Many today agree that championships are oversaturated in the pro wrestling industry. Between WWE and AEW alone, there are over 20 different recognized championship belts. Jim Ross wants that number to be shaved down, especially when it comes to the world titles in WWE.
“I don’t know why they need two champions,” Ross expressed during an episode of his “Grilling JR” podcast. “That doesn’t – the two champions doesn’t work with me.” Ross admitted that there might be reasons for having two world championships, he personally doesn’t think it’s necessary to have two top positions.
Historically, WWE only had one world title throughout the “Golden Era,” “New Generation Era,” and the “Attitude Era,” until the 2001 WCW Invasion angle, where the WCW World Heavyweight Championship was introduced. The belt would eventually simply become the World Heavyweight Championship, and was originally defended on “WWE Raw” after the first brand split. Originally, the brands acted individually, and stars rarely – if ever – jumped between “Raw” and “SmackDown,” as the brands often competed with one another, especially at Survivor Series.
This isn’t the case anymore, with looser distinctions between brands. At the same time, though, each brand’s world champion typically remains on their designated show. In the past, Ross has been a proponent of the brand split, expressing that he believed it always brought stability to WWE, but criticized when the lines began to become muddier.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “Grilling JR,” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
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