10 Reasons The WWE Title Is Meaningless In 2017

10. Record Breaker

Much was made of John Cena's attempt at equalling the iffy-but-accepted record set by Ric Flair as he prepared to take on AJ Styles at January's Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

'The Champ' dethroned 'The Phenomenal One' to win his 16th WWE/World Title since scooping his first back in 2005, amassing the same number as Flair in just under half the time it took 'The Nature Boy' to set the target.

However, Cena would criminally find himself a transitional champion on the 'Road to WrestleMania', and subsequent mentions of the historic reign were muted as the company moved towards the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view with sights locked on getting the belt into the Randy Orton/Bray Wyatt programme.

Cena's fabulous dethroning of Styles deserved a far superior follow-up than it subsequently received, and the reign in general mirrored Flair's own final stints with the title in WCW's miserable final years.

Vince Russo stripped him of the prize after just a week holding the gold in his penultimate period as champion, but Flair was given the title back by Kevin Nash the following Monday on Nitro. He wouldn't even make it to the end of the episode with the strap, losing a match against Jeff Jarrett in the main event of that very broadcast.

WWE's treatment of the top title this year has been only slightly better.