag titles. Now EVERY top name guy has some top title to fight for.
It used to be that the two best were fighting for the WWE Title, then there were a bunch of people free to compete for the IC, European, Hardcore, etc. The problem is now that are mindset has changed. The IC title is no longer a belt we look at and go, "I wonder if Triple H will take it home this Sunday?" Instead, we see it as "I wonder which mid-card guy will make a run with this thing now."

I'm not saying it's a bad thing. It gives mid-carders more popularity. But what would happen if you saw William Regal or CM Punk feud with Shawn Michaels or Chris Jericho over the title? It would have much more prestige then. Not to mention some of those top guys seriously need a title reign!
It would also make it so the WHW Title and WWE title stopped changing hands every ten minutes.

 

[LokiCobain]

Although I'm always glad to see the rare site of people actually using historical facts in their opinions, I'm going to take a slightly different approach. Val Venis wasn't as awful as he became, and was pretty popular. He was like an Attitude version of Rick Rude. The Chyna move I liked as well. What I think was the death to the title was NOT having it at Wrestlemania, which will happen again this year. 2003 was the first time (in recent history) that the title wasn't defended at Mania. Champion wise, it was Christian, Booker, RVD, Jericho, Orton, Edge and guys that really made it, but the title itself didn't last.
Here are the matches that did occur instead of an IC match since 2003:
2003:
Matt Hardy vs Rey Mysterio for Cruiserweight (another title worth a thread)
Undertaker vs Big Show AND A-Train
Shawn Michaels vs Chris Jericho (could've been the title match)
Hulk Hogan vs Vince McMahon
2004:
John Cena vs Big Show for United States title
Flair, Orton, Batista vs Mic Foley and The Rock
Sable and Torrie Wilson vs Stacey Kiebler and Jackie Gayda
10-Man Cruiserweight title Match
Victoria vs Molly Holly for Women's Title
2005:
Trish vs Christy Hemme for Women's Title
Eugene getting beat up by Hassan, to be saved by Hogan
Akebono vs Big Show in a Sumo match
Kurt Angle vs Shawn Michaels (IC?)
2006:
JBL vs Chris Benoit for US
Boogeyman vs Booker T AND Sharmell
Edge vs Mick Foley in a Hardcore Match (great match btw)
Shawn Michaels vs Vince McMahon
Torrie Wilson vs Candice Michelle in a Pillow Fight
2007:
The Great Khali vs kane
Benoit vs MVP for US
ECW Originals vs New Breed
Lashley vs Umaga, hair vs hair
2008:
JBL vs Finlay in a Belfast Brawl (IC?)
Batista vs Umaga
Kane vs Chavo (10 second match)
"Bunnymania"
Big Show vs Floyd Mayweather

Now I know the Money in the Bank match takes up a spot on the card, but in each of those PPVs, the IC title, which is supposed to mean something, hasn't even been defended. At the same time, the United States title has actually been used, even though it isn't WWE's belt, legacy wise. WWE can either make the belt matter, by giving it to guys that already matter (A listers), or use it to elevate guys (which apparently ECW is for), but not having it in their biggest event, while pillow fights make it, is an insult.

 

[Agent-67]

The IC title fell the same time the US title fell. During the Monday night wars. These two titles were originally desgined as a stepping stone to the main event. Up until the Ultimate Warrior I don't think there was a repeat champ, because they went on to bigger and better things or they remained a solid mid card guy. Since the Monday night wars & up to today the title is given immediatley to people to ligitimize them. However, it has backfired. No one is buying the idea of since I have a title I'm good, cheer or boo me. I understand that this is not the old days when a guy could hold titles for 1-4 years. However, come on! Some guys are given titles for 24 hours. I think you could legitimize the IC title with a decent run. I thought the title was going to make a comback with Owen Hart & the Hartfoundation in 97. They had all the gold. You people that rip on Santino are nuts! Listen to the crowd. Did you all hear the chants at Royal Rumble. They just rushed the angle like every other IC angle. What if that Honk-O-Meter was still on? What if Santino was somehow managing to hold onto the title each match through weird or shaky means. It comes down to the last week before he breaks Honky's record. Then Honky costs him the title or he beats Honky to end the streak. How much would that legitimize Santino and the title? But no they brought Honky, Piper, & others out too early to have anyone care about the fued. They also need to stop giving it to stupid people. Regal wins that belt everytime hes in Europe. NO ONE CARES ABOUT THAT GUY! I hear crickets when he hits the ring. He was a low mid card guy all his life, what makes anyone think now in the twilight of his career hes good!? Put a good angle around the title & let someone run with it for a while. But who knows it might just be dead.

 

[Hayes]

Thank you so much for posting this, I've felt this way for a long time now. In the late 80s and early 90s this title meant so much. One can blame it on the World and ECW titles in the WWE but it goes deeper than that. The WCW and ECW were both around when the IC belt was so significant. Let's be real, Raw is equivalent to the WWE, SD! to WCW, and ECW to the original ECW. Although ROH and TNA are the two other major federations they have not seen the success of their 1990s counterparts, ECW and WCW. I feel that the WWE may be to complacent as top dog and not really care about putting over new talent as much as they used to. That have ass attempt at the championship scramble to give MVP, Benjamin, and Kendrick a push was a joke. Michaels, Hart, and Austin among many others all used the IC belt as a stepping ston to become the Heavyweight champ, now CM Punk is getting the World Title and then the IC belt. Jericho the first ever undisputed champ regressing back to the IC title? Even Flair's reign a few years back, c'mon. The WWE releases Dykstra, Burke, Cade, and London and has no IC division. Noble is a glorified jobber yet he's more talented than 90% of the WWE roster. Charlie Haas never gets a bone. I understand that the WWE needs to keep the money makers Cena, Triple H, Jeff Hardy on top but there are fans that love a good match, and the IC Title needs to continue it's tradition. All defenses occur on Raw, I didn't even understand the whole tournament, and the SummerSlam mixed gender match was a laughing stock. When RVD, Christian, and Booker T all traded it was a title for the underrated. Now I don't even know what it stands for. It might be poor writing, or top guys not allowing young talent to excel but whatever it is it needs to stop.

 

[seven3too]

i think someone worthy should actually win the title at a ppv and the next night on raw address the fact that it hasn't meant anything for the last 10 years. and they're gonna bring it valor back.. and just shoot on it bringing some actual contenders to it. finding someone is gonna be tricky

 

[klunderbunker]

To me this could be a few different answers. My first answer though would be when the title was unified with the World Title in I think 2002. The title disappeared for about a year. Some of my favorite shows are Smaville and Supernatural. They're absolutely sweet. Great characters, storylines, etc. However, they're on hiatus for the second time thsi season. As awesome as they are, taking them off the air for 5 weeks after being back a month following a 7 week break has killed this season for me. The same thing happened 6 years ago with the IC belt. When it was gone that long, people stopped caring about it.

My other answer would be a lesser answer, and that would be the night of the Milan Miracle. Umaga had been a solid champion and was a great choice for the belt: young, brutal, dominant, and over as a heel. Excellent choice to put the midcard title on. So what do they do to him: they have a "fan" beat him. This "fan" goes on to defend the title against such dominant wrestlers such as the Coach. The title looked like a total joke. Santino lost it soon and it started to grow again with Kofi Kingston. Same kind of guy as Umaga except for a face. That's perfect for someone like Kofi. That title gave him legitimacy. So what do they do? They put the belt on Santino AGAIN but he doesn't even get the pinfall to do it. If they had let him beat Kofi, even by a fluke, the reign is instantly better. He made the title look silly, which considering that it had been a prop for so long and finally got a decent reign, that was just a bad idea.

 

[WrestlingHistorian]

In my opinion, the Intercontinental Championship began to lose prestige during the attitude era when it was changing hands between Val Venis, The Godfather, Road Dogg, Rikishi and Chyna. Too many changes during too many lackluster matches. I would actually lose track of who was champion at one point because it got so out of hand and everyone was getting a hold of the belt. Hopefully things like this change.

 

[LokiCobain]

The whole tournament for IC was because they were releasing the the DVD about the IC title, so again, capitalism ruins the product, and just follows the money, and WWE is the epitomy of a successful capitalist machine.

 

[d_henderson1810]

When the WWF decided to move the title from a great wrestler like Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat to a useless piece of crap like the Honky Tonk Man. Honky Tonk Man is a joke, and his longest title reign is a joke as well.

 

[Doctor_What]

I seem to recall a time in the 1990's or maybe 200 that Jericho and Chyna were "co-champions"???

For me though some unworthy champions/title reigns in no paticular order include

Albert
Road Dogg
Billy Gunn
Santino Marella (1st reign at least)
Chyna
Chris Jericho (8th reign)
Chris Benoit (final reign cant remember number he lost it back to RVD at Summerslam 02)
Carlito (did fuck all with it)
Test (could have been a great reign)
Triple H (when he unified it with WH belt)
Godfather
The Mountie
Dean Douglas (did he even TOUCH the belt?)

Guys that deserve to be in this title picture but arent

Charlie Haas
The Brian Kendrick
Finlay
Mr Kennedy
Kofi Kingstone (seriosly where is he heading?)

I could probably sit here all day but my point is. When I 1st got into wrestling the very 1st Wrestlemania I saw was WM 09 Bret Hart v Roddy Piper for the IC title. That match had me hooked and made me a lifetime Bret fan. I remember HBK v Razor Ramone at WM10 as well. Back then the ic belt had meaning there were 3 titles only in wwe. Nowadays belts are just props.

 

[eXtremely-Priceless2K9]

I think that a Punk vs. HBK fued would make that title a C- title to a B title IMHO I think some main eventers could help it become the 80's IC title

 

[GSM]

Yeah the WWE could put a solid feud together and this even get the IC belt some credibility back but why should they bother ?? Did they lose any money because the IC belt isn´t worth a penny anymore ?? The answer is no, they didn´t and how I see it they won´t do anything about it because they obviously don´t need to. Of course you could say that the people are more interested in a feud over a title but I´m afraid that the 80´s are over and the IC belt isn´t that important anymore and besides the smarks nobody really cares for the IC belt anymore.

 

[WrestlingHistorian]

To have the Intercontinental Championship main event a few Raw's and maybe be defended right before the World's Championship at a PPV would do the belt a world of good. It's all about recognition and to have it main event as well as being held by an all-star competitor would help the credibility of the belt ten fold.

 

[ozzman1134]

The answer to that would be the mid-late 90s

The height to me for the ic title would be WrestleMania VI 1990

Warrior vs hogan I can remember even though i was only 9 at the time

The build for that PPV man those where the days

 

[ThePeoplesChampion]

Personally i think it fell in two steps.....1st. When WWE had the brand sepratation and made the US title, which drop many potential feuds which would of been amazing to see.. 2nd. Santino getting the belt the first time from umaga as a joker from the crowd, it made it seem like anyone could just win the belt...which nowdays is true

 

[XTN™]

ever since they gave it to santino, the title is disregareded, simple as that. lol

 

[Age of Orton]

The title became a joke when all of the big name superstars started competing only for the "big titles." It became a joke when WWE made two world titles, the US title, and two sets of tag titles. Now EVERY top name guy has some top title to fight for.
It used to be that the two best were fighting for the WWE Title, then there were a bunch of people free to compete for the IC, European, Hardcore, etc. The problem is now that are mindset has changed. The IC title is no longer a belt we look at and go, "I wonder if Triple H will take it home this Sunday?" Instead, we see it as "I wonder which mid-card guy will make a run with this thing now."

I'm not saying it's a bad thing. It gives mid-carders more popularity. But what would happen if you saw William Regal or CM Punk feud with Shawn Michaels or Chris Jericho over the title? It would have much more prestige then. Not to mention some of those top guys seriously need a title reign!
It would also make it so the WHW Title and WWE title stopped changing hands every ten minutes.

I concur, IMO WWE should revert back to one world title, one ic, one tag, and the hardcore title, simply gives the low card some cred (look at hardcore holly) with the hardcore belt and the matches were fun, build the tag division up again, and also rebuild the IC title up, it's easily done, lower one main eventer say HBK and take CM Punk, and put them on a PPV say Night of champions, CM punk wins clean.. straight away that title as gained some respect, say summerslam HBK wins.. it's rare a main eventer actually goes down to the mid card and wins the ic title but lets face it HBK will NEVER win the world belt now he simply doesn't need it, BUT the IC title needs him.. his matches are great with mid carders (check Shelton/HBK gold rush 05 on RAW) it's mind boggling how WWE can let there belts go to crap and yet the fans (us) have a better prospective what could/should be done with them.

 

[Budro5454]

I think when Austin through it into the river and basically didn't care if he had it or not. That title is made specifically to put somebody over. They never have a title defense at a PPV, and they put it on people who don't have a shot in hell on ever getting over because their characters are stupid, their lines are scripted and they sound like they are some kind of corney villian out of a Ninja turtle cartoon. Bad story lines are what burried the IC tittle. What do we expect? its run by Stephanie McMahon, she probably gets most of her advice from Jim Herd.

 

[corvis]

In my eyes it lost it's lustre when they decided to get rid of it a number of years back.

I just thought that was them basically saying that the title/belt was completely useless and I've seen it that way since they brought it back.

Just the idea of them seeing a good reason to get rid of something shows that it's (in their eyes) past it's sell by date so to speak. Even though they've brought it back, you've gotta imagine that there is at least a small percentage of people behind the scenes (or whatever you want to call it) that are still operating on that thought.

 

[JBK2008]

This is sad. I love the Intercontinental title and it's my favorite title. The history and prestige of this belt was once soo rich. I don't know why Vince doesn't push his mid card belts. It kills me that they aren't put on the line as much as they should.

Yes it's a joke title now. Hell I don't ever want to see Santino with it again. I like Punk as champ. Have him feud with Regal. It would be great and I think it would be a nice start to put this belt back on the map.

 

[Doctor_What]

Heres an idea. Lets say a heel gets the belt ie Ted Diabiese but he disrespects the belt week after week. Shawn Michaels the 3 time champion takes offence after all it was his 1st title so he chases the belt and eventualy wins it. Then has a good honest long reign. That way hbk has a storline reason to chase and the belt gets its deserving champion

 

[LokiCobain]

Heres an idea. Lets say a heel gets the belt ie Ted Diabiese but he disrespects the belt week after week. Shawn Michaels the 3 time champion takes offence after all it was his 1st title so he chases the belt and eventualy wins it. Then has a good honest long reign. That way hbk has a storline reason to chase and the belt gets its deserving champion

I agree with this. Soon, the name "Legacy" is going to have to mean something more than just a second generation superstar, and it'll be time for Rhodes and DiBiase, and whoever else they throw in there, to start making of Legacy of their own. They shouldn't re-do the whole "legend killer" concept, but they can do a A-list killer concept, basically the "legends" that are still there. Instead of DiBiase disrespecting the title however, you can have him just say that there's finally a decent and deserving IC champ, hit HBK's music, and it's an instant feud with DiBiase remaining a heel (anyone anti-Michaels is basically a heel). Have DiBiase come out on top when all is said and done, and go down the line. The stable really needs to expand, and start flowing into the other brands, soon having most if not all the titles restoring legacies that matter, with long title reigns.