Where's the Champion? 5 Mistakes WWE made with Logan Paul's reign as United States Champion
Logan Paul's reign as the United States Champion will probably go down in WWE history as one of the more disappointing runs in recent memory. The Maverick won the title from Rey Mysterio at Crown Jewel last November. He cheated to capture the title and has consistently relied on outside interference to keep the Championship.
Paul likely has great creative control since he's a crossover star. Even if that's the case, WWE made the next five mistakes with Logan Paul as the United States Champion.
#5. He shouldn't have won it in the first place
Logan Paul is a part-timer and traditionally competes at big premium live events or events in Saudi Arabia. He won the title at Crown Jewel and used his part-time status to only appear for shows like WrestleMania, SummerSlam, or Money in the Bank.
Beating Mysterio put the title on a person who only appeared sporadically. It was a bad idea in the first place since Roman Reigns, the other top Champ of the brand, was also a part-timer who appeared infrequently.
Santos Escobar was feuding with Mysterio at the time. Winning the belt could have legitimized him in the WWE Universe, and it could have helped full-time stars like Solo Sikoa, Karrion Kross, or Grayson Waller instead.
#4. WWE put him in other high-profile spots while being a Champion
As the United States Champion, Logan Paul has been afforded other title opportunities during his run. He beat the Miz to qualify for this year's Elimination Chamber match.
The Maverick joined LA Knight, Randy Orton, Drew McIntyre, Kevin Owens, and Bobby Lashley in the Chamber match. Someone like Sami Zayn, Dominik Mysterio, Jey Uso, or Santos Escobar could have taken that spot.
They wouldn't have needed to win, but being in the match would have grown their singles profiles. He also had a chance to qualify for Money in the Bank for the second straight year, but luckily, LA Knight won.
#3. Constant cheating to further devalue reign
The main theme of Logan Paul's reign with the US title is cheating. He has used brass knuckles to both keep his title and assault opponents. Paul supposedly has metal screws in his hand, lessening the need for a handheld weapon.
Regardless, The Maverick has continued to cheat against every opponent in WWE. He's also benefitted from outside interference from the minions who accompany him for his appearances.
If a star always resorts to using foreign objects or cheating, it devalues what the Champion has done. Paul has proven he can hang with top stars in WWE and doesn't need outside help.
#2. The Cody Rhodes feud happening during this reign
Logan Paul has also been afforded other opportunities while being a United States champion. He hadn't defended the title since WrestleMania but was given a shot to face Cody Rhodes at King and Queen of the Ring.
The American Nightmare had come off two wins over AJ Styles in his first feud as Undisputed WWE Champion. The match with Paul was a one-off but Rhodes could have taken that event off after two huge fights with Styles.
WWE bookers should have been just as focused on the United States title instead of having a Champion vs. Champion match.
Rhodes was obviously going to win after just capturing the title. The rest of the mid-card division had to sit and wait for an opportunity while Paul got one he didn't need.
#1. Not enough defenses of the Championship
The biggest criticism of Logan Paul's reign with the United States title is his extreme lack of defenses. Since winning the title last November, he's put it on the line only twice—two times in nearly eight months.
Promotions used to have a 30-day clause, where the Champion had to defend the belt once every 30 days. That's obviously been tossed out over the last few years, and it was never more evident than with Roman Reigns as the Undisputed WWE Champion.
Paul's two defenses involved the same star - Kevin Owens - at both the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 40. Randy Orton also challenged for the title at The Show of Shows.
Having two part-time Champs on SmackDown at the same time kept most of the roster in limbo. Both titleholders randomly appeared to defend their titles, making the opportunities for everyone else scarce.