You recognize the "WCW International" World title as a World title?

[One to Remember]

I was reading a thread on another forum about whether or not Rick Rude was a former World champion and after awile the conversation completely shift from an argument about the WCCW heavyweight title to a no holds barred argument over the validity of WCW International and the WWE brand exstension titles and etc. It also triggered a debate over Flair's title count as well as Sting's and the legitamacy of Barry Windham and Masa Chono as NWA champons. My question is would you guys recognize those title reigns in like of what we recognize these days?

 

[Defekt]

I do for these reasons:

1. WCW recognized it as a world title.
2. It was a continuation of the NWA world title, which WCW lost the rights to due to business disagreements.
3. Only the promotions top guys held and competed for the title.
4. After the unification match, the physical World International Championship belt went on to represent the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.

 

[TheHitMark-SirJoseOle]

Yeah, the WCW International World Championship is a World Title, anyone disagrees it's because they probably have a mad on for all things WCW. It's a World Title because the Big Gold Belt represented it as a championship, and they even had matches for the title overseas. I am treading the same line of thought as Defekt did but just the same I'll be specific in those names that did compete for the WCW International World Title...Flair, Rude, Vader, and Sting three out of those four men held the WCW "Proper"'s World Title as well. and when it was unified like Defekt also said the Big Gold Belt once again represented the full time time belt of World Championship Wrestling...so just like the proverbial saying of "If it walks like a duck..." well...you get my drift.

 

[Dusty Roids]

Rude and Sting feuded over the title and I believe in one of those matches Sting injured Rick Rude's back causing him to retire.

 

[FlairFan2003]

I personally do not feel it was a "World Title" - however, it has been accepted as such by the likes of WWE & Pro Wrestling Illustrated, both of whom count Flair's win over Barry Whyndam in June 1993 for the re-formed NWA Title (soon to become the WCW International Title) as one of his official World Title Wins. Therefore, it doesnt really matter what we "think" - technically it is validated by those in the process of maintaining wrestling's history as a "world title".

Personally, I thought the old Universal Wrestling Championship from the UWF should have been given World Title Status, that championship was defended all over the US and at one point was defended against both UWF & NWA/WCW stars (the company was bought by Jim Crockett Promotions, for awhile it stil operated as it's own entity but in coinjunction with the Crockett's main arm of the NWA, then in 1988 it was disolved and Crockett picked which UWF stars he wanted to keep, like Sting & Steve Williams). Unfortunately Pro Wrestling Illustrated never bestowed that recognition upon it and WWE has never addressed it, likely they never will.