Quote:
Originally Posted by Fignuts
Maybe so, but I think the former is more of a slippery slope.
Brian Alvarez commented on the backlash to Charlotte beating Asuka for the belt by saying it's just a prop and it doesn't matter. I think I immediately lost some respect for him with those comments.
Yes, from a very literal standpoint the belt is a prop. The audience knows this. But like everything in wrestling, the fans want to be made to forget that, through great storytelling. However, if you're too transparent about using a plot device to further the story, it takes people out of the tale you're trying to tell. This is true of any story telling medium.
Yes people were upset that Asuka's (poorly booked outside of her win against Becky) reign ended to further the other title's feud, but they were also upset because they chose to use a prop at the last minute to artificially enhance the feud in lieu of just telling a good story. I don't know how Brian couldn't see that.
Further more, it does matter how you book the belt. I know for a fact it does. Because when Omega finally beat Okada for the title, I felt something I hadn't felt since Benoit won the title at WM 20 and celebrated in the ring with Eddie. Conversely, when Bray Wyatt, my favorite worker in WWE at the time won the WWE title, I didn't care. Because they had done everything in their power to get me to not care about him over the years, and now they were using the title to try and sell me on him.
One company used the title to enhance the story they were telling. The other used the belt to tell the story, and everyone saw right through it.
It's funny because every time you're too blatant about using a belt to get a person or storyline over, people lose a little respect for that title, in turn having the oppisite effect of the desired outcome. And that's why no one gives a shit about WWE titles. Because they do this shit all the time.
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Firstly, on the first point, you bash Alvarez for saying exactly what you go on to say in the next paragraph. Hm.
Secondly, the "just a prop" comment was exactly the same as me coming on here and calling it the "everyone gets a turn" belt. Same as me referring to the Cruiserweight Championship as the "this is all you are/this is all Vince thinks you are" belt. They ruined their own prestige with it, and by treating women's belts as props and trash so long, that it means next to nothing. And in their quest to try to bring prestige to said prop, they ironically go about it by making it look like more of a prop.
WWE has had a continued problem with making multiple titles seem legit at the same time. They can only focus on like two... maybe three at a time. Then, they'll shift focus to another set, and any work they may have possibly done to salvage some shine on whatever championship starts to slip down the shit slide of whogivesafuck because it becomes obvious it suddenly isn't as important anymore as thing other thing going on
over there.
I am one who defends the brand split and having dual world champions. The problem with it isn't that having two champs is inherently stupid, it is that they don't even execute their own damn idea properly. Two shows with two independent rosters and sets of storylines and feuds. Instead, what you end up with is a lot of either copypasta (most blatantly with Riott Squad/Absolution debuts) or "oh shit, this person is a star, how can we work them onto BOTH shows?!?"
Both champions are supposed to be the top of their respective shows... but then you'll get shit like one guy wrestling every week, and the other guy making two appearances every Big Four PPV cycle.... both of which have their own pluses and minuses that deserve their own rant, but then they decide neither is a focus anymore because hey remember we have Tag Teams? Well, forget about that after this month, because it's all about the very historic Intercontenental... nah, nevermind, because we're going to put the United States Championship on our next big superstar and make BOTH SHOWS all about... THE WOMEN, so let's have all three women's championships matter right now... until we have this World Heavyweight match! Which belt though? Doesn't matter, because we're going to let the other go to shit while we put this one on our guy... wait, the other champion is more over now? Well fuck this guy then!
And on and on it goes.
I know and care who all the champs are in NXT. None of them are overexposed. None of them get any less true focus or come at the expense of the other champs. Hell, there's even occasional crossover with NXT UK- a "special" thing. All of their champions feel like champions, and are holding a symbol of prestige.
Most of the main roster are booked like mooks and holding on to a prop for a little bit until the winds change. And though the argument can be made- one I disagree with- that there are too many main roster championships, the bigger problem is that they're mostly treated like shit and with such indignity that even if they re-combined rosters and folded the championships into a way smaller number, they would still likely have the same issue of trash booking with a laser focus on one solitary championsip for any sustained amount of time contested for by bodies who have just been there for a few months and the company prob'ly forgot they had until Royal Rumble or Survivor Series where they need numbers.
They could make
every belt they have - even the ridiculous 24/7 that's solely intended for comedy spots - look like they're worth having if they took the effort to. They just won't take the effort to.