No One's Had Both World Titles At The Same Time

[kidglov3s]

Isn't it kind of admirable in a way, that in over 10 years WWE never once has gone to the hotshot gimmick of having someone hold the WWE and WHC titles at the same time for a very brief period of time before losing one or the other? It seems like something they would totally do. They've done other stuff that's more cheap/blatant ploy for attention and controversy. This thought came to my mind when I was thinking about how before I started watching again in 2009 I thought there was only one belt and would be confused when sometimes I would read World Heavyweight Champion and WWE Champion when modern wrestling did occasionally blip on my radar.

[-Lithium-]

I remember the RAW following the SD where Angle won the World Title (in January 06), he teased a unifying of the titles. Edge shot it down after pretending to agree for a minute.

(I know its not totally relevant, but that was a pretty good time as far as quality goes for WWE. That show opened with the newly crowned World Champion Kurt Angle facing Shawn Michaels, and ended with Edge successfully defending his title against Ric Flair in a great TLC match.)

[percymania]

[Todd Pettengill]

I think it should happen at some point, for like a month where the tour schedule is much lighter than usual.


I understand they use the two belts to sell house show tickets & wish they could just unify & have one WWE World Champion, but I don't see it happening anytime soon. The B Team needs something to chase.

[Sparkybob]

The only time it was pretty close was the triple threat match that included all 3 world title holders(Cena,Booker t,Big show) and the fans voted for King booker to defend his world title in this match. I mean other than that match, I don't really recall a recent time when a wrestler had a match where they could end the match holding both world titles.

[kidglov3s]

Jan 19, 2013 23:19:29 GMT -5 percymania said:

That's the WWF and WCW title, which were unified into the WWE title currently held by one Carl Matthew Punk. I'm talking about that belt and the World Heavyweight Championship created by Eric Bischoff and given to HHH in 2002 being separate since then.

[Nathan Bridger]

Jan 19, 2013 23:26:20 GMT -5 kidglov3s said:

That's the WWF and WCW title, which were unified into the WWE title currently held by one Carl Matthew Punk. I'm talking about that belt and the World Heavyweight Championship created by Eric Bischoff and given to HHH in 2002 being separate since then.

Actually, technically speaking, the WCW championship was officially renamed the "World Heavyweight Championship" by Vince McMahon on the RAW after Survivor Series 2001. Holding both the WWE championship and the World Heavyweight (WCW) Championship would make one the "undisputed WWE champion", which is what Chris Jericho is pictured as above. When Eric Bischoff reintroduced the World Heavyweight Championship and awarded it to Triple H in 2002, that disputed the WWE championship again.

[kidglov3s]

Jan 19, 2013 23:40:25 GMT -5 Nathan Bridger said:

Jan 19, 2013 23:26:20 GMT -5 kidglov3s said:

That's the WWF and WCW title, which were unified into the WWE title currently held by one Carl Matthew Punk. I'm talking about that belt and the World Heavyweight Championship created by Eric Bischoff and given to HHH in 2002 being separate since then.

Actually, technically speaking, the WCW championship was officially renamed the "World Heavyweight Championship" by Vince McMahon on the RAW after Survivor Series 2001. Holding both the WWE championship and the World Heavyweight (WCW) Championship would make one the "undisputed WWE champion", which is what Chris Jericho is pictured as above. When Eric Bischoff reintroduced the World Heavyweight Championship and awarded it to Triple H in 2002, that disputed the WWE championship again.

Yes, there have been contradictions from WWE as far as how the titles relate to each other, I go by the WWE.com lineage for the WHC which begins in 2002. In the WCW title lineage page they write "The World Heavyweight Championship that has recently been carried by such greats as Batista and Triple H got its start in WWE back in 2002."

[Cry Me a Wiggle]

In my personal continuity the World Heavyweight Title lineage is the same as WCW. "WCW" died in November 2001 while the title was on the Rock and the belt was renamed the World Heavyweight Championship. Jericho unified the title with the WWF belt and it carried forward for nine months until Brock Lesnar "disputed" it, forcing Bischoff to remove the belt from the package deal and give it to Triple H. From December 2001 to September 2002, anyone who had the WWF title should also count as a former World Heavyweight Champion.

Also, if I was running things, John Cena would turn heel by forcing little children in the audience to smoke cigarettes. "SMOKE UP, JUNIOR" he'd say, cackling manically.

[George.]

Jan 19, 2013 23:19:57 GMT -5 Todd Pettengill said:

I think it should happen at some point, for like a month where the tour schedule is much lighter than usual.


I understand they use the two belts to sell house show tickets & wish they could just unify & have one WWE World Champion, but I don't see it happening anytime soon. The B Team needs something to chase.

I.C. & U.S. titles?

[CATCH_US IS the Conversation]

Jan 20, 2013 0:39:03 GMT -5 George. said:

Jan 19, 2013 23:19:57 GMT -5 Todd Pettengill said:

I think it should happen at some point, for like a month where the tour schedule is much lighter than usual.


I understand they use the two belts to sell house show tickets & wish they could just unify & have one WWE World Champion, but I don't see it happening anytime soon. The B Team needs something to chase.

I.C. & U.S. titles?

This.

The B-team should officially be "The B-team". They shouldn't be chasing World Titles. I think that since RAW is the A-Show, and all the big stars show up on RAW anyway, then all of the big stars should be drafted to RAW and fighting over the WWE Championship

The midcarders should be drafted to SmackDown, and trying to fight over the U.S. and IC Titles.

RAW is the big ticket brand where all the action is, and where you can watch the biggest stars (and a few select midcarders) in the WWE fight for the top prize in the company.

SmackDown is the official B-show where midcarders are allowed to shine and get over with the fans. Ideally, SmackDown would be carried by the a new version of the SmackDown Six. The likes of Santino, Ryder, Riley, Brodus, Otunga, Maddox, etc. who are actually over and get a reaction from the crowd and/or have some semblance of a fan following.

The IC Champion should always be someone who can move up into the main event or down to the upper midcard when needed. Someone like Wade Barrett, The Miz, Cody Rhodes, etc. The IC Champ would appear on both brands; he'd be just another guy on RAW, but he'd be a big deal on SmackDown.


WWE Title - ABSOLUTE top guys (the only exceptions would be giving someone a test run; Test runs should only be done during the big summer angles, or when The Rock, Lesnar, or Triple H are around, where the champion would not be relied on as much).

IC Title - Upper midcard and/or fringe main eventers.

U.S. Title - Pure midcarders.

[No Longer a Produceman]

The closest that we ever got to what the OP was talking about was when RVD held both the WWE and newly reborn ECW championship (which he then proceeded to lose after he was busted with pot but that's another story for another time).

[kamero00]

Chris Jericho, on that date was recognized as the WCW and WWF champion(s). The next day the titles were officially unified.

[repomark]

I have said it before and I will say it again, I think there should only be one WWE Champion. The World Heavyweight Title has for a long time been playing second fiddle - and it is kind of like the Intercontinental title used to be back in late 80s/early 90s - i.e. a meaningful title that you carry to see if you are ready for the step up to the big title.

Too many world champions deflate its meaning. Guys have held the World Heavyweight title that never could be considered worthy of being "the man" in WWE - so for that very reason it should not exist. The IC Title should take its slot, and unify the WWE and World Titles.

The Great Khali and Jack Swagger. For me the idea of keeping the World Heavyweight title as supposedly an equal standing as the WWE title ends there.

[thexiiimpc]

As bad as WWE is for having two world champions, really that and TNA's world title means there are three genuine world championships in Pro Wrestling (maybe a Japanese one makes 4). That's still not as bad as, like...boxing, right?

And yes I know pro wrestling and boxing are very different, but not in wrestling kayfabe.

[Cronant]

Jan 20, 2013 0:39:03 GMT -5 George. said:

Jan 19, 2013 23:19:57 GMT -5 Todd Pettengill said:

I think it should happen at some point, for like a month where the tour schedule is much lighter than usual.


I understand they use the two belts to sell house show tickets & wish they could just unify & have one WWE World Champion, but I don't see it happening anytime soon. The B Team needs something to chase.

I.C. & U.S. titles?

Its not the same, and it won't be.

[Deleted]

With two Money in the Banks I was thinking this might happen. Where someone would win the WWE title at a big PPV (Mania or SummerSlam) while already having the World title for a while. Then the next night on Raw the guy would come down and cash in the briefcase for World title not the WWE title.

[@TenaciousBe]

Jan 20, 2013 0:33:13 GMT -5 Cry Me a Wiggle said:

In my personal continuity the World Heavyweight Title lineage is the same as WCW. "WCW" died in November 2001 while the title was on the Rock and the belt was renamed the World Heavyweight Championship. Jericho unified the title with the WWF belt and it carried forward for nine months until Brock Lesnar "disputed" it, forcing Bischoff to remove the belt from the package deal and give it to Triple H. From December 2001 to September 2002, anyone who had the WWF title should also count as a former World Heavyweight Champion.

This is how I've always seen it as well. Especially since they turned right around and used the Big Gold Belt again (I know it's slightly varied from the original, but still).

[Lupin the Third]

Jan 20, 2013 0:33:13 GMT -5 Cry Me a Wiggle said:

Also, if I was running things, John Cena would turn heel by forcing little children in the audience to smoke cigarettes. "SMOKE UP, JUNIOR" he'd say, cackling manically.

I would laugh so hard if that were to happen.

[darbus alan]

I go by what WWE says, and they said that the WWE and WCW belts were unified into the current WWE Championship. The WHC uses the Big Gold Belt, but doesn't share lineage with the old WCW Championship. No amount of fanon and fan rationalizing's going to change that. WWE's belts. WWE's rules.

On the other hand, I believe WWE considers its US Championship to share lineage with the old WCW and NWA US Championships.