We know, we know. You’ve barely gotten used to calling Randy Orton the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, and already WWE.com is stirring the pot with more merger talk. But we can’t help but wonder:
Should the United States and Intercontinental Titles be unified?
With WWE’s recent streamlining of the title picture — in addition to the new WWE World Heavyweight Title, both the Divas Title and the WWE Tag Team Championships became the sole representatives of their divisions in 2010 — the Intercontinental and United States Championships remain the only mirror titles in WWE.
Is it time for one championship to rule them all? We weighed the pros and cons, and spoke with both Intercontinental Champion Big E Langston and United States Champion Dean Ambrose to get their opinions.
WWE.COM: Let’s get right to it: Do you think the United States Title and the Intercontinental Title should be unified?
BIG E LANGSTON: I’d be open to it. If it strengthens the legitimacy of both titles, then I’m all for it.
DEAN AMBROSE: It’d be a good thing as long as they made one good looking championship for me to haul around, because I’d definitely be the one holding it.
WWE.COM: So you think a new title should be created to replace the two championships?
AMBROSE: Instead of me lugging around both titles, yeah.
LANGSTON: I wouldn’t say so. I think the Intercontinental Title has so much prestige that I would hate for it to go away. If anything, I think it could absorb the U.S. Title.
AMBROSE: The Intercontinental Title has always been referred to as the “workhorse title,” because it was defended more frequently and more feverishly. Right now, I look at the United States Championship that way. I’ve defended that thing on four continents and more countries than I can remember. I take a lot of pride in that.
LANGSTON: The Intercontinental Championship should always be around in WWE. It’s very historic, and I don’t think we should lose that history.
AMBROSE: Something with a definitive ending. Maybe a Steel Cage Match, so that there would be no interference and no excuses. There would be no question marks coming out of it. He would know I was the Unified Champion, and there wouldn’t be a question about it.
WWE.COM: You both see it being something brutal.
AMBROSE: A lot of people don’t know this, but I’m the king of hardcore here in WWE. I’d be willing to put it all on the line and make sure we have a winner. Whatever kind of match there is, I’d be the one standing on the hill, with no question marks and no excuses.
WWE.COM: Is there a downside to unifying the titles?
AMBROSE: On the one hand, you’d have fewer titles for people to go for. On the other, it would be a prize that people would definitely want to come after. Nobody wants to come after my United States Title, because everyone has fallen so short and felt the hammer come down from The Shield afterward. It’s a very dangerous proposition to come after my title, so maybe having the championships unified would offer a little more prize money for people to want to go after.
LANGSTON: I can’t remark on how people would feel positively or negatively, but it would definitely bring more attention to the titles.
WWE.COM: It sounds like you’re both prepared for an eventual champion vs. champion showdown.
LANGSTON: I’d welcome the challenge.
AMBROSE: I feel that what I’ve given and sacrificed for the U.S. Title, I’d be willing to put that on the line as a pride thing. It’s just as good as the Intercontinental Title. That’s something I’d be willing to prove.
