2. World Heavyweight Title
In my honest opinion, the World Heavyweight Championship has seen better days. Looking back to the Survivor Series of 2002, the big gold belt was held by Triple H, who was defending it in the first ever Elimination Chamber match. The belt still held the prestige that had made it so recognisable during its time in WCW, and when Shawn Michaels finished that night as champion, everyone cared...everyone was elated, and arguably, it meant more to the fans that a new World Heavyweight Champion had been crowned that night. But now, the title scene is as stale as it can possibly be. It's not a problem that Alberto Del Rio is champion, but you have to ask what the creative team were thinking when they scripted his betrayal of Ricardo Rodriguez, an act that caused one small moment of heat and then fizzled out when he aligned himself with Rob Van Dam. Their match at Night of Champions was...well, good and bad. It had some great spots, but a lack of chemistry between the two meant botch after botch, and before it could be saved, it was over in a rather underwhelming way. Don't get me wrong, I admire both superstars, and I have a lot of time and respect for them both individually, but they aren't performing, and to summarise the feud very simply, it just isn't happening for either of them. That's not to say RVD would make a terrible champion, because at 42, he works as hard as any of the younger talent on the roster, and still excites the WWE universe with his charisma and daring feats. However, there is far too much talent on the roster who deserve the chance more. I believe that Damien Sandow's Money in the Bank storyline has been badly handled. He hasn't mustered any form of momentum since winning the briefcase back in July, and has to reassure the crowd that he's still the uncrowned champion after his defeats, something that (to me at least) is lackluster. To me, Sandow has done more than enough to prove he's worthy of his place in the company, but his win-to-loss ratio is badly hindering his progression. It seems that every time a PPV comes around, he's likely to cash in the briefcase, but without a defiant winning streak, or at least signs of progression, he would look like a weaker champion than any of those that have preceded him. While I believe Sandow has the credentials to be a great champion, I think creative have a lot of work to do before Sandow can be a believable champion.
Prediction: Out of everything I have focused on in this article, the World Heavyweight Championship scene is the hardest to judge. If I had it my way, it would get a complete overhaul, with fresh faces taking over the reigns. Dolph Zigler's time at the top was short lived, and very unexpected in that regard. A consistent performer like Ziggler deserved more time in the spotlight, with his matches against Del Rio of an outstanding quality. If you follow the facts behind the scenes, then you'll know why Ziggler has suffered: Triple H (see "Ziggler as a Jobber" complaints, online, everywhere). Hopefully (as I stated earlier) Cody Rhodes will get his opportunity, as I believe that Rhodes and Sandow can perform and bring back a sense of the good old days. As for Survivor Series, it could well be the time that Sandow cashes in, but ultimately, I hope there is a new champion and a whole host of new challengers with WrestleMania now only six months away. The WWE (sometimes) has a knack of surprising us with a brilliant delivery, and I hope that the World Heavyweight Championship scene produces an exciting twist in the near future.