10 Ways WWE Can Still Salvage 2019
2. Re-establish Mid-card Title Credibility
The writing was on the wall for both the U.S. and Intercontinental title coming into 2019 as both were being passed around again like the dummy prize they were teasing outgrowing the year earlier.
Bobby Lashley and Finn Bálor played hot potato with the belt coming into WrestleMania, but The Demon would then go missing with the championship after being moved to SmackDown LIVE. Only for Shinsuke Nakamura to steal the title away later in the year and proceed to do nothing of note in his current reign.
Raw's current mid-card title didn't fare much better. Nakamura held the title on SmackDown LIVE, only to randomly lose it to R-Truth. He would then lose it to a rejuvenated Samoa Joe, who would trade wins with Rey Mysterio. That feud would fizzle out in the end, yet we were given a bit more hope that the U.S. title wasn't beyond saving with Ricochet and AJ Styles both enjoying decent stretches with the gold.
What's missing for both of these belts is a decent programme where both competitors are vying for the esteemed honour of holding one of WWE's most storied titles. At this point it feels like a second rate prize, when in reality they could both be used as work-rate championships that reward incredible in-ring prowess and potential main event future-stars with an outlet to perform regularly.
With the standard of wrestling that this kind of programme invites, WWE could easily bat off the challenge of AEW's workrate-centric product and keep those would-be wondering fans onside.