For as fabulous as the match for the red brand's top strap was (and more on that later), it became painfully apparent just how vital the main prize was in giving the Kevin Owens/Chris Jericho United States Title clash the elevated platform it deserved.
The two carried Monday Night Raw's main event for months ahead of their iconic 'Festival Of Friendship' split, but a match without the Universal Title that once tacitly divided them lacked the spark both men (and Vince McMahon himself) were looking for.
On too early on the show, the conflict just didn't like feel it was where it needed to be, with Owens winning a match that WWE 24 cameras later picked up The Chairman's disdain for. It was, unlike their friendship, solid at best.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
