Piper never had a World Title Run

[Deleted]

wasn't the match with Hogan at Starrcade 96 only advertised as nontitle DURING the ppv?
I swear leading up to the event, the belt was on the line and they changed it last minute

I remember being utterly confused

[Mark4HBK]

Apr 13, 2014 4:26:15 GMT -5 TheSchattenjager said:

Back then, World title runs weren't passed around like candy.

How very true. In the first 25 years of the WWWF/WWF/WWE (ie, 1963-1988), there were just 10 officially-recognized World Champions (11 if you count the week that Antonio Inoki held it durning Backlund's first reign - which the WWE does not). In the second 15 years of WWE history (1988 thru the end of 2013) there have been 106 World Championship changes - and this does NOT include the addition of the WCW title to the mix post-2002, which adds another 55 title changes between the WCW acquisition in 2002 and Randy Orton unifying the belts last year. Therefore, there have been 161 world title changes between the end of Hogan's first reign and the Orton/Cena unification match (an average of one every eight weeks...)

Thing is, back in Piper's heyday the WWF only used heels as transitional champions to get the belt from one babyface to another without having to make them fight each other. Vince Sr.'s booking philosophy was that fans liked to cheer for a babyface champion, while the NWA believed there was more money in having a heel champion being chased by the babyfaces (ie, Ric Flair). To this day, the longest-reigning heel champion (who was a heel for his entire reign, rather than someone who became a heel during his reign (ie, CM Punk)) is Superstar Billy Graham at 9 months and three weeks. Not counting Graham, in the first 25 years of the WWWF/WWF heels held the title for a total of just 80 days - including Graham it still only adds up to 376 days. The other 23 years, 354 days it was held by babyfaces.

[Ginger Beer Man]

Piper is the perfect heel for a babyface to play off. I really don't know why he never had a run as World Champion. But then I could also say the same about Ted DiBiase or Jake Roberts.

[Cry Me a Wiggle]

Apr 13, 2014 4:26:15 GMT -5 TheSchattenjager said:

Back then, World title runs weren't passed around like candy.

In kayfabe, Jack Swagger and The Miz are more accomplished than Roddy Piper.

Let that sink in.

[schma]

Yeah, I get that it was a different era with far less tv time so changing belts would be a lot rarer. Hell the fact that you could have a champion with reigns that lasted multiple years is a testament to that. Also, as noted some of the true greats rarely held gold, world gold in particular. Still seems a bit strange. Hell for that matter, Junkyard Dog feuded with Flair for the World title in WCW/NWA but didn't win it. Still, Piper is one that surprises me. Also, as an above poster mentioned, Piper/Macho could have been fantastic. I think if they'd both been allowed to go heel it might have been even better.