The new World Title

[Guest creativename]

There has been much speculation recently about the creation of a new World Title, or "Raw" title, by Bischoff next week or sometime in the near future. Below I will list why I think this will almost surely happen:

 

Firstly, there are the storyline reasons. With Brock Lesnar, and thus the Undisputed Championship now on SmackDown! only, Raw loses a lot of credibility versus SmackDown!. This would no doubt anger Bischoff, as the GM of Raw, greatly and cause him to take any steps necessary to rectify the situation. A title dispute also seems like a good way to create excitement about the product.

 

There's evidence in favor of the RVD/Intercontinental belt Elevation theory too. With the recent European/Hardcore title unifications, the Intercontinental belt now has an impressive legacy/heritage. Bischoff has been orgasming over RVD on-screen for the past month or so as well, even having his "boy" Big Show assaulted because he was about to injure RVD. This is a very strange thing for a heel authority figure to do (though one can argue that Bischoff has been behaving like a face in other ways as well).

 

Marks would also buy into RVD as a legitimate champion without much effort. He is easily the #1 face in the company now in terms of popularity (sans Rock and Austin). HHH is a heel, and while Taker's entrance pops are sometimes comparable to RVD's, his matches don't generate the same amount of interest or heat. All it would take is for JR and Lawler to hype him up as the "real" world champion, and a semi-clean victory over HHH, for him to appear almost fully legitimate in the fans' eyes (especially since the other champ, Lesnar, is a heel).

 

Problem with the Elevation Theory:

If there is no more Intercontinental belt, what will the midcard fight over? There are no other belts left except cruiser.

Perhaps the WWE thinks no midcard belt is necessary. Most feuds aren't about belts anyway.

They could also go the route of making an entirely new world title belt, presumably placed on either Taker or HHH. Or if RVD is indeed elevated, then he either has to relinquish the Intercontinental belt, or another midcard belt is made.

 

 

 

The best reasons to believe in a the formation of a new World Title come from the WWE itself. WWE has been telling it's investors for months now that the brand extension is "The Next Big Thing", to borry a catchphrase. Even if this is bullsh*t and the brand extension is forever doomed to failure, it's clear that they're going to stick with it, at least for the moment.

 

The primary spin control involved with the WWE's recent statement--that announced the very disappointing earnings numbers for last quarter [nearly all of last quarter's profit came from the settlement against the PTC]--was all about how the "brand extension" is the key to future success for the WWE. Whenever a company hypes up a concept this much to investors, it's very unlikely that they'll drop it willingly. If you want, you can check out an interview with Linda McMahon from this past Monday:

 

http://rd.yahoo.com/finance/external/cbsm/...2892336471DB%7D

 

[Note: Beware, most of this interview is VERY boring]

 

Smarks have been saying for months that the brand extension has very little credibility, due to the amount of inter-mingling between Raw and SmackDown!. In the eyes of WWE management, the creation of a new Title belt would be a good way of getting their brand extension gimmick over, even if it a bit late.

[Guest creativename]

By the way, some interesting notes from the interview:

 

While promoting the World restaurant, Linda McMahon said "[At the world is] Chris Angel, who's, I think a renowned illusionist..." (emphasis mine)

 

That made me smile a little bit, I just found it funny.

 

The interviewer also asked Linda McMahon about the company's future superstars now that the Rock is leaving again. I was anxiously awaiting her response, wondering if she would talk about RVD, Jericho, Mysterio, or even Angle (though he's a bit older).

 

However, the only 2 names she mentions are Brock Lesnar, and...

 

...John Cena.

 

I'm like, WTF?!? John Cena??? Of all people the CEO of the company would mention as a future superstar, John frickin' Cena?

 

I'm guessing that this was probably just a case of Linda not being able to think of any other names on the spot, and that it meant nothing.

 

...makes you wonder, though...

[Guest NazMistry]

With the recent European/Hardcore title unifications, the Intercontinental belt now has an impressive legacy/heritage.

Sorry, but that line made me laugh.

[Guest El Psycho Diablo]

Making a new belt, and stopping the flow of "steals" would help.

[Guest dreamer420]

maybe he forgot that the WCW US title was swallowed up by the IC title. that belt had some history to it.

[Guest The Metal Maniac]

The IC belt also has the WCW US title, which I think had a National title in there somewhere too. That's 5 belts in one, people.

 

But I don't see them just saying "This belt is now the World Title." Personally, I figure they're gonna say that HHH won the #1 Contendership last week, so Brock has to give him a title shot THIS week. If Brock no-shows, he forfeits the match, and the title, to HHH. HHH is then awarded with a new belt, and proclaimed by RAW as the "World Champion".

[JasonX 0]

The IC belt also has the WCW US title, which I think had a National title in there somewhere too. That's 5 belts in one, people.

 

But I don't see them just saying "This belt is now the World Title." Personally, I figure they're gonna say that HHH won the #1 Contendership last week, so Brock has to give him a title shot THIS week. If Brock no-shows, he forfeits the match, and the title, to HHH. HHH is then awarded with a new belt, and proclaimed by RAW as the "World Champion".

Or the following scenerio:

 

HHH throughs a temper tantrum and gets Bischoff to vow that he'll make Brock honor HHH's #1 contender spot at the Sept. PPV. Steph, on SMD, pimps constantly leading up to the PPV that it's going to be Brock/UT and not Brock/HHH at the PPV while Eric uses his army of lawyers to deliver an ultimatium to Brock: Fight Triple H or be sued into the poor house since Brock, without Heyman's permission made a verbal agrement to fight the winner of the HHH/UT match (you can throw in Eric threatening to get Brock's family's farm taken away from him and Brock being barred from wrestling in the WWE as a result of the lawsuit with Eric making reference to how Ric Flair was exiled off of TV and wrestling for over 6 months in 1998 when he got sued as a possible fate for Brock if he renegs on his agreement) . Meanwhile on Raw, RVD petitions unsuccessfully that the IC Title should be made the top Raw title while getting belittled by Triple H, who gets his ass handed to him by RVD after getting bitched out by the Game.

 

Ultimately on the last Raw before the PPV Vince shows up and declares a compromise: RVD takes on HHH and if HHH beats RVD, he gets to fight Brock and UT for the belt in a triple threat match (if HHH loses, it's just Brock and UT). HHH beats RVD and in the 3-Way match Brock pins UT for the win. After the match, Brock and Heyman confront Steph (who comes out to gloat) and make a startling revelation: That thanks to Steph and Eric's meddling, Brock will no longer appear on BOTH Raw and SD and that Eric and Steph must now pay Brock $500,000 to appear on a single episode of Raw and SD until further notice. Steph loses it and reveals how she wasted all of the reserve MAD money set aside by Vince for SD to keep Brock exclusive to SD for the past month and that she can't pay him that amount. ATM Eric then makes his appearance with a suitcase filled with money makes a downpayment to make Brock Raw exclusive for the next month. Brock, Paul, and Eric leave as Steph throws a temper tantrum in the middle of the ring as the Sept. PPV fades to black...

[Guest Redhawk]

Creating a 2nd World title would only cheapen the 1st one as well as the 2nd. And wasn't the whole reason behind an "Undisputed" title holder to end any disputes?

 

Besides, who could Bischoff pick? Brock already beat RVD at KOTR, so no one would actually take to RVD as the "other" World champ. They could give it to HHH or Taker, but both of them have already lost the Undisputed title before, and both of them lost it to guys Brock has beaten/destroyed (Hogan and Rock).

 

This whole "Brock is only on Smackdown" thing isn't about the title anyway, it's just another reason for Stephanie and Eric to hate each other.

[Guest creativename]

maybe he forgot that the WCW US title was swallowed up by the IC title. that belt had some history to it.

If you are referring to me, then no I did not. That was exactly what I was referring to.

 

Obviously the unification with the Hardcore title means next to nothing, and the European title not so much. However it is clear that for storyline purposes one can count those two unifications as significant.

 

It's the previous unifications, combined with the recent ones, that give the current Intercontinental a relatively impressive heritage.

[Guest jester]

HHH is then awarded with a new belt, and proclaimed by RAW as the "World Champion".

Actually, the hhhater in me loves the idea of HHH holding a meaningless belt.