Intercontinental Title

We've all been here before, so this may be another false dawn, but it feels like WWE is rehabilitating this title.  Which I think is a hugely positive thing.  Being IC Champ should have the prestige and defending this belt should definitely be something that can headline B PPVs.

My audio wasn't great watching WrestleMania and Raw.  But, it seemed that how the Daniel Bryan win was presented was bigging up the IC, rather than DB.  So, for example, the commentators could have made it a big deal that DB has now won every title in the WWE, if they wanted to use the belt to make Bryan special.  As they didn't, I think it is a sign that this could be an extended title reign.

The Raw match with Ziggler I think was almost PPV quality.  Again, the stiff style way the match went indicated that the belt is becoming special again.  Before Mania there was this idea that DB and Ziggler might face each other 1-on-1 to see who's better.  And I'd have taken that, IMO Ziggler hasn't enough 4* singles matches that he is capable of giving.  But fighting over the title gives a better reason for a babyface-babyface match.  And I hope that Ziggler is not out of this, I think without turning either of them, they can tell a story that would have the crowd pulling one way and then the other.  

It also makes sense for Barrett to be involved again.  I'm a big fan of his.  I'm really not a fan of Sheamus, but it does seem that whenever WWE think Sheamus they put him in with Bryan. But I hope that WWE don't water this down any further.  Keep this between 2 or 3 men challenging for the title.  Keep the level of wrestling high.  Keep the number of spoilt endings low and I think Bryan and WWE can make this belt mean something again.  Which will ultimately mean that when they want to elevate their next star, just putting him in the IC program will immediately make the wrestler big news.

Anyone think any different or any thoughts on how Daniel Bryan and the IC go forward from here?

I might get hammered for this but I cant connect to a Bryan v Ziggler fued for some reason. I just don't see the chemistry. Plus Ziggler has fought for and been IC Title so many times and failed to give it prestige that when his name is linked to the title it doesn't excite me.

The title definitely needs to be involved in angles which main event Raw and maybe B PPVs, but I'd love to see Bryan keep the title until Summerslam seeing off challenges from Barrett, Cesaro and maybe Rusev before finally dropping the title to Wyatt at Summerfest.

Bryan is 100% the right guy to get the title over again.

I hope they have him defend it a lot. He should defend against everyone from the ladder match. I think Mizdow should get a shot and a handshake at the end, and really anyone who can put on strong matches.

What I don't think anyone else has mentioned as of yet but in regards to DB holding the Intercontinental Title and Cena holding the US Title is that the two biggest faces of the company will therefore be out of the WWE title picture for the foreseeable future, sure this gives Reigns a clearer run at cementing his role and Orton as a rival to Rollins but is also allows Ambrose & Ziggler an opportunity similar to when a lot of the faces were injured last Autumn to challenge.

Hero wrote:What I don't think anyone else has mentioned as of yet but in regards to DB holding the Intercontinental Title and Cena holding the US Title is that the two biggest faces of the company will therefore be out of the WWE title picture for the foreseeable future, sure this gives Reigns a clearer run at cementing his role and Orton as a rival to Rollins but is also allows Ambrose & Ziggler an opportunity similar to when a lot of the faces were injured last Autumn to challenge.

Are those two not in the US and IC picture right now? Do you see them going beyond these programs to the World Title picture soon?

I think Ambrose's rivalry with both is probably at a close, that he moved straight onto a US Title shot at RAW whilst overs fought over the Intercontinental and obviously Sheamus returned. He also has a lot more of a reason to feud with Rollins than others and at some point a Shield Triple Threat just has to happen, it just defies logic that it won't, why not make it at the point at which one is the World Champ, one is touted as the face of the company (yet gets a mixed reaction) and one is getting probably the 2nd best pops of the night after DB?

I personally think a Shield program so soon is rushing it, but I see your thinking.

BTW props to Ambrose for wrestling such a bout the day after that bump.

I'd like the title picture to be made up of Rollins, Reigns, Orton, Ambrose, Ziggler, Sheamus before Lesnar turns up.

I'd love to see Neville given a match with Cena. If only they'd done the open invitation to fight and brought Neville out to mirror Cena's debut

Ziggler gets bigger pops

Pah.

Don't think a Shield rivalry is too soon at all btw, if anything regarding WWE it's a slow burner on their usual feud building!

I'm coming round to your thinking. If only because it has to be completely impossible to screw up that Shield angle.

I'm hoping that neither Ziggler, nor Sheamus is in the title picture.

DB should IMO hold the IC until Zayn, Neville, Balor, Itami are ready to be this level. There are some stellar matches already there and they can drop the bête noir of Owens in the mix then too.

The Intercontinental Title doesn't need great matches to get it over IMO, it needs good angles, a good match wont make the nelt feel important, at the end of the day its just two guys having a good match that with the turnover of matches in the WWE we'd have likely seen before anyway minus the Title, what we need is for storylines revolving around the IC Title that makes it feel like a big deal - when there is a genuine gritty storyline then thats what creates excitement and intrigue and only when those issues are addressed the Belt will become worthy again.

Look at the US Title, Rusev being Champion has really elevated it, he has barely had more than one 3 star match but the storyline behind the Title has made people interested in it again,  slightly different as although its been a good story it has been a slightly predictable one but never the less it got the belt to were it needs to be, the challenge for creative now is to keep the belt over

Dean Ambrose putting the title over so he can get his face on a wall in Conneticut put the title over more than it was for all of 2014. I agree with Kay Fabe 100%.

I think big and new defences will make it interesting with talents that are over too. To me, that gets it into attention quickly and stops there being hit or miss stories from the off. The story should then come, because at the moment the central story is Barrett and the ladder competitors, so I want that to be done quickly because its not an exciting story.

From then on I 100% agree, but I would like there to be a little work done to have it a notable part of the weekly shows with long and exciting matches