Fool's Gold II : Addressing Wrestling's Insignificant Championships

On May 26, 2010 I put together a little slide show titled " Fool's Gold: Wrestling's Insignificant Championships " — My most successful article on the Bleacher Report yet.

It was a complete stab in the dark. In fact for someone who has only been posting on Bleacher for less than a few weeks and by no means a professional writer—let alone a good one. I was surprised with the outcome.

Over 4300 reads in 3 days. Considering, like many people I sat there trying to think of the most profound article to write. Instead I learned a small yet valuable lesson—rather than trying to be the most prolific and articulate writer I could — I needed to simply address what I felt needed to be said.

I offered my opinions on the championships I felt had become insignificant—now I offer my solutions.

5. The TNA Knockout Tag Team Championship

The TNA Knockout Tag Team Championships came in at number five.

As mentioned in the previous article—less than a year ago the Knockout's division was full of untapped potential.

The sad truth is, TNA has dropped the ball on yet another secondary division—one of many to make this list.

The solution is simple—drop the belts.

Right now, TNA struggles to find competition for it's TNA Knockout's Championship. Let alone trying to build, maintain and almost re-establish the Knockout's Tag Championships.

Focus primarily on the TNA Knockout's Championship. Considering the size of the division or lack there of—everything should be built around this belt—as it was in late 2009.

4. The WWE Diva's Championship

The WWE Diva's Championship is currently held by the beautiful Eve Torres—but most of us could care less.

The solution is Flawless—Layla El and Michelle McCool in fact.

These two Beautiful People knockoffs are apparently the "co-holders" of the WWE Women's Championship. One is and the other is carrying a smaller and cheaper looking replica.

So I guess you can see where I'm going here—Layla holds the Women's belt—McCool wins the Diva's Championship.

Team Flawless then operate as a tag team defending both championships in tag team matches. A bid to put the Diva's title on the same level as the Women's Championship.

After a long and heated feud, the team of Beth Phoenix and Gail Kim eventually win the titles and take them to separate brands. Flawless either splits—Layla going to Raw, leaving McCool on Smackdown to respectively try to regain their championships—or they chase in Tag Team fashion.

For six to twelve months the WWE Diva's Championship might have some increased significance as it rides shotgun with the Women's title.

3. The WWE Tag Team Championship

In that not too distant past, if you had too much of one thing it became unified.

The Hardcore and European Championships became part of the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Even WWA's version of the World title became unified with the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in May, 2003—and lets not forget the WWE Undisputed Championship.

WWE have already dubbed the collective of the WWE and World's Tag Team Championships as the "Unified WWE World Tag Team Championships"—so lets finish the job shall we.

One set of belts—new designs. Lets keep things simple and make the unification official.

2. The TNA Global Championship

What the WWE Intercontinental Championship did so well for so long was act as a stepping stone to the main event.

TNA's Global Championship needs to be that same thing.

While TNA today may have a full cast of main event talent—Van Dam, Hardy, Sting, Styles, Aybss, Anderson and Wolfe to name a few. Some day TNA will need new talent, and relying on who the WWE casts aside isn't always going to be an option.

D'Angelo Dinero, Matt Morgan, Hernandez, Kazarian and Robet Roode and James Storm—as singles wrestlers. Collectively a star studded line up of talented individuals who all need one or two more stops in a secondary role prior to Main Eventing.

In the mean time prior to winning World Championships, The Pope vs The Blueprint series produces some of the best matches and promos of the year. While the internal war between two former tag team partners, Beer Money proves to the world what most of us already know — TNA has some fantastic talent.

All thanks to a little title: the TNA Global Championship.

1. The TNA X-Division Championship

Probably the hardest one to find a solution for.

One could argue it's simple. Let the wrestlers wrestle.

But the problem is poor booking. Including the talent involved. In a bid to elevate the X-Division's status it's a matter of finding the right talent.

It's no longer a case of finding the best and brightest high-flyers and allowing them to flip around. After eight years of this, TNA has only produced two stars from this formula — AJ Styles & Samoa Joe.

It's a matter of finding the guys with the potential to do more. Guys who some day could fill the shoes of an aging or broken AJ Styles. Guys who just need that one or two years of exposure and the X-Division gimmick to showcase their talent as wrestlers.

Names like Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, Jay Lethal, Brian Kendrick and potentially Shelton Benjamin.

Like the Global Championship, the X-Division Championship needs to be the same thing: a stepping stone.