I’m trying to get my head around how the belts get won in wrestling. I can’t seem to work out how someone gets to challenge for the belt is it simply that they are on a hot streak and then a feud with the champion builds into a challenge for the belt?
What other options do I have? Royal rumble for a chance at the belt holder? Ladder match for the belt?
Money. Belts get won by people who will draw money when they hold it. At least, that’s the idea.
The story logic is subordinate to the real world logic of commerce.
That’s what it seemed like – I just wanted to check if there were some vague formats you could follow
Sure, but I think any decent fictional justification is acceptable in wrestling.
Someone on a win streak is good. Someone having a personal issue with the Champ and goading them into a title match. A win over the champ in a non-title match or a tag match. You can use a tournament like the G1 in NJPW. You can use special matches like the Royal Rumble, Money in the Bank etc.
Anything vaguely plausible works.
The Rumble you mention is one way– a “Money in the Bank” match. They win a prize and then get to book any match they want. But in game, I’d think that you could ask for a belt shot when you get a result where you get to book a match. You might not be scheduled to win, but you’d get a shot and maybe could do something to change the outcome. That’s how I would handle it, especially given the compressed time frame of the game.
Belt owners take home a larger paycheck each show. If management owes someone a favor then a titleshot is good compensation. Use judiciously, otherwise it’ll look like modern WWE. if that favor is dealing with something outside the arena, and is possibly criminal, then it adds a crime/noir dimension. Like Blood Red Turns the Dollar Green or Charly Manson’s RL
Kayfabe-wise, a “#1 Contender’s Match” is a tried-and-true storytelling technique used to justify who gets a title shot. This can either grow out of an existing feud between two or more non-title holding performers, with the title shot as the prize for winning the feud, or it can grow out of a feud between a title holder and a non-title holder – the non-title holder has to “earn” their way into a fight against their rival, or the rival tries to interfere with the match in order to deny their rival the opportunity at the belt that they want.
Justifications for being in a #1 Contender’s match are generally similar to justifications for someone getting a title match without one – a hot streak, or a personal issue. As mentioned earlier, so long as it’s a vaguely plausible reason, it’s within the bounds of fairly traditional pro wrestling logic.
The King of the Ring used to get a title shot as well. Plus there’s all the feuds that spin out of a tournament bracket. See Lucha Underground’s Battle of the Bulls for a great way to execute this.
Having the champ pick their opponent is great. Face champs can pick plucky underdogs, heels people they think they can beat –which leads to upsets.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jzL1aOWs0c The crowd really wanted Zack Ryder to win. (This was back when his Youtube Show was a hit.) youtube.com – Raw: Sheamus vs. Zack Ryder – WWE Championship Match
Also Sheamus looks wicked young here.
I quite like the king of the ring idea…
Tournaments are criminally underused in WWE, but are used to great effect in the smaller/independent promotions. Top Prospect, Survival of the Fittest, Battle of the Bulls, Battle of Los Angeles, etc.
also can;t forget the greatest tournament in wrestling – NJPW’s G1
Blood Red Turns the Dollar Green is a must read for all WWWRPG creatives
Belts are also won to allow somebody else to win them without damaging a face by having them face off against each other. So called transitional champions
gerwyn walters I’d forgotten about that. Good point.