Holding title may prove hazardous
First, a quick overview. The World Heavyweight Championship, which is the world title for the Smackdown brand, has been worn by 12 wrestlers since it was resurrected back in 2002 by Eric Bischoff, originally exclusive to RAW before Batista changed brands in the draft back in 2005. Of those 12, only three are actively wrestling in WWE today, with the others either moving on or being sidelined due to injury.
Speaking of injury, of the 12 heavyweight champions, only two have not missed significant time since or during their title reigns for injury (the only two avoiding the bug being Khali, who just won the title, and Bill Goldberg, who only stayed in WWE for a year, holding the title from September to December of 2003). One former champ, Chris Benoit, killed himself and his family recently.
The most disturbing trend can be seen after Batista brought the belt over to Smackdown back in 2005. It was later that year the Animal suffered a severe triceps tear at a house show, forcing him to drop the title with his replacement scheduled to be the winner of a triple threat match between Kurt Angle, Randy Orton and Eddie Guerrero. However, the same week the three-way was scheduled, Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room, with sources inside the WWE saying Guerrero was slated to win the belt in that scheduled match.
In wake of the tragedy, Angle became champion but was immediately hampered by severe neck problems, the same problems which prompted the WWE to put the belt on Rey Mysterio at Wrestlmania 22 just two months later. The same neck and back problems is what led WWE to let Angle go earlier this year, prompting his move to TNA where he is now champion.
Once winning the belt, Mysterio’s nagging knee problems caused him to have a short title reign, forcing him to go under the surgeon’s knife shortly after dropping the belt to King Booker in July 2006. However, Booker also had problems with his shoulder and knee but elected to tough it out and wait on surgery until Batista returned from injury, dropping the belt to the Animal in November 2006.
While Batista avoided re-injuring himself, the Undertaker was not so lucky as he tore a biceps just a month after taking the title from Batista at Wrestlmania 23. Then, almost on cue, Mr. Kennedy, who had won the Money in the Bank match at WM23 and was the heir apparent to take the title once Undertaker dropped it to undergo surgery, hurt his triceps that very week and was out for several months.
He, in turn, lost the Money in the Bank to Edge who came in and captured the heavyweight title from Undertaker, but, as we know this past week, Edge, less than two months into his title reign, tore a pectoral muscle when he took a bad bump during the Mardi Gras angle on RAW hyping his scheduled Great American Bash title match with Kane. He was forced to drop the belt, with Khali winning a 20-man battle royal to take the strap.
While the Smackdown title seems to be a title of bad luck lately, the WWE championship from RAW seems to be the last championship anyone will ever hold. Not counting the immediate return of Triple H or the part-time schedule of Mick Foley, how many WWE champions (now exclusive to RAW) would you think are still active in WWE of those who have held the title since it began with Buddy Rogers back in 1963? Would you believe just three? Those being John Cena, Kane (who held the strap for just one day) and Ric Flair. Others like the Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, RVD, Hulk Hogan, John Bradshaw Layfield, Brock Lesnar and the Big Show have left the business or company while folks like Triple H, Undertaker and Edge are out hurt.
It just goes to show you, no matter what you think about professional wrestling, it is a dangerous business.