Scott,
Did you know about the WWE's copy of the Big Gold Belt they used for Flair (see second post):
http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/mma.cfm?go=forum.posts&thread=1810216&forum=68&page=1&pc=12
Nope, but that's a hell of an interesting article for belt geeks like myself.
Proving once again Scott Steiner is far more intelligent than any of us give him credit for.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I don't understand about belts is this notion of original vs. replica. I was at a TNA house show where Don West was pimping that the World Title belts they were selling were originals, since they bought the mold. But it seems to me that every belt is a replica, no? And the only "original" belt is the one that happened to be produced 1st, but in reality no more special than the copy that came after it, and the one after that, etc. It would be like saying, "Not only do I have Action Comics #1, but I have the 1st one that came off of the press!" It's arbitrary,
ReplyDeleteAnd what differentiates what you can buy from wweshop.com from what the wrestlers carry around with them, if not for fake jewels, not a leather backing, etc? And since there are tons of belts WWE has on hand (hero/tv belts vs. traveling belts), how is any one belt more important than another? It's like the talk that Warrior used to always lose his belts. Clearly the physical thing isn't so special if they just get another one, like replacing a DVD.
Of course, in this day and age, WWE has no "belts," just championships, so the physical thing to them doesn't matter and is simply a representation. But back when belts mattered, what made one version of a belt more important than another?
In 1994 when Hogan was WCW champ, Flair had another title belt and was calling himself the real champ after he beat Hogan by count out in August. What belt was that?
ReplyDeleteIIRC that was the International World Heavyweight title and was the actual "Big Gold Belt". When WCW split from the NWA, WCW kept possession of the physical belt so they just renamed it. What helped mess everything up is WCW stripped Flair of the WCW title but he was still recognized as the NWA champ until he signed with the WWF.
ReplyDeleteThe WCW World Heavyweight title was actually the different belt. But when the titles were unified in '94, they returned to using the "Big Gold Belt".
That first picture in the article...doesn't the name on the belt read "RICK FLAIR"?
ReplyDeleteAll these years I've been spelling it wrong...
The article points out that the RICK FLAIR name plate was a misspelling and was soon corrected. It also names the individual who owns that name plate, which I imagine is probably worth a small mint to collectors.
ReplyDeleteI just thought it was funny that, for all the time and effort they put into creating that belt, nobody thought to take a second to double check the name.
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't recall ever seeing a Ronnie Garvin plate for that belt when he held that title. It was just a hole where the name should be, leading me to believe that he was too cheap to have one made, and all but announcing to the world that he was a transition champion.
I remember what you're referring to, and I think it's the Vegas belt discussed at the link. I think there was a promo with it at Fall Brawl '94.
ReplyDeleteYeah, thank you. I know the difference between the International World Title and WCW title and all that nonsense (I've been a fan since '88). And I agree with you, this "Vegas" belt they're talking about in the article had nothing to do with his WWF run and was part of that angle. I think you're right about something about it during Fall Brawl that year.
ReplyDeleteAnd that WCW was way more dysfunctional than we'd ever thought.
ReplyDeleteSomeone needs to get on Steiner via Twitter and get to the truth about the belt.
ReplyDeleteReally neat stuff. I was just reading about the "Ten Pounds of Gold" book the other night and wondering if he'd ever do a book about the "Big Gold Belt". I don't know that there has ever been a better looking belt, although the classic Intercontinental belt design comes closest I think.
ReplyDeleteI've never liked this WWE version of the belt as much, even before they made the version with the WWE logo on it. I guess it must be the two-toned thing the article talks about on the original. The current version just looks like it was spraypainted gold, even though it might be real.
ReplyDeleteNear the end of WCW, the top of the big gold belt (the one that was used after Jarrett laid down for Hogan) was bent backwards. Does anybody know the story behind that? It would also lend credence to the idea that Steiner switched the belts, since I don't recall the belt that Booker T brought to WWE having a bend in it.
ReplyDeleteThere is a HUGE difference between the replicas compared to TV belts. Mainly the plate thickness and etching (most replicas tend to be exactly half of the thickness and etching than the TV ones). Also most TV belts have highly produced crystals while the replicas have cheap plastic, you get simulated leather on the fakes while real leather on the TV belts. There are so many little details different from a TV strap to a say a deluxe replica. To the common eye it may not be noticeable but if you were too compare the belts side by side their is a massive difference.
ReplyDeleteThere's actually two different versions of all the current WWE belts as well -- the versions for TV called the "hero belts" where it's the fully detailed ones that show up in HD, and the junkier and cheaper versions that the guys carry around with them to house shows. They're not allowed to take the HD versions with them, as the company retains possession and hands them out like TV show props when the show starts.
ReplyDeletePhenomenal article all around...
ReplyDeleteIt was damaged backstage one Monday Nitro, and fixed quickly (i.e. in a week or so). By that point in time they had a few cast copies they substituted for a week or so. These were given to the regular top guys like Nash, Sting, DDP, and Jarret (though Hogan wound up with that one; Hogan does NOT have the original.) I seriously doubt that the original is in Steiner's possession; he had one of the copies, and may have indeed switched it out at one point, but the thing to remember is the WWE didn't want to bring him in at first. I don't think that's unrelated, in fact. That's just speculation on my part, but I would think the WWE would want to check for the original jeweler's hallmark on the original belt.
ReplyDelete