If I wanted the title to be extraordinarily long, I would have titled it ‘Title Reigns and Length Have Nothing to do with a Promotion’s Trust in a Wrestler’.
To preface this piece a little bit, this stems from conversations about Sasha Banks and how WWE doesn’t trust her, because she’s never had a long title run (or a successful title defense). To me this is a completely hollow narrative when referring to if a promotion trusts a wrestler or not.
Trust for a wrestling promoter far exceeds title runs, or “being on top”, however you choose to view it.
Roddy Piper never once won a world title in a major promotion. Ricky Steamboat won the NWA WHC ONCE! In Undertaker’s 30 year career, he has 7 total in WWF/WWE. Kane won the WHC/WWE Championship twice in his career. I could keep going with a Mount Rushmore of talent that didn’t need the title to be considered “trusted” by the promotion.
Every commercial I see on FOX has Sasha in it, or in the clicky pen commercial ONLY has Sasha closing it. To me that’s trusting your performer. Some people might have a different view of what trust means, but to me WWE and all included within the company, trust Sasha. Including her fellow performers.
As I was typing (on a phone no less) this turned more into a Sasha thing than I meant. The too long; didn’t read version is:
Championships and length of have zero to do with how a promotion/booker views you as an asset to the overall benefit of the company.
I loathe the “belt is just a prop” saying , but some need it, some don’t. There’s a roster full of people that don’t need the “top prize”.
This will be a two part series because this only covers about half of what I wanted to cover with the broad word of trust when it comes to wrestling, wrestlers and promotions.
Authors note: I also published this on CagesideSeats.
Wrestling 4 All 