One of the ways the WWE and other promotions keep story lines fresh and show competitiveness is by have the championships move back and forth.
While winning the world title is the goal of every superstar, it comes with a great deal of pressure and responsibility. They are the face of the go. They are the direction the promotion wants to go. They are, usually, the fan favorites unless Vince McMahon wants to stir things up.
There were times when a dominate superstar made it impossible for anyone to imagine another holding the title. Names like Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, and Ric Flair often come to mind. Others, like Brock Lesnar, also held the top titles for extended periods of time is also in the conversation, though not with as much reverence of kindness, due to him being an awesome heel.
Championships aren’t earned, they’re given
The top championships go to who Vince McMahon thinks will be the better figurehead of the WWE. If he doesn’t think it’s possible, it’s not going to happen.
There have been times when there’s been little choice given a superstar’s popularity such as “Macho Man” Randy Savage, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, the Rock, or the Undertaker to name a few.
Having multiple superstars capable of carrying the promotion is a good thing as it births uncertainty as to whether the current champion with retain their title. Some are so dominant, they only lose when they agree to, such as Andre the Giant. The problem with Andre winning a championship, something everyone claims he never wanted, was there was no one believable enough to beat him.
In the end, it took the Immortal Hulk Hogan to defeat Andre in WrestleMania 3 (Andre had lost and been bodyslammed before, but the WWE ignores Japan and other promotions not tied to them). In the WWE (Vince McMahon’s) eyes, and Andre’s, this would put Hogan over more than ever, and they were right. Andre was a mythical figure that had transcended wrestling. You didn’t have to be a fan to know who he was.
Rinse and repeat
This has, for better or worse, become the standard methodology for McMahon and the WWE to put their champions over, especially in recent years.
Seth Rollins has defeated Brock Lesnar twice and Braun Strowman once. The believability we’ve been calling for has been absent in the last Lesnar match and Strowman’s. And now, he’ll most likely defeat the Fiend at Hell in a Cell through interference so they don’t destroy Bray Wyatt’s work again, though having him beat outright to push Rollins wouldn’t be above WWE creative’s ambition.
Kofi Kingston is going to face Brock Lesnar on Smackdown’s first episode on Fox. Kingston has been a great champion, but he should’ve lost to Orton and should lose to Lesnar. If not, he’s going to have as much credibility as Rollins, unfortunately.
There was a more practical time
During the Attitude and Ruthless Aggression Era, the roster was stacked with talent, so the championships changed hands regularly. One month, Hogan would have it, then Triple H, then the Rock, Undertaker, Austin, and so on.
The accumulation of talent and abilities was impossible to ignore, so it made sense to move the championship around. It created a competitive atmosphere we, as fans, ate up.
But now, not so much. The WWE has two major championships (three, if NXT is counted like it should be) and hence they need two champions. The problem here is the lack of believable challengers or wins by the champions.
While both Kofi Kingston and Seth Rollins bust their humps to sell what they’re doing, their reigns have started to bore us.
To be fair, it’s not either superstars’ fault.
For Kingston, it’s mainly because it’s the same “prove myself” story line over and over, and for Rollins, it’s because he’s being shoved down out throats as Reigns 2.0 instead of letting it happen organically.
In the end, the WWE’s creative team has to do what Vince McMahon wants, and if they can’t sway him, it could become problematic.
