Return to Glory

In sports, the goal of every individual is to win a championship. Whether it be the Super Bowl, the World Series, or the Masters, the pursuit of greatness is what validates one's entire life's work as a championship symbolizes excellence and serves as a physical statement that displays to the rest of the world that you are the best.

In professional wrestling, the same can be said about its various championship belts. From the Tag Team Championship to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, everybody who laces their boots and steps into the squared circle dreams of one day being able to hoist up a championship belt.

There is no question that the WWE World Heavyweight Championship is the top prize in World Wrestling Entertainment. Second tier titles such as the Tag Team Championship, the United States Championship, and the Intercontinental Championship are comparable to conference or division championships in that they are stepping-stones to the big title that everybody strives to attain.

While these second tier championships have seemed to have lost their significance in the WWE thanks to poor booking and having the titles defended on preshow matches or not at all, their prestige is slowly but surely returning. The current United States Champion, Rusev, is in the middle of a long and impressive run. The tag team division is being revived as quality matches for the tag straps are being produced on a consistent basis.

The only belt that seems lost in the shuffle still is the Intercontinental Championship. It has been passed around pretty often over the last few months between Dolph Ziggler, Luke Harper, and Wade Barrett. However, Dean Ambrose and Barrett, the current Intercontinental Champion, are currently involved in a very entertaining rivalry for the Intercontinental Title.

Ambrose's pursuit of the belt is something that has not been seen in the WWE for quite some time. This championship chase is usually reserved for the big title in today's WWE, and the fact that Ambrose is desperate enough to tie Barrett to a ring post and force him to sign an Intercontinental Championship match contract for WWE Fastlane is exactly what the title needs. Not so much the forceful signing of a contract but rather the ruthless hunt for the Intercontinental Championship. It adds value to the title and makes it seem like something worth fighting for in the wrestling world. It should also not be bounced around from wrestler to wrestler. It needs to stay with one man for a while so it does no longer look like a glorified gold and leather piece in a game of hot potato.

It is refreshing to see the belt as the focus of this feud between Ambrose and Barrett. Hopefully Ambrose wins the title at Wrestlemania 31 and has a lengthy run with the belt in which he defends it quite often in meaningful rivalries with the championship being the centerpiece. That will elevate the title to the level of prestige that it was once synonymous with as well as be a launch pad for future world champions.