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Titles April 14, 2002 Alan Edwards "Someday, I'm gonna wear that gold, and I'm gonna wear it proud. That's what the sport is all about. All the blood, the sweat, the pain, the long hours, the broken bones, the pulled muscles...all of it, just to wear the leather and gold strap, just to say you've made it to the top. And to stay at the top as long as you can. That's all there is to this sport." -Anonymous Quote from the Internet, slightly improvised What do the titles mean anymore? Anything at all? Are they a symbol of greatness, of an enduring ability to outdo the competition through a barrage of attacks and attempts to steal the coveted title? Is it even worth keeping track? Welcome to Radio Rant. Today you'll see what's really pissing me off...well...today. Wrestling, especially Vince McMahon's current version of it, gives us all something to complain about. And complain we will, because otherwise, we'd all lose our minds because of this so called "attitude." One reason the new style doesn't work is this: the title is just another prop in the storyline. If wrestlers aren't going for the title, or aspiring in that direction, what are they trying to attain? If the title isn't the centerpiece of the entire sport, what is? A quick check of the title history for the World Heavyweight Championship on wwftitlehistory.com revealed something intriguing. From Buddy Rogers' title run as the first (W)WWF champion in 1963 through the Ultimate Warrior being the first of the 1990's, there were 14 title changes among 13 individual wrestlers. This encompassed 28 years, with the average title run therefore lasting precisely 2 years. Ever since Warrior lost the title to Sgt. Slaughter on January 19th, 1991, there have been fifty title changes among twenty individual wrestlers. In the last 11 years, title reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship (now the Undisputed title) have lasted an average of just over two and a half months each. Let's put it another way. In the last decade (plus a year), there have been more than 3 times as many champions as in the previous THREE decades combined! Over those 28 years, there were only 3 two-time champs. In this last 11 years, the champs have won the gold an AVERAGE of 2.5 times each. Between Triple H, Stone Cold, and the Rock, there have been 17 damn title runs! SEVENTEEN! And all 17 of them have came in the past 4 years and a month! Once upon a time, Bob Backlund or Bruno Sammartino won the gold and retained in match after grueling match, for months, even YEARS on end. When they lost, it was worth more than just a headline, it was worth a headline, fold-out first page, and three articles. It was an epic event in the truest sense when the title was not retained. As a matter of fact, that's what made it so great to watch. ALL the title matches were a big deal, because we were able to see total dominance by one athlete and wonder how he could handle all the tactics and skill used against him. Then, one night, we'd see that champion fall as another one rose, and we'd be left wondering how this champion, this dominant force could possibly drop the title. And the cycle continued. On January 23rd of 1984, Hulk Hogan obtained the title from the Iron Sheik. Hogan retained in match after match as Hulkamania ran wild over everyone in it's path. For over four years, the entire face of the sport changed from backwoods, redneck stereotypes to front-page, mainstream media as Hulk Hogan secured his place as a legend in the industry. Conversely, September 14th of 1999, the entire world of wrestling took it's biggest swim in the toilet when Vince McMahon became the heavyweight champion of the WWF by 'defeating' Triple H. Yes, you remember this. Vince McMahon was the damn champion!!! Not a wrestler-owner gimmick like Flair, but the true to life owner and very unskilled Vince McMahon won the most prestigious title in wrestling. Twelve damn days later it was back on the waist of Triple H. All storyline, no wrestling, and no respect for the gold that made wrestling important in the first place. Let's take a look at the last dozen or so champions of the federation. Triple H, the Rock, Big Show, and Vince McMahon. What in the hell is this? How can these people be champions? What has happened to our beloved sport? NO, NOT SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT. SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT SUCKS. What has happened to our SPORT? Stone Cold makes a great champion, with an acceptable blend of Sports Entertainment and Sport. Angle and Jericho are the best two champions this company has given gold to in the past decade, hands down. The Olympic Hero and Y2J can wrestle. They are technicians with an arsenal of great moves and cat-like timing. The matches these two put on are some of the most entertaining matches on television today. Remember the three wrestlers with 17 title runs? Jericho and Angle have held the title a combined three times. If the World Wrestling Federation wants to "make it interesting again" they need to go back to another time. Before smelling what the Rock is cookin'. Before the Worm and the People's Elbow. Before "attitude." Before "sports entertainment." Before the true number one goal of everyone who has ever laced up and put their bodies on the line for the sake of entertaining the fans became irrelevant. The title needs to be in the hands of the most deserving, the wrestler with the best abilities in the ring, the best arsenal of moves, the best performer when the bell sounds. The title needs to be on the waist of someone who is destined to become a legend of the sport, and the title should STAY around that damn waist until the fans acknowledge, heel or face, that this wrestler IS a legend of the sport. Anything less is a total lack of respect for the entire sport, and should not be tolerated. As always, I appreciate all comments, and you can e-mail them to me at alanpugh43130@hotmail.com anytime. I do try to respond to all mail. And finally, don't forget to check out "Listen to the Radio," the best damn Heat recap on Da Net. You know you want to.

Titles
April 14, 2002
Alan Edwards "Someday, I'm gonna wear that gold, and I'm gonna wear it proud. That's what the sport is all about. All the blood, the sweat, the pain, the long hours, the broken bones, the pulled muscles...all of it, just to wear the leather and gold strap, just to say you've made it to the top. And to stay at the top as long as you can. That's all there is to this sport." -Anonymous Quote from the Internet, slightly improvised What do the titles mean anymore? Anything at all?

Are they a symbol of greatness, of an enduring ability to outdo the competition through a barrage of attacks and attempts to steal the coveted title?

Is it even worth keeping track?

Welcome to Radio Rant. Today you'll see what's really pissing me off...well...today. Wrestling, especially Vince McMahon's current version of it, gives us all something to complain about. And complain we will, because otherwise, we'd all lose our minds because of this so called "attitude." One reason the new style doesn't work is this: the title is just another prop in the storyline. If wrestlers aren't going for the title, or aspiring in that direction, what are they trying to attain? If the title isn't the centerpiece of the entire sport, what is?

A quick check of the title history for the World Heavyweight Championship on wwftitlehistory.com revealed something intriguing. From Buddy Rogers' title run as the first (W)WWF champion in 1963 through the Ultimate Warrior being the first of the 1990's, there were 14 title changes among 13 individual wrestlers. This encompassed 28 years, with the average title run therefore lasting precisely 2 years. Ever since Warrior lost the title to Sgt. Slaughter on January 19th, 1991, there have been fifty title changes among twenty individual wrestlers. In the last 11 years, title reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship (now the Undisputed title) have lasted an average of just over two and a half months each.

Let's put it another way. In the last decade (plus a year), there have been more than 3 times as many champions as in the previous THREE decades combined! Over those 28 years, there were only 3 two-time champs. In this last 11 years, the champs have won the gold an AVERAGE of 2.5 times each. Between Triple H, Stone Cold, and the Rock, there have been 17 damn title runs! SEVENTEEN! And all 17 of them have came in the past 4 years and a month!

Once upon a time, Bob Backlund or Bruno Sammartino won the gold and retained in match after grueling match, for months, even YEARS on end. When they lost, it was worth more than just a headline, it was worth a headline, fold-out first page, and three articles. It was an epic event in the truest sense when the title was not retained. As a matter of fact, that's what made it so great to watch. ALL the title matches were a big deal, because we were able to see total dominance by one athlete and wonder how he could handle all the tactics and skill used against him. Then, one night, we'd see that champion fall as another one rose, and we'd be left wondering how this champion, this dominant force could possibly drop the title. And the cycle continued.

On January 23rd of 1984, Hulk Hogan obtained the title from the Iron Sheik. Hogan retained in match after match as Hulkamania ran wild over everyone in it's path. For over four years, the entire face of the sport changed from backwoods, redneck stereotypes to front-page, mainstream media as Hulk Hogan secured his place as a legend in the industry.

Conversely, September 14th of 1999, the entire world of wrestling took it's biggest swim in the toilet when Vince McMahon became the heavyweight champion of the WWF by 'defeating' Triple H. Yes, you remember this. Vince McMahon was the damn champion!!! Not a wrestler-owner gimmick like Flair, but the true to life owner and very unskilled Vince McMahon won the most prestigious title in wrestling. Twelve damn days later it was back on the waist of Triple H. All storyline, no wrestling, and no respect for the gold that made wrestling important in the first place.

Let's take a look at the last dozen or so champions of the federation. Triple H, the Rock, Big Show, and Vince McMahon. What in the hell is this? How can these people be champions? What has happened to our beloved sport? NO, NOT SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT. SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT SUCKS. What has happened to our SPORT? Stone Cold makes a great champion, with an acceptable blend of Sports Entertainment and Sport. Angle and Jericho are the best two champions this company has given gold to in the past decade, hands down. The Olympic Hero and Y2J can wrestle. They are technicians with an arsenal of great moves and cat-like timing. The matches these two put on are some of the most entertaining matches on television today.

Remember the three wrestlers with 17 title runs? Jericho and Angle have held the title a combined three times.

If the World Wrestling Federation wants to "make it interesting again" they need to go back to another time. Before smelling what the Rock is cookin'. Before the Worm and the People's Elbow. Before "attitude." Before "sports entertainment."

Before the true number one goal of everyone who has ever laced up and put their bodies on the line for the sake of entertaining the fans became irrelevant.

The title needs to be in the hands of the most deserving, the wrestler with the best abilities in the ring, the best arsenal of moves, the best performer when the bell sounds. The title needs to be on the waist of someone who is destined to become a legend of the sport, and the title should STAY around that damn waist until the fans acknowledge, heel or face, that this wrestler IS a legend of the sport.

Anything less is a total lack of respect for the entire sport, and should not be tolerated.

As always, I appreciate all comments, and you can e-mail them to me at alanpugh43130@hotmail.com anytime. I do try to respond to all mail. And finally, don't forget to check out "Listen to the Radio," the best damn Heat recap on Da Net. You know you want to.