WWE SmackDown: 5 reasons why a new Intercontinental Championship was introduced

Shinsuke Nakamura hasn't exactly set the world on fire as Intercontinental Champion. It's a bit similar to his unfortunately inactive United States title reign a year ago, but the positive aspect of this is that he's had a lot more TV time, perhaps due to his alliance with Sami Zayn.

Moreover, he hasn't had to do much of the talking himself, which has certainly helped protect him. On the go-home episode of SmackDown just two days before Survivor Series, Sami Zayn introduced a brand new Intercontinental Championship. It's a move away from the traditional design that Cody Rhodes brought back five years ago.

In doing so, it's the newest and most far-apart design of the title in the history of the lineage, and although sadly, the old design has gone away, it's not necessarily a bad thing! So why did WWE decide to change up the design? Here's why!

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#5 Fox's new era meant a new design

A new era

A lot of things in WWE has changed with the FOX move, particularly on SmackDown. The change in the design of the Universal Championship was one thing and the entire change in the appearance of the stage and presentation was another.

It's natural to want to give a fresh new look to everything and since it is a new era in FOX, it probably called for a change in the Intercontinental Championship as well. Since RAW is on USA Network, we likely won't be seeing a new design for the United States Championship.

It was long-rumored that WWE planned to change the Intercontinental Championship, going as far back as a year or two. The move to FOX was probably just WWE's opportunity to finally make the change that they wanted to in the first place.

#4 The old Championship was getting stale

Nostalgia factor...but to what extent?

Before you angrily respond to this by saying that the old Intercontinental Championship was the most beautiful one of them all, we're on the same boat. We completely agree with the nostalgia factor being the best but Jim Ross said in an interview that WWE, as old as they are, is a company that's constantly trying to get younger, not older.

WWE always tries its best to stay relevant and modern, which is not a bad thing at all. This may involve steps such as removing the number from "WrestleMania" to not make it sound old and other things that we may not necessarily agree with.

But in this case, there may be some sense to WWE's decision if this is one of the reasons. WWE wants to stay young and cut ties with a lot of the older aspects. When looking at the Intercontinental Championship that was introduced 5 years ago, it's a throwback to the old, great design that we all know and love.

However, it can get old and - sometimes - stale, which is why WWE is somewhat justified in changing the design to a newer one.

#3 Setting someone up for a lengthy title reign

Another look at the title

We, like many others, have been advocates about wanting to make the Intercontinental title relevant and bringing back the importance of WWE's midcard titles. To do that, WWE needs to set someone up for a long title reign.

The introduction of the new title could be a precursor to the end of Shinsuke Nakamura's title reign (even if not immediately) and be setting someone up for a long run with the Intercontinental Championship.

A long run with the title is exactly what it needs. Shinsuke Nakamura has been champion for a little over 132 days, which is the longest reign with the title in nearly two and a half years (ironically, his forgettable United States title reign was reasonably long as well).

It's a good first step but WWE needs to have a champion reign over the title for over 200+ days and Nakamura is only the stepping stone for that.

Who would you have reign with the title for 200+ days?

#2 Building Sami Zayn's character/A long-term storyline

Sami Zayn talking to the SmackDown team backstage

Sami Zayn hasn't wrestled for quite a few months now. When he came back from injury, he went on a few "enlightening" rants before losing to other Superstars. Soon after that, his alliance with Shinsuke Nakamura began and he has been a manager without getting in the ring.

Sami Zayn admitted himself that the fact that him not wrestling is only temporary. He's too talented an in-ring performer to be kept away from wrestling but his role itself is not too bad. However, he has been one of the most underrated Superstars since arriving on the main roster three and a half years ago, not having won any championship at all.

His current storyline with Shinsuke Nakamura has been rumored to be a long-term one and it could be very important in building his character arc and setting him up for his first big title win. When he's an obnoxious heel, it's easy to forget just how talented he is. He's a very valuable superstar to WWE, both now and in the long run.

#1 To revive the prestige of the title

Shinsuke Nakamura

This is the first and biggest step that WWE has taken to potentially revive the prestige of the Intercontinental Championship. Ask yourself this: When was the last time there was a genuinely great Intercontinental Championship reign? You have to go back to April to October 2016 when The Miz reigned supreme as the champion.

That was a reign that, at the time, truly revived the prestige of the title. It was the most important Intercontinental Championship reign in over a decade and the first time when the title felt nearly on the same level as the WWE World Championship.

The reign was so good and the payoff where Dolph Ziggler won was the best possible scenario but WWE has yet to recreate a reign that comes anywhere close to that, even though The Miz has had multiple reigns with the same title since.

The Miz is just one superstar but there are many others on the roster who can take the title to a whole new level. The new design is the first step towards it.