The problem with todays Champions.
 

So I'm there at work thinking to myself all kinds of random thoughts, and I come across the subject of the champions of today. I'm thinking to myself why people aren't getting into them as much as they were a few years back.

I think the answers pretty simple. Instead of having a champion who puts on great, believeable and totally unpredictable matches, they instead book their champions to look unstopable.

Now, occasionally we are treated to good, even matches. Cena VS Edge comes to mind. And Nitro and Punk is a welcome storyline. But for the most part, let's look at some of the major championship matches of recent times:

WWE Championship

This legendary reign will probably always be remembered as to how ridiculously Cena has been booked to be unstoppable. From Elimination Chambers, Fatal-Four Ways, Triple Threats, Championship Challenges, Handicapped matches, Special referee matches, and the Great Khali. John Cena has been made to look unbeatable.

World Championship

With Edge beating the Undertaker, it seemed the (Unfortunately) right fued would be with Batista. After retaining his title and moving on... Edge now faces Kane. First an "Animal", now a "monster". We all know Kane won't be winning the title, but it just adds to the list of people Edge has beat, so that WWE can build him up as a "credible champion".

ECW Championship

Let's ignore the Nitro/Punk so far. Lashley won the title and retains it against the Big Show. He then goes on to a fued with Umaga. Then Umaga, Vince and Shane.

Long gone are the days of The Rock VS Triple H. Steve Austin VS The Rock. Mankind VS Triple H. Matches where we weren't constantly faced with a "no way can he overcome this" scenario.

And before anyone says "what about Cena VS Michaels". Come on! We knew Cena would win it... I think they knew it was Wrestlemania and needed a good match for the main event. They picked Michaels to carry it and tried the "oh my god Michaels has 20 years experience! There's no way Cena can beat him!" angle.

I miss the days where the title would swap hands a few times, in an angle that would last more than 2 months. Edge VS Cena could have done it, but Edge was constantly made to look bad. They tried the "Oh my god Edge is the master of the ladder match! No way can Cena win this one"... but again, it didn't go that way.

Anyway, I've probably made LOADS of dumb points and illogical statements here, and probably even contradicted stuff I have said in the past... to narrow it down, they need to focus on all three of their champions putting on great matches with great contenders, and not trying to build up their champions by "overcoming the odds".

'Nuff said.

Remember when we didn't have black champions?

CRAZY

I don't think the problem with Championship is really to do with just the champions, but wrestling as a WHOLE. It's gone from a sport, to a sport that might be fake, to a sport that is fake, to a fictional live show that revolves around a sport. Today everyone know's wrestling is fake, and to a worst extent because of the predictablity on the creative side, know just about every move that's going to happen. We've gone from wrestling where a Hulk Hogan match was interesting because people thought that the monster will beat him down and take the belt, to us knowing John Cena or Edge will go against the monster and have no chance of winning. It's the fake that we know there is no point to a championship other than storyline reasons now, and that the belt is very fomulamatic in changing hands until something comes around to shake the industry up.

I say if WWE setup their shows to be a little more realistic and not a poor attempt at a prime time soap opera, they might seem better.

I think one thing that annoys me about "Today's Champions" is just how green they are.

I mean we've had Cena, Lashley, Nitro, even Batista, Orton, Lesnar. All these guys lifted "the big one" within a couple of years of their debut.

Back in the day you had to work for years to lift the title. And this isn't a "paying your dues" thing, it's just when you look back at bygone times and remember that guys like Curt Hennig, Rick Rude, Jake Roberts and Ted Dibiase never got to hold the belt and these new guys (for the most part) can't hold a candle to them.

As much as I like Nitro, Cena, Punk, even Cena et al, I can't take them seriously as champs. Even worse is that I struggle to see a guy like Edge, who has "done things the right way", as a serious champion because the measuring stick is the guys mentioned above.

Great post, man. :y:

Everyone seems to cum over long Championship reigns. I don't. Maybe I really am the smarks' Vince Russo, but I find long reigns to be boring if the Champion is doing nothing, and his opponents are more qualified than he is.

John Cena has been WWE Champion since Unforgiven last year. It's time for a change. King Booker is the best thing going on RAW at the moment. Feuds with Triple H and Shawn Michaels over the WWE Championship, leading into a big defence against a top babyface at WrestleMania (Shelton Benjamin would be nice, if they went my route and had Shelton evolve from kissing Booker's ring to wanting to kick his head off) would be glorious. That's a long reign I could live with. John Cena's reign has been piss-boring. Actually, my piss is more interesting. Sometimes it has colour in it.

I think they should have Kane win the World Heavyweight Championship, just to throw everyone a curveball. Then when The Undertaker returns, you have a brother vs. brother feud over the World Heavyweight Championship Undertaker claims he should have never lost. Sure, it won't be a technical classic, but both men have been on their game recently (Undertaker since he started only showing up for work one day a month, and Kane since he's been on SmackDown!). Give Kane the win over The Undertaker, finally being allowed to look superior for a change, and then he can go back into a program with Edge, MVP or even Rey Mysterio. No one would make a better tweener champ right now (at least, in my opinion) than Kane.

Johnny Nitro vs. CM Punk is indeed a sweet program going in ECW right now, but I wonder how long the WWE can keep it up. I think the obvious route to go is having Johnny Nitro retain at The Great American Bash, and have it get into Punk's head that he just can't beat Nitro for whatever reason. This gives us a "Punk figuring out the conundrum known as Johnny Nitro" storyline. Let's just hope it doesn't backfire, and turn Punk into a jobber.

There's no problem with the champions. There's a problem with the company.

Agreed

...

DAMN

Ron: Well I'm getting placed in the main events, right?

Vince: No, because you're just not what we picture as champion...and when say "we", we mean "me"...and when we mean "picture", we mean "no black people".

Ron: WTF! I'm a former World Champion! What are you going to do honkey, stick me in some racist black man against the white people gimmick?

Vince: ...that's not a bad idea.

Ron: DAMN!

:y:

Cenas a champ that the fans are just dying for him to take the belt off of, yet he keeps getting overcoming the odds storylines and retaining the title.

They must be waiting for Cena to lose at a WrestleMania to Mr. Kennedy or something. If Cena drops the belt in front of a massive crowd, the pop would be insane.

Well, in kayfabe fantasy land, whoever Cena puts over should go over huge!!!1!!!!!!1!!!111one

If I had to guess the next WWE champ right now it would be HHH.

I think this will work to the WWE's advantage whenever Cena does eventually drop the title.

:y:

The crowd pop has been insane when he lost it to Edge and RVD. The problem is, he went and got it back a week or so later, thus negating any effects of his loss.

The huge pop will be when somebody beats him twice.

Cena is booked as indestructible because that sales tickets, stop bitching your just fucking annoying.

Assuming people still care.

That's not the problem.




Too...many...belts.

There isn't a problem with the champions, industery, or the company. No, it is the fans that need to change[/WWE lap dog]

Probably because the quality (character/charisma/overall performance) of top-tier talents we have now do not compare to the quality of guys we had before.

80's - Bret, Hogan, Flair, Macho, Dibiase, Yokozuna, Piper, Andre
90's - Taker, HHH, Austin, Rock, Angle, Masked Kane, Shawn, Jericho
Now - Cena, Batista, Lashley, Edge, Umaga

:y:

The sad thing is, the whole "unbeatable" image would work, IF they were being booked right.

Let Cena go back to being a cocky, take no shit, Austin esque, rapping asshole.

Let Lashley be a silent monster with someone to speak for him.

Let Edge be a "cowardly" heel, but don't make him look like a pussy. Have him get legit wins (like when he beat Benoit a few weeks back.)

I disagree. Three unbeatables in one roster, two on one brand, is too much. Alone, that's not so bad. Two? Okay. Three?

Fucking awful. No matter how you sell it.

The unbeatable image worked when it was just the Undertaker and Hogan. But now everybody is unbeatable.

And everybody overcomes the odds.

wtf, Austin was constantly placed "Against the odds.", and a Stunner later, and beers were being enjoyed by all.

Thems were the days :heart:

http://www.wwe.com/content/media/tou.../29062/5008482

I disagree.

What's wrong with Umaga? I quite like him.

Austin actually had talent.

Sure, but it was still "against the odds" type stuff, which completely negates the main point being made by Rammy in the initial post.

Kamala #2

Nothing really, but there's something wrong with a champion who has his belt dangling from his mouth.

Austin didn't have like 4 other Supermen. He laid down often enough, so when he did overcome the odds, it meant something. He wasn't always going into atitle defense as the underdog, because he wasn't always champion.

Problem with the company.

When Austin won the title after Wrestlemania XV, he traded it with the Undertaker, then HHH's time began.

When he first won the title, it wasn't "Austin being superman", it was him getting the better of Vince. Hell he even lost it to Kane then won it back the next night. Even something like a 24 hour title run would be welcome, since none of us would see it coming.