WWE Analysis: 10 Reasons the Internet Championship Is a Great Idea

When it comes to Zack Ryder, you basically either love or hate the guy.

Not too many shades of gray when it comes to Zack, as he can be very entertaining, or extremely annoying. For months, his YouTube show, Z! True Long Island Story, has been a hit with fans, and as a result of that, he has been given a spot as Assistant General Manager on SmackDown.

Therein lies the real story.

Is Zack merely an oddity, a guy who perhaps didn't have what it took to be a star on TV, so he managed to carve out a fanbase online?  Is he just lucky that it all worked out for him?

Or, is he, along with the championship belt that he created, actually relevant in today's social media-saturated world? Are Internet pro wrestling fans having such an impact on the business that they have helped to create a new era in the industry?

I believe it's the latter. For me, the Internet Championship is not a silly trinket—it is very real.   

And its time has come.

10- It's Time for a New Championship

The last championship title introduced in WWE was the Divas Title, in 2008.  So far, not much of a legacy to brag about on that one.

A new championship means another point of interest for fans, another means of selling a match on any given program. 

A new belt means a new legacy, one that begins in the information age, in front of the fans who have translated the pro wrestling industry into a popular social media business online.

In other words, it's our championship, and it was born because of us.

The Internet Championship would be just one more selling point for WWE, and could be defended on either RAW or SmackDown.

9- It's a Sign of the Times

How many fans are on Twitter and Facebook everyday?  More importantly, how many WWE fans are on Twitter and Facebook everyday?

This is the day of instant information.  The internet is as much a part of fans' lives as television, and by legitimizing the Internet Championship, WWE would be embracing the era in which we live.

The company took advantage of the times back when it introduced the Hardcore Title, as fans were looking for that extreme, blood and guts edge to their wrestling.  That belt was a product of its times.

The Internet Title is no different.

8- More Workers Can Have a Shot at a Title

For years, fans have been told that every WWE Superstar who laces up the boots dreams of one day being heavyweight champion.  The belt that Shawn Michaels fell to his knees and embraced, the title that has brought grown men to tears in the ring, the belt that is the most important trophy in the business today.

That is what we're sold.  The reality, however, is that only a select few ever actually attain that level of importance in the company.  For the rest of the guys, the secondary titles are the ones that make the world go round.

But, again, how many guys are left out of that title picture?  After all, not everyone can be United States, or Intercontinental Champion, that list, while more open, is not always all inclusive either.

The Internet Championship would give more guys opportunities at having a "moment" on the program.  In fact, the belt could even be used as an audition for the aforementioned two singles titles, and perhaps even the WWE or World belt down the road.

The European Championship is gone, the time for the Hardcore Title is over, and the Cruiserweight Championship may or may not ever be reintroduced.  The Internet Championship could fill the void for that fifth title.

7- Fans Could Be Involved

What is the coolest part about being a fan of WWE?  For me, it's those moments when they actually listen.

CM Punk's meteoric rise to the top of RAW is one for the ages, and is due in large part thanks to the massive support that he has from fans all over the world.  Where does a lot of that support come from?

From you, the normal, everyday, average fan online, who has a voice, and wants to be heard. 

Granted, the move may have happened regardless, but the fact that Punk seemingly has such a connection to fans online, has done nothing but make the storyline stronger, and more important to the overall product of WWE.

For the Internet Championship, fans could also be heard.  Instead of a top ten, or a pool of challengers for the belt, the opponents for the champion could be voted upon by the fans themselves online.

Whenever the belt is to be defended on either RAW or SmackDown, the vote results would be announced, and surprise, here's the match that you, the fans, wanted to see.

Fans who feel connected to the program means fans who care about what happens.  That is good for everyone involved.

6- It's a Lighthearted Championship

The main title focus of WWE is the primary championship. and the World Title, and that's the way it should be.

Along with that focus comes the intensity of hard fought matches, and epic feuds that can create legends in the company for years to come.  Again, that's the way it should be.

But with all of that drama, and hard hitting matches, there is sometimes a need to perhaps ease up a little, to take a half step back and just have some fun.

TNA has the X Division, that, while providing some high flying matches, also allows fans to take a breather from the main event storylines and just enjoy the action.

The Internet Championship could offer the same sort of mindless fun for fans, as everyone would know that while the title is an actual belt, that it would be more within the vein of lighthearted entertainment.

5- Zack Ryder Made It Happen

Face it, the debate over the merit of an Internet Championship in WWE is due to one guy, Zack Ryder.

He is the one who made it happen, and for fans who want to see him succeed, there would not be a better way to start than by having the championship he created to be given some real value by WWE.

He would be the father of the Internet Division, and the work he has put into in his youtube series would pay off in more ways than one.

A championship is only as important, only as over, as the guy who is carrying it and Zack's force of personality and popularity with fans would seriously put over the Internet Title.

4- Fans Are the Inspiration

The Internet Championship is all about the fans. 

The fans are the ones who demanded that Ryder be put on WWE television, and they are the ones who supported him when the company evidently had nothing left for him to do.

It's because of them that Zack's internet show is a success, and without that show, there would be no Internet Title.  His fans are the inspiration for the belt.

What better way to repay their support than for WWE to make the belt a valid championship?

3- WWE Is the Trendsetter

WWE is the largest pro wrestling company in the world.  They have a hand in every walk of pop culture, and are constantly out performing every other wrestling promotion out there.

Bottom line, they are trendsetters in the business.  Innovative matches, storylines, and pay per views have helped set them apart in the eyes of the fans.  They are responsible for the modern day pro wrestling presentation, and everyone else is hoping to one day catch up.

The introduction of an Internet Championship would be yet another original concept that would represent the company recognizing the changing times, and their ability to adapt to what the fans want from them.

2- the Fans Want It

Zack's youtube channel views, as of this writing, are over 1.3 million, and his subscribers number over 73,000.  And, all of those fans want to see Ryder not only on WWE TV, but also wearing the Internet Championship around his waist.

Why?  Because he's totally into his character.  Because, he gets it.  He understands that the business is all about entertaining the audience, and he has found a way to do that.

As goofy as he can be, and as annoying as he can get, he is like a breath of fresh air, a bit of comic relief whenever the moment is perhaps a little too dramatic.

That belt exists because of Zack, and if it were to be established as a true championship, then he would be established as a true talent, something that his fans have wanted for a long time.

1- It's All About Having Fun

It's pro wrestling here, folks.  It's not Shakespeare.

At the end of the day, it's about fun.  For those of us who have been watching since we were kids, it was because the business was fun that we were hooked in the first place. 

The drama is great, the intensity is needed, and the action has to be full throttle and fast paced.  It would not be WWE without that.

But, the moment that we forget to keep it all in perspective, and just have some fun with the product, is the moment that it will no longer be worth our time.  No one likes a diehard fan who can't smile every once in a while, and appreciate the comedy aspect of the business.  It has its place, and it makes the program a lot more entertaining for fans.

Perhaps the Internet Championship will ultimately not be used as a major title in WWE, and if that's the case, then that would be a shame.  I believe that they have a prime opportunity to cash in on Zack's popularity, and the attention of fans online, who are constantly begging to be heard.

Do the right thing, WWE.  Let's have some fun with this.  That's why we're here.