WWE: Brand Extension Returns

[Habsfan18]

Smackdown going live with its own roster and writing team?

This has my attention.

 

[Cor]

That would be a good unintended benefit if true. I think the Rumble and Money in the Bank matches should be the only time they mix. Twice a year is a sufficient amount of mixing the promotions but I really hope they don't do the yearly draft gig again. It waters it down. It should be rare that a talent moves over and I would've made it that it can only happen when the main title holder lost and had to choose where to go to. Not a fan of trades or annual drafts unless there is a crop of talent coming in from the outside.

I like the drafts personally.

It's an exciting premise. Add in the prospect of that being a day where NXT talent can be called up, and it can be much better than in the past.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Smackdown going live with its own roster and writing team?

This has my attention.

The writing teams honestly have never really been a problem because they've never been in a position to become the problem. Vince is final say and until that changes, the meaning behind the writers only goes so far.

 

[Cor]

The writing teams honestly have never really been a problem because they've never been in a position to become the problem. Vince is final say and until that changes, the meaning behind the writers only goes so far.

Hopefully HHH gets final say.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

I like the drafts personally.

It's an exciting premise. Add in the prospect of that being a day where NXT talent can be called up, and it can be much better than in the past.

If it's new talent coming in from the outside, I can get behind the draft concept but if it's just a day to move talent around from Raw to Smackdown and vice-versa, I don't like that at all. If they want to do trades every so often or make a match every so often that allows a program to pick a talent to take, that's fine. It just shouldn't be THAT much and it shouldn't be a yearly mix-up of talent exchanges.

 

[Cor]

If it's new talent coming in from the outside, I can get behind the draft concept but if it's just a day to move talent around from Raw to Smackdown and vice-versa, I don't like that at all. If they want to do trades every so often or make a match every so often that allows a program to pick a talent to take, that's fine. It just shouldn't be THAT much and it shouldn't be a yearly mix-up of talent exchanges.

Well ideally it can be a bit of both. NXT call-ups, outside talent debuting, and then switches between brands.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

People should pray to God that Triple H gets the final say of Smackdown because if Vince McMahon is involved, everyone's favourite commentator is going to suck.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Well ideally it can be a bit of both. NXT call-ups, outside talent debuting, and then switches between brands.

I think it being solely outside talent would make it better for all involved just because you give NXT time to refill the cupboard and you give talent a fairly fixed time frame for doing work in NXT before being able to get the call-up. But I think the draft idea is a little too much trying to mimic a sport when it's wrestling.

 

[Emperoreddy]

The writing teams honestly have never really been a problem because they've never been in a position to become the problem. Vince is final say and until that changes, the meaning behind the writers only goes so far.

This. If Vince has final say on both shows than this is going to suck royally.

They have enough trouble putting together one good live show regularly. I don't have a lot of faith they can spilt the roster and put on two.

 

[Blitzkrug]

Weirdly enough, rumors were flying that WWE commissioned a new world title a couple months ago. Here is a supposed pic of that new belt.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Weirdly enough, rumors were flying that WWE commissioned a new world title a couple months ago. Here is a supposed pic of that new belt.

Not sure I buy it but that is a design (with some tweaks) that I can get behind.

Hope if this is a belt that they still have side plates.

 

[Cor]

So despite this news, it's expected another round of cuts is coming soon, possibly in the next couple days.

 

[Hackett]

Is it just me or is there alot of revisionist thinking going on?

If I remember correctly, the vast majority hated the brand split orginally and couldn't wait to see them unified again.

Sure, you can argue that there is more talent to go around this time, but I don't think this will change the perception of raw being the premier product.

If both brands had nearly the same equity, then it would be a great idea, but I still think smackdown will only serve a certain niche, while raw attempts to serve its entire range of audience.

Before attempting this, they should have focused much more on building that SD brand, to make it feel more like RAW's equivalent, rather than RAW's little brother.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Weirdly enough, rumors were flying that WWE commissioned a new world title a couple months ago. Here is a supposed pic of that new belt.

I don't buy it. It has wrestling in there. lol

 

[Kimi]

Weirdly enough, rumors were flying that WWE commissioned a new world title a couple months ago. Here is a supposed pic of that new belt.

I'm quite sure that belt was confirmed fake when it made the rounds before. But I guess we'll see.

 

[joshyhockey26]

Is it just me or is there alot of revisionist thinking going on?

If I remember correctly, the vast majority hated the brand split orginally and couldn't wait to see them unified again.

Sure, you can argue that there is more talent to go around this time, but I don't think this will change the perception of raw being the premier product.

If both brands had nearly the same equity, then it would be a great idea, but I still think smackdown will only serve a certain niche, while raw attempts to serve its entire range of audience.

Before attempting this, they should have focused much more on building that SD brand, to make it feel more like RAW's equivalent, rather than RAW's little brother.

if raw stays at 3hrs, smackdown will always be their little brother. five hrs of content in two days is a lot.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

if raw stays at 3hrs, smackdown will always be their little brother. five hrs of content in two days is a lot.

I think Smackdown going live is going to be a big boost to its perception. I don't like it being Tuesday though. It probably should be Friday. The talent is there. I don't think the logistics are there though with all the backstage stuff that needs to be in the right spot to make this kind of thing work. I'm not expecting much of a change but if it sticks and Smackdown is live plus maybe they dump the Hell in a Cell and TLC PPV's in the process, I can at least see some good for it happening.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Shane and Steph will be on separate shows (not surprisingly).

Cena and Reigns will be the headliners on the two brands (not surprisingly).

I'm wondering if Styles may get a title reign on one of these shows. It was reported that there are still big plans for him, so I think this opens up the possibility of him becoming World champion on whichever brand he's on and having a great program with John Cena through the summer and fall. That is, after he's done with The Club/Balor.

 

[Sheppy]

Cena as a title holder on one show, and Reigns on the other? Barf.

 

[Blitzkrug]

Cena will probably put guys over though. And he might run with the mid card belt anyways. Think what NJPW did with Nakamura when he was their IC champ equivalent.

 

[Sheppy]

I want one of these shows to focus on Wyatt a lot, like more than anyone really.

 

[Virtanen18]

I don't know how anyone could not be intrigued by this, considering how crap WWE has been for the last few years. It's new, it's fresh, why not?

Also, love that the other world title is coming back.

 

[OmniSens]

Interesting for sure. Wonder how much it'll mirror what they did back in the mid-late 2000's

 

[Emperoreddy]

Cena will probably put guys over though. And he might run with the mid card belt anyways. Think what NJPW did with Nakamura when he was their IC champ equivalent.

He won't if Vince has any say in this.

In his world there has to be "The Guy". They apparently have zero plans to take the belt off a Roman anytime soon (sorry Seth)

 

[Emperoreddy]

I don't know how anyone could not be intrigued by this, considering how crap WWE has been for the last few years. It's new, it's fresh, why not?

Also, love that the other world title is coming back.

Because the brand spilt sucked the first time and they already can't put together one good 3 hour show.

Now you take talent off the bad show and spilt it with the other show and...ya. Don't see this being any good.

The only highlight of the spilt was Heyman running SD, and you didn't need a spilt for that to work. It was just because the head booker was really damn smart and not Vince.

NXT is great because HHH books it well. No talent spilt gimmick or anything.