10 Big Mistakes WWE Will Probably Make Before 2017
6. Failing To Rebuild The Intercontinental & United States Titles
WWE’s midcard title scene remains perpetually disappointing. The United States and Intercontinental Titles are storied championships with decades of history behind them, and both have been held by some of the best wrestlers in the history of the business. Sadly, they’re treated as little more than token midcard acknowledgements in 2016, and the champions are mostly used as jobbers for whichever WWE main eventer needs a win at the time.
Rusev has been made to look a fool while tangling with Roman Reigns, and The Miz’s frustrations as IC Champ came to the forefront in his blazing Talking Smack rant this week. The problems run far deeper, though; neither belt has had significant meaning for a number of years, and it’s getting worse.
WWE need to create credibility at all levels of their card if the Brand Split is to succeed in the long-term. Having a credible main event scene is all very well, but what happens when those wrestlers fall out of the spotlight and there’s nobody to take their place?
An exciting, unpredictable midcard title scene benefits everybody, especially the fans, and if Rusev, for example, was working meaningful defences every week, it’d go a long way to break-up Raw’s troublesome three-hour show. Sadly, it looks like WWE’s wholescale burial of their midcard titles is here to stay.