10 Ways WWE SmackDown Has Declined In 2017
3. Pointless Title Changes
The WWE Championship is in a sorry state at the moment, and while part of this is down to those who’ve held the belt since AJ Styles dropped it, the recent string of pointless title changes has been just as damaging. Four months later, it has become apparent that there was no value in having Styles pass the belt to John Cena at the Royal Rumble, as everything that has followed has been a complete failure.
Cena’s 14-day run was entirely forgettable, and existed only so that ‘Big Match John’ could equal Ric Flair’s status as a 16-time World Champion. Bray Wyatt’s win at Elimination Chamber looked to finally set him up as "the guy", but it ultimately came to nothing, as Randy Orton took it away from him at the first time of asking. 'The Viper', meanwhile, spent his 49-day reign stuck in the turgid Wyatt feud, before transitioning into the ongoing Jinder Mahal program.
This is supposed to be WWE’s top prize, but it has been battered into oblivion since the turn of the year, and we’re at a point where the United States Title, long considered one of WWE’s most worthless trinkets, feels more prestigious.