The Return of Booger Red... ...well, sorta.

Announcers are always kept under a tight leash when it comes to wrestling.  They aren’t listening to

popular music on those headsets, ya know.  In time if successful, they are granted the freedom to infuse more of their personality into calling matches.  Sometimes, it works.  Other times it doesn’t.  One of the greatest announcers ever is Jim Ross.  During one of The Undertaker’s many persona shifts, he referred to him as “Booger Red”.  It was a reference to Undertaker’s red hair and an ode to ex-Atlanta Falcon Tommy Nobis.  Before long, Ross was asked to stop using the moniker.  It made sense. 

Unless you were the burping badass in the Revenge of The Nerds movie, being called “Booger-anything” wasn’t cool.  It sounds more like an insult than anything else.  However, memories of the aforementioned name have resurfaced after the creation of the WWE Universal championship.  A copy of the WWE World title with a red background instead of a black one, the WWE Universe did not take to kindly to it appearance.  The argument was simple:  if RAW is a different brand than SmackDown, why on Earth would you present something that looks the same as their version? 

The last time WWE had a brand extension, there were two top championships:  the original WWE championship and the World Heavyweight championship.  The World Heavyweight title was the latest and final (we hope) incarnation of the legendary Big Gold belt.  And while it would eventually have its own history, it wasn’t the same thing as being the WWE Champion.  So while battles of the World Heavyweight title became main event matches for brand-exclusive and co-branded pay-per-views, you never really could get into them like you did for a WWE title match.

Thankfully, the Universal championship doesn’t have this burden to bear.

The name has been used for decades by Puerto Rico’s World Wrestling Council.  That particular title came into existence after a proposed but vetoed unification match between Carlos Colon and NWA World champion Ric Flair.  Flair carried the physical predecessor to the Big Gold belt into battle with him against Colon (who won the match).  When Flair was a traveling champion in the early 1980’s who boasted about defending his World title against challenger Hulk Hogan would not, it was the Big Gold Belt he carried.  So much of pro wrestling then and now has been built on the foundation of that particular championship and the belt that represented it.  Its influence can still be felt today.

The WWE Universal title is unlike any before it.  It begins its existence with a clean slate and an amazing roster of wrestlers who would challenge for it now and in the future.  Finn Balor’s injury when he captured the belt against Seth Rollins has set the table for Kevin Owens to do his thing.  Now, WWE fans are getting to see what Owens can really do in the biggest match situations of his career.  So many people say Cesaro should at least be considered for major title status.  Should he be victorious against Sheamus in their best-of-seven series, he will get his opportunity.  Rusev is fresh off of a United States title loss but remains a dark horse.  I’d be foolish to forget Chris Jericho, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns.  The best thing about all of these guys (and whoever I have failed to mention) is that they are all hungry.  Each man is licking his chops for the chance to wear this new championship.

The Universal championship gives the RAW roster the change to actually CREATE history as opposed to just “making” it.  So don’t pass judgment on the belt or beat up its appearance too bad.  Give ol’ Booger Red a chance again.  You’ll be glad you did.

Fin.