• Wrestling News & Wrestling Rumors – WWE & TNA

[Editor's note: thanks to Hank Sipps for writing this. If you would like a column featured, email typesthetak@gmail.com for consideration].

Now most wrestling fans would agree that the Attitude era was the golden age of the WWE/F. I agree with it as well. But one of the most horrible patterns ever began in the Attitude era. Multiple title reigns.

The main things that made me want to right about this topic is are the fact that Edge is an eight time world champion. Eight times!!! Now Edge’s longest title reign was a little over three months. Three of his reigns were only three weeks long. Now in a little over Thirty-eight months Edge has won eight world titles.

In theory if Edge continues on at this pace he will be a sixteen time world champ in the next three years. He is still young enough to do it. So going strictly on title reigns, Edge is better than HBK who has only won four world titles. He is also better than Hulk Hogan who captured the WWE title six times. His skills surpass Brett Hart, who was WWE champ Five times. And he is also greater the Stone Cold Steve Austin who held the belt only six times.

Now I did the math and Edge’s entire title reigns combined would be Three-hundred and sixty-two days. So on average Edge’s title reigns last forty five days. Why does WWE think that giving a guy so many short title reigns will make them good? All it does is devalue the title with all the hotshotting. It also makes the champ look weak because it looks like he can’t hold on to the belt. I think Edge is a good wrestler. I like him, but he is not worthy of Eight world title reigns. Maybe four at the most, but not eight.

The Rock also had many short title runs, as did Kurt Angle. There is also this other guy who won the belt many many many times. You remember he’s married to the boss’s daughter. Whats his name again? Oh well I forget it. However despite all my points on the subject there is one exception to my complaint. If there was ever one man who deserved to hold the title many times it is the Nature Boy Ric Flair, the 22 time world champ. I mean Flair is the reason that WWE is so high on multiple title reigns. Well that is what I believe anyway.

Vince McMahon did not create the legend of Ric Flair. Flair did not need WWE to be a big star. Everyone knows that Vince has ego issues. It’s simple, if Vince can get enough guys to have a large amount of title reigns, Flair’s 22 times as champ won’t look nearly as impressive. In Vince’s mind if he can tarnish the achievements of Ric Flair then there is no way the legend of Ric Flair can surpass the legend of Vince McMahon and the WWE. I mean we’re talking about a guy who faked his own death and was willing to hold a tribute show in his own honor. That’s one sick son of a bitch.

By the Way I don’t understand why WWE does not acknowledge Flair’s other six reigns. I have no doubt that Vince’s son in law will surpass Flairs sixteen title reigns. It is going to happen because what’s his name is everything Vince wishes he could be. So Vince allows the title reigns to be short, just so sonny boy can hold the belt as many times as possible. The belt changing hands often does not make the WWE better. Perhaps if Cm Punks reign had been booked better and had he held on to the belt longer, he could have become a main eventer instead of a mid-carder. But no Punk holding the belt does not help Vince’s goal. How far will Vince go to achieve these ends?

Well another disturbing fact is that since last summer the WWE title and WWE World Heavyweight title have changed hands twelve times. These short reigns hurt the business, because as I said before, it devalues the title and make the champ look weak. Maybe WWE will learn that the best way to create a Icon within the business is to allow the person to be a dominant force when they are champion. You don’t need Sixteen world title reigns to become a legend. You just need one good one. Maybe someday Vince will learn that and finally get over himself.