The very first United States Championship from the WWE was given this adult replica by the Figures Toy Company. It has a simple yet bold design. See it in all its glory here.
The United States Championship is a title that dates back to the NWA, moved to the WCW, and now is in place in the WWE. When the WWE (then WWF) purchased the WCW and all their titles, they unified the WCW United States Championship with the WWF Intercontinental Championship in 2001. The WWE later had a brand extension where the enormous roster was split between Raw and SmackDown. Championships were reorganized, and the United States Championship was reintroduced for the SmackDown brand. The first WWE United States champion was Eddie Guerrero, who won a tournament which spanned several weeks and culminated at Vengeance against Chris Benoit on July 27, 2003.
The Figures Toy Company manufactured this adult replica of the WWE United States Championship in the mid-2000s. It has a total of six, 2mm thick metal plates that shine with a gold mirror finish. It is simple and light, yet bold and bright.
The main plate has a unique design similar to an upside-down pentagon with a few other shapes placed over. The majority of the center plate is painted similar to the American flag. Measured at the center, it is approximately 9.1 x 9.1 in (23.3 x 23.3 cm). The WWE logo is at the top of the main plate in white and black paint. The logo is set within a black-painted hexagon shape. Below the logo is a gold banner with the words “WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT” etched inside. In the center of the main plate is a black banner with the words “UNITED STATES CHAMPION” etched in gold. Near the bottom of the main plate is the name plate with two faux front-mounted screws. In reality, the name plate attaches to the main plate by two screws at the back. Additional blank or etched name plates can be purchased from the Wrestling Super Store or Figures Toy Company websites.
The first two side plates are identical but mirrored from one another. They are rectangular in shape, but the bottom sides slope diagonally toward the main plate. These measures approximately 2.75 in wide by 4.25 in tall at the longest side (7 x 10.5 cm). These side plates feature a light etching of an eagle resting on top of a shield with the WWE logo painted white and red within the shield. The eagle is holding a red and white striped banner. A blue-painted square with a white star at the center is placed above the eagle,
The second two side plates are identical, but the rectangular shapes are mirrored. Again, they are rectangular, but the bottom sides slope diagonally downward towards the main plate. These side plates measure approximately 2.4 in wide by 3.25 in tall at the longest side (6.5 x 8.1 cm). A portrait of the Statue of Liberty is engraved on these side plates with white stars painted at the corners.
A third side plate (or sixth property plate) is on the right side of the strap. It is an octagon shape with lengthy sides, measuring approximately 2.1 x 2.5 in (5.4 x 6.3 cm). It is mostly painted black except for the four corners which are gold with white-painted stars. The middle of this plate has the words “PROPERTY OF WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT” etched in gold, and the WWE logo is painted at the center in white and red.
The strap itself measures approximately 51 in long and fits up to a 44 in waist. It is made of a simulated leather with “WWE CHAMPION” tooling stamped at the top and bottom of the strap to the snap boxes. A sort of vine and leaf design is stamped around the snap boxes, and the snap boxes themselves are sewn onto the strap. The snap boxes house 8×2 male snaps and 5×2 female snaps. The back of the strap has a patch with all the licensing and manufacturing information.
This WWE United States Championship looks and feels small for an adult replica. It weighs just over 4 lbs, which is on the smaller side of championship belt replicas. The etching is very simplistic and light, and it’s hard to make out the eagles on the first side plates. The belt relies on the bold colors of the red, white, and blue paint, and the updated version with the WWE network logo adds even more paint! Still, fans of the Ruthless Aggression era of the WWE, or Eddie Guerrero fans, might want to add this belt to their collection.