Say Hello (Again) To the WWE World Heavyweight Championship – Here’s Why It’s So Important

WWE Championship Week, a celebration of the 60-year history of the most prestigious title in sports entertainment, started with a bang yesterday. But by the end of Monday night, Triple H made an announcement that rocked the foundation of the professional wrestling world in ways the WWE Universe was not expecting.

While WWE Championship Week celebrates the old, Triple H was forward-thinking in his groundbreaking announcement: It's all about the future. 

Say hello to the World Heavyweight Championship.

Triple H wasted no time describing the type of WWE Superstar that will hold the title. "This will be a champion you can be proud of," he told the sold-out crowd in Chicago. "This will be a champion you can respect, that you can admire. This will be a champion that will defend this championship anywhere, any place, anytime all over the world." 

Interestingly enough, Triple H seemed to throw shade Roman Reigns' way with comments that are sure to raise eyebrows from within The Bloodline. 

"This champion will not have to demand your acknowledgment," he said. "This champion will earn your acknowledgment and will earn the title of World Heavyweight Champion."

RELATED: What Is The WWE Draft And Why Is It Crucial To WWE Programming?

Fans in attendance were stunned but reacted to the news of this new championship with overwhelming support. A new era has begun in WWE, and once the dust settles from the 2023 WWE Draft, the WWE Universe will get a clearer picture of who will be in contention for the World Heavyweight Championship.

You're not wrong if the term "World Heavyweight Championship" sounds a little familiar. You're not wrong if it also looks a little familiar, too. 

Longtime fans will recognize the title's design as an updated version of the classic WCW "Big Gold Belt" world title from the '80s and '90s. But, of course, the World Heavyweight Championship existed previously in WWE, having made its debut in 2002 when it was awarded to — you guessed it — Triple H, courtesy of Eric Bischoff.

If enough time passes, everything comes full circle — and it's appropriate that Triple H was the first beneficiary of the World Heavyweight Championship in 2002 while being the person to announce its return in 2023. However, the updated design of the championship is polarizing, to say the least, as the title borrows heavily from the WCW-inspired original championship while adding design elements from modern-day WWE world titles. (By the way, we look forward to reading the neverending discourse about how the championship looks throughout social media for the rest of the week.)

While we were surprised at the verbal side-eye Triple H shot in the direction of the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, it's obvious why a new world title is needed in WWE: Roman Reigns has monopolized both titles and through clever politicking that even Triple H admits he's proud of, he doesn't have to defend his championships nearly as often as the WWE Universe would like.

Remember, thanks to Roman Reigns' ungodly, impressive run for the last three years, he managed to capture the Undisputed Championship and the WWE Championship as he has risen to a level unseen in professional wrestling history. So something had to be done. With the WWE Universe's best interests in mind, a new world championship had to be created. 

The timeline is confusing, but WWE had two world champions until WrestleMania 38 when Reigns defeated Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship. So now it's back to the status quo — until, of course, Reigns inevitably wins the World Heavyweight Championship and gets closer to going full Thanos on the WWE Universe. (Oh no, we just jinxed it, didn't we?)

Whether you're for or against the World Heavyweight Championship being reintroduced, we can all agree that this will lead to more opportunities for some of the most elite members of the WWE roster. It's anyone's guess who will step up to the plate and be crowned World Heavyweight Champion, but plenty of Superstars can claim to deserve it. Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Brock Lesnar, and even Logan Paul can argue that they would be the most deserving champion. 

Fortunately, the WWE Universe won't have to wait long to see who will take home the new championship. According to Triple H, the new World Heavyweight Champion will be crowned at Night of Champions on Saturday, May 27.

How the champion will be decided is still up in the air. Perhaps Triple H will decide a tournament is in order, pitting the top contenders in WWE against each other in a battle for supremacy. Anything's possible. 

You never know. Eric Bischoff's schedule may be open on May 27. 

Catch up on all things WWE Universe on Peacock.