Montel Vontavious Porter was a champion the likes of which WWE simply did not promote when he won the U.S. title in 2007. At that time, titles changed hands every so many months in an attempt to keep things interesting. WWE Creative used the titles to spark interest in rivalries and introduce new characters so when Porter, or MVP for short, worked his way through the ranks and ultimately defeated Chris Benoit to capture his first U.S. title, it was a refreshing twist. Even better was the fact that he would hold the title for nearly a year, clocking in at 343 days. Some will apply an asterisk to the reign, thanks to a heart condition that kept MVP out of the ring for a few weeks in the fall of 2007. That would be incredibly insulting to one of the greatest runs with the title of all-time. Sure, he was kept out of the ring but his feud with Matt Hardy over the championship ranked as one of the best on the SmackDown brand. And when it was finally time for him to drop the title to Hardy at Backlash 2008, the crowd was anxious to see it. He would regain the title a year later but that reign failed to live up to his extraordinary first run with the gold.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
