So..Uh, Does the Universal Title Still Exist?

[LiamMcDuggle]

Because the WWE website has him listed as champion of both titles. Which technically makes him a two time world champion.

The graphic on Smackdown said "Undisputed Universal Champion", but he was only announced as WWE Champion.

[Eunös ✈]

Shhhh...Dont say anything and they might forget it ever existed. ;D

[67 more]

Apr 13, 2024 1:46:57 GMT -5 LiamMcDuggle said:

Because the WWE website has him listed as champion of both titles. Which technically makes him a two time world champion.

The graphic on Smackdown said "Undisputed Universal Champion", but he was only announced as WWE Champion.

It does and he is. The Universal title has never been retired, but I expect them to quietly retire it during this reign.

[TWERKIN' MAGGLE]

People shouldn't die.

Stinky titles from 2016 should die.

[schizo]

Imo, it’s just one title with a over-complicated name. Just call it what it really is. It’s the WWE Championship

[GOTHIC CHARISMA 🧊 🥶❄️FURY]

I hope not. it has been trash and cursed since the day finn won it and had to vacate it

[Lizuka #BLM]

My guess is they're going to quietly deemphasize a little of the name at a time until it's just the WWE Championship again.

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

So I asked this in the Cody Thread and at the HOF Ceremony they gave the physical blue belt to Bray's family as a gift

So idk what they're going to do with it in the end. Both reigns began at different times for Roman, both resetting for Cody implies they're both still there

The WHC serves no purpose with there being still two world titles and Roman's reign done with, so idk what the plan will eventually be, either they will split them or just quietly fade it out would be my guesses.

[thirteen3]

Some shenanigans may happen with the Universal title being split off and then merged with the World Heavyweight to give that a little more "prestige".

[papagiorgio]

It would have died last year if it weren't for Reigns' long title reign. Hopefully, it quietly goes away soon.

[tirtefaa]

Honestly, if any title should be deactivated, it's the World Heavyweight championship.

The one thing that the Universal title has going for it at least right now is a moderately strong lineage as far as who they had win it, with Braun Strowman being the weakest candidate...along with some lengthy reigns to help pad out "credibility". It's not like the 2002 World title which was seen as a secondary belt once Jack Swagger won it.

I'd have a match where the Universal and World titles are on the line (without the WWe title being on the line), and have Priest (or whoever is World champion at that time) win the Universal title, with the World title immediately being deactivated, while keeping the belt design of the World title for the Universal title once they merge, much like WCW did in 1994.

[Lizuka #BLM]

The Universal belt's only been around for eight years, four of those it was in Roman's custody while another 18 months Brock wasn't doing anything with it, not a single title reign with it was even slightly good, and it has a stupid name, so I'm perfectly fine with just ignoring its existence and treating it like some weird statistical anomaly. Could just do like they did with Dolph and just act like Finn, KO, and Braun won the WWE title.

[Moppy]

Really it was done the day Roman won both red/blue belts, and unofficially completely dead the day he got the new golden belt. The word Universal is clearly just some buzzword the office likes so it stuck around, but like others I expect that to be contracted to just ‘WWE Championship’ over the course of Cody’s reign. Them being listed as two separate titles on the website is really weird.

[RI Richmark]

Apr 13, 2024 3:55:52 GMT -5 thirteen3 said:

Some shenanigans may happen with the Universal title being split off and then merged with the World Heavyweight to give that a little more "prestige".

Apr 13, 2024 5:11:32 GMT -5 tirtefaa said:

Honestly, if any title should be deactivated, it's the World Heavyweight championship.

The one thing that the Universal title has going for it at least right now is a moderately strong lineage as far as who they had win it, with Braun Strowman being the weakest candidate...along with some lengthy reigns to help pad out "credibility". It's not like the 2002 World title which was seen as a secondary belt once Jack Swagger won it.

I'd have a match where the Universal and World titles are on the line (without the WWe title being on the line), and have Priest (or whoever is World champion at that time) win the Universal title, with the World title immediately being deactivated, while keeping the belt design of the World title for the Universal title once they merge, much like WCW did in 1994.

That is way over complicated. Just simpler to unify the WWE and Universal titles.

[RI Richmark]

Apr 13, 2024 6:47:39 GMT -5 Moppy said:

Really it was done the day Roman won both red/blue belts, and unofficially completely dead the day he got the new golden belt. The word Universal is clearly just some buzzword the office likes so it stuck around, but like others I expect that to be contracted to just ‘WWE Championship’ over the course of Cody’s reign. Them being listed as two separate titles on the website is really weird.

I'm nitpicking here but tye WWE Championship had a black background. The Universal had a red background when it was Raw's title and a blue background when it went to Smackdown.

[tirtefaa]

Apr 13, 2024 6:57:03 GMT -5 RI Richmark said:

Apr 13, 2024 5:11:32 GMT -5 tirtefaa said:

Honestly, if any title should be deactivated, it's the World Heavyweight championship.

The one thing that the Universal title has going for it at least right now is a moderately strong lineage as far as who they had win it, with Braun Strowman being the weakest candidate...along with some lengthy reigns to help pad out "credibility". It's not like the 2002 World title which was seen as a secondary belt once Jack Swagger won it.

I'd have a match where the Universal and World titles are on the line (without the WWe title being on the line), and have Priest (or whoever is World champion at that time) win the Universal title, with the World title immediately being deactivated, while keeping the belt design of the World title for the Universal title once they merge, much like WCW did in 1994.

That is way over complicated. Just simpler to unify the WWE and Universal titles.

In the context that I presented? Yeah, that can be complicated. But this isn't something you'd have to do overnight.

It just seems really silly to get rid of the Universal title after spending 8 years building it up, only to keep around the relatively new World title that was seen as a consolation prize because no one could beat Roman.

[RI Richmark]

Apr 13, 2024 7:04:55 GMT -5 tirtefaa said:

Apr 13, 2024 6:57:03 GMT -5 RI Richmark said:

That is way over complicated. Just simpler to unify the WWE and Universal titles.

In the context that I presented? Yeah, that can be complicated. But this isn't something you'd have to do overnight.

It just seems really silly to get rid of the Universal title after spending 8 years building it up, only to keep around the relatively new World title that was seen as a consolation prize because no one could beat Roman.

Personally I think it’s silly to have 2 World titles in the first place. Whether it’s the Old World Heavyweight title, the new one or the Universal. The WWE Championship should be the ONLY World Championship.

There should only be one Women’s and Tag title too. I hate this two belt bulls**t. I’d also unify the IC and US titles but if the networks insist on this brand split then I’d keep both titles.

[schizo]

Apr 13, 2024 5:11:32 GMT -5 tirtefaa said:

Honestly, if any title should be deactivated, it's the World Heavyweight championship.

The one thing that the Universal title has going for it at least right now is a moderately strong lineage as far as who they had win it, with Braun Strowman being the weakest candidate...along with some lengthy reigns to help pad out "credibility". It's not like the 2002 World title which was seen as a secondary belt once Jack Swagger won it.

I'd have a match where the Universal and World titles are on the line (without the WWe title being on the line), and have Priest (or whoever is World champion at that time) win the Universal title, with the World title immediately being deactivated, while keeping the belt design of the World title for the Universal title once they merge, much like WCW did in 1994.

The Universal title isn’t even its own belt anymore, it only exists in name only, and even then, on SmackDown, they keep referring to Cody as the Undisputed WWE Champion, there’s no Universal title to be put on the line anymore. Just keep the World Title and have the Universal name fade away quietly

[Ryback on a Pole!]

Just merge it. I hate the Universal title name lol.

[tirtefaa]

Apr 13, 2024 8:34:39 GMT -5 RI Richmark said:

Personally I think it’s silly to have 2 World titles in the first place. Whether it’s the Old World Heavyweight title, the new one or the Universal. The WWE Championship should be the ONLY World Championship.

There should only be one Women’s and Tag title too. I hate this two belt bulls**t. I’d also unify the IC and US titles but if the networks insist on this brand split then I’d keep both titles.

While I agree with you, that isn't likely ever going to be the case. They tried it, and within a couple years they created another title.

Apr 13, 2024 8:53:32 GMT -5 schizo said:

The Universal title isn’t even its own belt anymore, it only exists in name only, and even then, on SmackDown, they keep referring to Cody as the Undisputed WWE Champion, there’s no Universal title to be put on the line anymore. Just keep the World Title and have the Universal name fade away quietly

Then you run into the same problem as before. Which title is more valuable? The WWE title or the World title? Obviously, we know the answer to that.

So once again, you have to build up the credibility of a title with long title reigns or the top stars. As it stands, even the Universal title is vastly more prestigious than the World title.