Fool's Gold 2012 Edition: Wrestling's Insignificant Championships

In wrestling, championships are a way to determine who is the best of the best in certain categories. But not all championships are created equal; some of them aren't entertaining and don't serve a purpose.

Today, I look at the 5 most underutilized, misused, mismanaged or completely worthless championships in professional wrestling.

5. The TNA Knockout Tag Team Championship

In 2010, I ranked the TNA Knockout Tag Team Championship as one of the most insignificant championships in all of professional wrestling. Nothing has changed in this regard.

The women's equivalent to a tag team title was defended sporadically and lacked any real credibility due to the poor competition in the Knockout ranks.

It served largely as a prop for The Beautiful People from March to July 2010 until completely falling off the radar throughout the remainder of that year.

Finally in late 2010, the title was declared vacant, a ruling justified when the championship had remained uncontested for over 30 days.

Today, Eric Young is a co-holder. Yes. A man. Enough said.

4. WWE Tag Team Championship

No surprises here really. And it's not for a lack of quality tag teams either—rather, it's for underutilizing some of the best young talent in the company.

The current Team Team Champions are R-Truth and Kofi Kingston. On one hand, that isn't a bad thing. On the other, however, it's.... well, it's a bad thing.

Truth-Boom are the champs because there's no one else. No one else has been given the chance to run with the ball.

But when you look around, there's so much talent floating in and out of the fabrics of the WWE, it's almost criminal to think these guys are being wasted. 

NXT has given birth to one of the best heel units in the WWE in a long time in Curt Hawkins and Tyler Reks—The Rekking Crew.

Following suit are Johnny Curtis and Michael McGillicutty, the already established Epico and Primo, Camacho and Hunico and quite possibly the best tag team in the WWE—The Usos.

Watch Superstars. Trust me.

3. TNA Television Championship

It's big, it's ugly and it looks like something swallowed and coughed back up from another period in wrestling. Enough about Devon, however. It's the TNA Television Championship at No. 3.

For a title that's only been around for four years, it's been known by a lot of names. First it was the TNA Legend's Championship—for Legends. The TNA Global Championship—for non-Americans. Today it's the TNA Television Championship—for television, one would assume.

Either way, it's wasted on the likes of Devon. What should be a stepping stone for the stars of tomorrow is lost on someone who is already established—long established at that, and someone that no one wants to see.

The rules for the Television Championship command a fighting champion: someone who can not only deliver a standout performance week after week, but someone the fans want to see. Devon, again, is neither.

Magnus, Samoa Joe, Austin Aries, Matt Morgan and even Bully Ray are both those things. And all would contribute something to both the Championship and the TNA story arch.

Yet random appearances on TNA Fight Night from Devon is the best they've got.

2. The WWE United States Championship

Some of the greatest names in professional wrestling have held what is now called the WWE United States Championship: from Sting and Dusty Rhodes to Steve Austin and Eddie Guerrero to Bill Goldberg and Booker T.

Angle, Edge, Leyfield, Benoit, Cena, Miz, Ziggler, Bryan and Sheamus all contributed to the last 10 years of the United States Championship, making it one of the more credible pieces of Gold of the Ruthless Aggression and PG eras.

Today it rests in the hands of one Santino Marella: a man who has a twin sister named "Santina," a man who uses a finger poke type move called " the Cobra " as a finisher and recently challenged Ricardo Rodriguez to a Tuxedo match at No Way Out. 

The problem isn't Santino Marella. But what Santino Marella represents—comedy. And comedy is a roadblock.

For every legitimate up-and-comer in the WWE, Santino Marella is a 6'0", 233lbs roadblock standing in the way of an opportunity.

And realistically only two names will take that belt from Santino Marella—Ryback and Tensai.

1. The TNA X-Division Championship

Wow.

Austin Aries may have held the Championship for over 280 days, but can you name the champion prior?

The answer: Brian Kendrick.

Can you name a legitimate contender?

Zema Ion. Really?

Alex Shelley. Gone.

Chris Sabin. Injured again.

Samoa Joe. Hardly relevant himself anymore. 

There is no competition among the X-Division ranks. Period.

Austin Aries is without a doubt everything he says he is—the greatest man that ever lived. Charismatic, entertaining, an amazing worker and a future Heavyweight Champion. Yet the man must be bored out of his brain.

Aries is the X-Division. He's the only one. The whole damn show.

When Aries moves on, they may as well shut the X-Division down. There's no one to carry the belt. No one.