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Post by Vice honcho room temperature on May 5, 2014 23:21:32 GMT -5
I don't mean something like they've lost all meaning because they've been devalued I mean what does a midcard title actually represent? In boxing or even the old territory system I'd get the purpose but as long as I've ever watched the WWF/E they've been one organization and the IC title's purpose has never been quite explained to me.
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Post by Urfarkendarf on May 5, 2014 23:23:18 GMT -5
They used to be used a stepping stone for guys before bumping them up to main event level, i.e. as sort of a test. Now they're just props and no one gives a damn about them.
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Post by angryfan on May 5, 2014 23:23:19 GMT -5
I don't mean something like they've lost all meaning because they've been devalued I mean what does a midcard title actually represent? In boxing or even the old territory system I'd get the purpose but as long as I've ever watched the WWF/E they've been one organization and the IC title's purpose has never been quite explained to me. Back in the day, they were the "number one contender" title, or something to signify the number 2 guy. |
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Post by Vice honcho room temperature on May 5, 2014 23:26:30 GMT -5
I don't mean something like they've lost all meaning because they've been devalued I mean what does a midcard title actually represent? In boxing or even the old territory system I'd get the purpose but as long as I've ever watched the WWF/E they've been one organization and the IC title's purpose has never been quite explained to me. Back in the day, they were the "number one contender" title, or something to signify the number 2 guy. Would that be during their reign, after their reign? |
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Hanzo
Dennis Stamp
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Posts: 4,666
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Post by Hanzo on May 5, 2014 23:28:48 GMT -5
I think the Intercontinental title was originally planned to be defended only in North and South America. Hence the name: Intercontinental.
According to Chris Jericho, the World and Intercontinental titles were essentially the same. Only difference was that the IC title could only be defended on dry land, whereas the World title included all the oceans and bodies of water. So if he ever had to defend the IC title against a pirate or a shark, he was screwed.
Hey, no one knows more about the IC belt than the guy who's held it the most, right?
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Post by angryfan on May 5, 2014 23:28:57 GMT -5
Back in the day, they were the "number one contender" title, or something to signify the number 2 guy. Would that be during their reign, after their reign? During. Goldbaerg got his title shot at Hogan because he was the "sanctioned number one contender, the United States champion". Warrior's match with Hogan was "sanctioned" because he had the IC belt. It wasn't "he's the only guy that can get a shot" but "he gets dibs" basically. That's why even after Flair had been a multi-time world champion, he'd still go after the US title to "get his shot". |
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Post by MiLo Duck on May 5, 2014 23:31:31 GMT -5
I think you can tell they are really trying to regain some of the lost luster of those belts. They have been heavily featured, heavily talked about, and fought for intensely in tournaments or this battle royal leading into a defense on Smackdown. What they mean at THIS point is it is potentially were the midcarders want to be again.
It may not be good times again just yet, but its moving in the right direction rapidly as far as I see it
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2014 23:32:56 GMT -5
At this point, the same as the WWE WHC.
Completely secondary to being the "face of the company" and possibly tertiary to that and "whoever Cena is no-selling this week"
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MrBRulzOK
Wade Wilson
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Something Witty Here.
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Post by MrBRulzOK on May 5, 2014 23:37:22 GMT -5
Recently it's been like a target they put on somebody they don't like to tell the world not to care about these people. Though now that they've put the belts on Barrett and Sheamus respectively, I suspect they've decided to stop pursuing that line of thinking... at least for now.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2014 23:42:11 GMT -5
Basically they're there to let you know that the people that hold them are not as important or as good as people that don't. They're there to make you as a viewer feel better because regardless of how crappy your life is or what you're going through, at least you're not Intercontinental champ.
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Mozenrath
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Post by Mozenrath on May 5, 2014 23:42:20 GMT -5
They used to be used a stepping stone for guys before bumping them up to main event level, i.e. as sort of a test. Now they're just props and no one gives a damn about them. In a stage sport just telling a story, that's all they've literally ever been. You don't win them, you are given them, after all. We might pine for something like a Macho Man IC title reign, but we had filler champions even about 20 years ago, with such luminaries as Dean Douglas at less than a half hour and Rocky Maivia who was basically a joke until his heel turn. If we remember when the title was used to our liking, it sometimes unfortunately was because it was sometimes the exception, not the rule, that we got a good championship reign. Most of the time, it's just used to try to give a guy something for his resume before he moves on to something else, higher or lower. |
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schma
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Post by schma on May 6, 2014 0:30:19 GMT -5
At one time in the late 80's and early 90s the world title was for the face of the company or the one who sold all the tickets whereas the intercontinental champion was the best wrestler. That's when you were getting guys like Bret Hart and Mr. Perfect putting on wrestling clinics for the IC title. I could be wrong but based on a interviews with some of the guys who've been around a long time and what I saw that makes sense.
Also, the stepping stone. It used to be that you won the 'lesser' belts before getting a shot at the world title. Goldberg did it, Angle did it. Now they just hotshot someone straight to the world title when they want them super over a la Sheamus and a few others. They really should go back to someone working their way up the belts I think. If they want to strap a rocket to someone like angle then they can have a compressed timeline but throwing them right into the main event out of nowhere rarely works out.
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Post by Apricots And A Pear Tree on May 6, 2014 1:02:39 GMT -5
Sometimes it feels like how to designate the Top Midcarder to job to a main eventer.
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Post by Sparvid on May 6, 2014 1:40:55 GMT -5
What about the ECW and WCW TV titles? Were they supposed to only be defended on TV tapings (as in, "not house shows or PPVs")?
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Bub (BLM)
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Fed. Up.
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Post by Bub (BLM) on May 6, 2014 1:41:30 GMT -5
Currently, to make Barrett look good and Sheamus look bad.
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kevin
El Dandy
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Post by kevin on May 6, 2014 2:02:13 GMT -5
Titles are the whole point of everything. All of the best feuds are based on wrestling for a title.
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kinginthenorth
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Post by kinginthenorth on May 6, 2014 2:19:49 GMT -5
What's the point of anyone or anything who isn't Cena?
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Post by Slammy Award-Winning Cannibal on May 6, 2014 2:24:43 GMT -5
Now that Sheamus worthlessly has the US title, he should drop it to Rusev. That will elevate Rusev, which is the entire point of titles. If he doesn't drop it to somebody like that, just merge it with the IC so that champ can be perceived as the next main eventer.
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