Which Title Belt Was Devalued More? The WCW, or NWA Heavyweight Title?

[Tenta]

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VS.

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Look, both of these belts suffered greatly from the result of these actions. Both of them would never be the same after the fact, and have gone down as the most infamous moments in the history of their promotions. But the question, quite simply, was which of the following events crippled their respective titles more; the NWA, or the WCW Heavyweight Title?

Personally, I have to go with the NWA Title, because this was the final nail in the coffin, not only for the belt, but also for the promotion as a larger national powerhouse. At the time, Jim Crockett had come out of his no complete clause, and there were plenty of wrestlers not used by the WWE or WCW that, theoretically, the NWA could worm its way back onto the national stage. Maybe I'm in denial over this, but I absolutely believe that the NWA stood a chance. Not after this. This not only crushed the title, but also crushed the promotion. The fact that Shane Douglas was willing to walk away from the title that easily and take the Indy promotion's title was something that was unfathomable at the time. Yet, here it was, and it was stunning. at the least, The Arquette title win got WCW some type of press outside the wrestling world. The only press Shane Douglas got the NWA from this was how the NWA eas D-E-A-D dead. There was a chance that the NWA could have made it out of this, and frankly, I was less hopeful about the WCW's chances. This not only killed the belt but the promotion, and thus, I'm going to have to go with the NWA Heavyweight Title.

But as for you, which belt got more devalued by the actions you just witnessed?

 

[TRoN]

Each incident is probally the worst thing to happen to the respective titles in their history. Before I read the post I was leaning towards the WCW title because at the time it was the worst thing I witnessed in pro wrestlling and made me ashamed of being a fan of WCW, but when you look at the fact that the WCW title is still the second most coveted title in NA and still draws money. While the NWA title is forgotten and being defended in some middle school guy in front of 50-100 people. So im going to have to go with the NWA title. Good thread.

 

[klunderbunker]

It's WCW.

The WCW Title still had something resembling value at that point. It was a publicity stunt and while it was completely idiotic and bombed, there was at least a bit of a point to it. The NWA thing though was the final shot to a belt that was long since on life support. The belt hadn't meant anything in years at this point as the WCW Title had been the title of note, not the NWA one. The Shane incident helped ECW but put the NWA out of its misery.

The WCW Title at least had a chance to bounce back. The company was so crippled by that point that it didn't really matter. That was just one in a long string of problems. The thing is though, they could have bounced back. The title meant something going into that show. It had a palce to fall from. The NWA Title simply didn't have that going for it.

It's the WCW Title, simply because the NWA belt was already dead and couldn't have fallen any further.

 

[Tenta]

It's the WCW Title, simply because the NWA belt was already dead and couldn't have fallen any further.

Maybe it's the mark in me talking... I think there's legitimate reason to believe that, at the least, if this didn't happen, the NWA could have been the #3 promotion in wrestling. Not much, really, but nevertheless, it still would have had existence in the national presence. Yes, I'm aware as to how screwed the NWA was, but the fact that they were able to contact wrestlers like Scorpio, Douglas, and the likes means to me they still had a chance to bring in good wrestlers not used by the WWE or WCW. Granted, it would have been very difficult, but I feel as though the job could have been done.

As for the assertion that the WCW title was worth something... I'd disagree. Everyone was aware it wasn't going to the best worker, or the biggest draw anymore. If that were the case, Goldberg would have still had the strap. I feel as though at the time of their respective moments, both of these belts were at the same level of interest. And my vote still goes to the NWA.

 

[Lee]

I'm going with NWA. Look at who won the belts AFTER that point:

NWA the biggest names were Jeff Jarrett, Sting, AJ Styles. After WCW you had Flair, Nash, Jarrett, Booker T, Steiner, Chris Jericho and the Rock.

The NWA belt has no value whatsoever now and I honestly don't think it can pick up, whereby if they brought back the WCW belt tomorrow it would not be devalued at all and would be respected by most fans.

 

[Ruthless-RKO]

The worst incident would have to be the WCW title...I mean to give the title to a celebrity...WTF is that all about really..that was just as low as you can go, it was worst than throwing the belt in the garbage...

However, looking at the NWA title, it was a good title, I think until 1990, the names that held it after that, the belt was dying and so was NWA...but the fact that it came back as the TNA world champion, that is the reason I am not picking NWA...because it had one last decent run with some good names..e.g. Jarrett..

 

[koolaidx]

The most devalued is the NWA title. The last time I knew who the NWA champion was is when Jarrett held it while wresting in the WWF back in 94 (excluding TNA guys who had it). I don't remember the storyline of how he got it but he was in WWF with the NWA title. Shane Douglas threw the title down and said he didn't want it.

 

[Tougie]

Such a tough choice. You look at the WCW title first. It had those mockery title runs with David Arquette and Vince Russo. It meant nothing during the invasion storyline because it was contested in WWF which made it seem like a joke. And it was defaced by the NWO numerous times, although good for the storyline still it was technically defaced.

The NWA Championship of course was once th top belt. Once it was dropped by Shane Douglas it really hasent meant anything. NWA is the #4 promotion in north america at this point in my opinion and thats being nice about it. I think its been diminished more because NWA is hardly ever talked about anymore unless the consistantly do shows in a certain place which where I live they dont.

So for the once greatest championship in the world to become less talked about than the ROH World Championship has devaulued the belt way more than the WCW title ever was.

 

[Morris The Grey]

The WCW belt was defaced in front of millions of people whereas the NWA could have dismiss the "rumors" of what happen in a bingo hall. Course the NWA president dude still acknowledge Douglas as NWA champion. The NWA belt's legacy spans to the beginning of pro wrestling in America and still continues to some extent. Besides the greatest wrestler on the planet Dan "The Beast" Severn became NWA champion afterward and redeem the NWA belt at least to me.

 

[Midnite Express 2009]

I'll say it's neither and also both. The reason why is because of the lineage the NWA title had morphs into the WCW title. The REAL NWA World Heavyweight Title died around 1989 and just became the WCW World Title. You can't say that NWA title was devauled when it's valued was placed in the WCW title over twenty years ago.

So some people every now and then get together and "create" a new NWA title in some high school gym or whatever the case may be. That's just on name alone. There's no merit to those titles just like there was no merit to the "title" that Shane Douglas threw down in ECW. That was just the belt. The Jim Crockett, Jr. led promotion was long dead and came back as WCW. The title that men like Flair, Rhodes, Funk(s), Race, etc held was the REAL NWA title, and I'll hold off on saying Steamboat because that actual belt (while it was at one time referred to as the NWA title, is more so see as the WCW title due to it being apart of WCW longer than it was apart of the NWA, follow me).

The WCW title was devauled, raped and destoryed in the span of two years by people who could've cared less about the company, where it came from and what happened to have gotten them working for WCW in the 1st place. The WCW title by the time of 1999-2001 was seen as a prop by men like Vince Russo, Ed Ferrea and to a certain degree, Eric Bischoff.

When Hogan laid down for Jeff Jarrett that was basically the very end of everything. No matter who held the WCW title after that didn't matter. It could have been an angel from Heaven and it still wouldn't have mattered. WCW did what they did for whatever reasons they did it and in the end, they not only devauled the title but also what came from the title. The NWA had peacefully died ten years earlier. So with all that being said, the WCW title was devauled in the worse and most profane way. David Arquette winning it didn't even matter really because it had no vaule at that point anyway. It was the equal to drawing a picture of a $100 bill on a white piece of paper.

 

[mvalley]

The WCW was obviously devalued more. Between constant title changes towards the end of WCW and guys like David Arquette and Vince Russo winning the title, the title was worth very, very little. When a guy like Ric Flair is saying it wasn't worth anything by the end, that's saying a lot.

The NWA title also was devalued with Douglas throwing the belt down. However, afterwards the champions weren't THAT bad. Shamrock had decent credentials to be the first NWA champion of the new era. Though R-Truth was a mid-carder prior and after his stint in WWE, he was a decent champion. Jarrett, despite what all might say, was a wrestler first and foremost and from a wrestling standpoint helped the title. Styles, though young, was a great representation of the future at the time. Now, I'm not saying all champions were excellent or made proper sense. Rhyno winning the title was just baffling, and his short reign certainly hurt the title. And I would agree that Abyss winning the title a few years back by DQ weakened the title, as well as Abyss' reign which thereby weakened the title a bit more. However, overall they had decent champions in Jarret, Sting, Christian, Raven, and so forth.

Here's another case and point. TNA first went by NWA:TNA to gain instant recognization. At least they tried to use the brand's name to help build their company (And they were successful at least to an extent because they are still here today). WWE crippled and buried WCW within eight months of buying the company, then had the title unified a month later.

Here's a final case and point. The NWA title is STILL around and is still highly sought after. It still demands respect, especially from "old school" wrestlers and "old school" fans. The WCW title is just a memory, a memory that is fading despite the WWE's latest DVD on WCW's history. In ten years, unless something really changes, WCW title will be like the AWA is to virtually all newer fans - a part of wrestling history. The NWA title will be part of the present.

 

[Spaceman Spif]

To me the WCW was devalued more by not just the one incident involving Arquette, but my multiple incidents. The title was in trouble long before Arquette held it, what with the multiple title changes, the nWo defacing it and the fact the company was slowly dying at that point and many fans were tuning into the WWE.

I'll give you the fact that the NWA title pretty much feel from it's pedastool after Douglas threw it away, but it's still a title that people want to hold, that is still around and that some of the biggest names have held. If you look at the WCW title, as has been stated it's a memory now. Yes it held on after Vince brought WCW and some big names held it, but it's now a WWE title and all we have is it's history and the memories.

It's sad to see both titles falling like they have, but what makes me say the WCW title was more devalued is the fact that the NWA title is still around in some capacity.

 

[Rhonda Rousey's Sports Bra]

I'm going to say WCW mostly because I witnessed it when it happened and I remember just how bad that moment was for WCW. I still can't believe that he won the title to promote a movie. Anyway, aside from the fact that I remember the WCW title debacle I'd say it hurt that title's value more because it was the beginning of the end for WCW. A company that was tops for so long fell so far in no time at all. The NWA started dwindling down in National prominence before the Shane Douglas incident so I'd say it devalued that championship less than what Arquette did to the WCW belt.

 

[Cookie14]

For me, the most devalued title is the WCW title, for several reasons.

Firstly, WCW was the biggest promotion in wrestling at this time, in direct competition with WWF.

Secondly, the NWA title went to the best wrestler in a company at the time. Douglas was by far and away the biggest thing in TNA, so him throwing down the title was a big deal. Compare that to WCW, within a few months of Arquette winning the title, you also had the infamous 'Fingerpoke of Doom'. WCW couldn't even be bothered to pass the title on with a proper match.

Thirdly, Douglas throwing down the belt is possibly one of the most famous, and memorable moments in that titles history. In a way it almost boosted its profile because it became THE title that everyone wanted, and anyone could get. The WCW title was the belt that everyone got, but no-one seemed to want.

 

[The Aussie Invasion]

I'm going to have to put the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, Just ahead of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

Why?
Well as Cookie said, After the Douglas incident it made the NWA Title more "famous" and everyone wanted to go after it. Whereas the WCW Title, nobody wanted it, and yet EVERYONE got it. I mean, David Arquette? Really? Really?.

The Fingerpoke of Doom basically said that WCW couldn't be bothered having a proper match for the Title, sure it had it's storyline purpose, but it just pissed all over the Title. The WCW title was trashed by the nWo which was for a storyline aswell, but it just didn't look good to see your company's main Championship vandalised like that.

So all in all, The WCW World Heavyweight Championship just gets my vote

 

[TSG]

I would have to say it was the WCW Championship.

What Douglas did to the NWA Title was demeaning, sure, but the title still meant something, though. A good wrestler won the title, but it is just that he threw it down because he didn't want it or to represent it. He wanted ECW. He didn't want NWA. I guess you could say he wanted to join the revolution, as ECW's promotion always went. But the title still meant something. Just because someone throws down a title doesn't mean it's worthless, that anyone can win it and it mdoesn't matter. It does demean it in some way, and it was basically spitting in the face of people who had one it, and it's legacy, but it was still a title that people would have to strive hard for, work hard for.

Now, when David Arquette won the WCW World Championship, it was a whole different story. Not only did it spit in the face of the legacy of the title and men who had one it, it basically screamed from the top of Mount Everest-ANYBODY CAN WIN THIS TITLE!!!

I mean, seriously, when Douglas one the NWA Title, he was a respectable wrestler who just didn't want the belt. This was some B-List actor whose biggest claim to fame is playing Dewey, a man who wet himself in fear of defending the title and then tried to give it back. Think about that for a second. Your champion, who is supposed to be the main guy in the company, wet himself in fear of defending said title. I know he was supposed to be comedy, I know he was promoting a movie, but c'mon? Really? Shane Douglas might have threw down a title, but he never wet himself or chased another actor down with a steel chair.

WCW wins this battle. Douglas might have demeaned a prestigous title, but at least it still meant something to win it, meant that you had to work hard to earn it. Arquette winning, this basically screamed any average Joe could come in off the street and win the title. And on top of it, he actually had a succesful title defense. Against an actual wrestler. Well, it was Tank Abbot, but still. At least it still meant something to win the NWA Title. The Rock, Chris Jericho, Booker T, Scott Steiner, and people before them such as Ric Flair and Hollywood Hogan, didn't accomplish anything in sense, as a B-List celebrity, or basically any average Joe who probably had the same amount of training, could come in and win that title. At least NWA Champions won something that you have to be at least a decent wrestler to win.

 

[Stormtrooper]

This is an easy one for me. The answer is the WCW Tile.

Firstly, by the time Shane Douglas won the NWA Title and threw it to the ground, the NWA was practically dead. Case in point the venue in which Douglas won the belt. Douglas won the belt at the ECW Arena, capacity (according to Wikipedia) 1600. Arquette won the WCW Title In Syracuse, NY, at an arena that can hold 10 times the number of people. WCW (and thus the WCW Title) had a lot more credibility at its time of devaluation then the NWA Title..

Secondly, The NWA Title incident (while a shoot) was a storyline, involving wrestlers. Shane Douglas was a trained, full-time wrestler, who used this incident to further his wrestling career. David Arquette is an actor who presumably never once trained to be a wrestler, and his winning the WCW Championship was nothing more then a publicity stunt gone wrong.

Thirdly, While the NWA Title Incident was a shoot, there was a logical point to the incident (at least from Shane Douglas's/ECW's perspective). By throwing down the NWA Belt (and declaring himself ECW World Champion), Douglas enhanced the image of the ECW championship, AND ECW gained notoriety in the public eye. David Arquette winning the WCW Championship gave absolutely NOTHING to the wrestling business.

I can't imagine anyone saying the Shane Douglas NWA incident was worse, especially considering that the NWA Title incident pretty much was the spark that first ignited Extreme Championship Wrestling.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

WCW, by far.

It was spray-painted, tossed around in and out of the ring, laid down for and won by David Fucking Arquette – that pales in comparison to what Douglas did with the NWA title. Absolutely pales.

While what Douglas did was demeaning, in no way was NWA/TNA so much as half as big as WCW, and the number of people who watched Arquette win the title, for example, shames the number who watched Douglas throw the NWA title down.