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A lot can be revealed regarding titles in WWE when you look at several things, including who is holding the title and how frequently the championship is defended or booked.
When the Intercontinental Title was booked in the 1990s, it was usually a precursor to a superstar joining the main event.
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It happened for Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Stone Cold Steve Austin, the Rock and Triple H. Even Chris Jericho became a nine-time IC Champion.
But just because someone holds a title, it doesn't mean that it will be treated as a worthy goal or booked like something worth fighting for.
The US Championship is as historical as the IC title but is often an afterthought on SmackDown and PPVs.
It could return to the prominence it should have if some booking decisions around it were better, like longer reigns, more focus on it and exciting superstars holding it.
Since the Women's Tag Team Titles were just added to the roster, it's far too early to predict just how WWE will book the titles and in what regard the titles will be held in. They will be defended across brands, making it the first recent title to be used in that fashion.
So just which titles are the top ones in WWE based on booking and focus and which ones should be ranked higher than they currently are? Here they are ranked from lowest to highest in WWE's pecking order.
#9 US Title
Current Champion/Former Champion: R-Truth/Shinsuke Nakamura
How long he/she will be champion: Will probably lose title before 'Mania
Unfortunately for the Superstars not in the main event of SmackDown, they get the honour of battling for the United States Championship.
While it once was a respected and honoured championship, it seems like the least important of the titles in WWE.
The champions are rarely on episodes of SmackDown and the belt has changed hands in less than two days twice in the last year.
Not to mention the fact that it is routinely placed on the pre-shows of PPVs much like the Cruiserweight Championship.
While it isn't booked in the best terms, it certainly could if they went back to featuring both singles champions weekly while slowly rebuilding the title.
As it sits, R-Truth won the title from Shinsuke Nakamura two days after Nakamura won it at the Royal Rumble.
If titles are supposed to mean something, there needs to be more to the reigns and more focus placed on promoting it as a title worthy of chasing rather than a prop that shows up once a month on television.
#8 Cruiserweight Title
Current Champion/Former Champion: Buddy Murphy/Cedric Alexander
How long he/she will hold title: Might drop title at WrestleMania but should hold title until early summer
Like the US Championship, the Cruiserweight Championship is usually relegated to showing up on the pre-shows for PPVs.
And what a shame that it is. If you haven't watched the last two pre-shows of the Royal Rumble or the Elimination Chamber, then you missed some great performances from not only the current champion in Murphy but also his challengers.
His Fatal Four-Way at the Royal Rumble was fast-paced and fun to watch and showcased the strengths of Kalisto, Akira Tozawa and Hideo Itami.
And his singles match against Tozawa at the Elimination Chamber was just as wonderful a match with some exciting high spots.
The fact is, WWE would be better served having put these matches on the main card, either to kick a show off or follow a match that might be slower-paced than usual.
205 Live might be coming to an end sometime soon, but Murphy and Cedric Alexander would slot in perfectly on either brand.
The title will likely still exist, but the show may not. The integration of its stars has already begun with Drew Gulak showing up in NXT, Noam Dar in NXT UK and Mustafa Ali on SmackDown.
Hopefully, for the hard-working superstars of 205 Live, the title will start to get a little more attention on the main cards of future PPVs.
#7 Raw Tag Team Titles
Current Champions/Former Champions: The Revival/Bobby Roode and Chad Gable
How long they will hold the titles: Until WWE finds the next flavor of the week, possibly 'Mania
The supposed flagship show's titles aren't treated like they should be. If Raw is the top show, then the tag team titles should be treated as such. But they haven't been.
The division has been a mix of singles wrestlers as champions (Ambrose and Rollins, McIntyre and Ziggler, Roode and Gable) as well teams that have faced start-stop pushes to their momentum (Deleters of Worlds, Authors of Pain).
As happy as I am that The Revival currently hold the titles, the reason behind why they do is not a good sign.
Simply putting titles on unhappy talent might keep them around, but it doesn't set a good precedent for how you deal with your superstars.
WWE sort of booked themselves into the situation with The Revival, especially with those awful matches with the Lucha House Party.
The Revival is a throwback team to the likes of the Midnight Express and the Brain Busters, but they were booked like jokes.
While they are currently the champions and booked seriously, how long will that last? Will they only be placeholders until a new, more exciting team is penned to be champs?
#6 SmackDown Tag Team Titles
Current Champions/Former Champions: The Usos/Shane McMahon and the Miz
How long they will hold the titles: Until at least 'Mania; dependent on Superstar Shake Up
The SmackDown Tag Team titles have had a much better existence than the Raw Tag Team titles during the brand split.
They have mostly been swapped between The Usos, The New Day and The Bar with a new team mixed in every few months.
The Bludgeon Brothers and the Miz and Shane McMahon both had reigns as champs but one ended due to injury and the other ended due to a potential match at WrestleMania.
But regardless of those two reasons, the matches have usually been great even if they have contained the same three teams.
With The Hardy Boyz reunited, they might get a run with the titles in the near future. Other teams like SAnity and Nakamura and Rusev would also be good choices, but creative doesn't have faith in either team.
In order to keep things from remaining stale in the division, new blood needs to win the titles and have a long run with them. Otherwise, it's just business as usual in the division, even if Mr. McMahon thinks it isn't stale.
#5 SmackDown Women's Championship
Current Champion/Former Champion: Asuka/Becky Lynch
How long she will hold the title: Hopefully until SummerSlam, but Mr. McMahon might have eyes for a new blonde
If there is one division that's had some good booking over the last half year, it would certainly be the SmackDown Women's Division.
While it appeared that Charlotte Flair was going to lord over the division once she won the title from Carmella at SummerSlam, Becky Lynch's 'heel' turn caught fire and she was actually treated like the face in the feud by fans.
Since the sleight turned Lynch into a superstar and one of the top stars in all of WWE, a long reign was expected for her.
But once the whole Survivor Series feud with Ronda Rousey kicked off and wasn't able to be seen through to its fruition, lynch's reign as SmackDown Women's Champion was on borrowed time.
She would soon lose it to Asuka in a triple threat match at TLC. Luckily for Lynch, she was slated to challenge Rousey anyways at 'Mania, so she didn't lose much face.
But in terms of the division without Flair and Lynch around, there are slim pickings in regards to just who is really a believable threat to Asuka.
She shouldn't lose the title to just anyone and hopefully, she doesn't lose it in a multi-person match in April.
#4 Raw Women's Championship
Current Champion/Former Champion: Ronda Rousey/Alexa Bliss
How long she will hold the title: Likely losing the belt at 'Mania to Becky Lynch
As much as some fans have hated the fact that Rousey basically came in and won the Raw Women's Title within the same six months, the fact is that she has been almost everything she was advertised to be.
While she often gets too emotional on the mic, her in-ring work is among the best women in WWE and it's remarkable how far she's come so quickly into her career.
Before she took the title from Alexa Bliss, the division had basically been cleaned out by Bliss and the heel-now-face-now heel Nia Jax.
Even though hardcore fans have rooted for the likes of Bayley or Sasha Banks in matches against Rousey, the division has stabilized and helped propel the aforementioned women to tag team gold.
The division will obviously open up once Rousey drops the title, presumably at 'Mania. Lynch hasn't feuded with a good portion of the Raw roster and will likely hold the title for a while.
#3 Universal Championship
Current Champion/Former Champion: Brock Lesnar/Roman Reigns
How long he will hold the title: Hopefully loses it at WrestleMania 35
Obviously, people are probably wondering why the Universal Championship is only third, but a portion of people know the main reason why - Brock Lesnar.
It was created during the brand split to be the top belt on the top show (Raw) in the WWE. But as much as some people might hate to hear this, the title is somewhat cursed.
Finn Balor was the first champion and he had to relinquish it a day later due to an injury sustained in the match for it with Seth Rollins.
Kevin Owens was probably the most stable Universal Champion, but he was booked as the 'cowardly heel' until he lost it to a part-timer in Goldberg.
Goldberg lost it to the void that has become Lesnar and Lesnar basically held Raw and the WWE hostage for more money while being champion.
Once he finally lost it to Roman Reigns, things were headed in the right direction, but we all know what happened with Reigns until the recent announcement of his Leukemia's remission.
The title should have been held in much higher regard, but due to giving it to Lesnar on two occasions, it has lost its luster and appeal as the top prize.
If it isn't available to be both seen and battled for consistently, it isn't as important as titles like the Intercontinental Championship and WWE Championship. Hopefully, things will change at WrestleMania unless WWE really wants to enrage fans even further.
#2 Intercontinental Championship
Current Champion/Former Champion: Finn Balor/Bobby Lashley
How long he will hold the title: Hopefully for a long time
Since WWE decided to put the Universal Championship back around the part-time waist of Brock Lesnar, the holder of the Intercontinental Championship has been the featured singles champ of Raw.
The workhorse nature of the title was reinvigorated once it was the main title for the superstars of Raw to battle over with Lesnar never around.
Superstars like The Miz, Dolph Ziggler, Seth Rollins and now Finn Balor have done well to keep the title at the forefront of the WWE, unlike the US Title.
The matches for it were among the best of the year, especially during Rollins' reign as champion. It harkened back to the days when Shawn Michaels, Razor Ramon and Bret Hart all battle for the title.
Once a full-time champion returns to hold the Universal Championship, the IC Title might get pushed down the card a bit since those who battled over the IC Title will be gunning for the big red belt.
It will actually help the brand from top to bottom as up and comers like Aleister Black and Ricochet can gun for the Intercontinental Championship first while current main-eventers like Rollins, Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre can fight for the Universal Championship.
That won't mean that the work rate nature of the title should change as long as someone like Balor holds the title.
#1 WWE Championship
Current Champion/Former Champion: Daniel Bryan/AJ Styles
How long he will hold the title: Might be losing it at 'Mania or shortly thereafter
In essence, the WWE Championship, regardless of show, should be the main prize in all of WWE.
It's been around longer than the Universal Championship and has been held by men like Randy Orton, John Cena, CM Punk, Rollins, Reigns and Triple H. And that's just in the last few years. The Universal Championship cannot boast a list of holders like that.
Since the WWE Championship was the main singles title prior to the brand split, it was somewhat of a shock that Dean Ambrose took it to SmackDown during the split.
WWE likely meant for it to be right below the Universal Championship, but due to once again, putting it on the part-time Lesnar, it backfired on WWE.
The WWE Championship became the top prize in WWE again, and it became a sign of hope for men who might not have been considered a main champion on Raw like AJ Styles or Daniel Bryan.
Much like the IC Title, the matches over the last six months have made it a workhorse title, or held by superstars who's work rate raises the stakes of the matches for the title.
Guys like Styles and Bryan had great matches for the belt regardless of how the matches might have ended.
And if those two didn't do enough, Kofi Kingston has done an amazing job of finally getting creative to treat him like a main event star.
While it didn't always get the best treatment under the reigns of Jinder Mahal, Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt, the WWE Championship became the top prize in WWE due to WWE's own reluctance to give the Universal Championship to a full-time star worthy of defending not as a cowardly heel (Kevin Owens) or as a sporadic champ (Lesnar).
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