how aboot this?

[LuckIsForLosers]

The iwc keeps clamoring for title prestige in the wwe and new and fresh stars in the title scenes. Where as the wwe has regained relevence with a 400 sum odd reign by a certain someone and the world heavyweight title having matches become the show stealer.... and the fact that its soon to be held by a show off... i want to touch upon the midcard titles. The US and IC championships. While the IC title has, in my eyes at least, become relevent and interesting again since it was held by cody rhodes, the US hasnt had the same luck. Although im really enjoying Cesaro as a champ and hes making the title interesting again, which hasnt been the case for quite some time now. But heres my idea, you want those belts to feel more important and have the holder of the belt really feel like a top contender in the company? Give it its own annual rumble match! No, not at the rumble. I like to think of this happening at survivor series. It can be an annual battle royal of about 10-20 stars and the winner gets to pick whether he wants to compete for the IC or US title at the next "big 4" ppv. I think its summerslam? I may not be right there. But anyways that gives the winner plenty of time to pick which belt he will compete for and build up a strong rivaly with the current champion. I know its a bit of a rehash of a gimmick but i think it could draw more attention back to those belts, which with their historys, they deserve. I know this will never happen but i think itd be neat and was wondering what my iwc bretheren thought... or if they (most likely) had a better idea.

I like this a lot...it garners interest in the titles. Didn't they already do this when Christian returned though and picked Cody? Or am I wrong? I'd simply like to see actual FEUDS surrounding these titles. Not "I've won a few matches lately so I guess il have random matches with you for your title" but more the contender engaging in a proper feud, a personal storyline with the champion and that resulting in a title rivalry...a storyline is what garners interest and soon enough the Ic matches will have lots of attention being paid as the casual fans don't care about a good match between good wrestlers for a Midgard title that has no story and backdrop

[Darkside Ron Garvin]

Sheamus took that step backwards a long time ago. He is already a 2 time WWE Champion. But when he won the Royal Rumble, he could have gone after the biggest prize, the WWE Championship, but he instead chose to go after the World Heavyweight Championship, which basically is a midcard title ever since the Brand Split ended. CM Punk even called the World Heavyweight Champion the Second Best in the World. Even the almighty Triple H held the IC Title after winning the WWE Title. IF the winner of this years Royal Rumble chooses to go after the WHC, when he has a chance to have a match against The Rock, or end CM Punk's long reign, he will be "settling for the lesser title".

The fact is, the bigger stars go after the WWE Championship while the people who go after the WHC are guys who are "good, but not good enough." A guy like Daniel Bryan has held the World Championship, but he's only a world champion on paper. And look at TLC. The only reason why Dolph Ziggler went over John Cena and retained the briefcase is because Cena's too good to be involved with the WHC. I just don't think it's right to have a "lower tier world title" that only exists to "test new stars" or give "thank you" title reigns to veterans. While the IC Title is lower than the WHC, the WHC is worse because it's a consolation prize.

SmackDown IS the lesser show than RAW at this point. Aside from Alberto Del Rio winning the WHC this week, nothing important ever happens on SD. Any storyline development between the main event SmackDown guys happens on RAW. If the company puts any value in a Superstar, he will be regularly appearing on RAW. Honestly, at this point I think they should officially make SmackDown the B-show, and draft all of their top stars to RAW, and draft all the low level guys to SmackDown. The IC Champ can be on both shows, but SD would be HIS show.

So by your first three paragraphs, I have taken away the fact that you’d rather settle for both the WHC being something that as meaningless and SmackDown as being a show without direction. These things are okay with you by never improving nor being of relevance. If that is the case, why make the argument at all to even change them? SmackDown is pointless, correct? If so, then why go through this extensive revamping of it? You are talking about freshening up something that you are stating is of such low value, it makes more sense to cut costs and sell off the property before dumping so much time, effort, and revenue into a money pit. As to the point of the IC title vs. WHC – I’d rather have a Silver Medal than a Bronze one. Even if the difference between 3^rd and 4^th place is 1.2 seconds, I still finished 7 seconds ahead of 3^rd place.

As for your Trips point – He held the title for 7 days in April 2001, followed by a whopping 34 day run after winning it back from Hardy. The whole reason he held the belt in the first place was to further the domination of the HHH/SCSA tag team as holding all the gold in the WWE. Don't alter history to try to make your point of view valid; it wasn’t done because Trips DESIRED to hold the IC belt. As to the Sheamus fact, clearly we see differently. Sheamus chose the WHC at the Rumble for 2 reasons. First being because he had never held Big Gold, and second as a way to signal himself as the Face of SmackDown. Both reasons helped to build up SmackDown as a place (and belt) the young up and comers were choosing to make their names known under (even if the “almighty” Punk calls it a Second Value Title, it doesn’t mean that it will always be so. If something is treated right, it can have whatever value is placed upon it – Like when Trips went after it). This is why Ziggler has yet to cash in his MITB and is the focal point in programs with such top stars as Cena; not to put Cena in the WHC picture. The failure to have substantial storyline depth to go along with it (not to mention the fact that all of the SmackDown boys were also pushed upon the RAW audience) is not something to which Sheamus, Bryan, Ziggles, or Miz are to be held accountable for.

The United States Title has quite the respectable lineage, and that's why it should be retired. Right now WWE treats it like a lower championship. Right now the bigger stars go after the IC Title while the lower guys go after the U.S. Title. I would rather WWE create its own Television Championship, or reinstate the European Championship, instead of treating the belt that with all that rich history and held by all those legends as a lesser prize just because it came from WCW.

I can understand where you are coming from with the view of the belt being mistreated. This is why my original point was to refocus the belt, not to throw your hands up and just change it. With the depth of those who held it, it can be something of great value (Excluding WCW for a second, think of when Benoit held it for 200+ days, or when MVP held it for damn near a year... Hell, it’s what MADE Cena a damn main event star) when it is treated right. You don’t give up on a good thing and just cast it aside when you start to see faults due to wear on it. If a vehicle is broke, you get the mechanic to fix it; not trade it in for a car of lesser value.