10 Reasons The WWE Title Is Meaningless In 2017
6. Hidden In The Undercard
The WWE Title was destined to take a downward slide thanks it's position on company 'B show' SmackDown Live! following the 2016 Brand Extension, but the initial distaste to Raw's Universal Title ensured a stay of execution for the industry's top prize.
As mentioned elsewhere in this article, AJ Styles worked wonders with the title after a listless spell for the belt over the shoulder of Dean Ambrose, but the die was cast and a cascade into irrelevance was inevitable.
The issue has been highlighted via the dual-brand pay-per-views since the split, with the WWE Title match failing to headline a single major event since the cards separated.
Admittedly, the John Cena/AJ Styles match belonged in the show-closing spot of the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. But outside of that, matches featuring Dolph Ziggler, Dean Ambrose, Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton were buried exactly where they belonged in the middle of the respective SummerSlam and WrestleMania cards.
With the exception of Styles, recent addition Shinsuke Nakamura and Cena should he return later this year, there are no other justifiable stars on the brand to carry the title to the show-closing slot, especially if competing with Universal Champion Brock Lesnar or a similar attraction performer at one of the quarterly supershows.