10 Awesome Ways Wrestling Promotions Made Titles Prestigious
1. Kazuchika Okada Loses His Mind
Kazuchika Okada's identity is wrapped entirely around the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
In a seismic development that disrupted our understanding of the booking patterns, and how great he was to break them, he captured the belt at the first attempt in 2012 just weeks removed from his return from excursion. He spent virtually of his main event run competing for it. Or, in tremendous and audacious twists, shattered by the loss of it.
When that aforementioned record-setting reign was ended by Kenny Omega at Dominion 2018, Okada's demeanour changed. He was no longer the cocksure Ace who radiated Champion qualities in aesthetic to presence. Shaken by the loss, Okada could not bring himself to wear the old colour scheme. He instead descended into an almost endearing all-red madness in which he carried balloons to the ring and screamed nonsense before executing various manoeuvres. He treated work like a folly because - we could infer - he didn't consider himself worthy after his identity as the greatest ever had been stripped. The title didn't just mean everything to him - it was him - and he put it over long after he held it.
The loss reverberated around him for months of poor form. This was incredible character work that sold the gravity of the loss to perfection.