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WRESTLING COLUMNS

Christian: World Heavyweight Champion
August 25, 2005 by Tiarn�n McMeekin


Four years ago, Christian had achieved the title as one time Light-Heavyweight Champion, and more importantly, multiple time champion as an accomplished tag team wrestler with his scripted brother Edge. They had all that a tag team should have; tag skills, a gimmick, good pure wrestling skills, similar backgrounds....the list is endless. Also they were given storylines and worked well together, which is more than I can say for tag teams today. But at King of the Ring 2001, Edge seemed to be standing in the spotlight as he won the King of the Ring Tournament. He seemed to be breaking away as a tag team wrestler and receiving the status as a singles wrestler. Sure enough, soon after, Edge became WWE Intercontinental Champion and Christian seemed to be floating in the background. So just before Unforgiven 2001, it became official that Christian had turned away from his brother and had joined the Faction of the WCW/ECW Alliance.

At Unforgiven, Christian defeated Edge to become the IC Champion. But his first IC title reign did not last long, for Edge regained it in a ladder match at next months No Mercy. So the feud ended and once again Christian got demoted down to lower-middle class calibre, whilst Edge would soon be rising to compete with names such as Chris Jericho (who was Undisputed Champion at the time), Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit and Brock Lesnar. Meanwhile, Christian became European Champion, and was competing with Al Snow, The Hurricane, and other low calibre superstars. It did not look to good for Christian.

For a long time it stayed like that, until Edge became injured around No Way Out 2003, meaning he would have to stay out of the spotlight for over a year. This incident could lead to the push Christian had been waiting for. Sure enough, at Judgement Day that year, Christian won a battle royal which included names such as 5 Time WCW Champion Booker T, Former WWE Champion Kane, the 1st Undisputed Champion Chris Jericho, and many more, to win the reinstated Intercontinental for the Second time. Although his reign lasted until just after the next WWE Pay Per View Bad Blood, were he lost it to Booker T, he quickly regained it a few weeks after. This time his rain lasted for six months, until November, he lost it in a ladder match against Rob Van Dam. A six month IC title reign is a great feat for any superstar, and it seemed that Christian had finally risen up from the ashes and achieved the status he deserves.

At WrestleMania 20, Christian got pushed into a big storyline involving himself, Chris Jericho and the now 6-Time Women's Champion, Trish Stratus. It all happened when Christian def. Chris Jericho at the Showcase of the Immortals, with the help of the newly turned heel diva Trish Stratus. She and Christian 'betrayed' Jericho, as they were supposed to be his girlfriend and once best friend. The WWE created the storyline that Christian and Trish became boyfriend and girlfriend, which brought their new 'Problem Solver' Tyson Tomko into the scene. This 'PS' gimmick turned out to be a failure, as Tomko turned out to be just another big man. But despite this, Christian was still being pushed, and was almost at the point where he could reach up, and get to that ring of the ladder which was the World Heavyweight/WWE Championship division.

Soon after Tomko's debut, Christian faced of against Y2J in a cage match, and received an injury, causing him to be out for roughly four months. But just before Unforgiven 2004, Christian returned to attack Y2J during the Highlight Reel, along with a brand new gimmick, Captain Charisma. At Unforgiven Jericho defeated the Captain in a ladder match meaning that he would be the new IC Champion, which before that was vacant. But Christian had bigger goals. He wanted to become the next world champion.

In the midst of the 2005 Draft Lottery, Christian received his first shot at the WWE championship in a triple threat match along with Chris Jericho and the new Raw draft pick, the WWE Champion John Cena. Although Christian lost this match, Christian was drafted to Smackdown! and made an immediate impact when he came second in a Six Man Elimination Match to become No.1 contender at the Smackdown!'s new main title belt, the World Heavyweight Championship. Although he lost this match, he is still facing big names on Smackdown! and I hope that soon Christian will become World Heavyweight Champion.

by Tiarn�n McMeekin ..


Ben wrote:
what do you think of Christian winning the Royal Rumble, Edge using his MitB shot at survivor series, wins the title, goes to WM the champ. Christian decides to use his title shot on Edge, where Edge puts Christian over.
usha gupta wrote:
I too share your belif that christian has what it take and deserves to be a world heavyeight champion. But i have a problem with your article as i don't think it really has a point to it, your don't say why christian should be world heavyweight champ. You've just given some backgorund information.
Michael Boling wrote:
I dont know where you're gettin at Christian sucks and i hope he never becomes World Heavyweight Champion
CyberJackhammer wrote:
Christian is probably the only current superstar who I mark out to and I can see that you appreciate him as well. But this article seemed more like a timeline of Captain Charisma's acheivements then an actual argument promoting Christian as a potential champion.
Jay Ingram wrote:
I absolutely love the direction Christian's character took just before the lottery, and the development it has had on Smackdown. You can tell that William Reso is a naturally funny guy, and I am glad that the WWE is letting him work with that side of his personality. If you remember when he was presented as Edge's brother, he was the slightly goofier of the two. Remember the huge sunglasses" That stuff was great.

His ring attire absolutely SLAYS me. I laugh each time I see the spangled shirts with the huge "C" cut into them. You really cant write that stuff, you sometimes have to trust the wrestler to develop the character, and feel it out for themselves.

Christian's present incarnation is something that can not be forced. Either the wrestler can do it, or he cant, and its obvious he can. Look for Christian to be in movies (maybe not blockbusters, but for sure making movies) within five years.

If he is presented as a World Champion, I can only hope they allow his character to blossom fully to the bumbling idiot, winning matches by sheer dumb luck. DONT GET ME WRONG, I know Reso can wrestle, but as long as the fans are responding to the funny guy gimmick, then the WWE should roll with it. And he simply cant win the title straight from Batista. The serious animal and the joker just cannot be in the same ring for a title shot. No way. Batista has shown that he can act, for example the "You talkin' to me"" promo for Wrestlemania showed he can actually act a little, but I digress.

He and Tomko make a good pair, the comic and the straight man, like all good classic comedy teams. He and Batista are the only reason I watch Smackdown now.

One more point- I would actually like to see Batista and Christian maybe as a tag team. The goofiness of Christian mixed with the intensity of Batista would work well. It seemed odd to me too, when I first thought about it, but the more I think about it, the more I like it.
randy adams wrote:
Well i was starting the like Christian before he quit but i think he could have went for the U.S belt and move on to the teg and maybe maybe become WHC unlike John cena who was handed the belt.
Dave Barton wrote:
I really haven't been a fan of Christian for the past few years, ever since he took on the part of "the goofy member of Edge & Christian" with his big furry hats & huge oversized sunglasses. Everything from then on with him just did not impress me.

I still give him all the credit in the world for doing something I only wish I had the ability to do (being a pro wrestler), but I haven't taken him seriously as a legit top-level superstar since his TLC days against the Hardyz & Dudleyz. This is just how I feel about him.

But I've seen the reactions he's gotten on tv, even as a heel. I've heard/read countless fans & even his fellow wrestlers saying how he's just so good at what he does, and how he's just dying to be "given the ball" for a chance to run with it. Again, I don't see this potential that so many others are saying he has, but I'm glad he's finally being given the chance that so many say he deserves.

Now that he's in TNA, they're taking advantage of his popularity by allowing him to play the babyface. They've even allowed him a win over Monty Brown, who has been pushed as one of TNA's most unbeatable monsters for quite some time, presumably just to give him the opportunity that everyone (except me, apparently) thinks he's ready for.

I've been a fan of wrestling since 1977, so I've developed a very keen sense for who can make it & who can't (although bad booking is always a deterent). But I have been, admittedly, way off-base on 2 occasions (Diesel & The Rock, for those who are curious). Maybe Christian Cage will be my 3rd miss. But I am glad that he's been given the chance...there's nothing I like more than seeing a wrestler succeed & "click" with me after thinking he never had it in him.
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