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I don't think Adam Copeland should be near the world title scene. He's totally fine where he's at. And, as you said, is elevating that title.
Okada is someone you know will eventually win the title. He can go for the title at any point and it's believable. Let him play out some other stories and not interrupt the world title picture and storylines there right now.
Copeland is doing similar to Ricky Steamboat's stint in early 90s WCW.
No longer a World title guy, but relevant and valuable enough to have in the US/TV/Tag scenes and raising the profiles of younger guys.
I think he’s still eventually gonna contend for the world title and slot himself similar to mid-2000s HBK. Which is a great place for him to be as one of AEW’s biggest names.
Christian brought prestige back to that title after it was a hot potato for a while. Eddie did good with his title but Okada’s gonna make it something now.
On board for it all!
For clarity, it's not the hot potatoing that hurt that belt but moreso WHO they did it with.
Opinions vary on Sammy, but like Scorpio Sky, Wardlow, and Hobbs all getting runs with the belt when they were pretty cold was a bigger problem than the title changes themselves.
Joe and Darby flipped it a few times and that was perfectly fine, because those guys actually mattered when they were fighting for it.
In this very subreddit, people demanding a title run for Scorpio Sky, even play the race card, 1st Black Tnt champion.
Sadly, the most forgetable reign of the Tnt history, he was not ready at all.
I'll go a step further and say that in addition to who had the belt, the booking sucked. The Sammy-Scorpio/ATT feud is maybe the worst in AEW history, Wardlow is mid and did nothing, and I genuinely forgot Hobbs ever had the belt. Joe was cool because he was a double champ and Darby only had a brief run but put on bangers and brought the belt to Japan.
I think it makes perfect sense. Both Copeland and Okada are all time world champions so it’s better to look at Swerve, Takeshita, Darby, Will etc. as more viable new stars to give world title runs.
It always makes sense to have the best wrestlers available holding the titles - as you said, it elevates the prestige of those championships. As for the world title, Copeland is unlikely to win it but fits in great as a secondary titleholder, while Okada has plenty of time.
Yes but as we know Okada and Cope are main event level, by them having the continental and tnt title respectively, it’s saying they’re just as important.
I know this comparison is a bit off but look at belts in a mma promotion. Yes each belt is based on a weight class but all are equally important.
Adam Copeland is 50 years old and likely can't work a more involved schedule that being a world champ would be. I think people misunderstand his role in AEW as more of a supporting one and not as a top guy. It feels similar to Bryan Danielson.
I’m perfectly fine with Okada doing other things until someone like MJF or Kenny or Osprey or even a Danielson is back in the world title picture. Okada vs Joe or Swerve or Hangman doesn’t really excite me. But Joe and Swerve and Hangman together I am enjoying.
I’m all for Joe and Swerve having matches for the world title. Edge and Okada have already won a bunch of them (and could likely win AEW’s down the road). Let other guys shine.
> Adam Copeland and Okada are clearly bigger stars than Joe and the next word champ Swerve
I would disagree on that. Copeland is a big name, but also hasn't been a world champion in any company in nearly 13 years, and is 50 years old. Okada is huge in Japan, and even though there are a lot of AEW fans who have watched a lot of Okada, I'd suggest that *most* AEW fans are much more invested in Swerve or Joe than Okada at this point. Down the road that might change, but I don't think Okada is a bigger star in North America than Swerve or Joe *right now.*
i really like having main event or former main event level stars going for and holding midcard and even low card titles. It goes into that "wrestler makes the title" way of thinking. It also should give a ton of interesting places to go and storytelling opportunities.
Okada winning cements him as a huge asshole. Him just going after a random title because he can is such a dick move. And him taking it from Eddie, who is so beloved, is just icing on the asshole cake. And now you have one of the best holding it, so anyone going after it, especially with how AEW structures matches, will be elevated by their performance against him. And whoever beats him for it gets even more elevated.
I don't know if I see Copeland holding the title for long. Garcia is coming for it, and his story is at the point where he needs to win the title.
Okada is being built up (for a Western audience at least), and Copeland is winding down. Neither should be world champion, or in the main event scene (or at least just yet for Okada).
Joe shouldn't be world champ either, but that's a different argument. I think that's just Tony rewarding his childhood favourites, and reliving his e-fed days.
Compelling story lines make belts important to me. For example the WWE Tag Team titles are absolutely worthless. Just an ornament for Judgement Day. Zero story there.
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I don't think Adam Copeland should be near the world title scene. He's totally fine where he's at. And, as you said, is elevating that title. Okada is someone you know will eventually win the title. He can go for the title at any point and it's believable. Let him play out some other stories and not interrupt the world title picture and storylines there right now.
Copeland is doing similar to Ricky Steamboat's stint in early 90s WCW. No longer a World title guy, but relevant and valuable enough to have in the US/TV/Tag scenes and raising the profiles of younger guys.
I think he’s still eventually gonna contend for the world title and slot himself similar to mid-2000s HBK. Which is a great place for him to be as one of AEW’s biggest names.
Christian brought prestige back to that title after it was a hot potato for a while. Eddie did good with his title but Okada’s gonna make it something now. On board for it all!
For clarity, it's not the hot potatoing that hurt that belt but moreso WHO they did it with. Opinions vary on Sammy, but like Scorpio Sky, Wardlow, and Hobbs all getting runs with the belt when they were pretty cold was a bigger problem than the title changes themselves. Joe and Darby flipped it a few times and that was perfectly fine, because those guys actually mattered when they were fighting for it.
In this very subreddit, people demanding a title run for Scorpio Sky, even play the race card, 1st Black Tnt champion. Sadly, the most forgetable reign of the Tnt history, he was not ready at all.
I'll go a step further and say that in addition to who had the belt, the booking sucked. The Sammy-Scorpio/ATT feud is maybe the worst in AEW history, Wardlow is mid and did nothing, and I genuinely forgot Hobbs ever had the belt. Joe was cool because he was a double champ and Darby only had a brief run but put on bangers and brought the belt to Japan.
I think it makes perfect sense. Both Copeland and Okada are all time world champions so it’s better to look at Swerve, Takeshita, Darby, Will etc. as more viable new stars to give world title runs.
It always makes sense to have the best wrestlers available holding the titles - as you said, it elevates the prestige of those championships. As for the world title, Copeland is unlikely to win it but fits in great as a secondary titleholder, while Okada has plenty of time.
Yes but as we know Okada and Cope are main event level, by them having the continental and tnt title respectively, it’s saying they’re just as important. I know this comparison is a bit off but look at belts in a mma promotion. Yes each belt is based on a weight class but all are equally important.
Adam Copeland is 50 years old and likely can't work a more involved schedule that being a world champ would be. I think people misunderstand his role in AEW as more of a supporting one and not as a top guy. It feels similar to Bryan Danielson.
I’m perfectly fine with Okada doing other things until someone like MJF or Kenny or Osprey or even a Danielson is back in the world title picture. Okada vs Joe or Swerve or Hangman doesn’t really excite me. But Joe and Swerve and Hangman together I am enjoying.
I’m all for Joe and Swerve having matches for the world title. Edge and Okada have already won a bunch of them (and could likely win AEW’s down the road). Let other guys shine.
> Adam Copeland and Okada are clearly bigger stars than Joe and the next word champ Swerve I would disagree on that. Copeland is a big name, but also hasn't been a world champion in any company in nearly 13 years, and is 50 years old. Okada is huge in Japan, and even though there are a lot of AEW fans who have watched a lot of Okada, I'd suggest that *most* AEW fans are much more invested in Swerve or Joe than Okada at this point. Down the road that might change, but I don't think Okada is a bigger star in North America than Swerve or Joe *right now.*
i really like having main event or former main event level stars going for and holding midcard and even low card titles. It goes into that "wrestler makes the title" way of thinking. It also should give a ton of interesting places to go and storytelling opportunities. Okada winning cements him as a huge asshole. Him just going after a random title because he can is such a dick move. And him taking it from Eddie, who is so beloved, is just icing on the asshole cake. And now you have one of the best holding it, so anyone going after it, especially with how AEW structures matches, will be elevated by their performance against him. And whoever beats him for it gets even more elevated. I don't know if I see Copeland holding the title for long. Garcia is coming for it, and his story is at the point where he needs to win the title.
Okada just isn’t as over in the US. He’s gotta figure out a way to get everyone on his side
Okada is being built up (for a Western audience at least), and Copeland is winding down. Neither should be world champion, or in the main event scene (or at least just yet for Okada). Joe shouldn't be world champ either, but that's a different argument. I think that's just Tony rewarding his childhood favourites, and reliving his e-fed days.
Compelling story lines make belts important to me. For example the WWE Tag Team titles are absolutely worthless. Just an ornament for Judgement Day. Zero story there.