10 Stages Of The WWE Championship’s Devolution: From Prize To Prop

The Bronze Age.

Hulk Hogan Jinder Mahal
WWE/WWE

How prestigious is a fabricated sporting achievement?

The only objective definition of the WWE Heavyweight title, reductively, is a platform for monetisation - but in order to be monetised, it needs to be marketed and believed in as prestigious. On the whole, WWE has managed a sterling job of marketing the gold - or perhaps "historically" is a better segue. Because there is no objective answer, the WWWF/WWF/WWE Heavyweight championship is as prestigious as you want it to be, or as Vince McMahon wants it to be - and increasingly, he is treating it as shorthand, which is backwards; its appeal lies within its longevity.

Interestingly, the physical redesigns of the strap have downgraded in parallel with its prestige. The classic golden eagle design was possibly the most perfect, beautiful belt design ever - both visually, in and of itself, and symbolically. Hulk Hogan was a decorated, soaring predator. Steve Austin's smoking skull was a neat marketing tactic, but John Cena's spinner was a damning indictment of the WWE landscape either side of this decade. Until part-time star The Rock was afforded the current design (another problem in itself), all of Cena's contemporaries were made to wear his prize - as if it always belonged to him. In effect, it did; it was always his to reclaim. It's now looks as basic as the man who holds it.

The answer, obviously, isn't reverting back to the golden eagle - but that's a far better shortcut than a manufactured "opportunity".

10. The Early Years

Hulk Hogan Jinder Mahal
WWE.com

The WWWF Heavyweight title was born when the company first seceded from the NWA, and was "won" by Buddy Rogers in a fictional Rio De Janeiro tournament.

Though Vince McMahon Sr. rejoined the governing body, he retained his own version of a World Heavyweight crown, which came to be defined, initially, by Bruno Sammartino - a working class Italian-American hero to his working class Italian-American public. They adored Sammartino - likely because, before the always-thin kayfabe facade dissipated, their guy got to win each of his big fights. Wrestling used to be an emulation of sport, and the relatable Sammartino was a guaranteed dynasty who, with his power and innate charisma, elevated himself to stardom and the trophy he clutched - for years - to prominence. Pedro Morales was for Puerto Rican immigrants what Sammartino was for Italian-Americans: an aspirational figure there to enable their lofty wish fulfilment. Bob Backlund was less celebrated, but would not have held the title for a (partially fabricated) five year span, if he was a complete failure. It was a different paradigm then, pre-cable revolution - but the idea of these rugged, enduring, unbeatable champs underscores the legacy of the WWWF/WWF/WWE championship as something mythical, buoyed by the subsequent raft of relatively sudden changes.

So enshrined are those days in company lore that all WWE need do to remind modern audiences of the gold's history and prestige is roll sepia-tinged footage of Bruno and his public in the Garden.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!