“AEW has too many belts”

Written By Tyler Lawson

Filed by: The Counsel

Court is in session

AEW being the competitor brand to WWE has naturally subjected it to criticisms. Some of these criticisms are fair, and some are not. One that I hear over and over again is that "AEW has too many belts", or the shorter meme'd version, "Another belt lol." This criticism was loudest when the National Championship was announced, AEW's newest title. Even though the discourse has died down, I still see this criticism thrown out as a blanket diss to justify other grievances. Some AEW haters love to keep this argument in their back pocket, and I have decided to challenge that right here in the Beachside courthouse.

The Counsel has reviewed the evidence. Let's get into it.

Exhibit A: The Numbers Don't Lie

Diving right in with the hard facts. Let's compare the men's singles championships across multiple companies:

AEW Men's Singles Championships (5):

  • AEW World Championship

  • AEW International Championship

  • AEW Continental Championship

  • AEW TNT Championship

  • AEW National Championship

WWE Men's Singles Championships (4):

  • Undisputed WWE Championship

  • World Heavyweight Championship

  • Intercontinental Championship

  • United States Championship

One. The difference is one. For this, an entire discourse was born.

But let's not stop there.

WCW Men's Singles Championships in their final years (5):

  • WCW World Heavyweight

  • WCW United States

  • WCW World Cruiserweight

  • WCW World Television

  • WCW Hardcore

NJPW Men's Singles Championships (6):

  • IWGP Heavyweight Championship

  • IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship

  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship

  • NEVER Openweight Championship

  • NJPW World Television Championship

  • STRONG Openweight Championship

New Japan Pro Wrestling, widely considered one of the most prestigious wrestling promotions on the planet, carries six men's singles championships. Nobody is writing think pieces about NJPW drowning in gold. And just for fun, the UFC operates with eight divisional championships. Eight. But sure. AEW's five is the problem.

Exhibit B: The Unified Championship Footnote

Now, not that long ago, two of AEW's belts were briefly considered one as the Unified Championship. The Continental Championship and the International Championship were unified under Kazuchika Okada, who essentially defended them as a single title. Okada carried the Unified Championship until the Continental Classic came around, at which point he lost the Continental Championship to Jon Moxley in the tournament final, and the Unified title ceased to exist. It consolidated. It resolved itself.

This is not evidence of too many belts. This is evidence of a promotion telling a championship story with a beginning, a middle, and an end.

Exhibit C: So Where Is This Stigma Coming From?

I think it comes down to two things.

The first is the rate at which these titles were introduced. But given that the company is less than ten years old, these championships still need time to gain their notoriety and lineage. That won't be an issue if you give each belt another decade to grow. The TNT Championship being custom designed to match the vibe of whoever holds it is something that only becomes more fun as time goes on. The Continental Championship already has a built in tie to the Continental Classic tournament. These titles are works in progress, and the foundation is more interesting than people give it credit for.

The second reason is AEW having two shows that share a roster but only one world championship. The other four championships can feel like midcard titles regardless of how over the champion may be. In contrast, WWE has two separate brands, each with their own top title and midcard title. In theory, all five AEW men's championships could appear on Dynamite and Collision in the same week, which sounds like a lot. But that's not what actually happens. What you actually get is unpredictable title defenses right on free television, any given week. How is that a bad thing? On a random Saturday night with no PPV on the calendar, AEW Collision might have two title matches on the card. And oftentimes, they do.

Exhibit D: The Alternative Is Worse

I know the argument. "Everyone should be chasing the World title because it's the best." Sure. But just because everyone wants it doesn't mean everyone gets a shot. So if they aren't getting that shot, what exactly are they fighting for? The Counsel would like to submit the following alternatives that have actually occurred in professional wrestling:

  • A shampoo commercial opportunityBilly Kidman vs. Torrie Wilson — WCW Nitro, 2000

  • Custody of childrenRey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero — SummerSlam, 2005

  • Viagra on a PoleBilly Kidman vs. Shane Douglas — WCW Nitro, 2000

  • A man's eyeballRey Mysterio vs. Seth Rollins — Extreme Rules, 2020

The Counsel rests on that list for a moment.

A feud doesn't have to be all about the belt. There can still be personal stakes and real emotion. But no matter how you slice it, taking your opponent's championship is the ultimate punctuation mark on a rivalry. You didn't just beat them. You took something from them. It only adds to the story.

More belts means more stories. The math is simple.

Exhibit E: The Nail In The Coffin

Now, the reason I saved the women's and tag team championships for last is so I could land this point with full impact. Let's compare ALL main roster championships between AEW and WWE:

AEW Total Main Roster Championships (10):

  • AEW World Championship

  • AEW Women's World Championship

  • AEW International Championship

  • AEW Continental Championship

  • AEW TNT Championship

  • AEW TBS Championship

  • AEW National Championship

  • AEW World Tag Team Championship

  • AEW Women's World Tag Team Championship

  • AEW World Trios Championship

WWE Total Main Roster Championships (11):

  • Undisputed WWE Championship

  • WWE Women's Championship

  • World Heavyweight Championship

  • Women's World Championship

  • Intercontinental Championship

  • Women's Intercontinental Championship

  • United States Championship

  • Women's United States Championship

  • World Tag Team Championship

  • WWE Tag Team Championship

  • WWE Women's Tag Team Championship

Yup. WWE has MORE main roster championships than AEW. When I realized this, I damn near shut my laptop and did a dance. Truthfully, Tony Khan could announce another championship at any moment and ruin this entire argument, because that is simply the world we live in. But as of today, under these exact circumstances, the record shows what the record shows.

Closing Statement

The charge was simple: AEW has too many belts. The Counsel has presented the comparative data. The Counsel has addressed the counterarguments. The Counsel has submitted a pole match stipulation list that speaks entirely for itself.

What you do with that evidence is up to you.

The jury is yours.

Filed by: The Counsel | The Verdict Club

Tyler Lawson
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