The 24/7 Championship gets its name from the 24/7 rule it follows, meaning that the champion should be ready to defend the title anytime, at any place, and against anybody, as long as a referee is present to officiate the match.
The title was introduced by Mick Foley on the May 20, 2019 edition of Raw where Titus O’Neil became the inaugural champion in a weird scramble that required a wrestler to secure the championship by the wrestler first picking it up.
Because of the 24/7 rule, there have already been nineteen reigns between nine different wrestlers. R-Truth has eight reigns to his name with the longest one being 12 days. There’s no use in stating the obvious: the title is a joke. It is a time-pass championship created for the under-carders to have something to do.
Unlike the Hardcore Championship which followed the same rules, 24/7 Championship has yet to see a reign by a non-wrestler. But surely by the law of averages it will happen soon, and it could kick-start the demise of the championship.
So in this article I will take a look at eight non-wrestling personalities that should become WWE 24/7 Champions. Because why not?
1. Michael Cole
To most, Michael Cole is considered the Voice of the WWE. And rightfully so. The man has lent his voice to WWE since 1997 and has been the lead play-by-play announcer for Monday Night Raw since 2008.
Many strongly believe that Cole is just a puppet for Vince McMahon and find him annoying, whereas some think he’s great at his job. Needless to say, he does his job like he’s supposed to and is a future Hall of Famer.
But have you wondered what Cole would be like with the 24/7 Title on his shoulders? Perhaps this question had been more suitable if the current year was 2011, when Cole was actually a heel figure who had a match at WrestleMania XXVII with Jerry Lawler.
But this is WWE, and like they say, anything can happen. What if Cole got another heel turn and he captures the gold? Imagine a 24/7 title match is going on, and the two wrestlers use the announcers table for a devastating finish, only this time both of them succumb to their lack of stamina. Both are lying on the destroyed announcers table, and Cole just decides to throw his headset and papers from his hand and straight up pins one of the wrestlers to win the 24/7 Championship.
The title will surely be elevated to a higher status. Or not… I think I may have inadvertently described one of my nightmares while writing this.
2. John Bradshaw Layfield
It has been 10 years since JBL retired and nearly one and a half years since he stepped away from the SmackDown Live commentary team.
Now, while JBL wasn’t the best wrestler in the world, he talks a very good game and knows how to draw heat.
He can become the indifferent vet who has come back for a short run because he can. He doesn’t care about the newcomers or giving a chance to them. He only cares about himself, and he’s here just because he felt like it.
JBL’s ability to draw heat like few others, coupled with the fact that he has a finishing move that’s great for the surroundings 24/7 Champs often find themselves in – The Clothesline From Hell. The guy has won the world title with this move and it can be used pretty much anywhere without a lot of preparation.
3. Mike Chioda
Okay, here’s one that’s not so bad and has the potential to actually turn out to be interesting.
Mike Chioda, the longest-tenured referee in WWE history, as the 24/7 Champion. This one wouldn’t even be random if handled correctly.
So, Chioda is a man who has been with WWE since the late 1980s. He has officiated a lot of matches, and I mean a lot. He thinks the number is over 15,000. Naturally, he has also received his share of beatings by wrestlers. So what happens when during a 24/7 title match, an arrogant wrestler misbehaves with an official and he thinks he has had enough. What is Chioda just straight up sucker-punches the guy and gets another referee to count for him and successfully pins the champion.
Yes, granted, the angle won’t go too far and it basically runs its course on the first night only. But I honestly think it would be kinda cool if this happened.
4. Hafthor ‘The Mountain’ Björnsson
Most people know him as Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane from the HBO series Game of Thrones, this guy is a freaking beast. He has unreal superhuman strength, and has won the Arnold Strongman Classic, Europe’s Strongest Man and World’s Strongest Man in the same calendar year. This guy can deadlift a 474 kg elephant bar. He’s 200 cm ( 6 ft 9 in) and weighs 200 kg (441 lb) – this guy’s no joke.
So, what happens if he steps foot in a ring in WWE? One can only imagine. If he becomes the 24/7 Champion we can be sure he will have one of the longest reigns. I mean, who would want to go against this guy? And how can they? I imagine the challengers would have to form a team just to take him out.
5. Conor McGregor
He has already been in a lot of lists of “Non-wrestlers we want to see in WWE” articles. MMA fighters successfully transition into pro-wrestling without many issues. And McGregor might be the one MMA fighter with the most appeal – I don’t think there are a lot of people who wouldn’t want to see him in WWE.
The question is – who would we have him go against? He would surely be booked as a top star and I don’t think he would be subjected to losses – at least not clean ones.
That’s exactly where the 24/7 title comes in. What if McGregor decided to go on a rampage and decided to keep the 24/7 Championship to himself? He would have multiple matches in a week and would still successfully defend the title. It would definitely elevate the title and make it look prestigious.
6. Tyson Fury
Tyson Fury is such a personality in professional boxing that would fit well with the shenanigans in WWE. He has the charisma and can talk well, and has surprising athletic ability. In his professional boxing career, he has had 29 fights and won 28 of them – with just one fight resulting in a draw.
It would be a crazy event if Tyson Fury actually wins the 24/7 title. The Gypsy King would definitely be able to carry the title around and it wouldn’t even look stupid. Whatever the man wears, it just suits him.
Even though it wouldn’t be for more than a one-off appearance, it would still be fun to see Fury carry the title around backstage and defend it from the rest of the locker room.
7. LeBron James
The list continues to feature more and more famous sports personalities. Getting LeBron James in WWE will be great for the company – it’s a no-brainer.
I would love to see the self-proclaimed “greatest of all time” in the ring, or anywhere for that matter. And he is widely accepted and well-liked as the best of all time. The WWE could do a short programme with him capturing the 24/7 title and it’s surely going to be fun.
Also, tell me you wouldn’t want to see him swing someone for 24 hours straight.
8. Jason Momoa
Jason Momoa, known for playing Khal Drogo from Game of Thrones and more recently DC’s Aquaman, seems like a cool guy until someone crosses him or makes him angry.
This kind of personality would work well in WWE. He could play the guest who wants to avoid confrontation when possible because he knows he will mess you up if he gets angry.
Let’s say he appears on Raw as a guest, and the 24/7 Champion interrupts him, and more crucially, disrespects him. They could do an angle where Momoa finally snaps and unleashes his wrath on the champion, pinning him for good measure, and taking his title from him. He could then just relinquish it in the next second, and throw it on the former champ’s face. This would be a cool moment and would highlight Momoa’s laid-back personality.
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