Yes.
Despite Tetsuya Naito being one of my favourite wrestlers, unlike him, I don’t believe you can have too many belts. I loved watching him trash the IWGP Intercontinental Championship as much as the next guy and look forward to him doing it to NJPW’s United States Title, but I believe the more belts the better.
In the hay-days of WCW, they had as many as 4 singles belts at one time. Considering how big their roster was in the mid to late nineties it’s understandable. WWE at the moment is also ‘suffering’ (I use that word tentatively as I don’t believe too much talent is a problem) from having a very large roster. The issue this creates is you have too many wrestlers, and not enough reasons to wrestle. On both brands, the mid-card and upper-card are stacked. This leaves a whole bunch of wrestlers milling about with nothing to do. (For example Tye Dillinger).
In this article I’ll run through some potential titles WWE can add to their product to get audiences more invested in wrestlers who at the moment are seemingly just there to job.
The Freebird Championship
Much like the NEVER Openwight 6-Man Tag-Team Championship, the belt will be defended in 6-Man tag matches. This will allow the ever growing tag team scene on WWE to have more competition and will allow for more competitors to have time in the ring. WWE already puts on a quite a few 6-Man tag matches, why not add some meaning to these matches? Furthermore having three competitors on a team could lead to some interesting stories which can play out in a larger feud once a team breaks up. Finally, WWE already has a perfect team to act as the inaugural champions, The New Day. Having The New Day be the first title holders gives the belts instant prestige. Not to mention naming the title after one of the greatest trios in wrestling history would do the same.
Cruiserwight Tag-Team Championship
WCW was onto something when they introduced these titles, they had an amazing cruiserwight roster, unfortunately, WWF bought the company about a week after the first champions were crowned. At the moment 205 Live truly is ‘the most exciting hour of wrestling’ on television (the Network). Not only that, but despite the worn out crowd, creatives work is pretty good. Not only for the title scene but also with feuds like Kendrick-Tozawa and Ali-Gulak. Unfortunately, many of the wrestlers on the show are still in ‘filler’ tag team matches. If these matches were given a purpose, the audience would care more about the matches and wrestlers. Not only that, it means more cruiserwight wrestling is showcased, hopefully bringing more viewers to 205 Live.
WWE Television Championship
Despite its tragic end, the WCW Television Title had some prestigious holders, including Arn Anderson and Ricky Steamboat. The title originally designed for Live Events, became a title competed for on ‘free TV’. WWE could take a page out of this book and create a title for its lower-mid-card. This title may not be as prestigious as the WCW Television Title, but it gives those languishing at the bottom of the pack a chance to earn some TV time. The likes of Tye Dillinger and Heath Slater come to mind. If booked right the title can also be protected from the ire of the fan base as the ‘losers title’. A way to do this would be to make the title a ‘cross promotion’ belt. Having superstars from both brands compete for it, makes the belt seem even more important. Who knows the title could even serve as a platform for wrestlers to impress Vince into giving them a push. Stranger things have happened.
NXT Network Championship
This title may be a long time coming. As NXT grows, so does its upper-card. At the moment the top flight of NXT is already stacked and we’ve seen wrestlers who deserve the title not earn it once. This is why NXT needs a mid-card title, it gives the likes of Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas and Eric Young a chance to compete for gold. For starts it makes audiences care more about NXT mid-card matches. Furthermore, wrestlers who don’t earn a title in NXT and win one on the main roster, generally don’t feel comfortable with the spotlight. Being a champion forces wrestlers to deal with cutting more promos and experiencing the ‘big fight feel’. This is especially important for ‘home-grown’ talent who haven’t spent time on the indies honing this craft.
Women’s Tag Team Championship
I’m tentative about this idea. The women’s rosters on all three brands seem to be doing well, and I feel possibly adding another title may offset that delicate balance. However I feel this is a title for the future, then women’s wrestling in the WWE inevitably grows even larger. Having the addition of a Women’s Tag Title gives more reason to showcase women’s wrestling, which is good for the industry, and Vince’s pocket. In the past, we’ve had interesting Women’s tag-teams, such as Laycool and Beth Pheonix and Natalya. Had these teams been around now, it’s wholly possible WWE’s product would be ready for Women’s Tag Team Championships. Yet as the women’s division grows, so does the need for Women’s tag-teams, which we’re already seeing with the Iconic Duo in NXT. An added benefit of having tag team gold is, it would allow veterans like Natalya to take greener talent under her wing and work closely with them, allowing them to flourish. The likes of Tamina and Dana Brooke come to mind.
Recent Comments