But something I want to pick up on is the desire, seemingly, to have the Elite Openweight Championship defended on every TV show. I really don't like that idea, let me make it clear from the outset. Fallout and I were the two people who really held onto the Elite X Championship for a long period of time during the gauntlet and I have to admit that I totally hated it. A lot of people think that the only person who stands to benefit from an arrangement like that is the Champion. But let me tell you, facing different people every show and having no solid feud is really horrendous for a Champion. There really is nothing for the Champion to go on every week, other than who they are facing and the possibility of completing the gauntlet. It was a tough period of my wiring career and I wouldn't want to subject anyone to it.
But the real difficulty is from a booking perspective. Having the Championship being able to be dropped at a hat really means it is difficult to book the Champion, or any of the challengers the way that we would like. Ideally, we like to plan out a cycle in advance so that nothing is left to chance. But how can you schedule anyone in for a feud when they might be the Elite Openweight Champion at the end of the cycle? Whilst people might find that unpredictability is a good thing when it comes to Champions, it really is a nuisance to book and a hazard that we don't need.
Fair enough, but how about more regularly, as opposed to every round? The World title is the big one and should be kept for special occasions and challengers. The Eurasian title fits the bill of being a feud-based title, and could be defended more; however, I think the "Openweight" in the Elite Openweight title implies any challenger, so why not have it defended more than PPV's, and why does it have to be a feud? Not every round, but maybe once during the regular rounds as well? Slot it as the main event of Ascension (maybe Meltdown), and it gives something cool during the regular rounds.
That said, I would be totally willing to bring in a new TV Championship for the purposes of allowing some of the talent further down the field to get a taste for gold. However, I would be lying if I said that this would be a good replacement for solid feuds. Again, it would fall into the trap of being a nightmare to book. But if people thought that fighting over a Championship, instead of igniting their own feuds, was something that they wanted to do, I would support it.
As stated, the Elite Openweight title is the closest title we've got a television title, so there isn't a need to bring in ANOTHER title. We only just have enough people on the roster to handle the titles we've got right now.
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My major point: Give the title back to the people who are struggling/new/rising up the ranks, so they have something to compete against. The Elite Openweight title is in the best position to do so. Having nothing creates a rift for those lower tier guys, being shut out of working towards something; what keeps them here? Sure, you can get better at RPing, but in matches with no consequence, what incentive is there? You're either forced to feud with someone (one that necessarily isn't considered high-profile for creative, compared to all other feuds/title matches), or make a tag team.
The biggest problem: What happens if the champion outgrows the division? I suggested methods of doing so, but booking can get really tricky and it really becomes a case-by-case basis; it is very delicate and if handled incorrectly, it can get messy. Should someone like Sam Smith, Rush or Vega come along, creative should discuss with that person to see what they want to do. There has been a time where Alex Bowen made complaints about not moving, and wanting to remain champion, so it can be difficult and I understand the difficulty... but in that one rare instance, he eventually lost the title to Armando Paradyse, of all people, who "reset" the title.
I'm not saying to cut people off at the legs during their best work, and remove the title from them with force. I'm suggesting a process where the outgrown champion organically moves on into a different division, like the Eurasian & World title scene, without hurting them, as well as bringing the title back to the people who are struggling/new/rising the ranks. This gives the outgrown champion bigger and better opportunities, whilst the other guys get something they can realistically fight for. This is classic wrestling booking 101.