Arn Anderson says WWE wouldn't give enough time to talent to make a Television Championship mean something special.
Over the years, whenever a new championship is introduced in WWE, there will be a contingency of fans who question if WWE will be introducing a Television Championship.
Largely known for its legacy in the Jim Crockett Promotions days of the NWA and carrying over throughout the tenure of WCW, the Television Championship title was a staple championship for the brand and launched the careers of names like Chris Jericho and Steve Austin, while simultaneously cementing the legacy of workhorses like William Regal and Arn Anderson.
On his podcast, Anderson answered a fan question regarding why WWE never brought in the television title after acquiring WCW in 2001. To Arn, WWE didn't value long television matchups for a large majority of his tenure with WWE and he feels as though they would not have been able to do the championship belt and its legacy justice.
“I think that was one of the things that separated WCW from WWE,” Arn began. “[The] Television Title was something that you could go out and have a tremendous performer, if I could put myself in that category, who had a lot of positive thoughts about going 20 minutes on television every single week, you could go out and make that championship mean something. That's what I tried to do. It's what [Steve] Austin tried to do. [William] Regal tried to do [that]. It was like a badge of courage, if you will. It was one of those championships that probably got over a little bit more than it was intended to.”
Anderson continued, “Through experience, no one [in WWE] was going to get 20 minutes on TV. So, if you're trying to have that same championship mean as much, that was the whole thing, 20 minutes, you made the loop with the guy once or twice at the most. Then that time limit went to 30 minutes. Then when you had a 30-minute match and at 31 minutes you got beat, but you kept the championship, it meant something. You were never, ever gonna get that time on the WWE product.”
Throughout the years, many other brands have experimented with the television title. Ring of Honor still has an active TV Championship, IMPACT Wrestling tried for many years with that Championship concept, and the revitalized National Wrestling Alliance recently brought back the television championship with its own special format that may see the champion one day earn a World Championship match. Learn more at this link.
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