#3 It removes the possibility for impromptu title defences
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One of the most memorable parts of Seth Rollins’ championship reign was his open challenge that was answered by Neville. The two men put on an absolute clinic, and after Neville hit Rollins with the red arrow, it seemed like he was about to pull off the upset of the century.
Of course, he didn’t. But the match was still one of the most exciting moments of the year, and it all came about because Rollins was able to hold that open challenge. You know who can’t hold an open challenge? Someone who isn’t even in the arena, i.e. Brock Lesnar or any part-time champion.
Impromptu title defences are rare, but they’re fun to watch. The mere idea that a company’s top title could change hands in a match that wasn’t previously announced is amazing.
Even this past week on SmackDown, the Fashion Police convinced the Usos to give them a rematch. It produced a great match that had fans invested because of the implications and unexpected nature of it.
But with a champion that’s never on the show, that can’t happen. Just knowing that maybe, just maybe you could see a title defence on any given night is a brilliant concept. And with a part-timer like Lesnar as champion, that concept is thrown right out the window.
