WWE has a long and storied history. Central to that history is its Championship titles. Over the years, different titles have come and gone. But one constant has always remained. The WWE Championship. But ever since Roman Reigns won the title from Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 38, its status as an individual championship has been in question. That’s because, combined with the Universal Championship, the titles are jointly referred to as the “Undisputed WWE Universal Championship”. Reports now indicate that Roman Reigns will be receiving a new WWE Universal Championship to celebrate 1,000 days as champion. But will it officially replace the WWE Championship?
For fans, championship lineage is an important and delicate subject. Eliminating a title’s entire history in favour of a new championship is often controversial.
This was evident following the introduction of the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in NJPW in 2021. It replaced the IWGP Heavyweight Championship which dated back to 1987. Fans decried the decision, which essentially wiped the lineage of NJPW’s most prestigious title.
Deactivating the WWE Championship in favour of the Universal Championship would surely spark an uproar. It dates back to 1963 and has been held by pro wrestling’s biggest names. This includes Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Ric Flair, Bret Hart, Steve Austin, The Rock, The Undertaker, John Cena, and many, many more.
In contrast, the Universal Championship was created in 2016 and has a far less prestigious history.
According to Sean Ross Sapp of FightfulSelect.com, a recent WWE creative memo indicated that there would be a “new WWE Universal Championship” unveiled as part of Roman Reigns’ 1,000 day celebration on the 2nd June 2023 edition of SmackDown.
But with the introduction of a new belt, will the new Universal Championship officially replace the WWE Championship?
Will new WWE Universal Championship replace WWE Championship?
It is currently unknown whether WWE will deactivate the WWE Championship in favour of the new WWE Universal Championship.
However, if this decision were to be made, it should not come as a surprise. While Roman Reigns has held the Universal Title for over 1,000 days, he has only held the WWE Title for 425∼ days. By deactivating the Universal Title, WWE would effectively end Roman’s 1,000+ day reign.
Of course, there is always the possibility of the titles’ lineages being combined. Although this is less likely, with deactivation usually being WWE’s preferred option upon unifying two championships.
Similarly, the possibility remains that WWE may choose to keep both titles active but have them signified by just one belt. Exactly how this might function in future title matches is unclear, however.
It should be noted that, per FightfulSelect, plans for a new WWE Universal Championship are subject to change. For now, we will just have to wait and see what WWE decide to do regarding the lineage of its most prestigious title.
What are your thoughts on the introduction of a new championship? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other Film & TV articles…
