Midcard treatement of a champion

[Guest Trivia247]

Ok I've seen some awesome Champs and crappy champs come and go...and Never have I seen a company whos priorities use to be to focus on the Champions whomever it was become a company that would all but be indifferent to their champion in favor to other wrestlers. (Who shall remain nameless because we wouldn't want this to be a ###ate thread or anything)

 

But look back here. Not since the age of Hogan without a belt has a world champion get billed so less off.. I made comparisions to the Bad Blood Main event to Wm8 where Savage vs Flair was for the world title, but it was like halfway down the card because Hogan simply HAD to face Sid in the main event.

 

But even during then that was one event. Sgt Slaughter, he himself at least was billed in more main event angles than Benoit as Champion. WTF is that? Benoit is a stellar performer, and Slaughter was coming off a GI Joe cartoon and was given an angle to be the most hated wrestler on the planet in his day and age.

 

Look at what Benoit has done in the WWE Since becoming World Champion. There is a debate evidently of people claiming he isn't over as a champion and the rest saying he is. Well How the hell do we know if he is over or not as a Main eventer if they jolly well don't PUT him in a Main event? Last couple of weeks to a month they saddled him with Edge and the only matches we seen out of him were Tag matches.

 

Its just seems cold indifference compared to who they would rather push as a main eventer. Benoit is getting lost in the noise and im not liking it.

 

Anyone else feel the same here?

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

I think, in the long run, Benoit will find his problem was not being named HHH.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

The WWF doesn't believe that someone like Benoit can ultimately draw so they create a self-fulfilling prophecy. They'll do everything they can to not make it work and then when fans later want someone like a Benoit the WWF will point back to Benoit not working.

 

And no champion on Raw will ever get top billing unless it's HHH or maybe HBK. It's been made clear since 2002 that Raw is the HHH Variety Show.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Chris Benoit's List of *Major* Accomplishments Since WM XX:

 

- Looked strong at the Continental Airlines Arena, and with Shawn Michaels defeated Evolution the day after WM XX to a big pop, which was key for his reign to start strong.

 

- Got a great hometown pop, defeating HHH and HBK at Backlash in Edmonton.

 

- With Edge, defeated Batista & Flair to win the tag straps and kick off a short, but very good period for the tag team titles.

 

- Retained the titles in an even better match the next week.

 

- Wrestled an (IMO) mediocre match against Michaels, the "Showdown in the Desert", and kept the title after HHH interfered.

 

- Saved Eugene from The Coach and Cade. While this is FAR FROM a "main event" angle, it did attach Benoit to the Eugene storyline that seems to be planned for the summer. Plus, it put Benoit over with the crowd and their new "darling" Eugene.

 

- Defeated Kane in a competitive (and better than it should have been) match at Bad Blood with a roll-up.

 

- Sole Survivor in a long, mediocre Six-Man Elimination Match that did not keep the viewers interest, as the ratings overrun indicated.

 

- I know this isn't "huge", but Benoit has also made Orton tap out twice in the span of a month and a half. Just significant that Benoit was strongly put over Orton twice, who has been booked as unbeatable except for a few occassions.

 

HOWEVER...

 

Aisde from those occassions, most of which were lumped together, Benoit has been minimized on TV many weeks. Not wrestling, or just doing a brief run-in have hurt Benoit, because the crowd seemingly forgets he should be the focus of the show.

 

THE GOAL IS TO BECOME WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION.

 

So why is the "target" not in the main event or in an IMPORTANT angle/match *EVERY* week?

 

Sigh.

 

Honestly, when all we see is a certain cHHHallenger in the focused storylines (Vs. HBK, "befriending" Eugene, wrestling Eugene, brawling with Shawn outside the ring, shaking Shawn's hands, wanting to be #1 Contender) and Benoit is just backstage talking to Bischoff...the crowd becomes apathetic to the whole title reign.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

He's doing fine. I don't see what the problem is. He beats pretty much everybody. Not everyone can be Rock or Stone Cold. Benoit's character is not one that should be on 5 times a night and given 20 minute interviews. He comes out, has a match (which he usually wins clean), then leaves. He and Rock are also the only ones to really save Eugene. That's good company to be in. Benoit is also all over the ads for future WWE events. It isn't like he's invisible.

 

There have been plenty of worse treated title reigns over the years. Just look at Jericho's Undisputed Title run or Kurt Angle's first run. Neither guy was booked as a threat at all. If you want to argue that those two were heels, just look at the terrible Goldberg title run from last year.

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

Now that HHH/HBK is done...Benoit is the top billing feud guranteed. Just hope he's booked strong. He was booked pretty well from January-May, had no real feud, so Kane got his token title match per year. Now he's gonna be back in the spotlight.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

"just look at the terrible Goldberg title run from last year. "

 

Yes.

 

Another champion on the same show with a certain can't be anywhere but the main event even when I'm not champion or top contender...who shall remain nameless.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Jericho's undisputed title reign was MUCH better than Benoit's reign for the following reasons:

 

1. Jericho added the unpredictability factor into the title reign, as guys like RVD and The Rock looked like they were sure to take his strap.

 

2. Jericho had a personality and connected with the crowd, making the crowd want to see him lose it.

 

3. Jericho had better regular challengers in The Rock, Van Dam, and Austin (the match sucked, yes, but the buildup was better than say Kane/Benoit).

 

At least when Jericho was following Stephanie around, you knew he was champion, because he was involved in main events, carried the title around, interfered, and was MENTIONED on the show.

 

I feel like Benoit's just keeping the title warm until Triple H feels like he wants to wrestle full-time, and not just do one boring 50-minute Hell in a Cell match.

 

And you know what? Benoit's tag team title reign ended at the hands of LA FUCKING RESISTANCE. So think about that before you defend Benoit's "great booking" and "ring cred".

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Goldberg's reign suffered from not being able to get away from HHH at all. His whole feud was about when HHH was getting the belt back and nothing else.

 

I mean Goldberg got bested by Mark Henry on numerous occasions and couldn't even GET A FUCKING CLEAN WIN OVER MARK HENRY in a match. No wonder Goldberg's reign sucked.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

"just look at the terrible Goldberg title run from last year. "

 

Yes.

 

Another champion on the same show with a certain can't be anywhere but the main event even when I'm not champion or top contender...who shall remain nameless.

People are acting like this is unique to Benoit, when actually he is faring better than anybody else that ran into HHH besides Rock & Austin.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Benoit is still in Goldberg range though. He got away from HHH briefly but it was still a "HHH needs to remove someone before going back to win his title" kind of a thing. If Benoit can get out of the Triple H feud, which we all know he won't, and have some other feuds maybe I'll accept that his reign hasn't been horribly done.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

1. Jericho added the unpredictability factor into the title reign, as guys like RVD and The Rock looked like they were sure to take his strap.

 

That's because he couldn't beat them or pretty much anybody else either. He had a classic Honky Tonk Man title run. A bad idea when you are trying to build credibility for a Wrestlemania main event. It wasn't just Rock/Austin that made the Wrestlemania XVIII main event so forgettable, it was also because everybody knew Jericho had no chance in hell given the fact that he couldn't even beat RVD.

 

2. Jericho had a personality and connected with the crowd, making the crowd want to see him lose it.

 

Benoit is a face. They aren't supposed to (and don't) want him to lose the belt.

 

3. Jericho had better regular challengers in The Rock, Van Dam, and Austin (the match sucked, yes, but the buildup was better than say Kane/Benoit).

 

RVD is crap. The Rock was just tossed into the Rumble match in about two weeks because they aborted the RVD feud when HHH returned. Austin/Jericho wasn't any good. HHH/Jericho was the second worst main event feud since Diesel/Mabel. Only the Katie Vick angle was worse.

 

Jericho, HHH & Hogan killed the title in the first half of 2002 before Taker of all people brought back some respectibility to the title. Jericho's career never recovered, and he's spent most of the past 9 months feuding with a career midcarder in Christian.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

Benoit is still in Goldberg range though. He got away from HHH briefly but it was still a "HHH needs to remove someone before going back to win his title" kind of a thing. If Benoit can get out of the Triple H feud, which we all know he won't, and have some other feuds maybe I'll accept that his reign hasn't been horribly done.

Okay. Name the last RAW title reign by someone other than HHH that didn't suck. At the very least, Benoit's is the least suckiest of the bunch.

 

We can't have HHH as champ all the time.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Well HBK's was too short to really count for anything and Goldberg's was trash so I guess it's the least of the two evils.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Taker brought respectability to the title??????????

 

I seem to remember:

 

- Taker wins title after HORRIBLE match with Hogan. Cred: loss.

- Taker loses title to RVD, only to have match restarted and he keeps it. Cred: loss.

- Taker retains title after HORRIBLE match with HHH. Cred: loss.

- Taker starts wrestling the likes of low-carders "rookie" John Cena and Jeff Hardy and it takes him quite a while to beat them. Cred: loss

- Taker drops title to The Rock at Vengeance.

 

How did he establish the belt?

 

Jericho went over Rock and Austin in one night, and then defeated Rock again in an amazing PPV match. Jericho may not have "helped" the title...but the reign was better than Taker's.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Like when he was walking Steph's dog and was a totaly afterthought in the WM18 ME. Right......

[Guest Ray]

Wm8 where Savage vs Flair was for the world title, but it was like halfway down the card because Hogan simply HAD to face Sid in the main event.

There was a REASON Sid's match was the main event, and it wasn't Hogan politicking his way there.....

[Precious Roy 0]

Wm8 where Savage vs Flair was for the world title, but it was like halfway down the card because Hogan simply HAD to face Sid in the main event.

There was a REASON Sid's match was the main event, and it wasn't Hogan politicking his way there.....

Papa Shango?

[King Cucaracha 0]

So outside of his accomplishments named, what hasn't Benoit done?

 

Talk?

 

Bingo. That's why he's not the main focus of the program. That's why he seems like a midcard. Cause outside of the ring, there's nothing for him to do.

 

Remember the Edge/Coach/Benoit segment where Benoit couldn't pull a decent facial expression to save his life. Forget Eugene, that was the thing most of my casual fan friends ribbed me about after that show. Coincidence?

[Guest cobainwasmurdered]

*rembers Big show's title run where he defended in the mid card against Bossman*

 

you guys'll bitch about anything. Benoit is on just enough. It's better this way than if we were constantly bombarded by him.

 

You know, like HHH and HBK....those guys you all bitch about dominating Tv time?

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Goldberg's problem was that Kane was being gimped by Shane McMahon most of the title reign. It would have helped if we could have had some sort of Unstoppable Force vs Unmovable Object match between Goldberg and Kane, who were both selling for guys (most notably Non-Wrestler Steve Austin) but still coming out looking strong at the end.

 

All the talent at the time was considered to be on SmackDown. Goldberg/Lesnar turned out to be a complete mis-fire. In my own opinion, they should have gone for Goldberg vs Taker at WM XX. 'Berg and Brim-Hat Taker are the most dominantly-booked characters of both WCW and WWF, and Taker putting away Goldberg would have made his re-entrance strong while still giving Goldberg a credible looking exit when his contract ran out after the show.

 

The only appeal to Lesnar vs Goldberg was that it was supposed to be Champion Vs Champion, until Lesnar dropped to Eddie and everything got messed up.

 

And beating Lesnar and then disappearing for no reason whatsoever was just stupid.

[Guest INXS]

HBK/HHH had to go on last, it was a cell match and the whole PPV was built around that match. WWE had every right to sell the PPV around HHH/HBK and not Benoit/Kane. If Benoit vs Kane followed the cell match then viewers wouldn't be as interested, nor the live crowd, and Benoit/Kane would have to have put on a ***** match to top the cell match in order not to look weak. As it stands, WWE booked Benoit brilliantly by having him in two matches. It made him look very strong.

 

The bigger picture is of course that after initial interest, Benoit's lost overness as of late (no fault of his own really) and his lack of charisma/marketabilty does him no favors.

[Scroby 0]

Nah I would say Big's show first title reign was booked worse than Beniot. At least Beniot has been the main event for PPV's where Big Show wasn't so much the main event.

[NoCalMike 0]

Wins & Losses are not as important in WWE as perception. Benoit can rack up all the wins he wants, but the truth of the matter is, Triple H has managed to make sure himself and HBK thus far have been the main focal point of RAW's ME scene. I swear the title seems to just be a hood ornament on Benoit's shoulder as his status on Raw hardly screams champion. There is no reason we should be hearing from Triple H 3-4 times a show. This isn't being done on accident either.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Screw TV time, screw promos, screw achievements.

 

The one thing you should be asking is:

 

"Is Benoit the most important wrestler on the show?"

[NoCalMike 0]

Screw TV time, screw promos, screw achievements.

 

The one thing you should be asking is:

 

"Is Benoit the most important wrestler on the show?"

and by way of booking, storylines and structure, the answer would be no.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

Screw TV time, screw promos, screw achievements.

 

The one thing you should be asking is:

 

"Is Benoit the most important wrestler on the show?"

Since 2002, name one champion on RAW besides HHH that was. It is like the 80s. Hulk Hogan was ALWAYS the most important wrestler on the show. That didn't mean Randy Savage was a bad champion.

 

You could say the same about Austin. In 1998-1999, Rock/Foley was always second banana to the Austin/McMahon or Austin/Taker feuds. Rock didn't even main event the show named after him.

[Guest Ray]

Screw TV time, screw promos, screw achievements.

 

The one thing you should be asking is:

 

"Is Benoit the most important wrestler on the show?"

Since 2002, name one champion on RAW besides HHH that was. It is like the 80s. Hulk Hogan was ALWAYS the most important wrestler on the show. That didn't mean Randy Savage was a bad champion.

 

You could say the same about Austin. In 1998-1999, Rock/Foley was always second banana to the Austin/McMahon or Austin/Taker feuds. Rock didn't even main event the show named after him.

The difference is Austin and Hogan belonged where they were, because they drew incredible amounts of money.

 

HHH's position is not relative to his drawing power (which, clearly, isn't much these days).

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

HHH

Kane

Bischoff

HBK

Eugene

Orton

 

*Six* people who are given more importance than Benoit. It's pathetic. You can't excuse that and you can't dismiss it.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

Screw TV time, screw promos, screw achievements.

 

The one thing you should be asking is:

 

"Is Benoit the most important wrestler on the show?"

Since 2002, name one champion on RAW besides HHH that was. It is like the 80s. Hulk Hogan was ALWAYS the most important wrestler on the show. That didn't mean Randy Savage was a bad champion.

 

You could say the same about Austin. In 1998-1999, Rock/Foley was always second banana to the Austin/McMahon or Austin/Taker feuds. Rock didn't even main event the show named after him.

The difference is Austin and Hogan belonged where they were, because they drew incredible amounts of money.

 

HHH's position is not relative to his drawing power (which, clearly, isn't much these days).

Fine, I agree, but it isn't like he's going away either. So you either have him have 5 year long title reigns, which memory tells me that people weren't too happy about, this is the best you are going to get.

 

Compared to Jericho's title run, where he played second fiddle to HHH, Austin, Rock, the NWO, Vince, Flair, Steph & Lucy, being only behind HHH (make no mistake, Benoit is clearly seen as being better than Shawn at this point, which is why HHH dealt with Shawn first, rather than getting his title back first and then facing Shawn) seems not too bad.

 

So what you choose?

 

Option A: HHH as champ for years on end

Option B: A placeholder champ to come along once in a while (be it HBK, Goldberg, Benoit, etc.) to break up the monotony.

 

There is no other option.

 

Who else could you give it to besides Benoit?

 

HBK? Gone for two months, and he flopped even worse than Benoit with his shot in Dec 2002.

 

Jericho? If you think Benoit has it rough, HHH has crushed Jericho's career at every oppurtunity. He couldn't even beat the likes of Mark Henry & Rico during the winter. That shows you how much the company is willing to get behind him.

 

Orton? Possibly, but he's the next victim...er champion, after HHH's next reign.

 

Shelton? Injured.

 

Christian? Injured, and a midcard talent at best anyways.

 

Edge? Considering most of the people here are bitching about him even facing Orton, I would guess the answer is no.

 

Eugene? Gimmick character with a short shelflife. Like Too Cool or the Godfather or Val Venis or the New Age Outlaws.

 

Rock? Hollywood.

 

Kane? Benoit's reign sucks because he is fighting Kane, so let's give it to Kane. That reminds me of Sideshow Bob's mayoral commercial.

 

Flair? A joke these days.

 

Batista? Orton's getting the push, not him.

 

Everybody else is basically jobbers like Hurricane and company. None of those choices are better than Benoit. Unless you go with HHH, and you were bitching about that too.