Having an IC title match in the main event spot of tonight's Smackdown I think speaks well for it, along with them putting the title on a star. I'll have more to say about this after Smackdown, but this is one of the things I'm most intrigued to follow in the coming months. I don't see them beating Bryan every week like they typically do their IC champs, mainly because it was in the WON that their goal is to give fans the types of matches they want from Bryan so they'll shut up. WWE habitually loses interest in these things after a few weeks or months, though, so it may not go anywhere meaningful. But for now, it's a noble goal.

No, if only because they have too much TV to fill and I've seen no indication that they know how to manage it over time. Bryan's going to end up eating way too many falls in order to establish challengers because they like to use non-title matches that way too much.

I think it depends on how Bryan drops it and to who. I have no doubt his run will elevate the title, but you have to put it on someone who can keep the momentum going. If he were to drop it to Sheamus I think the crowd would have no fucks to give. If he were to drop it to someone like Balor at Summer Slam in a star making match it'll carry on.

I am really torn about the IC title thing now. I like the attempt but I just feel like the title was too devalued for too long that it's just not going to work. A lot of the guys feuding over it now are former World/WWE Champions like Ziggler, Bryan, Sheamus.

 

The current IC title scene is just the former World Title scene but the WHC felt like a lot less of a step down from the WWE title than the IC title does right now.

Not really expecting any long terms changes.

 

I think they have Extreme Rules and maybe even Payback planned with this Bryan/Ziggler/Barret/Sheamus program. But after that they wont be able to help themselves and go back to normal in how they've treated the belt.

 

I wouldn't even shock me if Bryan loses the belt quick because someone on creative convinced Vince that Sheamus needs the belt for his heel turn to work or some shit like that

 

I'd love to be proven wrong.

I think something that might help would be if they defined just what the Intercontinental championship stands for. I think we all have an image in our head from a non-kayfabe standpoint, that it was "the best wrestler" or the "workrate title" or "the b-show headliner," but it actually has no meaning from a kayfabe perspective. What does "intercontinental" represent. Is it innately more important than the US title since the US title means you're the champion of one country but the intercontinental championship is the champion of at least two continents?

 

That's one reason why I like the idea of a television champion so much. I know it's moot now that all belts are defending on TV but in the past it at least had a purpose. It had a kayfabe explanation behind it. It meant something.

No. They don't have the attention span to rebuild a belt and keep it at the same level. They might make it more important for 6 months or so but they'll get lazy and start feeding the champ to the Ortons of the world again.

I think something that might help would be if they defined just what the Intercontinental championship stands for. I think we all have an image in our head from a non-kayfabe standpoint, that it was "the best wrestler" or the "workrate title" or "the b-show headliner," but it actually has no meaning from a kayfabe perspective. What does "intercontinental" represent. Is it innately more important than the US title since the US title means you're the champion of one country but the intercontinental championship is the champion of at least two continents?

Here's Pat Patterson's first interview as champion, where he lays out the title as more important than the North American title and equal to the World championship.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx7geOFXC04

No. They'll try for a while and pay lip service to the idea, but then - like everything else - all of that will be forgotten about.

Hope, yes. Expect, no.

It amazes me that watching Crockett that they do a better job of making the TV Title seem more important than the WWE does with the IC belt.

Absolutely not.

The title has been dead for more than 15 years. It would be a miracle if they did.

 

In the last part of the interview Bryan says he's pitched the idea of having an interpromotional match against Shinshuke Nakamura in WWE's upcoming Japan tour. He even said it could work with taping that match for the WWENetwork and New Japan World. He also says that most likely it's not gonna happen.

 

The interview was before WM took place, but the idea of the Intercontinental Champion fighting other champions abroad from time to time would be cool as fuck.

I doubt it's going to be a big deal. It's just going to get passed around the midcard guys to make it look like it means something after Bryan hangs onto it for a while. The days of titles having meaning are long gone.

It amazes me that watching Crockett that they do a better job of making the TV Title seem more important than the WWE does with the IC belt.

 

This is kind of a blind stretch. Wrestling made titles seem more important 20-25 years ago. WWE was the same way back then.

 

I just want to see these guys take turns clubbing each other for 10 to 15 minutes. Plus, Zigger vs Bryan always has Dolph trying matwork. How often do you see that in a WWE match?

At least the US title will fare better, you know Cena's not going to get the jobber treatment.

At least the US title will fare better, you know Cena's not going to get the jobber treatment.

 

Until he loses it. Then it's back to being the meaningless, irrelevant albatross it's been since the WCW sale. I pray the I-C and U.S. Titles are unified into the I-C Title.

 

Yeah, Rusev's reign was good. Cena's will be too. But it's been hot garbage for the most part otherwise since WCW.

I think WWE will give it a decent push without much emphasis behind it but when ratings either dip or don't improve they'll blame Bryan and lose interest.