Lack of Quality Intercontinental Championship Defenses Is Hurting Curtis Axel

Curtis Axel's Intercontinental Championship is all but rusting around his waist.

Axel has had a solid number of title defenses since winning the belt, but they have been predictable, last minute or otherwise ineffective in building him up. His upcoming match against R-Truth at Battleground is a prime example of all three.

When Axel pinned Wade Barrett to become intercontinental champion at Payback June 16, comparisons to his Hall of Famer father were natural and expected. "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig held the same title twice, his second reign lasting for over half of 1991.

The Intercontinental Championship doesn't have the prestige that it did when Hennig wore it and that's not Axel's fault.

The title has been less of a priority, appearing to be an afterthought at times. That has made it difficult for Axel to turn being champion into momentum.

In Axel's 100 days as champ, he's defended the title four times. That averages out to about one defense a month. The number is fine, it's the circumstances surrounding those defenses that have held Axel back.

Battling Chris Jericho, one of the definitive IC titleholders ever, should have been a big rub for Axel.

The timing was off, though. It was public knowledge at that point that Jericho was set to go on tour with his band, Fozzy. It wasn't as if WWE was going to put the belt around a man who was on his way out the door and fans knew that.

A quality performance by both men didn't have the emotional pop it would have had the result been in more doubt.

The match against Kofi Kingston was announced during the Night of Champions pay-per-view. Triple H casually put it together as if it had no real importance. With that time frame, of course there was not a speck of buildup and little reason to care about how the match turned out.

Taking on both the opponents involved in the Triple Threat match in which Axel won the title, Miz and Barrett, was a smart move. Those feuds certainly could have gone on longer, but they served their purpose in proving that Axel's win at Payback was not a fluke.

Axel has yet to find an ideal rival since, though.

Hennig had Bret Hart, Edge had Christian and Jericho had Rey Mysterio during his last reign as IC champion. Where is Axel's foil? Where is the man who tests him and nearly tears the title from his waist?

In a way, WWE tried to make CM Punk that man, even though the championship veered far away from the forefront during that feud.

Axel's involvement in the Punk/Paul Heyman saga could have been a springboard for him even without highlighting the title. Instead, Axel was the pawn in that story.

The lasting images of the rivalry focus on Heyman and Punk.

Sure Axel held Punk while Heyman beat him with a kendo stick, but the audience was fixated on Punk's suffering and Heyman shouting, "I loved you. I martyred myself for you." The headlines coming out of the Axel and Heyman vs. Punk match at Night of Champions all centered around Ryback's interference and Heyman pinning Punk.

Ryback now takes Axel's spot as Punk's main obstacle to revenge on Heyman.

This frees Axel to defend his championship at Battleground and beyond. The chances of him and the title being a priority are slim, though.

Axel is not experiencing a new phenomenon. His championship is not the coveted prize it was when his father held it and it hasn't been for a long time.

Champions to hold that midcard title aren't afforded enough opportunities for high-profile matches with compelling stories backing them up. Flip through WWE.com's video playlist of the best Intercontinental Championship matches of all time.

Note the years of those matches; 1992, 1993, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2009.

It's not as if WWE stopped producing great performers after 2009 or that Axel isn't capable of producing a classic of his own. Look at his match at Battleground for a perfect example of why his title reign has been lackluster so far.

There is little narrative heading into his clash with R-Truth and with all due respect to R-Truth, he's not an opponent that will elevate Axel.

Hennig battled Hart, Tito Santana and Kerry Von Erich during his title reign. Dean Ambrose has had the opportunity to defend against Rob Van Dam, Dolph Ziggler and Kane.

R-Truth is a downgrade from every man on either list.

The world titles, John Cena and CM Punk are of course going to get the majority of air time and focus from WWE creative, but a touch more attention to Axel's reign will improve it. Give him a true rival, someone he can thrive against.

Whether or not Axel is marquee-star potential, he has the ring skills to be a notable IC champion; he just needs better stages to showcase his skills.