A classic wrestling gimmick. Course if it's between promotions it's generally a bullshit DQ finish, but in kayfabe booking it usually gets us a few directions. We commonly see titles merged and dissolves when they are deemed to have run their course (Danielson/Nigel over the ROH/Pure titles) or the champion holds both. Seems like the heel is the one who absorbs the other belt (since they generally dominate longer) and babyfaces (probably because it's punching up) usually use it as their push, going from ic to world. Recently (Becky 2 Belts and I think Roman? I don't follow the stuffs) but it generally seems to follow 2 paths: Relinquishes the secondary or half-ass defends both until the face can... wait for it... save face by only losing one belt due to double booking.

One thing is CLEAR... the midcard belt run is coming to a close. Does it ever bother how quickly they go all Woody I don't wanna play with you anymore for the belt they claimed they were making just as important. Then toss them aside the instant you get money (world title). That behavior is dustier than the back of your tv.

No matter how you slice it the "IC" belt just can't be on that level. Maybe that's good because in a way hasn't WWE been prettay prettay (some mistakes a luck but really) protective of the belt. How lucky were they that saint Eddy and evil terrorist Benoit lucked out the way they did. Sure Hogan kayfabed about the IWGP but I think we know the deal. Just seemed like it was always conveniently the golden child at times. They only demerged them because Brock SPLIT Raw.

Like is there even story potential having the ic go over? It's not I merge with you, you merge with ME. Like maybe that was the plan for the brand split until Trips axed (kicked) it because he's no midcarder. I think "one world" champ for wwe only works under certain conditions and with certain stars. It can't be THE gimmick which is why they always need seconaries they pretend are relevant and they only pretend when someone who matters is involved. Member how marks were praising the tag division when DX won them. Like how naiive and apologist to you have to be that get hyped for that?

Did the ic golden era even exist or was that just a case of a legend growing it's value? Like is it just easy to accept that the b title mattered before it didn't? Maybe it always didn't, but at the time they simply had more world title level stars and so by proxy their involvement (filler) with the belt gave it value when normal society says it never would?

Started with a point and we went to Pluto. Don't feel there's an audience for "this" anymore, but yeah do you think only hardcore GEEKS like wrestling fans even think of belts as important? Like imagine going home to thanksgiving and hearing... dude not even a topic, just the words INTERCONTINENTAL you only ever hear in relation to WWE. That's the real "worth" of the belt. It got a weird word over.

Champion vs champion is a nice idea on paper but as you say, it poses strange booking questions. The most logical thing to do is for the winner to take both the belts, but then two separate titles have become one because it makes no sense for the champion to defend only one of the belts. NJPW had this issue a few years back with the controversial decision to unify the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships. Eventually it went through and we got a new World Heavyweight Championship and fans accepted it.

One of the best and most creative double title scenarios I've seen is the Wrestlemania X-7 Triple Threat. First fall becomes European Champion, second fall becomes Intercontinental Champion. Booked to perfection as Kurt Angle lost both belts, but he wasn't involved in either decision :lol:

Extending that point, multi-fall matches is an interesting way for a double champion to defend both belts. Even in a singles match. Wrestle two falls. First fall takes one belt, second fall takes the second belt.

Another way to do it is what we see in the WWE with Roman Reigns and The Usos. They win both sets of belts, they become an Undisputed Champion, the best in the company regardless of brand. And WWE has decided to forge a new consolation prize World Championship because Roman Reigns is too good, which isn't ideal booking.