In case you missed it, the new championship that Mick Foley introduced was something known as the "WWE 24/7 Championship". It works under the same concept as the Hardcore Championship, just under a different name.
But let's explain what exactly the title is and what the stipulations are: The title can be held by any superstar on any roster, whether it's RAW, SmackDown, 205 Live, NXT or even NXT: UK.
The most important rule is this: The title is on the line at all times - anywhere and everywhere. As long as a refere is around to make the count, the title can change hands. Whether it's in the parking lot, in the ring or anywhere else, only a referee's presence is required to make a match.
Titus O' Neil became the inaugural champion, with Robert Roode pinning him less than a minute later to become the new 24/7 champion. After a chase by the midcard roster, R-Truth helped Robert Roode escape, only to pin him for the title himself. He's now taken it to SmackDown Live, where more title changes are expected.
New Champs in WWE! More RIGHT HERE
Here's why the title changed hands thrice on the first night!
#5 To establish the unpredictability of it
The major reason behind the title is to add an element of unpredictability to it. That's why on the very first night of the title being introduced, it changed hands multiple times. WWE needed to clearly establish that this is basically like a wildcard title in itself, in that it can literally change hands at any given moment.
Naturally, to establish that, they had multiple changes in a night. It's just to prove that with the level of competition, pretty much anything can happen with the title. It's going to be interesting to see, because fans wouldn't want unpredictability to become predictable.
#4 To draw parallels to the hardcore title
The 24/7 Championship is basically like the Hardcore Championship, except it has a different name and a far worse design. The Hardcore Championship only had the 24/7 rule introduced later on, but it was integral because so many different legends, including women, became champion.
Also read: 5 things you missed at Money in the Bank 2019
One thing to note is that the Hardcore title was always contested under "hardcore rules", i.e, No DQ, Falls Count Anywhere, No countouts, etc. That rule hasn't been specified as yet, but it wouldn't be surprising if they do add the rule later on.
WWE probably felt that it was time to re-introduce a similar concept after 17 years. While they obviously wouldn't want to go back to the old name, they likely felt that rehashing the idea in a different form would work.
We've seen situations where the Hardcore title has changed hands multiple times before. If you count the Hardocre Championship battle royal from April 2nd, 2002, then the title technically changed hands 13 times in one night.
Also read: 5 reasons why Bayley became SmackDown Women's champion at Money in the Bank 2019
#3 To make it clear that it's a lower midcard title
One thing is clear - this belt is basically for the midcard and lower midcard Superstars. It's not a bad thing at all, but if you look at the field of competitors going after the 24/7 Championship, then it's obvious to see that none of them belonged to the uppercard.
That's alright, because it gives lower and upper midcarders something to do on a week-to-week basis. It's a bit comedic in nature, which makes it light-hearted in itself. Either way, Titus O' Neil, Robert Roode and R-Truth are the perfect examples of midcard champions.
It's likely going to stay that way. Whether it'll be fully defended during PPVs is yet to be seen, but we could take a bet and safely assume that we won't be seeing it defended during PPVs very often.
#2 To add a comedic element to it
Another thing that was clearly established with the three new champions being crowned is that comedy will be the central theme of the title. While WWE is obviously going to have superstars talk about how prestigious the title is, the reality is that it won't be all that prestigious.
Also read: 3 WWE superstars who Vince McMahon will never make Universal Champion & 3 he will
But that's ok, because ultimately, a title is a prop to serve a purpose and the purpose of this is mostly going to be for comedic purposes. That works out well especially if you have superstars like R-Truth constantly holding the title. The entire segment where Titus O' Neil became champion only to lose it right away and then Robert Roode's hilarious escape from the roster was all comedy gold and that's what we're going to be seeing with the title.
It's not necessarily a bad thing because the show does need to add solid comedic elements to it. It's pointless to always have a serious show.
#1 To get as many people involved as possible
This is perhaps the best possible thing that we believe the WWE 24/7 championship will achieve. Sure, will it be a comedy title? Yes. Will it be passed around freely and held by many different superstars? Yes.
Also read: 5 reasons why Vince McMahon will never make Braun Strowman Universal Champion
Will it get underutilized superstars on the card? Yes! That's the best thing that it can do, because there is a roster full of talented superstars who simply don't get a spot on the card. Instead of sitting in catering, it allows them to actually compete for a title and be a part of an interesting storyline.
The truth is that titles aren't what matter most to superstars. It's a consistent creative direction and being actively involved in good storylines. The 24/7 title, since it involves so many people, can lead to some solid storylines down the road, even if they're light-hearted in nature.