5 Defunct championships WWE should bring back

Steve Austin is one of the few people to ever hold the Million Dollar Championship.
Steve Austin was one of the only non-DiBiases to hold the Million Dollar Championship

WWE currently has nine active men's championships if you include NXT, but with dozens of Superstars between Raw, SmackDown and the developmental system, it's not enough.

There are certainly pitfalls to having too many titles floating around, but if done properly, every championship can be made to feel important no matter how many different belts there are in circulation.

Dozens of different titles have come and gone over the years. Some of them have great legacies tied to some of the best pro wrestlers to ever step foot in the ring, but others came and went without much fanfare.

Some of these lost titles could be put to good use in today's environment. It might seem like WWE already has too many belts, but with the right booking, a few more wouldn't hurt anything.

This slideshow will look at five retired championships WWE could bring back to help give a push to some deserving Superstars who are suffering from the company's overcrowding problem.


#5 Hardcore Championship

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WWE's current PG product has almost completely eliminated blood from the product, but Superstars still finds ways to make their matches brutal when there is a hardcore stipulation involved.

Between Raw, SmackDown and NXT, the company has more Superstars to support than ever, and bringing back the Hardcore Championship would allow the company to give another deserving wrestler a title to defend.

Guys like Dean Ambrose, Baron Corbin and Luke Harper would thrive with the title around their waist, and with Mick Foley serving as Raw General Manager, WWE already has the perfect person to reintroduce the belt.

Using a new design would be fine, but there's something special about the broken belt Foley used to carry. If management wanted to capitalise on nostalgia, using the same title would be the best decision.

#4 World Heavyweight Championship

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The big gold belt has a long history in the wrestling industry. It began as an NWA-branded title, but it eventually became the marquee championship of WCW.

When WWE purchased the company in 2001, it chose to keep a few of the titles active. After the company rebranded everything, the WCW Championship became the World Heavyweight Championship.

Even though it always felt like a secondary title to WWE's original belt, the design tied its legacy to anyone who held it. There was something special about a championship with decades of history.

The universal title's design is just too bland. Each brand should have a completely different looking title, and the big gold belt would be a great replacement for the red fruit roll up Goldberg currently holds.

#3 The Million Dollar Championship

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The Million Dollar Championship began as part of Ted DiBiase's gimmick, but the title could be so much more. Instead of someone holding an unsanctioned belt, it could be used as a prize.

WWE has had great success with tournaments like the Cruiserweight Classic and The United Kingdom Championship Tournament, and it looks like a trend we will see continue.

The company could hold a yearly tournament with a kayfabe million-dollar prize in the form of the Million Dollar Championship. The winner could carry it with them until it's time to crown a new champion the following year. It would be more like the King of the Ring than a regular title.

Ted DiBiase could even be brought in to present the winner of the tournament with the title in a special ceremony. WWE has a beautiful belt just sitting in storage. It may as well be used to put someone over instead of sitting there collecting dust

#2 Television Championship

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The WCW Television Championship was considered the third title behind the United States and World Heavyweight Championships, but it did a lot for the careers of many up-and-coming talents.

Superstars like Chris Jericho, William Regal, Booker T, Lex Luger and Diamond Dallas Page all benefitted from holding the TV title, and it can help a lot of Superstars currently struggling to find their place on the roster.

WWE has more Superstars than it knows what to do with right now, and many of them are suffering from a lack of direction. If WWE brought in a third tier title like the Television Championship, it could do a lot of good.

Guys like Apollo Crews, Titus O'Neil and Mojo Rawley need more to do than randomly appear for a few weeks before fading away again. A belt like this could make a big difference in how the crowd sees them, which would lead to further success down the line.

#1 Cruiserweight Tag Team Championships

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The WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championships were never given the chance to be anything special because the titles were introduced just a few weeks before WWE purchased the company and retired the belts.

205 Live has a lot of great talent on its roster, but only one title to fight for. Too many people are idling while a few are featured in the main event feud for the Cruiserweight Championship.

Introducing a tag title for the division would not only give more Superstars some time in the spotlight, but it would also lead to some interesting combinations of different personalities.

Some of the heels like Tony Nese and Drew Gulak already have established partnerships WWE could utilise, but it could also bring in teams who would qualify for the division like The Bollywood Boyz or Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano.

Between Raw and 205 Live, there would be more than enough time to feature the cruiserweight tag titles efficiently.


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Edited by Staff Editor
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