WWE United States Championship: Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox pro wrestling championship |
{{Infobox pro wrestling championship |
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|image=New United States Championship design.png.jpg |
|image=New United States Championship design.png.jpg |
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|caption=The current |
|caption=The current United States Championship belt. |
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|championshipname=United States Championship |
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|currentholder= [[Alexander Rusev|Rusev]] |
|currentholder= [[Alexander Rusev|Rusev]] |
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|won=May 22, 2016 |
|won=May 22, 2016 |
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The ''' |
The '''United States Championship''' is a [[professional wrestling]] [[championship (professional wrestling)|championship]] promoted by the [[United States|American]] [[professional wrestling promotion]] [[WWE]] on the [[WWE Raw|Raw]] [[WWE Brand Extension|brand]]. Along with the [[WWE Intercontinental Championship]] on the [[WWE SmackDown|SmackDown]] brand, it is one of the two secondary titles of the promotion. It is the only active championship in WWE that was not originated in the promotion. It was originally created by and promoted in [[Jim Crockett Promotions|Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling]] (later known as Jim Crockett Promotions and then [[World Championship Wrestling]]). It is currently held by [[Alexander Rusev|Rusev]], who is in his second reign. |
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== History == |
== History == |
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In March 2001, the [[WWE|World Wrestling Federation]] (WWF, now WWE) purchased WCW. As part of the purchase, the United States Championship became WWF property. Throughout 2001, the title was referred to as the WCW United States Championship{{citation needed|date=July 2016}}, as this was during [[The Invasion (professional wrestling)|The Invasion]] period. At [[Survivor Series (2001)|Survivor Series]], the title was [[Championship unification|unified]] with the [[WWE Intercontinental Championship|WWF Intercontinental Championship]]. The United States Champion, [[Edge (wrestler)|Edge]], defeated the Intercontinental Champion, [[Test (wrestler)|Test]], becoming the new Intercontinental Champion and the United States Championship was then deactivated. |
In March 2001, the [[WWE|World Wrestling Federation]] (WWF, now WWE) purchased WCW. As part of the purchase, the United States Championship became WWF property. Throughout 2001, the title was referred to as the WCW United States Championship{{citation needed|date=July 2016}}, as this was during [[The Invasion (professional wrestling)|The Invasion]] period. At [[Survivor Series (2001)|Survivor Series]], the title was [[Championship unification|unified]] with the [[WWE Intercontinental Championship|WWF Intercontinental Championship]]. The United States Champion, [[Edge (wrestler)|Edge]], defeated the Intercontinental Champion, [[Test (wrestler)|Test]], becoming the new Intercontinental Champion and the United States Championship was then deactivated. |
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In July 2003, a year after the [[WWE brand extension|first brand extension]] went into effect, the title was reactivated as the |
In July 2003, a year after the [[WWE brand extension|first brand extension]] went into effect, the title was reactivated as the United States Championship by [[Professional wrestling authority figures#General Managers 2|SmackDown General Manager]] [[Stephanie McMahon]], and was commissioned to be a secondary championship for the [[WWE SmackDown|SmackDown]] brand. [[Eddie Guerrero]] became the first champion, after months of the title having been vacated, via a tournament at [[Vengeance (2003)|Vengeance]] by defeating [[Chris Benoit]]. This was done shortly after the Intercontinental Championship was recommissioned by the [[WWE Raw|Raw]] brand, making the title its equal counterpart. The first brand extension ended on August 29, 2011, and the United States title could be defended on both ''Raw'' and ''SmackDown''. |
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In 2015, WWE introduced an updated version of their [[Grand Slam (professional wrestling)|Grand Slam Championship]], and the United States Championship became officially recognized as a component of the re-established honor. In August at [[SummerSlam (2015)|SummerSlam 2015]], then champion John Cena faced then [[WWE World Heavyweight Champion]] Seth Rollins in a title-for-title match. Rollins ultimately won due to interference and became the first wrestler to hold the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and WWE United States Championship simultaneously. Rollins held both titles until Cena defeated Rollins in his rematch for the United States title at [[Night of Champions (2015)|Night of Champions]] the following month. |
In 2015, WWE introduced an updated version of their [[Grand Slam (professional wrestling)|Grand Slam Championship]], and the United States Championship became officially recognized as a component of the re-established honor. In August at [[SummerSlam (2015)|SummerSlam 2015]], then champion John Cena faced then [[WWE World Heavyweight Champion]] Seth Rollins in a title-for-title match. Rollins ultimately won due to interference and became the first wrestler to hold the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and WWE United States Championship simultaneously. Rollins held both titles until Cena defeated Rollins in his rematch for the United States title at [[Night of Champions (2015)|Night of Champions]] the following month. |
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Revision as of 21:33, 6 September 2016
| United States Championship | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:New United States Championship design.png.jpg The current United States Championship belt. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Details | |||||||||||||||||||
| Promotion | NWA/JCP (1975-1988) WCW (1988–2001) WWF/WWE (2001, 2003–present) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Brand | Raw | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date established | January 1, 1975 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Current champion(s) | Rusev | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date won | May 22, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Other name(s) | |||||||||||||||||||
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The United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE on the Raw brand. Along with the WWE Intercontinental Championship on the SmackDown brand, it is one of the two secondary titles of the promotion. It is the only active championship in WWE that was not originated in the promotion. It was originally created by and promoted in Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling (later known as Jim Crockett Promotions and then World Championship Wrestling). It is currently held by Rusev, who is in his second reign.
History
The United States Championship was originally known as the United States Heavyweight Championship and began as a regional championship created by and defended in Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling run by Jim Crockett Jr.. Following the title's introduction in 1975, Harley Race became the inaugural champion on January 1.[1] The title quickly replaced the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship (MACW) as the top singles title in the promotion. While the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) recognized only one World Heavyweight Champion, there was no single undisputed United States Champion as a number of NWA regional promotions recognized their own version of the title and champion. That all changed, however, in January 1981 when the NWA territory based out of San Francisco, the last remaining promotion outside the Mid-Atlantic territory that recognized its own United States Champion, folded.
The title remained the primary championship within the Mid-Atlantic territory until 1986 when Crockett gained control of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. The United States title then became the secondary championship of the promotion. After Ted Turner bought the company and renamed it World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in November 1988, the title continued to be used and recognized as secondary to the World Championship. WCW eventually began to slowly pull itself away from the NWA, demonstrated by the company changing the name of the title to the World Championship Wrestling (WCW) United States Heavyweight Championship in January 1991.
In March 2001, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) purchased WCW. As part of the purchase, the United States Championship became WWF property. Throughout 2001, the title was referred to as the WCW United States Championship[citation needed], as this was during The Invasion period. At Survivor Series, the title was unified with the WWF Intercontinental Championship. The United States Champion, Edge, defeated the Intercontinental Champion, Test, becoming the new Intercontinental Champion and the United States Championship was then deactivated.
In July 2003, a year after the first brand extension went into effect, the title was reactivated as the United States Championship by SmackDown General Manager Stephanie McMahon, and was commissioned to be a secondary championship for the SmackDown brand. Eddie Guerrero became the first champion, after months of the title having been vacated, via a tournament at Vengeance by defeating Chris Benoit. This was done shortly after the Intercontinental Championship was recommissioned by the Raw brand, making the title its equal counterpart. The first brand extension ended on August 29, 2011, and the United States title could be defended on both Raw and SmackDown.
In 2015, WWE introduced an updated version of their Grand Slam Championship, and the United States Championship became officially recognized as a component of the re-established honor. In August at SummerSlam 2015, then champion John Cena faced then WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins in a title-for-title match. Rollins ultimately won due to interference and became the first wrestler to hold the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and WWE United States Championship simultaneously. Rollins held both titles until Cena defeated Rollins in his rematch for the United States title at Night of Champions the following month.
In July 2016, WWE reintroduced the brand extension, and a draft took place on the July 19, 2016 premiere episode of SmackDown Live. United States Champion Rusev was drafted to the Raw brand, but was scheduled to defend the title against SmackDown draftee Zack Ryder at Battleground just days later. Rusev retained the championship, making it exclusive to Raw.
Brand designation
Following the revival of the United States Championship in 2003, the title was designated to SmackDown. The following is a list of dates indicating the transitions of the United States Championship between the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands. The brand extension was discontinued on August 29, 2011 but revived on July 19, 2016.
| Colors | |
| Championship moved to the Raw brand. | |
| Championship moved to the SmackDown brand. | |
| Championship moved to the ECW brand. | |
| Date of transition | Notes |
|---|---|
| July 27, 2003 | The United States Championship was revived to be exclusive to SmackDown. |
| June 23, 2008 | Matt Hardy was drafted to ECW, taking the championship to that brand. |
| July 20, 2008 | The United States Championship was returned to SmackDown following Shelton Benjamin's title win. |
| April 13, 2009 | United States Champion Montel Vontavious Porter was drafted to Raw during the 2009 WWE draft. |
| April 26, 2011 | Following the 2011 WWE supplemental draft, United States Champion Sheamus was drafted to SmackDown. |
| May 1, 2011 | The United States Championship was returned to Raw following Kofi Kingston's title win. The championship remained exclusive to Raw until the end of the first brand extension. |
| August 29, 2011 | End of first brand extension. The United States Champion could appear on both Raw and SmackDown. |
| July 19, 2016 | Reintroduction of the brand extension. United States Champion Rusev was drafted to Raw in the 2016 WWE draft. |
Reigns
The inaugural champion was Harley Race. There have been 81 different champions, with Ric Flair having the most reigns at six.[1] The longest reigning champion was Lex Luger who held the title for 523 days from May 22, 1989 to October 27, 1990. The shortest reigning champion was "Stunning" Steve Austin who held the title for approximately five minutes. Dean Ambrose is the longest reigning champion under the WWE banner at 351 days from May 19, 2013, to May 5, 2014.
On the April 6, 1991, edition of World Championship Wrestling, Nikita Koloff destroyed the classic 80's United States Championship belt during a post-match brawl with Lex Luger, who was in his fourth reign as champion. Koloff, who claimed to be the true champion, knocked Luger unconscious by striking him with the title and then repeatedly smashing the belt into a ringpost. Luger would appear without a physical title belt, and later become the first to wear a newly designed title, which WCW used until closing in March 2001. This version of the United States Championship would also be used during WCW's "invasion" of the World Wrestling Federation until WCW's storyline demise at the 2001 Survivor Series, in which the United States title was unified with the Intercontinental Championship. Between WCW and WWE, the title has been vacated twenty times.
During John Cena's third reign as the United States Champion, he introduced a custom "spinner" belt. On the March 10, 2005 episode of SmackDown!, the "spinner" version was "destroyed", with the help of John "Bradshaw" Layfield, after Orlando Jordan defeated Cena the previous week for the title, reverting to WWE's standard United States Championship belt.
The current champion is Rusev, who is in his second reign. He won the title on May 22, 2016 in Newark, New Jersey at Extreme Rules by defeating Kalisto.
References
- ^ a b "WWE United States Championship Title History". WWE. Retrieved 2009-01-02.