Mid Card Titles

[HeavyT]

Fact is, could you ever see a crusierweight title match headlining over a heavyweight match, in ANY COMBAT SPORT?

 

Not that it has any particular relevance to wrestling, but the lighter weight titles have headlined loads of UFC pay per views.

 

Plus, that’s more of a hypothetical question than a fact.

I meant title fights, when have you ever seen a lowe weighht title fight headline over a HW title match? As far as Im aware, it hasnt happened, at least not in boxing

[the_mole]

I think it was New Japan that had an Under 30's belt a few years ago, I always liked the idea of that. It gives the young guys something to aim for before the World title and stops the older guys holding the B title. I always hated seeing former World champs with the US or IC title.

[Rule One]

I think it was New Japan that had an Under 30's belt a few years ago, I always liked the idea of that. It gives the young guys something to aim for before the World title and stops the older guys holding the B title. I always hated seeing former World champs with the US or IC title.

 

It was New Japan and the concept was shite. I think there was only two, maybe three champions before they canned it.

[Loki]

I stopped following TNA for quite a few years and have only recently started watching it again. I was gutted when I watched the last two PPV's to see that AJ Styles, Chris Daniels and Samoa Joe have all been pushed to mid-card level. I'll be honest id much rather see these three main eventing maybe with Austin Aries than watching the current main events they have

 

TNA has always suffered from not having a proper secondary title, I think. Back when the X Division was hot, it served this role, but that's not been the case for a few years now.

 

I've always liked the concept of a TV title, that is defended EVERY WEEK ON TV. They should rebuild their TV Title to be their secondary title, call it the Impact TV Title and have the holder be the Impact TV Champion. Stick it on Morgan, or Pope or Anderson or someone who's the top of the middle and make them nearly as important as the World Champ, whose title defences can then be saved for the PPV, thus making that more important!

[Richie Freebird]

I've always liked the concept of a TV title, that is defended EVERY WEEK ON TV.

 

What about the time limit thing that classic TV titles had? I like that idea too. That

[olliej149]

I've always liked the idea of a British promotion re-introducing some of the weight limit titles such as middleweight and lightweight titles. They used to have these in the world of sport days, and sometimes these were even more popular than the Heavyweight matches. So for example a promotion could have a British Heavyweight title, followed by British middleweight, welterweight and lightweight titles. I'm not sure if these would work nowadays though.

 

it works in MMA, its all about how its presented and booked, if presented with equal importance it will be viewed as such

No it wont, multiple weight divisions will never work in wrestling, at least not on a mainstream level. Why do you think TNA stropped giving the x division the main event slots? because despite being treated with near equal importance, people were more interested in seeinf Jeff Jarrett and the like than the little guys and their high flying. You dont "book" MMA like wrestling, its like saying "it worked for boxing".

 

I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure TNA was doing around the same, if not better, Pay Per View buy rates when they were promoting the X-Division Title as being on the same level as the World Title, and that was with a much weaker roster in terms of drawing power.

 

I'd also say that when Jarrett was Champion guys like Styles, Joe and even Daniels were vastly more interesting. I like Jarrett and everything and I understand why he was Champion for so long but my God was he ever stale back then.

The buyrates are probably lower for numerous reasons:-

Hardcore fans who like spot fests and cruisers and the like are more willing to shell out money than your typical casual fan

PPV calibre matches are given away for free constantly

The economy is suffering, buyrates are down in WWE as well

 

I know Jarett was stale as fuck, I just used him as an example. Fact is, could you ever see a crusierweight title match headlining over a heavyweight match, in ANY COMBAT SPORT? Short of a few exceptions like Maywetaher, Pacqiaou and maybe GSP in MMA, I dont think you would. A tag title match headli ing a British indy show is different than a "welterweight" championship being introduced in TNA or WWE and pushed as equal to the heavyweight championship. Business would suffer, I guarantee it.

 

It is rare I'll admit but there definitely were times when the X Division title matches used to main event some of TNA's weekly PPVs. But this would have been when the heavyweight title wasn't being defended on the same show. It depends on the promotion though. But i think it did work in TNA when the X Division was on the same level as the heavyweight division

[HeavyT]

It is rare I'll admit but there definitely were times when the X Division title matches used to main event some of TNA's weekly PPVs. But this would have been when the heavyweight title wasn't being defended on the same show. It depends on the promotion though. But i think it did work in TNA when the X Division was on the same level as the heavyweight division

Okay TNA is the exception in some cases, when it was smaller, but they still never gave as much time or attention to the X divison as the heavyweights, because that isnt what people want to see. It may have seemed like they pushed the x division title as an equal to the HW title, but that was pretty much only when someone like AJ held the belt.

[unfitfinlay]

The buyrates are probably lower for numerous reasons:-

[Hardcore fans who like spot fests and cruisers and the like are more willing to shell out money than your typical casual fan

PPV calibre matches are given away for free constantly

The economy is suffering, buyrates are down in WWE as well

 

I know Jarett was stale as fuck, I just used him as an example. Fact is, could you ever see a crusierweight title match headlining over a heavyweight match, in ANY COMBAT SPORT? Short of a few exceptions like Maywetaher, Pacqiaou and maybe GSP in MMA, I dont think you would. A tag title match headli ing a British indy show is different than a "welterweight" championship being introduced in TNA or WWE and pushed as equal to the heavyweight championship. Business would suffer, I guarantee it.

 

So, in other words that WAS what people wanted to see?

 

TNA are doing worse on Pay Per View because they aren't Promoting them well enough. When they treated the X-Division, and Tag Team Titles, like they were a major deal, more people were willing to pay to see their biggest shows. That's my point: It doesn't matter what Title (or match for that matter) you are Promoting, if you treat it like it's a major deal then people will think of it that way.

 

It is rare I'll admit but there definitely were times when the X Division title matches used to main event some of TNA's weekly PPVs. But this would have been when the heavyweight title wasn't being defended on the same show. It depends on the promotion though. But i think it did work in TNA when the X Division was on the same level as the heavyweight division

Okay TNA is the exception in some cases, when it was smaller, but they still never gave as much time or attention to the X divison as the heavyweights, because that isnt what people want to see. It may have seemed like they pushed the x division title as an equal to the HW title, but that was pretty much only when someone like AJ held the belt.

 

TNA ALWAYS focused heavily on the X-Divison, especially in the early days, because it was one of the few things that made them different from WWE. It's only been since Russo returned in 2006 that they really phased it down and stopped treating it like it was a major deal.

 

You really aren't justifying the point that people don't want to see smaller wrestlers at all. There's loads of people on the WWE roster that would be considered Cruiserweights (two of them currently hold the main titles in fact). Do you really think people wouldn't care about them if they'd been pushed as part of credible lighter weight division that was treated on the same level as the heavyweights?

 

As for the British Indy level, I really don't think it would make much of a difference, either positive or negative. It's not like anybody is going to go "A Light Heavyweight Title match? Fuck that" really is it?

[Tommy!]

It is rare I'll admit but there definitely were times when the X Division title matches used to main event some of TNA's weekly PPVs. But this would have been when the heavyweight title wasn't being defended on the same show. It depends on the promotion though. But i think it did work in TNA when the X Division was on the same level as the heavyweight division

 

The unbreakable PPV had the X belt on after the NWA heavyweight I do believe, and every one still bums that 3 way to death while Raven Vs Rhino is all but forgotten.

[HeavyT]

The buyrates are probably lower for numerous reasons:-

[Hardcore fans who like spot fests and cruisers and the like are more willing to shell out money than your typical casual fan

PPV calibre matches are given away for free constantly

The economy is suffering, buyrates are down in WWE as well

 

I know Jarett was stale as fuck, I just used him as an example. Fact is, could you ever see a crusierweight title match headlining over a heavyweight match, in ANY COMBAT SPORT? Short of a few exceptions like Maywetaher, Pacqiaou and maybe GSP in MMA, I dont think you would. A tag title match headli ing a British indy show is different than a "welterweight" championship being introduced in TNA or WWE and pushed as equal to the heavyweight championship. Business would suffer, I guarantee it.

 

So, in other words that WAS what people wanted to see?

 

TNA are doing worse on Pay Per View because they aren't Promoting them well enough. When they treated the X-Division, and Tag Team Titles, like they were a major deal, more people were willing to pay to see their biggest shows. That's my point: It doesn't matter what Title (or match for that matter) you are Promoting, if you treat it like it's a major deal then people will think of it that way.

 

It is rare I'll admit but there definitely were times when the X Division title matches used to main event some of TNA's weekly PPVs. But this would have been when the heavyweight title wasn't being defended on the same show. It depends on the promotion though. But i think it did work in TNA when the X Division was on the same level as the heavyweight division

Okay TNA is the exception in some cases, when it was smaller, but they still never gave as much time or attention to the X divison as the heavyweights, because that isnt what people want to see. It may have seemed like they pushed the x division title as an equal to the HW title, but that was pretty much only when someone like AJ held the belt.

 

TNA ALWAYS focused heavily on the X-Divison, especially in the early days, because it was one of the few things that made them different from WWE. It's only been since Russo returned in 2006 that they really phased it down and stopped treating it like it was a major deal.

 

You really aren't justifying the point that people don't want to see smaller wrestlers at all. There's loads of people on the WWE roster that would be considered Cruiserweights (two of them currently hold the main titles in fact). Do you really think people wouldn't care about them if they'd been pushed as part of credible lighter weight division that was treated on the same level as the heavyweights?

 

As for the British Indy level, I really don't think it would make much of a difference, either positive or negative. It's not like anybody is going to go "A Light Heavyweight Title match? Fuck that" really is it?

Yes, it is. in the grand cheme of things, the types to go to indy shows make up a small fraction of the TV audience. The ones who dont may not be the types to buy PPVs, but there the ones who pull in the ratings and thats more important right now. Its not like the PPVs were ever at a decent level of buyrates anyway.

 

My point is, a lot of the people willing to pay for the PPVs have been alienated infavour of the majority, who wouldnt pay wbut will still watch impact every week. they phased out the x division for a reason. I wasnt saying it mattters at brit indy level, i just meant its a whole different ball game to what the majority of the uk (the world?) thinks of wrestling.no ones gna pay to see brian kendrick vs austin aries, even if they built it up, kurt angle vs whoever would still be the bigger match.

[unfitfinlay]

Yes, it is. in the grand cheme of things, the types to go to indy shows make up a small fraction of the TV audience. The ones who dont may not be the types to buy PPVs, but there the ones who pull in the ratings and thats more important right now. Its not like the PPVs were ever at a decent level of buyrates anyway.

 

My point is, a lot of the people willing to pay for the PPVs have been alienated infavour of the majority, who wouldnt pay wbut will still watch impact every week. they phased out the x division for a reason. I wasnt saying it mattters at brit indy level, i just meant its a whole different ball game to what the majority of the uk (the world?) thinks of wrestling.no ones gna pay to see brian kendrick vs austin aries, even if they built it up, kurt angle vs whoever would still be the bigger match.

 

What ratings are they pulling in exactly? Impact's ratings are still around the same level they've been since they debuted on Spike, and again, that's with a roster full of much bigger names than when they started. There's been a few spikes here and there but on the whole they have pretty much the same audience they've always had but are doing a worse job making their Pay Per Views feel special.

 

No one would pay to see Aries vs Kendrick because neither has been pushed as someone you SHOULD be paying money to see. Kurt Angle, is a great example, since he could easily qualify for the X-Division but is looked at like a top guy. A well built match between him and Jeff Hardy (who would also easily qualify) would be a huge match for TNA regardless of what Title was on the line.

[ninevisions]

ACE Wrestling in america, their mid card title is called the Diamond Division Championship

 

update: Sorry, just finished my research, apparently there's no reason behind it's name, maybe an attempt to crank up the title's prestige. But does that sound like a mid card title by its name?

[andrew "the ref" coyne]

ACE Wrestling in america, their mid card title is called the Diamond Division Championship

 

Why?