PROWRESTLING.NET is now customized for YOUR mobile device! Visit us on your iPhone, Blackberry, or other WAP phone.
(Just enter "prowrestling.net" in your browser window.)
___
ADD US TO YOUR RSS FEEDER

AND BOOKMARK US
ALSO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DOTNET PODCAST
RSS FEED or click button to choose popular RSS feeds such as Yahoo
|
|
Twilling's Blog
The Intercontinental Championship: Looking at past and future champions and examining whether or not WWE will get it right with William Regal as the champion.
By Rich Twilling Dec 1, 2008 - 03:58 PM |
|
Monday, December 1 – 3:58 P.M. (CT)
-First and foremost, I sincerely hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving Day and weekend. I also hope you are looking forward to Christmas or whatever holiday(s) you celebrate. Christmas is my favorite time of the year and I hope to really sit back and enjoy it. I hope you do the same.
-For years, wrestling fans have been complaining (rightfully) about the state of the Intercontinental Championship. Long gone are the days of future world champions wearing the title on their way up the ladder. New talent is now rushed straight to the main event and it is very rare for an Intercontinental Champion to have the "future world champion" label.
From Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat and Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon, Wrestlemania has seen some classic IC title moments as well. However, the last time the Intercontinental Championship was defended at Wrestlemania, Rob Van Dam won the title from current champion William Regal at Wrestlemania 18.
While the aforementioned stars, as well as other greats like Bret Hart and Mr. Perfect, held the title, it is reserved nowadays for a midcard performer. Even if a future or former main eventer holds the title, and I am thinking about Chris Jericho, the belt is still not elevated because it is an afterthought at best.
Case in point: Jericho was the Intercontinental Champion at last year's Wrestlemania. He was involved in the Money in the Bank ladder match. Umaga was the champion at Wrestlemania 23. Of course, he was in the middle of the Donald Trump vs. Vince McMahon feud. Shelton Benjamin was the champion going into both Wrestlemania 21 and 22. Randy Orton had the title at Wrestlemania 20, but it has been a mere prop more than anything. Hell, the title did not even exist at Wrestlemania 19.
Thus, when Santino Marella first introduced the "Honk-A-Meter," I was excited. I thought, "Maybe they will let Santino work a little bit and the belt would be on track to having restored credibility." However, after some non-title losses and a couple of fluke defenses, I was horribly disappointed to say the least. Having Santino luck his way through his reign devalued the title even more than it already was.
Well, the fans (me included) that I referred to in the second paragraph, may have a renewed sense of excitement with the recent crowning of Regal (no pun intended twice) as the Intercontinental Champion. On top of that, there is a tournament to determine the number one contender for the title. Before, title shots were thrown out for no reason at all and now the roster has to fight just for the right to try and dethrone Regal.
Last week, Rey Mysterio cut a promo about great Intercontinental Champions of the past and how it would honor him to wear that title. Heck, they even brought in Pat Patterson, who was the first Intercontinental Champion (after a phantom match). Sure, you cannot build Rome in a day, but little things can be done and after a gradual progression, the title could be restored once again.
Granted, I am not naïve and I know WWE is promoting their latest DVD release on the history of the Intercontinental Championship. However, they would be wise to let Regal, the perfect person to elevate the title with very good matches, flourish during this title reign. This would allow other wrestlers to shine in the ring and cut their teeth in championship level feuds. On top of that, there could be focus on the show on something besides the main event guys. Finally, whether they realize it or not, they will find new main eventers without shoving anyone down our throats.
The Intercontinental Championship number one contender's tournament continues tonight on WWE Raw. Jason Powell and I will cover the show live as it airs, so feel free to follow along as you watch.
GOT AN IPHONE OR IPOD TOUCH? THEN BE SURE TO DOWNLOAD OUR NEW FREE iPhone APP: Click Here
(or SEARCH "pro wrestling" in iTunes App Store)
__
BOOKMARK DOT NET AND ADD US TO YOUR RSS
•
HELP DOT NET: TAKE OUR ADVERTISER DEMO SURVEY
CLICK TO RETURN TO MAIN LISTING
OR SELECT A LINK BELOW FROM THIS CATEGORY
Twilling's Blog
Latest Twelve Articles |
|
|
DOT NET MEMBERS LOG-IN
VOTE IN OUR LATEST POLL
LATEST NEWS UPDATES
LATEST PPV & TV REPORTS
- 1/6 Powell's WWE "ECW on SciFi" Live Coverage: Double main event with Matt Hardy vs. Mark Henry rematch, Finlay vs. Jack Swagger
- 1/5 Powell's WWE Raw Live Coverage: First Raw of 2009 with William Regal vs. C.M. Punk for the Intercontinental Title, John Morrison and The Miz defend the World Tag Titles against Rey Mysterio and Kofi Kingston
- 1/2 Hermanstyne's WWE Smackdown Coverage: Happy New Year, Kizarny Debuts, The Hardys vs. Edge and Big Show, Royal Rumble participants announced, Jeff Hardy's challenger at Royal Rumble revealed
- 1/2 Shore's WWE Smackdown Live Coverage: The Hardys vs Edge and The Big Show, Royal Rumble Participants Announced, Kizarny Debuts, For Auld Langs Syne
- 12/30 Powell's WWE "ECW on SciFi" Live Coverage: The final WWE broadcast of 2008 with Matt Hardy vs. Mark Henry, John Morrison and The Miz host "The Dirt Sheet," Paul Burchill vs. D.J. Gabriel
- 12/30 Twilling's ECW Live Coverage: Matt Hardy vs. Mark Henry, The Miz and John Morrison host The Dirt Sheet and face Finlay and The Boogeyman
- 12/29 Twilling's WWE Raw Live Coverage: Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels vs. JBL vs. Randy Orton to determine John Cena's Royal Rumble opponent; diva battle royal with the winner facing Beth Phoenix at the Rumble
- 12/29 Powell's WWE Raw Live Coverage: Final Raw of 2008 with Randy Orton vs. Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels vs. JBL in a four-way to determine John Cena's challenger at the Royal Rumble
LATEST VIEWPOINTS
- In part one of a multi-part series, Twilling takes a look at Henry Waxman's letter regarding Congress investigating steroid testing in professional wrestling
- Powell's Blog: Vince McMahon puts on another show for his cronies, WWE attorney Jerry Devitt puts on his own show for Vince, the mainstream media turns a blind eye to the Waxman report on steroids in pro wrestling
- WWE's "ECW on Sci-Fi" Hitlist: Jack Swagger scores a clean pin over Finlay, Matt Hardy vs. Mark Henry, ECW broadcast team, Hardy vs. Swagger announced for next week
- WWE Raw Hitlist: John Cena and Shawn Michaels vs. Randy Orton and Chris Jericho, Vince McMahon returning, John Morrison and The Miz vs. Rey Mysterio and Kofi Kingston, C.M. Punk vs. William Regal, The Legacy, JBL
- New blog series coming, William Regal vs. C.M. Punk on Raw, thoughts on John Morrison and The Miz, NFL playoffs
- WWE Smackdown Hitlist: The Hardys vs. Edge and Big Show, Triple H and Vickie Guerrero, Undertaker and Shelton Benjamin, Kizarny debuts against MVP, Vladimir Kozlov vs. Hurricane Helms
- WWE "ECW on SciFi" Hitlist: Matt Hardy vs. Mark Henry, Jack Swagger, DJ Gabriel and Alicia Fox, The Dirt Sheet, Finlay and The Boogeyman vs. The Miz and John Morrison
- WWE Raw Hitlist: Shawn Michaels and JBL, John Cena brings the dead crowd to life, Michael Cole bores viewers to sleep, The Legacy faction, Mike Knox goes from monster to mortal
LATEST PRODUCT REVIEWS
|
|
|