Just a few days after introducing a brand new look to the Intercontinental Championship, it looks like there is another new belt on its way to the WWE collection. During the NFL Fox Sunday America’s Game of the Week, commentator Joe Buck introduced the Thanksgiving Championship, a custom WWE title belt that will be given to the MVP of Fox’s Thanksgiving game between the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears.
For those who don’t know, the tradition of football on Thanksgiving, specifically Detroit Lions football, goes back to the league’s origins in 1920. The Lions played their first Thanksgiving game in 1934 and over the last 75+ years, the team has hosted a game nearly every year. The team has a record of 37-40-2 in that span.
Due to being one of Detroit’s divisional rivals, its not surprising that the Bears themselves have played the fourth most amount of Thanksgiving games, behind just the Dallas Cowboys, who have hosted an annual game since 1966, and the Green Bay Packers, another key divisional rival of the Lions. Chicago is 18-15-2 in their Thanksgiving game appearances, giving them the third most wins.
So Fox are giving this away to the best player on their Thanksgiving game? Someone should tell Joe Buck that it’s a title not a belt! #NFLonFOX #JoeBuck #WWE @coachpreston315 pic.twitter.com/lKfyDXiSOw
— salemzorro (@salemzorro) November 24, 2019
Most wrestling fans will know that WWE’s connection to pro sports is a very comprehensive one. A few years ago, MLB began hosting WWE Night across the league, where a WWE superstar is normally on hand to throw out the first pitch and a WWE-inspired giveaway is presented to fans. WWE themes have been used by the NHL, NCAA, NFL and certain MLB players as their walk-up music. Athletes have called on WWE moves for touchdown celebrations as well. Not to mention a few years ago when Michigan State basketball players led the crowd in a huge “Yes” chant. It was just one of many “Yes” chants that broke out at sports stadiums nationwide wound that time.
And of course, perhaps the most notable example of WWE’s connection with pro sports comes in the form of championship parades/celebrations. For several years now, each NFL, NHL, NBA and MLB team have received a custom title for winning their league’s respective championship. And sure enough, those titles have often been worn in that team’s championship parade/celebration. Jason Kelce, Philadelphia Eagles center, even channeled Stone Cold Steve Austin in his championship speech, that would not at all have been out of place as a promo in a wrestling ring.
The Thanksgiving Day Championship will now be added to that custom belt collection and is one more way in which WWE and FOX are making the most of their partnership.
