Is the World Heavyweight Championship a Test belt for potential Main Event Champions?

[Alex]

So I was watching CM Punk's cash in on Jeff Hardy for the WHC and I thought, is this the belt that is used to test possible main eventers. CM Punk has won the WHC twice both by cashing in MITB and when he did this when he was a mid-carder, he then worked his way up to main-event status. Back in 2004 Randy Orton won the WHC and started his slow climb to main-event status as well, Batista won the belt and became a main-eventer in the process and Rey Rey won it as well.

The WWE championship has been used to elevate round about the same number of people in the same time span (Cena, Edge, RVD and Jeff Hardy) and these guys were proven draws and could draw with or without the belt

So is the WHC used on people WWE wants to elevate but aren't sure how much of a draw they will be???

 

[ABMorales787]

Its not the belt, its the brand. If you notice most newer main eventers win their first world championship on the Smackdown! brand. People like John Cena, JBL, Eddie Guerrero and Booker T. Some of which failed to reach that height on Raw. But if you look at Raw and its main event history you'll notice that since the brand split, Raw has only produced Batista, Chris Benoit and Randy Orton and a few others. Smackdown gave us Jeff Hardy, JBL, Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, The Not So Great Khali, and many more. So case in point, its not the title being used to "test" the wrestlers ground. Its the brand.

 

[SSJPhenom]

I'm going to have to answer your question with a resounding, HELL NO!

How can holding the WHC be a test for the WWE title or for main eventing? Especially when you have guys like 'Taker holding it. There isn't anyone else in the WWE that is more of a proven main eventer than 'Taker. Are you going to tell me that they are testing 'Taker to see if he can main event for Raw? Jericho has held it, Batista held it, Cena held it, HHH held it, HBK held it, Goldberg held it, and I could go on.

I think that I would have to agree with The Amazing Death Agent on this one. It isn't the title, it is the the SD! brand. However, you still have people like 'Taker, Batista, Jericho, and Edge main eventing on SD. So I don't see how that could be a test for guys like that. They are all proven main eventers. CM Punk held his first title on Raw, if you remember.

I'm just going to have to dismiss this logic all together.

 

[MVs Prodigy]

My honest opinion would be no, but look what happened w/ Khali, he was champ for bout 2 months then he hasnet even came colse to another brands top title. If it would be to test is a wrestler is ready, i would say it wouold be the ECW title because Cm Punk won it then became champ. But who know this is just my opinion.

 

[byrnside]

No, I too, like Death Agent was saying before, think it has to do with the brand. Even though, IMO, Smackdown is actually a better show than RAW. Look at when the World Heavyweight title was on RAW, Triple H was used to give the belt instant credibility. Now, the reverse is true for the WWE title, as it's on the "big show." Nothing against the Undertaker of course.

 

[BaltimoreMadePunk]

I agree with the previous comments before me when it was on Raw recently it had Chris Jericho,John Cena and Edge and CM punk now with the exception of punk who only held the ECW title that was punks first gold but these champions knew how to be the poster boy of a show Smackdown (who cares about wrestling before the drama) was building names as Jeff Hardy and in the past they had JBL who had a long reign but wasnt the best wrestler but still it made him JBL and not a Jobbing Boring Loser. It's the brand I believe but sometimes with any title Vince gets the wild hair to put it on somebody who could use some more time on the mid card feild.

 

[Alex]

I think people are missing my point. My point is WWE seems more likely to give the WHC to a new main eventer than the WWE title. CM Punk is the perfect example, CM Punk could have cashed in on either champion but it was the WHC he went for, I somehow feel WWE feels you need to earn the chance to hold the WWE title. When Jericho, Undertaker and HHH had the title it didn't matter because they can draw, it seems new main eventers are given the WHC if WWE is not sure how much they can draw

 

[Leafy]

Is this a joke? I hold the World Heavyweight Title higher than the WWE title. The only problem is it's been on Smackdown for so long it's followed the "B" show mind set. But which title has the Undertaker been fighting for so long, the World Heavyweight Championship.

I do now see where you're coming from but I think they hold the world titles at the same level. Not the ECW of course but they don't even call it world anymore. But with every CM Punk and Hardy title first reign you have a Edge and Taker reign. Plus this one has main evented a few Mania's.

 

[Loveless]

I'll be the first to agree with the main poster and say yes. I've been saying for a while the Heavyweight is clearly not the belt in the WWE. It is the belt that they always put on the less credible (at least in Vinces eyes) champion. I'll find the list and go from the creation in 2002, though I'd say the heavyweight belt is clearly an extension of the WCW title. Anyway

Heavyweight Champs
Triple H
Shawn Michaels
Goldberg
Chris Benoit
Randy Orton
Batista
Kurt Angle
Rey Mysterio
King Booker
The Undertaker
Edge
The Great Khali
CM Punk
Chris Jericho
John Cena
Jeff Hardy

WWE Champs

The Big Show
Kurt Angle
Brock Lesnar
Eddie Guerrero
John Bradshaw Layfield
John Cena
Edge
Rob Van Dam
Randy Orton
Triple H
Jeff Hardy
Batista

Now comparing the two, I'd say it's fairly clear that the WWE title is held in higher regard as they've got a much more credible "Top Man in the WWE" list.

Batista - Hadn't even held the WWE title until this year and they only gave it to him because he was injured.
Jeff Hardy - Got the Heavyweight belt first, had poor runs with both
Punk, Michaels, Goldberg, Khali, Mysterio, Jericho, Benoit - Haven't had the WWE title at all while there has been 2 belts. I'd say the only reason Bradshaw and Guerrero have is because it was on Smackdown at the time.

 

[ABMorales787]

Its mere coincidence what has been said about the belts. Raw works with established main event wrestlers and the occational new main eventer. Rob Van Dam and Edge held the WWE championship as their first world title while on the Raw brand. On the other hand JBL, Eddie Guerrero, John Cena, Brock Lesnar and Jeff Hardy's first wolrd championship was the WWE championship while they were in the Smackdown! brand. Smackdown! tends to use newer talent for their main event. Most of the time its because the brands already established ones end up on Raw on draft day.

We should also remember that since the World Heavyweight Championship's inception in September 2002 all the way to 2005 and again in 2008, this was Raw's main belt. It was persived as the company's top honnor. Some people say the Raw brand is the A show. But that's because it already has most of its talent well established. But Smackdown!, with the help of guys like The Undertaker and others, create new, fresher main event talent, due to this, the brand's landscape seems fresh and newer, therefor garnering the liking of more demanding fans like ourselfs.

So again I repeat. Its not the belt. Its the brand. Its Smackdown!'s objective to create newer main eventers, regardless of what belt is its top price.

 

[maar130]

I think people are missing my point. My point is WWE seems more likely to give the WHC to a new main eventer than the WWE title. CM Punk is the perfect example, CM Punk could have cashed in on either champion but it was the WHC he went for, I somehow feel WWE feels you need to earn the chance to hold the WWE title. When Jericho, Undertaker and HHH had the title it didn't matter because they can draw, it seems new main eventers are given the WHC if WWE is not sure how much they can draw

The answer is no. Perfect examples are John Cena, Edge and Jeff Hardy, they all won the WWE championship first. The title itself is not trainning ground for new main eventers.

Batista won the title from HHH and was main event of Raw during his feud with HHH, the they swithed the titles and John Cena came to Raw, the only reason Batista lost that belt ws because he got injured (eventhough he was about to lose it to Eddie Guerrero (RIP) before Survivor Series 2005) but He and John Cena had the longest title reings since the belts were created with both losing the straps in January (one because of injury and the othr after the Edge cahsed in).

The WWE chamionship was also the trainning ground for JBL since he had never main eventered before he became JBL and after 2 months he became champion, not a draw but champion nevertheless.

 

[WRESTLING_GENIUS]

I'll be the first to agree with the main poster and say yes. I've been saying for a while the Heavyweight is clearly not the belt in the WWE. It is the belt that they always put on the less credible (at least in Vinces eyes) champion. I'll find the list and go from the creation in 2002, though I'd say the heavyweight belt is clearly an extension of the WCW title. Anyway

Heavyweight Champs
Triple H
Shawn Michaels
Goldberg
Chris Benoit
Randy Orton
Batista
Kurt Angle
Rey Mysterio
King Booker
The Undertaker
Edge
The Great Khali
CM Punk
Chris Jericho
John Cena
Jeff Hardy

WWE Champs

The Big Show
Kurt Angle
Brock Lesnar
Eddie Guerrero
John Bradshaw Layfield
John Cena
Edge
Rob Van Dam
Randy Orton
Triple H
Jeff Hardy
Batista

Now comparing the two, I'd say it's fairly clear that the WWE title is held in higher regard as they've got a much more credible "Top Man in the WWE" list.

Batista - Hadn't even held the WWE title until this year and they only gave it to him because he was injured.
Jeff Hardy - Got the Heavyweight belt first, had poor runs with both
Punk, Michaels, Goldberg, Khali, Mysterio, Jericho, Benoit - Haven't had the WWE title at all while there has been 2 belts. I'd say the only reason Bradshaw and Guerrero have is because it was on Smackdown at the time.

Well i agree with everything this man has said accept me being the GENIUS I AM Chris Jericho is the first man to even put the belts together if anyone forgot and that counts as a WWE Championship reign does it not..... Anyway The World title is a World Championship to test to see who has the UMPHH to become the Next Big Thing in the WWE, and if they are a well known fact a TRUE DRAW they will become WWE Champion first jus like Jeff did, the only person this didnt happen to was Batista as ol dude pointed out but nway its a Championship that is for the Legends, the soon to Be Legends, and the ones that could be but might not be Legends....IMO...

 

[PEP3]

Call me crazy, but to even win either one of these belts, wouldn't a talent have to already be a "main eventer"? People who are not in the main event or perceived as a marketable talent don't generally receive World Championship title (regardless of whether they're WWE or Wolrd Heavyweight title) shots. As a result, by the time WWE decides to give a wrestler the kind of push that comes along with the title, they most often know the performer's draw.

It has always been my belief that many competitors have their title reigns written into their contracts. That's always been the explanation which makes the most sense when we see some performers get a title for a day or a week, but no extended push or reign. It full-fills their contractually-obligated title run, but then immediately returns the belt to a competitor which more completely full-fills what the WWE is looking for at the time.

 

[maar130]

Not really, Punk was nowhere near the main event when he won it for the first time.

And when Edge won the WWE title he was not a main eventer yet.

And about the title reigns on the contracts, personallyI think it does not really apply anymore, I think it has no real leverage now for some reason eventhough you can see some people get the title now and then.

 

[Tastycles]

It's the brand that matters. Smackdown isn't the flag ship show, so people's test runs go there. Sure, there are people who win their first title on Raw, but none of them keep it for very long afterwards. Of the 11 1st time world champions since the brand split, only 4 have been on Raw at the time and only two kept their titles over a month - Punk and Batista, and of those, Batista switched brands and Punk wasn't in the main event most of the time.

In short, the WWE test out potential top stars on their B show, which is probably what they should do.