The upcoming Champion vs. Champion clash between Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes at WWE Crown Jewel 2025 is one of the most highly anticipated matches of the year. However, not everyone is thrilled about the concept. During a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Live, former WWE star Lance Storm offered a strong critique of the match — not for the in-ring action it promises, but for what he believes it highlights about WWE’s current championship structure.
“I really dislike the champion versus champion — not the match as a concept, but the fact that it draws attention to having two world champions, which in essence means you don’t really have one,” Storm said while discussing the September 29th edition of RAW.
Storm argued that having multiple world titles diminishes the prestige of being the company’s top champion. He pointed to historical examples, specifically WrestleMania XIX in Seattle, which he believes suffered because of the split title system. “I don’t think it’s talked about enough that the Seattle WrestleMania [19] tanked, and it was the first WrestleMania that had two world titles on it rather than a true, authentic main event,” Storm said. “For the most part, business declined for the following 20 years. The final turnaround of business was when they unified the titles with Roman Reigns, and we had stories of everyone chasing the one true world champion.”
According to Storm, WWE’s decision to reintroduce a second world title has once again cooled momentum. “Since adding a second world title again, the general consensus is business has cooled somewhat,” he continued. “If two men can stand in the ring and argue over who is in fact the top guy, well, that’s what a world title is supposed to determine — and we don’t really have a means to do that.”
Storm concluded by emphasizing that while the Rollins vs. Rhodes segment was entertaining, it ultimately underscored WWE’s current championship dilemma. “I don’t like two world titles,” he stated. “I think that segment [with Rollins and Cody], while good, just draws attention to the fact that there isn’t really a world champion, men or women, in WWE.”
The Champion vs. Champion match between World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes is set to headline Crown Jewel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on November 2, 2025.
