Slightly less offensive, this, because nobody really cares about WWE’s treatment of the old NWA United States belt. Well, on SmackDown, Rusev thought more of it than his injured wife by teaming with the man whose chicanery led to her sprained ankle, but we digress.
If any title in WWE warrants the derisory “prop” descriptor, it is the US Championship. Vince McMahon’s eyes probably glaze over at the mere mention of it at production meetings. “Give it to the guy who’s complaining the most,” he then declares. Once a vehicle with which to launch John Cena as a player, the Doctor of Thuganomics customised it to make it “spin”.
Even without this motion sickness, we heaved at the sight of its sparkly trinket aesthetic.
Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!
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