The Attitude Era was bloody, aggressive and, at times, so out of left field that you'd find yourself watching wide eyed because no one should be able to do something like that. Not then, and especially not now. But that Era was also a gold mine of creativity, every show and every story raising the bar for how outrageous sports entertainment could be. From pouring cement into your boss' car to fighting all over an empty mall, without forgetting the iconic milk truck, there was no limit for how far you could go. The more chaotic, the better. However, with time, things began to change and colouring outside the squared lines became less habitual. That's not to say it stopped happening all together, in fact, the PC/Thunderdome Eras brought back a little taste of it, but it wasn't enough. And that's why today we're going to talk about the 24/7 championship.
Many have questioned, and continue to do so, the existence of this boundless division and even the legitimacy of its reigns. Since being introduced as a new anything-goes-anyone-holds title, the pure chaos it allows has confused fans all over the globe because championships are taken so seriously nowadays, how can a division be composed of everyone with a title that can be won anywhere. But the easiest way to explain it's quite simple: the 24/7 championship is the best of the Attitude Era. It's the privilege of having no rules and the ability of exploring your creativity with the freedom it should always have.
It's safe to say that R-Truth, currently listed to have 53 reigns, is the face of this championship and the person it will always be associated with because along with Drake Maverick, for example, he was able to take the chaos into an entertaining madness. There have been champions of all kinds, from Pat Patterson being the oldest to Tucker holding it for four seconds, passing all the way through The Revival being the only tag team to win it while Kelly Kelly was the first woman to do so and, of course, Ted DiBiase buying it from Alundra Blayze. The list of champions is enough to get a laugh out of anyone and it truly is safe to believe that, if the opportunity ever presented itself, even the Pope could be champion.
Truth be told, however, the intensity of this seemingly unstoppable train has dimed since its introduction but that changed the moment Dana Brooke was faster than the ring full of men about to jump the fallen title holder. The visual of that scene alone is a sight to behold, as Dana holds the belt and everyone takes a step back, unsure if they should continue the hunt or leave her be. Intergender matches aren't a modality featured on WWE's catalogue, with the only possibility for something being the Mixed Match Challenge - and even then, it doesn't happen how many wish it did -, and the 24/7 Championship, while being a grey area, always shows some uncertainty when it's time to dethrone a female champion.
That being said, the soap opera mess that arouse from Dana's victory is no short of extraordinary considering that one day she will have to be dethroned by, possibly, one of the participants. Akira Tozawa, who became a ninja during his pursuit of R-Truth, and Tamina are both on the hunt for the title but Dana has a powerful ally: Reggie, the person with the second longest reign at 112 days... Vastly behind R-Truth with 412. As if this it wasn't already entertaining enough seeing four completely different characters attempting to achieve the same goal, the soap opera of it all kicks in when they're paired up with possible romances flourishing. It is Spring, after all.
If the flame from the 24/7 championship dimmed when R-Truth became less involved with it, these four have been able to not only bring it back to life but expand it significantly. While most of their moments are scheduled tag team matches in the ring, the fun never stops with moments happening all over the arenas and even outside, with those videos popping up all over social media. For their efforts to making chaos entertaining again, may this serve as a thank you and appreciation open letter to everyone involved.
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