The new "Ask the Specialists" Roundtable is the latest spin-off from the "Ask the Torch" feature. CSI led to CSI: New York and CSI: Miami, which is where you'll find the Specialists tackling a daily topic submitted by PWTorch readers to askpwtorch@gmail.com.

Ask the Specialists Roundtable #6

- Question from VIP member Robert from Scotland: With the WWE Title and World Hvt. Title now unified, a lot needs to be done to make the IC Title more credible. Being the IC champion used to be a big deal, now it seems like they don't know what to do with it, so they just put it on someone they draw out a hat. Should they put the title on someone higher up on the card like Batista and have him feud with mid-to-upper-tier stars like Sheamus, Del Rio, etc. and try make the title actually mean something again? Or would this take some value off the WWE World Hvt. Title?

- New Answer from "Mr. PPV" Nathan Kyght: I've always been a fan of presenting any of the secondary titles as a big deal - if the championships are not something to be desired, then what is everyone in competition for anyway? The IC Title used to be a really big deal, with that star holding the belt the heir apparent to the Heavyweight Title. Also, the IC Title had the reputation of "the top wrestler's title," meaning that the guy with the belt would be booked into a lot of matches on house shows in order to prepare him for an eventual bigger stage.

I think that putting the title on a perceived top-level star now would be jarring at first, but there is always a way to do these things correctly. If you simply treat the titles like they're important, and a funny thing happens: they start seeming important. Similar to WWE actually stressing a Tag Title match Monday on Raw.

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- "Hits & Misses" Jon Mezzera responds: I guess they could do that. I would prefer they just give someone new a chance to be the Intercontinental Champion and then actually get behind that person and use the title as a way to push that wrestler higher on the card. They had their chance if Cesaro won the #1 contender tournament and went on to defeat Big E. at Extreme Rules, but that won't be the case now after Raw.

- "Showstopper" Shawn Valentino responds: Thank you for your question, Robert. I grew up with the Intercontinental Championship being a prestigious title and a springboard to the main event. It was also a championship for wrestlers that would not be credible perennial main-eventers. I do not think it is good idea to have people who are perceived as World Champion level wrestlers to return to the IC belt because it serves more to bring down the wrestler than it does to elevate the title.

I think WWE should create a list of talent that fit in that division to fight over the IC championship and periodically put the belt on a rising talent that will eventually win the big one. Roman Reigns seems to be a good candidate to potentially make the belt seem important again. I believe the last great IC Champion was Randy Orton because he made the title seem prestigious and he had some memorable feuds. Any member of The Shield can lend some gravitas to the belt and benefit from it if given a proper reign.

I believe Cesaro would be a perfect person as well, especially with the aid of Paul Heyman talking up the value of the title. Bray Wyatt also brings some interesting possibilities as he can cut some crazy promos about the belt, and can worship it in a cult-like manner. I believe there are plenty of wrestlers that can restore the credibility of the title, but it is really up to the bookers to make it seem important, and they should be booking long meaningful reigns where the champion actually cares about the belt. They should not repeatedly be losing non-title matches, and they should sometimes main-event Raw with a championship contest. WWE barely can book its World Champion well, so I do not see this happening.

- "Instant Reaction" Ben Tucker (@BTuckerTorch) responds: I'd set up a long-form feud with an upper mid-carder and former main-eventer, such as Sheamus. Have them semi-main event one or two PPVs, and within six months you have a credible championship. It's as easy as that. The key is follow through.

- "Mr. TV" Justin James (@Justin_M_James) responds: Having some big names chase the title can help if done right. If done wrong (like Orton and Batista being given a Tag Team Title match against The Usos, and acting too good for the title), it makes it worse. I think the way to make any title credible is to have a bunch of folks lining up to try to take it, and to have it defended with an actual build on a regular basis.

To make it better, withhold the champion from non-title matches, so that their matches are a big deal. This also has the advantage of making it seem like part of the reason to be the champion is that you get to sit on the mountain and rule the roost, instead of fighting over the crumbs at the bottom. When the champion does have a non-title match on the rare occasion, have him win and look strong.

NXT has had nothing but credible champions on this model, and with some discipline, the Intercontinental and United States Championships could have some prestige as well. If I were fantasy booking the main roster right now, I would have Triple H focus on the World Title and Orton and Batista chase the IC and U.S. Titles, respectively, in an effort to "dominate the WWE" and see Ambrose, Big E., and Bryan successfully fend them off. That would send the message that folks become champions because they are the best, not because they cherry-picked a low hanging fruit.

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[ FYI: The specialists consist of a mix of current PWTorch contributors providing their opinion on today's wrestling scene and modern wrestling history questions, including Shawn Valentino, Michael Moore, Ben Tucker, Jon Mezzera, Justin James, Brian Leahy, Jimmy Eaton, Nathan Kyght, Tony Donofrio, and Mike Roe. ]

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