Triple H unveils new WWE World Heavyweight Championship on Raw

There’s a new belt in town, and it’s very big and very gold.

Before Raw, WWE teased that Triple H would deliver a “huge announcement” on Monday’s show. He has already appeared on WWE programming twice since WrestleMania 39, but any time the head of creative surfaces, it’s meaningful. That was once again the case tonight.

With the WWE Draft starting Friday, April 28, Triple H announced that Roman Reigns would take the WWE Undisputed Championship to whichever brand selects him. The other brand, however, will have the brand new WWE World Heavyweight Championship, which The Game unveiled in the ring.

The first champion will be decided at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia on May 27.

This looks similar to the previous World Heavyweight Championship in color and shape. The WWE logo slapped on the front is a stark difference, but hypothetically, when this belt goes to a championship-winning sports team, the distinctive branding stands out compared to no logo to make it distinguishable.

Creating a new belt means more championship matches. With Reigns’ near 1,000-day run featuring only a handful of title defenses, it has left a hole in the main event of premium live events. This championship aids that issue and gives fans additional matches of significance to anticipate.

It probably means Reigns won’t lose the WWE Undisputed Championship anytime soon, either, to extend this reign and push him to heights not seen in decades. Since that may not sit well with some fans, adding a new title is reasonable fan service.

There’s also the task of not making the World Heavyweight Championship a compensatory prize. One title can’t feel grander than the other once it’s established, or it could fall secondary as the old Big Gold Belt did. That’s a long-term task, but one that can have a prominent short-term gain at Night of Champions in its presentation and how WWE works to make the first titleholder feel important.