WWE’s world title picture has evolved significantly since the turn of the century. The company originally had just one top prize, but upon the introduction of WWE SmackDown to its weekly production calendar, WWE introduced the World Heavyweight Championship, repurposing WCW’s “big gold” design for its second world title. The two world titles ran simultaneously for a decade but were merged into one when then-WWE Champion Randy Orton defeated then-World Heavyweight Champion John Cena at WWE TLC 2013 to unify the championships. Come the brand split three years later, WWE began running two world titles once more, debuting the WWE Universal Championship.
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While the Universal Title is arguably among the most prestigious top prizes in wrestling today given current titleholder Roman Reigns’s historic 900+ day run with the strap, it remains a largely unpopular belt with wrestling fans due to its design. Unlike the big gold that came before it, the Universal Championship is simply a blue version of the current WWE Championship’s look.
As WWE inches closer to WWE WrestleMania 39, it appears that things will be changing. According to WrestleVotes via GiveMeSport, WWE’s decision-makers have “approved” a new belt’s design. It’s unclear if this means one of WWE’s current world titles is going to be retired or if this new belt design will get a new name. It was added that WWE “could” introduce it on either Monday Night Raw or WWE SmackDown this week if they wanted to, as “boxes are checked.”
Past new world titles have arrived either at WWE WrestleMania itself, shortly before, or immediately after. Kofi Kingston brought back the familiar leather strap immediately after defeating Daniel Bryan at WWE WrestleMania 35. That version debuted roughly one month before WWE WrestleMania 29 when The Rock ditched John Cena’s “spinner” design. Cena’s “spinner” came into the fold not long after WWE WrestleMania 21.
This news comes after months of speculation that Undisputed WWE Universal Championship challenger Cody Rhodes could usher in a new title design should he emerge victorious at WWE WrestleMania 39. Rhodes has long professed his love for WWE’s “winged eagle” belt design and was previously responsible for bringing back the classic WWE Intercontinental Title in 2011.
“Through my youth, the WWE I was watching, was really synonymous with the winged eagle. I think there’s a lot of people who love the winged eagle design,” Rhodes said last month. “Today’s design with the giant W is also incredibly special because it’s this walking billboard for the promotion. If I’m able to get to the finish line and get my hands on these things that like I said, have eluded my family up until now, maybe it’s just a pipe dream, a glimmer, but it would be fun to just say lets just boil ’em down and bring back the winged eagle.”
Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for updates on WWE’s world title plans leading into WWE WrestleMania 39.
