The Main Event.....

I have a question to put to the world who comes here to read what humble little me has to say about a sporting event I love. In fact, let me ask this in two parts.

Part 1. Where does the World Heavyweight Championship match fall on a given PPV?

Part 2. At what weight does a person need to be in order to compete for the World Heavyweight Championship?

(Optional question) Why would anyone model their PPV card after WWE's?

I think someone, and you know who you are, has a couple of questions worth answering. SO, without any delay, let's look at ALL three questions I've put out here. Since we're talking about how a card is assembled, I think it only fair to go back to the humble beginnings.

In the early goings of the professional wrestling card, the World Heavyweight Championship was always placed at the top of the card, meaning that it would take place last on the schedule. This predates the WWWF (yes, you read that correctly, which later became the WWF/E. SO, to say that this model is from Vince McMahon is COMPLETELY inaccurate. The reasoning behind the treatment of the World Heavyweight Title is because often, the superstar defending the belt was also the one traveling from region to region. Back in those days, the NWA, which was the unified group of wrestling promoters who each held their own territories.

The tradition of the World Heavyweight Championship lasts to this day, regardless of which company you deem the top dog in the industry. TNA's weight cut off is 225 pounds to qualify as a heavyweight contender. The X Division cuts off at 224. To date, the TV Title has no weight classification. Do I think of one title as better than another? In a way, yes I do. NOW, having said that, I want to be clear, I don't view any title as less prestigious. BUT, when you look at how a wrestling card is put together, I think that a great many fan will be confused as to why a World Title would be put anywhere but at the top of the card, last on the performance schedule, unless you have a darn good reason for putting it elsewhere.

In my opinion, each weight class is the best in their respective weight class. WWE views their titles VERY differently than TNA, in my opinion. They have a very distinct class system, where each title has less value than the largest belt on the card. I don't believe TNA has the same feeling. When there is an entire PPV devoted to the X Division every year, I don't think the system TNA uses holds the same view of each title. The TV Title, I have said VERY LOUDLY in the past, NEEDS some life breathed into it by someone who is versatile enough to move a match competing for said title up the card, even putting it at the top, if it makes sense. I say why not? Why not put the Knockouts Titles, every one of them, on the line at the top of the card? If it makes sense, I think they should go for it.

To be clear, the simple reason WWE and TNA culture uses the World Heavyweight Title at the top is to give a top star a bit of a break as it relates to their workload. Most world title holders don't have to do very many different stipulation matches to defend their title. Why? Because, in the current tide of public opinion, performers should only be given a title reign of a few months (less than 5). Anyone else on the card may be subject to being put into gimmick matches over whatever title is on the line. When a world title is on the line, however, you have less gimmicks (unless you have more than one gimmick PPV) matches because the reign is shorter and less likely to last long enough to need one to stack the deck against a  given champion.

Now that the air is clear and the way a card is assembled is made known, I have to ask if there is some merit to change the way a certain card is compiled? What would influence where a title match is located on the card? I put this question to you guys before I answer it in the next column.