In 2023, WWE launched a new World Heavyweight Championship to counteract Roman Reigns’ overwhelming reign as the undisputed WWE Universal Champion. Initially seen as a secondary prize due to Reigns’ dominance, by 2025 the World Heavyweight Championship has arguably become the most prestigious title in WWE. This shift resulted from mixed booking decisions affecting both the WWE Championship and the new title, as well as the contrasting main event scenes on RAW and SmackDown.
The 2025 WWE Championship picture has struggled significantly. John Cena’s heel run as WWE Champion was widely criticized, with overbooked matches and lackluster feuds that made the title seem like a vehicle for Cena’s retirement tour rather than a top prize. Cody Rhodes’ championship reign lacked impactful storytelling, and the ongoing feud between Rhodes and Drew McIntyre drained excitement from the WWE title. Despite a few highlights like a ladder match between Kevin Owens and Rhodes and a SummerSlam main event against Cena, overall the WWE title scene was disappointing, suffering from poor booking and intermittent absences by the main stars.
Conversely, the World Heavyweight Championship enjoyed its strongest year ever in 2025. Key storylines featured top talents such as Gunther, Seth Rollins, CM Punk, and Royal Rumble winner Jey Uso, who chose to challenge for the World Heavyweight Title. The title picture on RAW was vibrant, unpredictable, and bolstered by memorable angles like Rollins cashing in his Money in the Bank contract at SummerSlam to defeat Punk. The title’s prominence was boosted by its champions’ consistent TV presence and engaging rivalries, making RAW’s top prize feel more significant and compelling than the WWE Championship.
Champions like CM Punk, Seth Rollins, and Gunther were notably more effective in elevating the World Heavyweight Championship compared to Cody Rhodes and John Cena’s stumbles with the WWE title. They brought greater visibility, more frequent title defenses, and stronger storylines, which enhanced the championship’s prestige despite its relatively short history. While WWE’s focus has shifted more toward RAW in 2025, leaving SmackDown’s WWE Championship scene dull and predictable, the World Heavyweight Championship has thrived, even symbolized by its champion besting the WWE Champion at Crown Jewel.
Fan Take: This development signals a refreshing shift in WWE’s title landscape, offering fans a more exciting and dynamic flagship championship to rally behind. If the World Heavyweight Championship continues to receive quality booking and star power, it could redefine WWE’s top-tier competition and bring renewed passion to the sport’s storytelling.
