PhenomTheMac
OG
To use other champions as a counterpoint:
In AEW each of their champions thus far has a clear character motivation that enhanced their title reign.
Jericho - aging veteran who wanted to prove he was the best by winning another World Championship in the hot new fed and went on to create his own horsemen to engrain his dominance.
Mox - the title was validation that he was held back by the corporate WWE system and that when unleashed he was a true top-tier world champion and the guy who could put a company on his back.
Omega - very similar to Jericho, which hurt his reign somewhat. Had to compromise his morals and revert to the Cleaner to make it to a top of the mountain, a spot that would prove to rightfully belong to the man who defeated him for the title.
Hangman - needed to win the title to exorcise his own demons of insecurity and doubt. His title was the culmination of his story thus far, from failure to ultimate triumph and redemption.
On Smackdown, Roman has the most layered character motivation of any recent champion and it is a failure on WWE's part that the nuance of his reign isn't mined more frequently and overtly. But even still, the potential Face of the company-- that was soundly rejected time and again-- coming back from a life threatening, and affirming cancer bout, saying "fuck being humble, Acknowledge me for carrying this shit!" is an obvious motivation that gives his reign purpose.
Now in comparison to those examples what the hell is the point of Big E being champion? Bloodline wrecks and embarrasses the New Day and Big E promptly loses the match against Roman. A big story beat, that informs us of what? Did such a debilitating loss affect him in any meaningful way? Is he going to be more serious? Did the loss reveal a flaw that will be further exposed when he loses the belt? Without some exploration of how this reign is impacting him and how being champion has changed or reinforced who he is then it's just a series of matches. Kofi's reign suffered from the same problem, they had their moment, got their shit off, and then were back where they started.
