Jonathan Michaels
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
The Archduke of Levity
Here since TNA was still kinda okay
Posts: 18,315
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Post by Jonathan Michaels on Mar 30, 2022 16:10:21 GMT -5
I remember it feeling like a big RAW match when Miz won it from Roman. I don't know why that was the first thing to pop into my head. And before then you had guys like Ziggler, Harper, and Bryan fighting for it. It definitely felt like it had a solid place with relatively protected guys fighting for it. I have no recollection of this whatsoever. I also don't recall Roman ever being IC champion which shows how in touch I've been with the current product in recent years. I remember when he was US Champion and beat Rusev it felt like eight thousand times but never IC. When was this? Was it around like late 2017-early 2018? I do remember Miz feuding with the Shield guys around that time as they had the Alliance to End Shieldamania at No Mercy 2017 which was in October and Roman went right after him in the 2018 Rumble. It was RAW 25.
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Mozenrath
FANatic
Foppery and Whim
Speedy Speed Boy
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Post by Mozenrath on Mar 30, 2022 16:14:50 GMT -5
It has always varied in importance past a point, honestly. It'll "matter" again in a few months, then go back to not "mattering". That's because it, like most titles, really is about as important as its champion is. Ricochet is currently not important.
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Post by Ryushinku on Mar 30, 2022 16:35:59 GMT -5
^ I agree...ultimately I was dumb to think so, but, even as recently as the Nakamura win last year it felt like it could be the start of a big comeback. And then they did sod all with his title reign, so...
Funny thing is, when you look at the past few years, there have been plenty of fairly big stars holding it and a few that went on to with the bigger title(s). But it just doesn't feel as much value as the bare records may suggest.
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Post by Big BosskMan on Mar 30, 2022 18:49:55 GMT -5
Steamboat and Savage TBH.
But I'm an old and grumpy.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2022 18:54:10 GMT -5
There's been a few times these past few years but the one time where it really seemed like the "ok, these are serious major guys the company truly loves holding the belt" was back when it was Rollins vs heel Ambrose. While Bane Ambrose had issues, the fact they feuded over that title, the matches and then Lashley jumping in later was great. That was when Ambrose had that wild heel turn on Raw. They also had multiple segments dedicated to them each Raw.
The issue is that Bane Ambrose as a character was so noticeable that it's easy to forget the IC Title in that.
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Fade
Patti Mayonnaise
Posts: 38,325
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Post by Fade on Mar 30, 2022 18:59:14 GMT -5
For me, you’ve got to go way back to before it got “retired” early on during the first roster split. Might be mixing up history but I think Shelton had it last when the belt felt important, to me anyway.
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Post by Tiffany Stratton's Daddy on Mar 30, 2022 19:19:41 GMT -5
The early days of SmackDown Live. Ziggler and Miz made that title mean something in their feud.
However, a lot of people forget the IC Title was the predecessor to the world title. Guys like Shawn Michaels, Triple H, The Rock, Stone Cold all started with the IC title before being pushed to the main event scene. Those days seem to be over.
Much like losing the NXT Title means a call-up, losing the IC/US title should mean a move-up into the main card. Especially since they need to build up a guy to take the title off Roman Reigns, they can use a good IC Title run to build a guy into that role.
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Post by Toilet Paper Roll on Mar 30, 2022 22:20:02 GMT -5
I think if you could pinpoint the period it lost its original luster and became pretty meaningless it was Feb-May 99 when it went from Shamrock to Val Venis to Road Dogg to Goldust to Godfather to Jeff Jarrett in quick succession. This is how I feel also. It did not help that the belt design was too small and oval for people like Albert and Big Show. Even when Triple H won it briefly, it looked off since we have seen him wearing the World Belt that looked good on his waist. This is the general time frame I agree with also
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Post by smokinvokoun86 on Mar 30, 2022 22:43:14 GMT -5
The Honk-o-Meter was the last time it was RAW/Smackdown main event worthy in my opinion. I'm serious. They ended that shit way too early, it's sad really. If I were booking that, that would have been his gimmick for an entire year. At least up to the moment he’s about the break the record. If there ever was a guy who could pull off a gimmick like that, it would have been him.
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ChitownKnight
El Dandy
Lets go Bears
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Post by ChitownKnight on Mar 30, 2022 22:45:37 GMT -5
I guess when Rollins had it in 2018. Maybe in 2020 when Jeff Hardy and AJ feuded for it, I feel like that was off because of the Pandemic though
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Post by genwrestling on Mar 31, 2022 5:34:12 GMT -5
The SmackDown ThunderDome era with AJ, Jeff, Sami, and Big E (sorry Apollo) being champions, the title being spotlighted regularly
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Post by HMARK Center on Apr 1, 2022 11:53:48 GMT -5
I just read up on what Ricochet and Balor have been up to ahead of WM and, uh...yeah, it's time to shit or get off the pot with these belts. Either come up with a legitimate kayfabe reason for the belts to exist or just get rid of them, this is straight up booking malpractice.
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Post by TheMediocreWarrior on Apr 2, 2022 11:06:23 GMT -5
I think... it still feels important. Idk, im not as cynical as most WWE fans. These threads remind me of the discussions of how The Simpsons was only good for a handful of seasons. I think the IC Title was still okay during the Attitude Era. The title may have been hot potatoed, but at least it was with acts like The Godfather that were over. The following year you had Jericho and Benoit to make it the workhorse belt again. The period of several years where it didn't get defended at Mania did a lot of damage IMO. It gave a clear signal to the audience that the title wasn't held in the same regard by the creative team if they couldn't be bothered to create a WrestleMania feud around it anymore.
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