Should the World Heavyweight Championship be scrapped?

Zemuppet

The WHC was introduced in 2002 as a World title for the Raw brand when the WWE title was Smackdown exclusive. I believe that at the time it was a good idea as it helped build up the rivalry between the two shows and gave newer and/or younger talent a chance to prove themselves as a top card talent. In my opinion (and I hope others will give theirs) is that the WHC was for a time between 2002-05 the more successful and more popular title.

However, as mentioned in the Q&A thread, the WHC has not being defended in single match in a main event since 2010 (Rectify if necessary) and in some cases is the curtain raiser for many PPVs, including Wrestlemania 28.

I believe that the WHC should be unified with the WWE title either before or at WM30 as the title's credibility has plummeted over the last three or four years. This could be due to the end of the brand extension or maybe using the WHC as a stepping stone for up and coming talent to see if they can become main eventers. So gentlemen, yours thoughts? I've also added a poll to see the forum's opinions on this matter

I'm troubled that there are still two heavyweight championships. Should have been unified long ago, especially when they ended that ludicrous brand split.

Riddle101

Yes it should be unified. Gives the WWE title scene some more competition instead of dividing it between the title world titles. Plus two world titles is ridiculous with the brand extension gone and all.

Also unify the US and I.C Championships too, go back to the old system when it was WWE World Heavyweight championship as the top belt, I.C as the rising star title, tag team titles, divas title(changed back to women's title) and maybe bring back the Crusierweight championship for high flyer/technical wrestlers, make it like the TNA X divsion.

Of course this also means wrestlers will have to wait longer to win the title, but sure it didn't do so much damage in the past.

GTR63

What no Atari Jaguar in the poll Boooooooooooooooooooo!

Andersonisgod

From a business point of view it makes sense to keep it. It keeps main eventers (or those a step away from the main event) occupied. It's easy to centre a feud around the world title so it adds a guaranteed big match to each ppv and it's always handy to have a world title at every house show.

However I think it should be scrapped. Snide there is no more brand split what is actually the point in two world titles? It makes no sense from that point of view at all. Add to that that it's been ages since the WHC was the main event of a ppv and that the major players now seem to solely compete for the WWE Title, the WHC is now something along the lines of an upper mud card title, better than the IC and US titles but not the same level as the WWE Title. Also the very reason for its creation was a rather dubious ego boost so better I'd rather it gone.

glenjamin

It shouldn't be scrapped but rather made relevant again. The WHC has become just a tester to see how potential stars get on with the title of champion. Raw and Smackdown needs to be split again with a world title, midcard title, tag team, and women's title given to each one and the two brands competing against each other once again. The days when Raw superstars hated the Smackdown superstars, and vice-versa, and they fought for their brand have now become the good ole days.



I remember of commentary hearing JR state which entry was a Smackdown superstar and which one was a Raw one. It added a whole new dimension to the match. Which brand would win and challenge for their respective title.

Zemuppet

GTR63 wrote: »

What no Atari Jaguar in the poll Boooooooooooooooooooo!

Ahh leave it out, you and your mystifying jaguar. This country is broke and we can't afford to throw in these expensive Atari Jaguars into every bleeding poll. I tells ya now young man, they arn't cheap

deadybai

yep it should be scrapped as theres no brand extension anymore. Why has this question become so popular on wrestling website and fourms. I remember asking it a few months back on nodq.com but in the last few weeks I keep seeing it popping up.

Is there a reason behind this or a coincidence?

ForeverYoung90

No it should stay.It carries too much prestige to be done away with.

jaykhunter

If the TV lineup remains the same (2 hour SD) I'd kill the two midcard belts. Kofi Miz and Barrett can find something else to occupy their time. The world belt is far more prestigious in name-value in WWE today so in a chopping block scenario the midcard titles have no place. Between WHC and MITB you have your midcard/"next in line for a big push"/"consider for wwe championship run" spots, which historically was given to the IC champ and KOTR winners.

I know having two world titles in a company is stupid, but those midcard belts are SO far below the WHC they may be unable to revive, even if u took out the WHC.

FutureGuy

Scrap it and place importance on the IC title. Oh and scrap the US title too.

sockmo

No.

I still think of it as the continued WCW title to be honest.It has too much legacy than to just do away with.It should remain the secondary belt, get rid of the US title!

Palo Alto

Less belts please, then it would force creative to have feuds based on you know, stories.

rossie1977

scrap it and you have no rise of daniel bryan, just go back and look at the outrage here and throughout the iwc when he lost that belt

thats one of the best moments of 2013

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LB1yZR7lm40

i would get rid of both ic and us titles before the whc

Clemantis

The WWE has a number of drawing talent that could conceivably be used in the main title picture, but they don't have enough room to fit them in there all at once. Hence we have the WHC. Just because it is not on par with the WWE title doesn't mean it should be scrapped. A title is just a prop to make two guys fighting in the ring mean something, and if you look at how the WHC has been used over the past few years I would say it has performed that function admirably.

If you think there are so many titles that they have ceased being useful as props, then I would recommend starting from the bottom and getting rid of the US title.

irelandguy10

No i dont think it should be scrapped yes its not as worthy as it once was however it is now like the IC tittle a fews years back its now giving to the younger guys e.g bryan and ziggler

Megager

The WHC title carries so much history that it should be safeguarded. The belt is synonymous with Flair, Sting, Goldberg, Hogan, Rhodes. I think the reason it has fallen out of favour is simply that creative have diminished its importance. If you look at each weight division in boxing there are several world champions. Maybe one in a while they could unify the belts and have the champion carry both to the ring, maybe for a month or two. Then maybe he could lose one to the respective money in the bank champions and hold the other for a while.

As said the WHC has escalated Bryan, Punk (in the wwe sphere) and I reckon other likes Ziggler and Ambrose will benefit from holding it. As is often said it is the man who makes the belt and not the belt making the man, as with Del Rio, Big Show and Sheamus as champions it has lost its lustre. I dont think we can comment on how good a champ ziggler is/will be.

CSF

I think the biggest problem is that you have the likes of Jack Swagger and Alberto Del Rio having been the main focus of these titles, and this has diminished interest. If you had the likes of Daniel Bryan, Dean Ambrose, even Randy Orton in the picture with Ziggler, the title would become much more interesting in the build up for PPVs.

Same with the intercontinental championship. Nobody really cares about The Miz. WWE is crying out for Ziggler to win the re-match, and Bryan and Ambrose to win the MITBs. Drop the likes of Del Rio. Swagger, Ryback and Sheamus down to the Intercontinental picture too and you might reinvigorate that slightly too.

jaykhunter

Cool to see a lot of newer faces in this thread! Welcome to PW Boards Milena Shy Second, deadybai, ForeverYoung90, sockmo (although technically not "new"!) Palo Alto, Clemantis, irelandguy10 and Megager!

Chris Ryan

I'd rather see the brand extension come back to be honest, have the WHC belt the main title on Smackdown and the WWE Title on Raw

Angron

jaykhunter wrote: »

Cool to see a lot of newer faces in this thread! Welcome to PW Boards Milena Shy Second, deadybai, ForeverYoung90, sockmo (although technically not "new"!) Palo Alto, Clemantis, irelandguy10 and Megager!

The WHC is a pressing issue clearly :pac:

Personally, I like the title, wouldn't want to see it go. I'd also like to see the Cruiserweight title back, if only to give a few of the smaller guys something to aim for.

tvercetti

Give the WHC to Cena and let him have his sh*t fueds with that and when I Sky+ Raw, I can fast forward through that part.

Then keep the WWE title for the likes of Punk, Jericho, Dolph and Bryan etc.

gnfnrhead

Without the WHC Bryan and especially Ziggler are mid carders. With the WHC both are able to lay a claim to being main eventers. What they need to do is bring back something similar to the brand extension in its early days. Have them separate rather than the current format of Raw and Raw recap.

Rosters are of course subjective but off the top of my head:

Raw (WWE as usual):
Cena
Punk
Bryan
Sheamus
Ryback
Mark Henry
Kane

Smackdown (WHC):
Del Rio
Ziggler
Orton
Barrett
Miz
Big Show
Christian

That's just for the top of the cards. You can have the likes of the Shield, Sandow, Rhodes, Cesaro, Swagger, Mysterio, Big E, Kofi, Axel, Fandango, RVD, Sin Cara etc split for the mid cards.

The likes of Ryder, Regal, Brodus, Hawkins, PTP, Uso's and those on NXT can make up the lower card.

Diva's on Raw since it's three hours, tags go across both shows until their are a decent amount of teams at which point they can be split too.

The WWE roster is massive and easily capable of supporting two full rosters, especially when you count the NXT people. Freshen it up each year with a draft lottery. The problem is, it would require actual effort so won't happen.

Am Chile

Id go with the unified option-they should merge the wwe and wht belts into one-when there was 2 distinct brands 10 years ago with it served more of a purpose having 2 different world champions- nowadays the world heavyweight title has lost a lot of its meaning when they booked the world heavyweight championship matches to open wrestlemania 27 and wrestlemania 28- best option unify the 2 world titles once and for all.

sockmo

Jaykhunter!, I ain't no newbie!, I think my joined date is 2010 and every post of my 240+ has been about wrasslin, I just don't post a million times a day!, ha glad to see I'm finally noticed though!

jaykhunter

I said you technically weren't new I remember you from about when I joined but hadn't seen you in a while!

Ape Lincoln

Those who said the WHC has a lineage with the WCW title are wrong. The belt is a cp of the 'Big Gold Belt' but the lineage of the WCW title died in 2001 (thank god!). The lineage of the WCW/NWA title got quite murky around the early 90s anyway.

Sure Punk and Bryan wrestled for the World belt and it 'prepared' them for the WWE title if you want to say that but that's what the IC title was always for. The world belt is number 2 with the IC and US titles being 3 or 4 - though the MITB briefcase is almost treated as a title in itself since they have matches contesting for it.

I don't know... it's no more silly having two world tiles than it is having one since outside of North America and Canada the belt never changes hands. 'Intercontinental' is kind of another way of saying 'world' since it's the belt of all the continents.


As long as there's good matches for the belt and it's taken seriously/is believable that two guys are going to fight for it and you want to see that then maybe it doesn't matter.

Hematocyte

I'd say keep the belt (because it has a lot of history), but make it clear that it's 'not that important' or that it's only "belt #2'. I don't like they way (even though it is clearly only considered belt #2) that they don't make it markedly clear that there is a hierarchy to WWE titles.