According to a new report from Sports Illustrated, there is a reason behind the introduction of new championship belts, is because Paul Levesque wanted to freshen up all the titles and present a new look, per multiple sources that spoke with SI.
It was said Reigns’ new title, which he was presented on the June 2 episode of SmackDown, supersedes the two belts he is wearing, especially given its lineage.
Sports Illustrated also notes that when Reigns was given the new title, Paul Heyman had the WWE and Universal Title Belts on each of his shoulders. Sources also told SI that there is a possibly Heyman, which is under consideration, that creative may have Heyman continue to carry both belts in addition to Reigns wearing the brand new title.
The report further notes the reason to keep the extra titles, which is that it differentiates Reigns from the other champions and that the WWE Championship belt represents WWE’s past—having been carried by Bruno Sammartino, Pedro Morales, “Superstar” Billy Graham, Steve Austin, Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels—while the universal title has its own meaning, becoming more valuable on SmackDown than the world title was on Raw. The significance behind all that history is supposed to be transferred onto Reigns’s new gold belt.
Sports Illustrated concluded by saying that the Bloodline story is expected to carry the summer for WWE television.
New championship belts were presented to Raw Women’s Champion Asuka on last week’s SmackDown to SmackDown Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley on this past Monday.