10 Stages Of The WWE Championship’s Devolution: From Prize To Prop
8. A New Meritocracy
1992 marked a paradigm shift for the prize, for reasons both dubious and celebratory.
The marketing spin behind WrestleMania VIII promised a double main event - but conspicuously, the title (already tarnished by the UItimate Warrior's disappointing run) was relegated to the midcard slot, with the fans allowed a breather before they made noise for the real ticket-selling attraction: Hulk Hogan.
The WWF were left with little option but to enforce another relegation, at SummerSlam - but the in-ring wizard behind its famous Intercontinental Title main event, still to this day one of the greatest spectacles in the history of the company, was rewarded with a run at the top of it. Bret 'Hitman' Hart was the overwhelming fan choice, and he continued the nascent development, set by Ric Flair and Randy Savage, of genuine technical class within the title picture. It was no longer about the guy, but rather the match - a philosophy (literally, on occasion) Bret bled for. Hart was the perfect champion for those fans who remained committed to the Federation, once the fad had faded, because he was the best pure wrestler in the company. He was the art form distilled. While Hart was nowhere near the level of Hogan and Savage as draws, he gets nowhere near enough credit for retaining the core audience through his progressive body of in-ring work.
Retention, however, was not McMahon's concern in the wake of a turbulent start to the decade.