4 Ups & 3 Downs Of WWE Universal Championship

1. The WWE Championship Has Been Devalued

Dean Ambrose Battleground WWE Champion

The strongest argument against the Universal Championship, however, is that it undeniably devalues Dean Ambrose’s WWE Championship. Yes, it’s going to take time for the new belt to not feel like a B-prize, but a wrestler’s space in the spotlight is greatly diminished when he was to share it with another competitor. Titles are worth so much more when everyone in the company is gunning for the same thing, regardless of whichever brand they’re on, and two “top” belts, both suddenly feel a whole lot less special.

It’s particularly disappointing for Ambrose, who has worked through some truly terrible storylines to get to where he is today. From hot dog cart assaults to exploding televisions, Ambrose has suffered some of WWE Creative’s biggest missteps over the past few years. His Championship win at Money in the Bank (and subsequent defence at Battleground) felt like exoneration for all of that, and while the second belt doesn’t totally kill his feel-good story, it definitely diminishes it.

Now, WWE are effectively telling Ambrose that his achievements don’t mean as much as they did before. For a man in the midst of his very first reign as the apparent top champion, this is insulting. Ambrose’s belt will continue to feel like the default top belt until the Universal Championship establishes itself, but you only need to look at professional boxing to see the negative impact of crowding a sport with too many championships.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.