The Katz Files – Arnie Katz
Hail the Champs: Belts in Wrestling!
The Kingfish Arnie Katz discusses the value of championship belts in the wrestling show!
How many times have you read, in the wrestling sheets and on the “hardcore web sites” that “belts don’t mean anything.” Some alleged journalists have repeated this so often that it begins to sound like a universally accepted fact.
People in the wrestling business know better. The casual dismissal of the importance of championships is one of the things that causes them to disrespect those who write or do audio programs about wrestling.
The idea that belts mean nothing sounds logical – until you really think about it and explore its ramifications. The argument against the importance of belts goes like this;
1. If the outcome of every match is pre-determined, then no one actually “wins” a championship.
2. Therefore, the “champion” is whomever the promotion wants, not necessarily the best wrestler or even the best performer.
3. Since the belt cannot be won, it means nothing.
It may sound sensible, but it’s simply not accurate. Titles are hugely important to the fans, the promotions and the wrestlers.
Fans like titles, because they confer honor on favorites who hold them and give main event babyfaces a direction. Belts help fans guage the importance of a feud or a match.
Promotions love belts, because they provide instant story support. When all other ideas fail, there’s always, “the battle for the belt!” Promotions use titles as a major, perhaps even the number one, promotional weapon in their arsenal.
Wrestlers know that titles mean big matches – and big matches done well eventually translate into big money. Who is in the title chase and who isn’t is often an indicator of who is considered a star ion his prime and who’s either a rookie or an over-the-hill performer with some residual name value.
Titles, like anything else, can be overused. Too many title changes in too short a period of time can render them meaningless. Fans stop caring, because the champion will change again before the latest kingpin gets used to toting the strap.
That’s why WWE and TNA generally reverse the big title clashes for pay per view shows. If titles meant nothing to fans, they wouldn’t be such cash-generating attractions.
So when someone tells you that belts don’t mean anything, they may just be too damn “smart” for their own good.
I’ll be back tomorrow with the Internet’s favorite daily wrestling column. I hope you’ll be here, too.
–Arnie Katz
crossfire4@cox.net
(1/24/08)
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