How the Intercontinental Championship Became the Centerpiece of WWE Raw

Roman Reigns defeated The Miz on the November 20 episode of Raw to win the Intercontinental Championship.

In the process, he continued the overall theme of the year that has seen the title once considered secondary on the red brand become the centerpiece of the most recognizable show in professional wrestling.

The title, with a lineage that includes some of the greatest Hall of Fame talent in the history of sports entertainment, has risen to the forefront of Raw thanks to stellar performances from the men holding it and WWE Creative's renewed emphasis on the belt.

The Miz: Raw's Most Valuable Player

There are a number of Superstars who deserve recognition and credit for their contributions to the show in 2017, but none had the impact on the red brand The Miz did.

After arriving on Monday nights during the most recent Superstar Shake-up, just after WrestleMania 33, the Hollywood A-Lister became the heel around whom entire shows were built. Villains like Braun Strowman and Brock Lesnar may have been more prominent in high-profile main events, but entire episodes of Raw were built around Miz.

The loudmouth pretty boy from Hollywood infuriated fans and headlined broadcasts against the top stars Raw had to offer. From showdowns with Reigns to hotly contested bouts with Dean Ambrose, he was the heel who carried entire shows on his back.

When he regained the Intercontinental Championship from The Lunatic Fringe in June, he became an even more integral part of the show. He adopted Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel as his Miztourage and appeared during in-ring segments that both started and closed the show.

His issues with general manager Kurt Angle put him in the crosshairs of Jason Jordan and also led to a series of main event-worthy matches with the reunited Shield. It was the intercontinental champion, in fact, who necessitated the immensely popular faction's reunion.

At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Miz captained a team of Sheamus, Cesaro, Kane and Braun Strowman into battle against Seth Rollins, Angle and Ambrose.

There are many who still remember Miz for his failed WWE Championship run, which lasted from November 2010 through the spring of 2011. But more than anything, he should be remembered for his ability to incite genuine fan reactions through passionate promos and devious acts of heeldom.

He is wrestling's last great heel, and rather than the IC title making him a bona fide headliner on Monday nights, he made the belt a prestigious and coveted prize on the flagship.

In effect, his work with the title and legitimizing it made WWE Creative comfortable enough to take the initiative and put it on Reigns without making it appear like a demotion for The Big Dog.

The Big Dog and the Future

The moment Reigns captured the Intercontinental Championship, the title's status as the centerpiece of the Raw brand was solidified. Whereas the Universal Championship has developed into a special attraction, a title that is defended only occasionally and when the lights are relatively brightest, the IC belt has become the workhorse title of the red brand.

The Superstars who appear regularly do battle over it, and the fact Samoa Joe has returned from injury to target Reigns' gold will only help to elevate the title's importance in the weeks to come.

Reigns is the top star in WWE, the man at the forefront of the company's future plans. He is the next John Cena, the Superstar molded to carry the company on his back. By giving him the Intercontinental Championship, the company is announcing to its fans it should be taken seriously and treated with respect.

Reigns' star power elevates the belt even further than Miz already had. However, without Miz doing what he did to bring legitimacy back to it, the gold would never have been an option for someone of Reigns' stature.

With Lesnar not likely to become a fixture on WWE television until the march to WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans, the Intercontinental Championship will remain the centerpiece of the red brand and the prize Superstars battle over during the weeks and months to come.