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Originally Posted by Kalyx triaD I was gonna say yeah but I never considered the point that the WHC did elevate some guys. Then again , having one main championship would make the US/IC title legit as the stepping stone to the big one. Right now the second tier championship isn't as sure a track to the top belts. In the past getting that title almost assured a future run as world champ. But then I remember all of this is fake and drawings crowds is the point so whatever.

Originally Posted by Keith Back when there was only the WWF Championship, the company would use the Intercontinental Championship to elevate those who had the potential of being the next ones in line to main event. Guys like Bret Hart, Randy Savage, HBK, Diesel, Steve Austin, The Rock, Ultimate Warrior, Triple H, among many others won the IC belt before getting up to the WWF Title, the belt was used to elevate these men into main event status. Hell, there were times where the feud for the Intercontinental Championship was more interesting than whatever was going on with the WWF Title. The same could be done today without the WHC.

I think you're overstating the importance of the minor titles. The fact that being selective allows WWE to state that the "IC Title is a stepping stone to the World Title, as it has for HHH, The Rock, Steve Austin, etc, etc" is great for hyperbole when you need to make people care about a match.

Conversely, if someone pointed out that Ken Shamrock, The Godfather, D'Lo Brown, John Morrison, William Regal, Umaga, Shelton Benjamin, Carlito Test Lance Storm, Billy Gunn, Chyna, Val Venis, Rikishi, Goldust, Road Dogg, Owen Hart, Ahmed Johnson, Marc Mero, Razor Ramon, Dean Douglas, Marty Jannetty, British Bulldog, Roddy Piper, The Mountie, Mr Perfect, Texas Tornado, Rick Rude, Honky Tonk Man, among many others, had won the IC Title and done little else afterwards, it kinda puts a dent in the prestige of the title.

Meanwhile, the likes of Brock, Sheamus, Del Rio, Batista, Khali, Big Show, JBL, Undertaker, Mankind, Sid, Yokozuna, all held the title before/without becoming IC Champ.

It's all a matter of booking. Everything.

You get bumped to Main Event Status with the right booking. If you have the right look/attitude/"it factor"/etc.

Likewise, the IC/US belts don't become any more important if you take the WHC out of the equation just because you take the WHC out of the equation.

The mid-card belts are as important as they are booked to be. But, if it's all in the booking (hint: it is), they can easily book the WHC title to be important/as important as the WWE Title and negate the "need" to get rid of it.