When Did WWE Stop Featuring the Champion?
 

I was always under the impression that the champions, whether they were the WWE Champion, or IC or whatever, would be the featured entrant of a match.

Did it not used to be that they would come out last in a match?

Or is that only in the case of a match where said championship is on the line?

i heard somewhere that they started doing it during the monday night wars so people would see the champion (or the most popular guy) come out first and get them interested so they wouldn't change the channel to nitro

Doesn't really matter anymore nowadays, since they do the in-ring introductions now for championship matches and the champion is always introduced last.

The champion only comes out last when they are the more over star.

There are a few times that the champions are introduced first. (for example, Ric Flair vs. Barry Windham at Slamboree '94 and Hulk Hogan vs. Randy Savage at WrestleMania V)

So it seems its kind of always gone on, and I just noticed...

From what I've noticed, I think the champion coming out first happens more often if the champion is a heel.

This. Especially if he's a cowardly heel, so he can jump the challenger as they climb through the ropes. Although that seems to have gone away as well since the "official introductions".

Was watching a Raw from 1997 and Rocky Maivia , the face IC champ came out before heel Bret Hart for their IC title match. It's not a new thing at all, just no-one cares enough to remember.

two things:

in kayfabe: its the champions perrogitive when he comes out, a perk of being champion if you will.

the shoot: the heel comes out first and pisses the crowd off, then it doesnt matter who comes out next he will get the pop.

But what if a heel comes out next?

faces wreslte heels, i dont follow the question. you save the babies for the end. i mean if you're saying what if there are multiple heels you just keep bringing out heels then babies. the heels will keep pissing the marks off till finally someone panders to them and them boom...babyfaceness.