Hello Pulse Wrestling! My name is Will and you may remember me writing about five years ago for the short lived internetoutlaws.com, but no one actually read that site, so chances are you’re new to me. I also recently wrote a guest editorial for PW Torch, which you can check out here. That is more of what you can expect from me on a weekly basis.
This is “The People’s Column.â€Â I am not here to cynically analyze the WWE’s current product, but rather to enjoy it. I am a wrestling fan who does not long for the past but enjoys what is on his plate in front of him. This does not mean that I like everything (The Abraham Washington Show is still terrible).
As a way to get to know me and my wrestling views I thought I would share with you a list of my favorite champions. Now before we begin you must realize that this is a list of my personal favorite champions and is not necessarily a list of the “greatest†champions (I’ll save that for a future column).
WWE Champion: “Stone Cold†Steve Austin
No one was better for the business. No one drew the TV ratings and the Pay Per View buys. No one was ever as big as Steve Austin. Personally, Austin was the first WWE champion that I believed in. In January 1998 I watched as “Stone Cold†won the Royal Rumble and waited in anticipation for his main event at Wrestlemania XIV. This was the beginning of what would become an obsession with wrestling that haunts me to this day. At Wrestlemania XIV I watched as the “Austin Era†began. He was a revolutionary champion and arguably did more for the WWE title than anyone else.
World Heavyweight Champion: “The Rated R Superstar†Edge
This choice may be purely based on aesthetics. No one has looked as good as Edge does with the big gold belt since Ric Flair. As a champion Edge is always shocking and exciting. Edge has said it multiple times, but I believe it; “Edge equals Ratings.â€Â He can be counted on to carry the brand through any rough patch that it may be in. Since coming over to Smackdown and capturing his first World Heavyweight Championship, he has been in the title hunt for two years. He outperforms his peers consistently and has the list of injuries to prove it.
ECW Champion: “The Tuesday, Thursday and Friday Night Delight†John Morrison
This choice is based on what ECW has become and not what ECW was. Morrison was a surprise choice for champion and this man made the most of it.  ECW has become the place for lower level talent to step up and learn the skills to become a main event player. John Morrison did just that. His title reign was the first step in the mission of ECW as a televised developmental. This version of ECW has found a niche in WWE programming, just as Morrison has moved on to bigger main events.
United States Champion: Magnum T.A.
This man should have been the NWA Champion. In fact, he was in line for that title before tragedy struck. The US Champion should always be a number one contender. He should always work hard and have one of the best matches on the card. Magnum did this and more. He was a part of the anti-horsemen force in the NWA and had a great feud with Tully Blanchard for this very title. The US Champion should always be able to main event when necessary, and Magnum could. Perhaps he would be in another category of great champion if his career had not ended so soon.
Intercontinental Champion: “The King of Harts†Owen Hart
I may have picked Owen Hart for the same reason that I picked Magnum TA. Owen was an amazing performer and arguably the most talented of the Harts. Owen did not capture the IC title till long after his main event run with his brother Bret. That being said, when he held the title he treated it like a main event worthy belt. He tore the house down with Stone Cold and the Rock, using his experience to make the mid card look legitimate. Owen would be on my list of World Champions had he lived long enough to make it there.
WWE Tag Team Champion: Edge and Christian
That’s right I’m putting Edge on the list twice! This category takes into account both tag titles which are now unified. Edge and Christian were the masters of TLC, winning the first two TLC matches (and the WM16 Triangle Ladder Match, which was a forerunner to the TLC matches). They also hold the record for the most tag team championship reigns. They were an amazing duo that provided the fans with memorable moments to cheer them and plenty of excuses to boo them.
Womens/Divas Champion: Trish Stratus
There is no other choice. Trish revolutionized what it meant to be a woman and wrestle. She was hired to be T and A (she also managed the tag team T and A). She filled that role, even barking like a dog in her underwear for Vince McMahon. Then she began to evolve. Trish became a great wrester, often outperforming the men on the card. For two years she feuded with Lita and the two of them had the defining rivalry in modern women’s wrestling.
WCW Champion: Sting
Yes, this a very obvious choice. I may only be adding the WCW championship to this list so I could have an excuse to include Sting. He was exciting and electric in his first persona. His darker turn with the “crow†character was phenomenal and did the best business WCW ever saw. The worst mistake they ever made was taking the title off of him directly after Starrcade 1997. Fans waited years to see someone dethrone Hulk Hogan. To go back on that phenomenal story was unfair to themselves and their audience.
Ladies and Gentlemen, these are my WWE (and WCW) champions. Hopefully this shows you a little bit more about how I view the business.  Please leave any thoughts on my favorite champions and list your own in the comments section.  I’ll read and respond accordingly.  Thanks for reading. It’s great to be here and I’ll be back next Thursday!
