The Great Glass Elevator

The number of former World Heavyweight and WWE champions on show at this year’s Wrestlemania was quite astonishing. Of the 25 male wrestlers that took part, only 6 of them had never held one of the top two titles in the federation. This points to the WWE having a hugely talented roster that they can, more or less, put the strap on any one of them and let that wrestler run with the ball. The unfortunate thing is, as quoted in Highlander, “There can be only one”. Or two in the WWE’s case.

It isn’t as clear-cut as this though. Simply put, the WWE isn’t making sure that everybody has a chance to hold the title, in the interests of fair play. Even the most misty-eyed and whimsical WWE creative writer wouldn’t tell you any different.

These articles will never be used to attack how a certain federation does things. That is for the members to discuss on the forums. However, there could be two major reasons why we have had an influx of World Champions in the WWE over the last few years. And one of them does not make pretty reading.

Firstly, maybe there is no such thing as the wrestling glass ceiling anymore. Wrestlers may get big pushes, only for them to be knocked down as also-rans. Swagger, Miz and Khali are examples of this. If this is fair or not is again open to debate. Do creative not know their own mind, and are they testing the fanbase in the hope of finding a new superstar? A superstar that, not only becomes world champion, but goes beyond this and becomes a figurehead for the company for years to come. Which ultimately generates a lot of revenue for the federation with it.

If creative are testing the water; trying not to find a square wrestler to fit in a round championship hole, then that glass ceiling must have been smashed. You will get your chance at the big titles on the big stages and major main events, if you stay around for long enough for creative to have the light bulb flash above their heads and think, “let’s try him.”

The great glass elevator has replaced, for certain wrestlers in the past, the unbreakable glass ceiling.

Of course, hitching a ride on this lift to stardom doesn’t always mean that you will stay there. In fact the opposite has been true in recent years. You will get your chance to shine, but after time the “usual suspects” will rise to the top, and you will have to press the basement button on the elevator.

Even the great glass elevator has a glass ceiling that you may very well need to get through to sustain one of creative’s random pushes.

Is this due to lack of talent? There have been many wrestlers tipped for great things on the forum, but none of them have quite got there yet. The likes of Wade Barrett and Dolph Ziggler, in my eyes, could indeed be future world champions (and in Ziggler’s case, have a proper run with it). The problem lies in that we would always be tentative that they could fall from grace and have to start a new climb up the rankings.

Look at the case of the Miz. WWE Champion for the main event at Wrestlemania 27, which he won. He then lost the title at the next PPV and from then on has been meandering between upper and mid-card, only to return to Wrestlemania 28 and secure the vital win for Team Johnny. A new improved push could very well be on the cards. Or, just as likely, he could vanish in the mix once again – a former World Champion who is now, more or less, deemed surplus to requirements.

We now know, however, that the Miz only had a bit part at Wrestlemania 27. He was simply a walk on role for the John and Dwayne show. That he was the WWE champion at that point is insignificant.

This leads me to reason number two…the one that I said might well be hard to swallow. At this point in time, being a World Champion doesn’t really matter.

Too bold a statement? Maybe so. But the evidence at Wrestlemania was there to see. The obvious one first was the Sheamus epic encounter with Daniel Bryan. No more needs to be said on that match – just to highlight that it was indeed for the World Heavyweight Championship. The next example is the WWE Championship battle between Punk and Jericho. You can argue that the match was one of best on the card, but for me, it never felt like the title was what was at stake. It was simply bragging rights to be called “The Best in the World”.

Is that not what a World Championship holder should be though?

Well….no….not if the rest of the card had anything to go by. The main event was self-explanatory. Rock v Cena, a battle for the ages. But not one, for those who value the belts, for anything in particular. The streak match, although for something hugely important in Wrestlemania stakes, also gave me the impression that HHH and the Undertaker would have steamrolled any champion at that stage; such was the hostility of the bout.

By passing their most prestigious titles around like candy, the WWE have inadvertently watered down what these titles should actually mean – the best in the business, who take part in the greatest, and most hotly anticipated main events.

The possible line-up for next year’s Mania also gives me some cause for concern. It could be Austin v Punk, Lesner v Rock and Cena v Taker. If Cena against Taker is for nothing more than the streak, and if the WWE are not having a Wrestlemania full of main events, then either one or both of Austin v Punk and Lesner v Rock will be for one of the world titles.

Which means that you have two legends, one returning great and one current holder all vying for, or looking to protect, championship gold. As matches go, it is a hugely mouth-watering card……

……But where does that leave those former, and ready to be made, champions looking to ride that glass elevator to the top?