Short Changed: Smackdown Recap

 

This past Friday night, Randy Orton became World Heavyweight Champion after defeating Christian. Reports came in after the match that being that Randy Orton is the "top guy" on Smackdown, he deserves to be the champion. While I agree with that assessment, I feel that the WWE could have waited to take the title off of Christian. I feel that these short title reigns diminish the meaning of being World Champion. This wasn't the only time in very recent history that the WWE decided to give a World Champion a short title run. Dolph Ziggler was awarded the World Heavyweight Championship after Edge was stripped of it and had a title run that lasted all of ten minutes. This hurts the talent and the audience.

In both instances, a title change could have waited until the next pay per view. With two workers like Orton and Christian, they could have put on a great babyface World title match that would have seen both men being cheered and the WWE universe going home happy no matter who was the winner. Dolph Ziggler and Edge had a few great pay per view matches already but the feud would become fresher if Edge was in the challenger role, this time having to pin or make Ziggler submit to leave with the World title. These rapid title changes aren't good for the casual fan either. Who is going to remember Ziggler's ten minute title run? I can't even begin to tell you how upset some of the fellow wrestling fans that I know are that after finally getting his just due, Christian will just be known as a transitional champion.

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With Edge forced into early retirement, a lot of fans truly believed in Christian. And why not? He teamed with Edge for the early part of his career, winning seven tag team championships with the Rated R Superstar. He has won every title in the WWE except the WWE championship and the US championship. He was the longest reigning ECW champion of the WWE era and was a 2 time former TNA World Heavyweight Champion. In his time at TNA, he went 23 months without being pinned or made to submit. After coming back from his injury caused by Alberto Del Rio, fans bought Christian as a main even player and seemed genuinely happy that he achieved his dream of becoming World Heavyweight Champion. But his dream was to be short lived as the upper management in the WWE didn't see dollar signs when Christian's name was brought up and his World title run came to an abrupt end.

Dolph Ziggler was a star on the rise on Smackdown. Coming off a successful run as Intercontinental champion, Ziggler seemed poised to break into World title contention. With Vickie Guerrero in his corner, Dolph started feuding with then World Champion, Edge. After a few unsuccessful attempts at wrestling the title away from Edge, Dolph was awarded the title by Vickie after she had stripped Edge of the gold. How was the new champion rewarded? With a ten minute title run and a five minute, unsuccessful title match. Instead of giving Dolph a main event slot on Smackdown for years to come, Dolph and Vickie were fired, taken off Smackdown and put on Raw where Dolph changed his look and is currently toiling in mid card obscurity. Much like the WWE did with Jack Swagger after his short World title run, the WWE took the ball form Dolph instead of cementing his reputation as a main eventer.

Short title runs have been around for a while. These wrestlers are known as transitional champions. The Iron Shiek beat Bob Backlund only to drop the title roughly a month later to Hulk Hogan. Sergeant Slaughter bridged the gap between the Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan. The funny thing is that, as much as you can make that argument for Christian's title run (seemingly only booked for the feel-good moment with Edge at the end of the pay per view), the decision with Dolph was just asinine. It hurt his character more than it helped. The WWE needs to make new stars and not bury the ones who are taking off. Dolph Ziggler and Christian are examples of some other WWE superstars waiting to take over the main events. John Morrison, Alberto Del Rio, Daniel Bryan and Wade Barrett are ready to break through to the next level. Let's hope they don't make the same mistakes with them that they made with Dolph and Christian.