Which belt is more prestigious?

[Guest MrFill]

* Discussion borrowed from someone else online.

 

 

A few years back they handed HHH the World Championship, and everybody said it was a joke title, then with him holding it for ages and ages, only dropping it to his best buddy for a month, it became even more of a joke.

So at that time, the WWE Championship was the more prestigious belt.

 

Move forwards to WM 2 years ago - Benoit wins the World Championship, Eddie has the WWE Championship - they're getting to be pretty level.

 

JBL wins the WWE Champ, and at first everyone says it's a joke, but he proves himself to be a VERY worthy champion. Slight dip for the WWE.

 

Now move forwards to Cena winning the WWE Championship - it gets turned into that spinny bit of rubbish, Cena becomes Superman and can't be cleanly beaten, so him holding it for nearly 13 months (less the Edge 2-3 week reign), it's lost a LOT.

 

With DAVE~! holding the World Championship, and then having to drop it, so it went to Angle, the title was still in good hands - until they drop it to Rey, who just doesn't seem convincing as a Champion.

 

 

So, at this point, what is the most prestigious belt in the WWE?

 

If we look at the next two:

 

IC - They were building some respectability into the belt, but then Flair held it, and it all went to pot - trying to build more on it now though. Was near worthless, trying again though.

 

US - Again, they tried, but with the stupid bit with Booker winning it even though he was injured, it's value dropped. Currently it's near worthless.

 

 

So, out of the big 4, they're all pretty useless in my opinion.

 

 

Now that Mickie has the Women's belt, and the fantastic feud building up to WM (ignoring everything after), then at the moment, the only belt with SOME credibility is the Women's one.

 

What does that say about the state of the WWE's Championships?

[Nightfox 11]

Ever since Batista got the Heavyweight title it lost credibility to me, same with Cena and the spinny belt thing. both meant nothing, they ruined the IC belt and US titles, and although MNM are awesome tag champs, it means little as nobody to challenge them. I agree, the womens title is most prestigious right now, with the right gal holding the strap, trish should be out of the picture for awhile as she sucks in the ring thesedays, let Mickie feud with Victoria or Lita for awhile it would be awesome, take the Heavyweight title off rey and give it to Triple H I say, let him feud with Angle or Michaels. Remove the WWE title completely, and let other stars like edge etc fight for the heavyweight.

[Ryan 188]

Remove the WWE title completely' date=' and let other stars like edge etc fight for the heavyweight.[/quote']

 

Why would WWE get rid of the WWE Title?

[Guest Wolverine]

The Women's Championship is prestigious? :lol

 

Sorry, but when the likes of Candice Michelle and Torrie Wilson get title shots every month, the belt automatically ceases to be worth a great deal.

[Guest Cartrouble kid]

The WWE title has the most value as a storyline device, no question about it....

 

Cena had it for ages, then Edge essentially stole it from him (and people went mental)... then of course, Cena won it back...

 

Now, HHH & Edge are both desperate to get the title off Cena at Backlash, and the crowd response to all 3 guys has been very enthusiastic just lately...

 

So, I don't see what more people want really? that's all you can possibly expect from a fake wrestling title- especially when feuds are booked in such uncomplicated ways.

 

I mean, the Backlash main-event basically rests on who will emerge from the match as champion (as there is no overt storyline in-play really) yet people are still very interested in the outcome.

 

Plus, technically speaking, the WWE title is the belt which was held by all the former champions of the WWF days (Hogan, Rock, Austin, Bret etc etc etc) so it will always have the edge over some belt that emerged from Bischoff's briefcase a couple of year's ago...

[Dead Crow 370]

WWE title, no doubt. The World title hasn't meant anything since Wrestlemania 21, whereas the WWE title scene has sparked the biggest ratings in years, a champion who sells more merchandise and gets more reaction than anybody has in years, is more prominent in most dual-brand PPVs than the World title, and isn't current possessed by a midget.

 

I have to admit though, I love the IC belt around Shelton and his GQ waist.

[Guest DOB]

Whatever title HHH feels is more prestigous then thats the one!

 

Seriously though i think whatever title SmackDown has is the most prestigous because there have been more exciting main events than RAW has.

 

For example:

Eddie Vs JBL Judgement Day 04 (wwe title)

JBL Vs Taker No Mercy 04

Battle royal for the title January 06 (world title)

Angle vs Taker No Way Out 06 (world title)

Angle vs Benoit Royal Rumble 03 (wwe title)

Angle vs Lesnar WMXIX (wwe title)

 

IMO these matches have made the WWE and World titles more important and all of them have taken place using SmackDown athletes on Smackdown events.

[Guest rawiswar]

Well they are both fake titles, they mean nothing. But when it comes to the fictional world of WWE, I would think WWE title is best. All the past champions of WWF have had it, it just has more prestige and history related to it.

[Guest Dickie Hyde]

They're supposed to be on an even keel, and I was treating them like that, although RAW is the more dominant brand. But I've always been a fan of that World Heavyweight Championship, because even being a WWE version, it carries a lot of history. (As did the WWE title) but how ANYONE can take that spinny piece of shite for being even slightly prestigious, is way beyond a joke. It's an insult to the business. The only time I really did value that WWE Championship was Wrestlemania XIX (what a match) and onwards. (until the end of Eddie's Reign)

 

Even the HHH-Haters should want him to win at Backlash, if it's just for the sake of getting rid of the chav belt.

 

Dickie

[Guest Cartrouble kid]

Seriously though i think whatever title SmackDown has is the most prestigous because there have been more exciting main events than RAW has.

Good matches don't necessarily make titles more 'prestigious'

 

If that were true, then the WCW cruiserweight title would be one of the most prestigious belts in the history of professional wrestling...

 

(it isn't)

 

Well they are both fake titles' date=' they mean nothing. But when it comes to the fictional world of WWE, I would think WWE title is best. All the past champions of WWF have had it, it just has more prestige and history related to it.[/quote']

Well said...

 

but how ANYONE can take that spinny piece of shite for being even slightly prestigious' date=' is way beyond a joke. It's an insult to the business.[/quote']

1) The belt isn't the 'title' itself... Cena's belt is just a personalised way for him to display the fact he is the champ (like Austin's smoking-skull belt).

 

2) The belt represents a fake wrestling accomplishment, so it's just a storyline device FFS.

 

3) Calling a fun personalised belt 'an insult to the business' is OTT and suggests that you take things far too seriously.

Edited April 28, 2006 by Cartrouble kid

[Guest Dickie Hyde]

Calling a fun personalised belt an 'an insult to the business' is OTT and suggests that you take things far too seriously.

 

I'm not taking anything far too seriously, I cant help being a traditionalist. I dont see the point in the spinny belt, and yes, I find it an insult. When I see someone as the WWE Champion, I want to see them with the belt that say Austin had, Rock had, Hogan had, then surely it'd mean much more to John Cena too?

 

And why the hell Edge kept it for his 3 week reign I do not know, it's ugly anyway.

 

A fun personalized belt... yeah cool. Lets be honest, it's already been done, and doesn't need doing again. Austin made it work to a T, because it was something original that fitted with his character, and he was that good he could do it to mix things up. (And The Rock having it after Austin's "death" was awesome) But Cena...? It would help if he was a half-decent wrestler in the first place.

[Ryan 188]

To be honest, having John Cena have a Custom Belt to fit his gimmick doesnt take any prestige from the Title itself, its just a new look, the WWE Title has had many looks over the years yet none of them have taken any prestige from it until Cena holds it, funny that.

[Guest rawiswar]

But you see Austin had a personalized belt too. It's just a little gimmick the WWE do from time to time with the stars they want to make really big. It hasn't worked with John Cena unfortunately, they want him to be the ultimate face like Austin, but they've got it all wrong, there will never be another Austin.

[Ryan 188]

I think its because Ausin only had that Belt for a couple of Months, Cena has had it for well over a year (not including Edge's reign), and the fact that Austins belt looked Awesome, Cena's doesnt.

[Guest Cartrouble kid]

And why the hell Edge kept it for his 3 week reign I do not know

Yeah, that was stupid, I have to agree with you there...

 

WWE probably didn't think it was worth changing the title when Cena was regaining it so soon, and I believe they sell replicas of the belt on shopzone aswell, so they were probably just putting revenue before storyline plausibility (something which is increasingly common these days)...

 

I do understand your point about being a traditionalist etc, but I just don't see things that way myself, and actually, I struggle to understand why you went on to speak fondly of Austin's WWF reign (if you're such a traditionalist) because the era it occurred in was a LONG way from traditional...

 

The belt changed hands a lot more often in those days, and the title matches were usually a part of a big over-arching story, rather than a more basic desire to be champion. Traditionalists like Cornette and Sapolsky think that the height of the attitude era was a bad time for wrestling, because (in their warped/blinkered minds) the titles meant less on account of the soap-opera that surrounded them etc...

 

I think they take wrestling far too seriously, and your earlier post made it sound like you had similar views, which is why I said what I did.

 

WWE isn't Ring-of-Honor or some ****... it's supposed to be entertaining and enjoyable.

[Guest rawiswar]

I think its because Ausin only had that Belt for a couple of Months' date=' Cena has had it for well over a year (not including Edge's reign), and the fact that Austins belt looked Awesome, Cena's doesnt.[/quote']

 

Also the character. Cena just doesn't compare. They've tried so hard, why you think Vincent is so determined now to make the people go to Cena’s side, there plan has gone wrong and they so want to put it right and win you over, for once fans have stood up. Actually, I don’t think people would have minded Austin having the belt for a year. But when you talk about Austin’s time, you're talking about a whole different story and the writing back then was so much more clever, and the team of Russo and McMahon were highly skilled in making the next big star who would have the crowd on their side no matter what. They would of easily found a way in their writing to make the fans want the title on Austin for over a year, the guy was insanely popular and would continue and continue to be until of course when they turned him heel, which by some is classified as the worst mistake in WWE history, blame young Stephanie for that.

Edited April 28, 2006 by rawiswar

[Guest Twig]

WWE isn't Ring-of-Honor or some ****... it's supposed to be entertaining and enjoyable.

 

RoH is very entertaining and enjoyable... in storylines and matches alike. Just because they don't perform colon surgery doesn't mean they don't entertain.

[Guest Cartrouble kid]

RoH is very entertaining and enjoyable

...to a select group of people.

 

The majority of WWE's viewers wouldn't enjoy watching ROH, because of its faux-credible presentation of wrestling...

 

You should already know that though... and probably do... which makes me wonder why you bothered to tackle me about it(?!)

[Guest Twig]

Right now I think with Shelton holding the title, and it possibly goin to the Van Daminator... I think the IC belt has more cred than anything... if Trish & Mickie could wrestle and not look lost in the ring 75% of the time then my mind might be changed.

 

 

...to a select group of people.

 

The majority of WWE's viewers wouldn't enjoy watching ROH, because of its faux-credible presentation of wrestling...

 

You should already know that though... and probably do... which makes me wonder why you bothered to tackle me about it(?!)

 

Have you ever seen CM Punk wrestle Colt Cabana? Comical, athletic, well worked, and great crowd interaction.

Edited April 28, 2006 by Twig

[Guest Dickie Hyde]

I do understand your point about being a traditionalist etc' date=' but I just don't see things that way myself, and actually, I struggle to understand why you went on to speak fondly of Austin's WWF reign (if you're such a traditionalist) because the era it occurred in was a LONG way from traditional...[/quote']

 

Aside from Hogan's reign, Austin's reign of being at the top of the WWF was arguably, and IMO the most successful ever. Stone Cold Steve Austin is amazing, an amazing wrestler, entertainer, speaker, and champion, he's the real deal. The fact is that the attitude era defines part of the tradition for me. Even then they used a belt which was prestigious. Sure they changed it to the larger winged-eagle WWF belt, but it was still a version of the old one, which in itself became prestigious. In changing the WWE title over to Cena's, is that a form of the old belt? No. It's something totally wacky. I just dont get it.

 

As what was posted above, they are trying to put Cena over as a mega-face, much like Austin was. Truth be told, Austin was a heck of a wrestler, something Cena is not.

[Guest the HiTman]

 

1) The belt isn't the 'title' itself... Cena's belt is just a personalised way for him to display the fact he is the champ (like Austin's smoking-skull belt).

 

2) The belt represents a fake wrestling accomplishment, so it's just a storyline device FFS.

 

3) Calling a fun personalised belt 'an insult to the business' is OTT and suggests that you take things far too seriously.

 

You make those points as if we don't know already.

 

The WWE title has the most value as a storyline device, no question about it....

 

Cena had it for ages, then Edge essentially stole it from him (and people went mental)... then of course, Cena won it back...

 

Now, HHH & Edge are both desperate to get the title off Cena at Backlash, and the crowd response to all 3 guys has been very enthusiastic just lately...

 

So, I don't see what more people want really? that's all you can possibly expect from a fake wrestling title- especially when feuds are booked in such uncomplicated ways.

 

I mean, the Backlash main-event basically rests on who will emerge from the match as champion (as there is no overt storyline in-play really) yet people are still very interested in the outcome.

 

I fully agree with that....no storylne whatsoever...yet some of us seem very blind to this.

 

 

I in fact think the WWE title is more important due to its history. But to be honest, the more important title (not belt) is the one that has had a great storyline based around it and leads up to it being earned. However, as the strap itself goes, the WHC belt looks great in my opinion and even better than the 'real' WWE title.

Edited April 29, 2006 by the HiTman

[Guest MrFill]

If Rey is keeping the gold for any period of time then they should do a half sized belt then, because the Big Ugly Gold Belt looks ENORMOUS in his hands.

[Dead Crow 370]

Have you ever seen CM Punk wrestle Colt Cabana? Comical' date=' athletic, well worked, and great crowd interaction.[/quote']

Your point?

 

Seriously, most of the casual WWE fanbase (myself included) wouldn't give a toss.

[RetroIC Gaming 196]

If Rey is keeping the gold for any period of time then they should do a half sized belt then' date=' because the Big Ugly Gold Belt looks ENORMOUS in his hands.[/quote']

 

Use the kids version :P

[Nightfox 11]

Why would WWE get rid of the WWE Title?

 

There should only be one Heavyweight, not so many belts, its all silly and meaningless.

 

1 Heavyweight

1 Tag Team

1 IC

1 Womens

1 Cruiser

 

and thats all I think there should be. Instead theres a load of meaningless belts flying round that people cant keep track of and hardly care about. The US Title mainly for me, half the time I forget it exists until I see JBL with it or Benoit, who cares, way to many belts.