Fighting Spirit: Juice Robinson Should Have Kept The IWGP US Championship

Juice Robinson dropped the New Japan United States Championship to Cody on Sunday and many are wondering whether that was the right move at this time for the surging Robinson.

Professional wrestling is built around the in-ring abilities of men and women from around the world, along with their ability to get their characters “over” with the millions of fans that consume the content.

Since leaving the WWE in 2015, Juice Robinson has been one of the men to watch because his development as both a character and on the action he delivers from bell to bell. That is why many are questioning whether or not it was the right move for him to lose the IWGP United States title to Cody after winning it a short time ago.

The answer to that question is clear: this was not the right move to make at this time.

Now, this isn’t a knock against Cody. He’s been doing great work since leaving the WWE; continuing to build not only himself in the industry, but helping to further the development of the independent scene. He’s recently stated that he intends to dedicate more time to the New Japan promotion and that will be a benefit to the organization and everyone who shares the ring with him; but this victory over Robinson doesn’t help a wrestler that was becoming what could be considered a “home grown” talent.

There’s an idea that some wrestlers “need” titles while others do not. For example, John Cena and the Undertaker do not “need” titles to put on important and exciting matches. On the other hand, there are those that need titles to build their stature in the promotion.

At this time, Robinson is one of those men on the New Japan roster that benefited from having this title around his waist. Cody did not need said title, especially after winning the NWA heavyweight title at the successful All In show a few weeks back.

Without the United States title he could easily be inserted into storylines with the likes of Kenny Omega or even Chris Jericho to focus on other titles that the brand has to offer. Yes, he comes with the “American Nightmare” mantra to fit the United States title, but he’s no more American than Juice Robinson.

After Sunday’s match, the question for Robinson now becomes “where does he go from here?” If he continues to chase Cody and gets an immediate rematch, it’s completely plausible to see him take the title back; but that would immediately demean the fact that he lost it in the first place. Is he relegated back to minor feuds in the organization? Unlike other champions, or other names in the promotion, it’s very difficult to elevate Robinson to a bigger feud coming off of losing what was the most important title that he’s held in his career to date.

Losing the title doesn’t mean that all hope is lost for Robinson. His development alone in New Japan shows that he has the talent and the abilities to become a big name performer in this industry. He and Cody delivered a very solid, throwback-style match that has a place in today’s professional wrestling. Plus his character presentation and promos are amongst the best in the industry. There’s still hope, but losing the New Japan United States title at this time is a questionable move that causes pause for those that hoped New Japan had big plans for Juice Robinson.