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I'd put the IC Title on AJ Styles, here is why

6K views 73 replies 50 participants last post by  LaMelo 
#1 ·
The Intercontinental Championship, once a prestigious and important title, is dying a fucking death now, maybe even worse than it used to in recent past. After a few hopeful reigns of Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens, they killed it completely by putting it on Zack Ryder and then on fucking Miz, who ran it into the ground and now it's nothing more than a lowcard geek belt that doesn't mean jack shit. Just imagine how good the title would look if, instead of that awful Miz/Young match at BG, it was on the line in that Owens/Zayn classic?

Now, we pretty much know that one of the big matches at SummerSlam will be AJ Styles vs. John Cena. It was expected that it would be for the new world title, but since that's not the case, and since Dean Ambrose is currently feuding with Ziggler for the WWE title, I would do as follows:

1. Next SmackDown!, have some kind of multi-man match to determine the next challenger for The Miz. Have both Cena and Styles participate; their participation will bring some cred to the title, as it will seem important because Cena and Styles want it. Cena has also never won it, so that could be his motivation.

2. Feature the AJ/Cena rivalry in this match. In the end, have AJ win it.

3. That same night, have the title match. AJ squashes Miz and becomes the new IC Champion. Cena comes out post-match and cuts a promo on Styles; Cena pinned him on BG, so therefore he wants a title match at SummerSlam. AJ accepts, since he wants to #BeatUpJohnCena .

4. At SummerSlam, give them 17-20 minutes and let them tear the house down. Eventually, no matter who wins, I think some credibility will be restored to the title. It will seem much more important and mean much more than it does now, if it has Styles and Cena fighting over it.

Thoughts about this idea?
 
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#6 ·
Nah, AJ should be in the main event scene. If any star should win that title, it should be John Cena. But seriously, The Miz is a perfectly fine Intercontinental Champion. All they have to do is one thing... don't freaking have Randy Orton pin The Miz on television. Champions should be booked strong, even if they are "weak heels." That's how you build credibility, and sure, giving the title to someone like AJ would be a temporary fix just like when Cena had the US title, but that shit doesn't mean anything if you book the champions after them terribly.
 
#49 ·
Eugh typical smark nonsense. Cant blame Miz for the shitty way he's booked. He's not the one who has a rule that Miz can only win one match every 2 months. He's not picking underwhelming opponents for himself or to job out to everyone endlessly every single week. Doesn't matter if the put the belt on the biggest, most overated IWC adored charisma vaccum if they're booked like they're a pathetic joke who cant beat anyone then the Title will look bad.

All that said Miz losing the IC belt and Maryse leaving WWE would be for the best. As a Miz fan who just cant bring myself to watch WWE anymore, the way WWE pretended like they were pushing Miz but just jobbed him into the ground instead during his current Title run is bullshit. Id rather the guy struggle for TV time but still get the occasional win as opposed to being on TV getting his ass kicked and jobbed out every single week. There's zero entertainment in having a loser IC Champ who cant even cheat to win.
 
#55 ·
Eugh typical smark nonsense. Cant blame Miz for the shitty way he's booked. He's not the one who has a rule that Miz can only win one match every 2 months. He's not picking underwhelming opponents for himself or to job out to everyone endlessly every single week. Doesn't matter if the put the belt on the biggest, most overated IWC adored charisma vaccum if they're booked like they're a pathetic joke who cant beat anyone then the Title will look bad.

All that said Miz losing the IC belt and Maryse leaving WWE would be for the best. As a Miz fan who just cant bring myself to watch WWE anymore, the way WWE pretended like they were pushing Miz but just jobbed him into the ground instead during his current Title run is bullshit. Id rather the guy struggle for TV time but still get the occasional win as opposed to being on TV getting his ass kicked and jobbed out every single week. There's zero entertainment in having a loser IC Champ who cant even cheat to win.
No. But what I can blame him for is the fact that he's been in WWE for 10 years now and still can't work a decent match to save his life. Like seriously, Baron fucking Corbin is a better in the ring.
 
#3 ·
I like the idea, but I would probably find another way to set up Aj as the contender than doing another multi man match. The IC title is back to square one, it felt credible when KO and Ambrose had it. Ambrose wasn't pinned in a single non title match when he had the belt. Another good reason to put that belt on Aj is there is huge chance he is going to progress up the card. Dean is like the only guy in recent memory who went UP the card AFTER he won that belt, not DOWN to the IC title. Guys like Barrett, Ziggler, Cody Rhodes, Ryback, etc. never really went up the card. You've seen guys coming down the card to win the belt. I think it would mean more if guys actually went on to do stuff after they won the IC title, not just be directionless, or lose in non title matches all the time while they have the belt.
 
#20 ·
The fact that Miz wasn't in that battle royal for the 6th spot for the title match, and that he was pretty much buried by Orton in a match shows that the title is even lower than that I think. I don't mind Miz being champion, but god damn at least book him relatively strong and not like a geek.

I wouldn't mind Cena winning the title and feuding with Styles for it. It would really elevate the title quite a bit doing that.
 
#30 ·
The Miz is a great champ the only problem being that WWE are treating him like shite, he should of been in the main event of smackdown instead of Apollo or Ziggler two jobbers.
 
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#44 · (Edited)
One promo after winning the IC, and AJ could put that thing over more than it has been in a LONG time:

"I don't care about the WWE World Heavyweight title. Man, I don't care about the Universal title, or the United States title. I don't care about the tag titles or the cruiserweight title, or the European title, or the woman's title, or the hardcore title, or ANY of those so called 'championships'. All I care about is this right here (taps the IC belt).... MY title.

I AM the Intercontinental Champion. More importantly, I AM A...J....STYLES, and what whatever belt I'M wearing IS the belt."

If his title comes to match his character arc in the Dub so far-- important and headlining even though he's not THE guy yet (just kayfabe, relax smarks lol) but he ACTS like he's the guy/it's THE belt-- it could be amazing. And if he demanded to headline a PPV or two as part of the storyline... continually reference all the great wrestlers who've held the title before (Perfect, Hart, Savage, Steamboat, Michaels...) but say HE'S taking it to greater heights because he's greatest... THAT would be something.

Further solidify it by having a mix of mid-carders AND main eventers try to take it and fail... Orton, Cena, Benjamin, Ziggler, Corbin, etc...

That's how you put a belt over and make it mean something.
 
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#5 ·
Why do people want AJ Styles to waste his time propping up the Cruiserweight title or the IC title?

He won't bring those titles up, those titles will only drag him down to their level. Someone like Cena or Orton who have won many world titles are the kind of guys who needs to elevate those titles.

AJ Styles is looking for his first WWE title. He needs to be established as a top star in the eyes of WWE fans before he wastes his time propping up these secondary titles. He is too big to end his career without a world title in the WWE, it would be a travesty. If he wins a world title or two, then maybe we can talk about him taking a step back and helping legitimize those titles.
 
#7 · (Edited)
I don't know where this idea that a wrestler needs to first be a world champion before a midcard champion comes from. Logically, it's the other way around. Styles is not in the world title picture at SummerSlam, so instead of doing just a non-title match, put the IC belt in there to legitimize it. I wish they had done it with the Owens/Zayn feud. Imagine what the IC belt would mean now if Zayn had won it by defeating Owens in that match at BG.

Nah, AJ should be in the main event scene. If any star should win that title, it should be John Cena. But seriously, The Miz is a perfectly fine Intercontinental Champion. All they have to do is one thing... don't freaking have Randy Orton pin The Miz on television. Champions should be booked strong, even if they are "weak heels." That's how you build credibility, and sure, giving the title to someone like AJ would be a temporary fix just like when Cena had the US title, but that shit doesn't mean anything if you book the champions after them terribly.
But he's not. That's the point. So having his match be for the IC title is, imo, better than to make it just a non-title match. Give AJ a longer reign to legitimize the title, then have him drop it without being pinned and challenge for the world title then.
 
#11 ·
Instead of this, there should be a tournament over the next several weeks featuring all the mid card talent on Smackdown with the winner getting being #1 contender. I'd make it Del Rio or Crews. Have Crews vs Miz at Summerslam go 15m an win it. He'll start celebrating, and an irate Miz beats him down with help from a steel chair a-la Maryse. This sets a program between the two for the next month, after which Corbin & Crews can fight for the title.
 
#17 ·
To be honest, Miz is a fine champion, sure he's not a fantastic ring worker but as far as everything else goes he's top notch, it's the way he's booked that is the problem, and the feuds he's been in recently. He was hot as hell after the 4 way at Extreme Rules IMO, but since then, especially with his hiatus, they've struggled to keep that momentum up, and the feud with Young has made people care a lot less about it.

Styles should be winning the big one before anything else.
 
#25 ·
You want to saddle an PHENOMENAL worker like AJ styles with that bum IC title? IC title was somewhat rehabbed when Owens and Ambrose held it but it has since gone back to mediocrity with scubs like Ryder and Miz holding it. AJ could definitely elevate the title but I'm more ready to see AJ Styles name to be forever linked to the lineage that is the WWE title! :mark:
 
#26 ·
:nah AJ belongs in the main event.

If you want to elevate the IC title, then booking the champion like he's not an afterthought would be a start.
 
#28 ·
I wouldn't mind it. The IC belt is about as worthless as it's ever been, because that's what happens when you put the belt on a jobber who gets pinned every week on TV. But the problem is, SD has no viable main eventers besides Bray, Cena, Ambrose, Styles. Why "waste" him on the IC belt? He can easily be WWE champion. Fans were already into the idea of it when he was carrying Roman for two months straight.

I'm all for them doing anything to give life to the IC title, though. So if that is AJ Styles, then that's cool.
 
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