WWE: Does WWE need to bring back the brand split?

[Cor]

I just feel that there is so much talent now, that two separate brands can be sustained. WWE would need to hire another creative staff, but that shouldn't be an issue.

Especially with it rumored that Smackdown may be moving to Tuesday's and going live. Seeing two different brands/rosters on Monday/Tuesday, would make the whole 2 straight nights of wrestling more acceptable.

I don't know. I see guys like Cesaro and Sandow that never get any momentum, and Ambrose is entering that territory, and with Owens, Balor, Hideo, Zayn, Joe, all likely coming up (or are up, in Owens case)

I feel like it would make sense. Too many guys getting smothered.

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[BUCKLE UP]

Yes.

 

[GKJ]

Kind of funny given how often we used to talk about how the brand split needed to go. And then we got an extra hour of Raw

 

[Never]

If they did, I'd want it like how it was originally, with the World Title being defended on both brands. That way, you can emphasize the IC and US Titles as being the premiere, brand-specific titles.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

No, brand split was a dumb concept.

 

[ColePens]

The brand split is actually good for Smackdown but no so good for Raw. There is absolutely zero reasoning to watch Smackdown. None. So 2 hours of Raw and a brand split to make Smackdown worth something is definitely better than the current garbage.

However... I'd like to just see separation between the shows. I don't want to see a rehash of Raw every Smackdown. Give me tag-team belts and IC belt exclusive to SD and leave it off Raw.

 

[reckoning]

How are they going to fill three hour Raw shows with a smaller roster? Are those terrible 20 minute promos that start every show going to turn into 40 minute ones?

I hated how there were two different world champions in the same company during the brand split era. The two titles devalued each other.

 

[AfroThunder396]

Yes, the brand split is the best way to expose young talent to the audience.

Raw is so ratings-driven that things outside of the main event scene rarely get developed properly.

I know this won't go over well either but we need two world titles as well. A lot of guys like Bryan, Mysterio, Edge, and Punk, and others owe some of their success to "test drive" title runs they got on Smackdown. It's the best way to let talent learn how to be champions without putting them in over their heads.

If Roman Reigns was WHC I don't think many people would be upset with it because it's a lesser title. Give him 6-8 months as champion on Smackdown to figure things out. If he sucks, back to mid card. If he's good, then you can move him over and start building him up on Raw. They could also go a long way to appeasing the IWC if they gave, say, Cesaro or Sandow a lengthy run as WHC. Let them wrestle some great matches and build their reputations. It wouldn't "mean" anything, but hey, it's a bone to give a demographic that's finding less and less reasons to watch.

The idea of "lifting" or "bringing prestige" to the WWE Championship is outdated IMO. This is the kayfabe era. We all know how this works. Champions are not driven by legitimacy anymore, they're driven by TV ratings and merchandise sales. The WWE Championship is never going to be lifted because the company doesn't take it seriously. So it losing any perceived prestige because of a second title is nonsense. We need to already have credible booking and creative before that even becomes an issue.

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

The brand split was why I stopped watching. Granted I don't watch now really now either. I find the whole concept dumb.

The WWE still controls both brands so why exactly would be brand split solve any of their current problems? If the writing is still crap and the direction is still crap, it won't matter.

 

[S A W F T*]

They would need to take RAW back to 2 hours for this to even be possible.

 

[Android 16]

They would need to take RAW back to 2 hours for this to even be possible.

Yes sir.

Plus, the rating of the program puts limitations of what these guys and gals can and cannot do. On top of that, with TNA and ROH as the alternatives, no one wants to be bold enough to potentially draw too much negativity to themselves. That's part of the reason why WWE is more stale than ever before. Frustrating to see a fan. Smackdown is unwatchable. RAW is hardly watchable. Ratings stink. Something has to change.

Not sure about a brand split, but they need to address a lot of other issues first.

 

[Paris in Flames]

Sweet Jesus No. The roster split is one of the worst things that happened to wrestling.

Does WWE have a lot of talent? Sure...but enough to sustain a 3 hour show and then a 2 hour show once you've split the talent down the middle? Don't think so.

It also kills so many feuds, partnerships, teams, etc.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

WWE doesn't even know what to do with their talent. A brand split is nice in theory until you realize that it just means the top stars of each brand will be featured way more than the lower card talents.

I mean, we all thought three hour Raws would give the lower card talents more time to shine. Instead, we get Seth Rollins in 6-8 different segments throughout a show.

 

[JackSlater]

The brand split is idiotic. Better booking would give a chance to showcase all viable talents, and it wouldn't require artificially dividing the talent within one company. Just improve the booking.

 

[Dylonus]

Brand split was because they had too much talent.

It's not there now. Mainly because they refuse to market it as such. Also doesn't help that they keep shoving either Cena or part-timers down your throat every big event. Mix that in with everyone having the most bland, generic moves possible and you find out just why the product blows right now.

 

[BonMorrison]

In theory, WWE should do a brand split - yes.

Unfortunately, WWE would quickly screw it up with superstars appearing on both shows and and overall poor writing.

 

[Balance]

1. Create brand split
2. Have Raw go from 8-10 pm (2 hours, kills the 3rd hour death slot of 10-11)
3. World title on SD, WWE title on Raw.
4. Combined Intercontinental+US title. They are defended between brands (a bridge for Raw-Smackdown rivalries)
5. Profit

Seriously, 2002 was the best era in WWE history. It was way better than the attitude era. Smackdown 2002-2004 was better than any period of WWE history.

 

[NYGBleedBlueNYR]

I think the brand split needs to happen if for nothing else than forcing them to use more wrestlers in general.

Move all the tag teams to one brand since there's only one tag title. Likely smackdown.

 

[Paris in Flames]

Stop thinking this is a good idea people. We almost always think Raw is awful. Imagine having to watch both Raw AND Smackdown because each brand has a few of your favourites.

It's sadistic.

 

[Falco Lombardi]

I could live with the brand split on a few conditions.

1. Keep one world title defending across the brands
2. Elevate the IC and US belts to be the top of the shows.
3. Make it a hard split. Don't have guys on both shows.
4. Send RAW back to 2 hours.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

I would only accept a brand split if it was NXT that took over Smackdown entirely. Not just in terms of talent but in terms of who is in charge (Trips over Vince) and allowed to run creatively as they see fit and not just utilize creative guys that they already have too many of.

The whole Raw v. Smackdown bit is not a good idea but NXT as a brand on its own has momentum. Then you'd have no reason to split the titles up because you could actually get over the idea that these are two different brands and not just the same group of people running two shows with some fictional competition between them.

There would be real motivation by the talent, by Trips, and whoever he employs to get that show over and that would push Vince and his group on Raw to get the job done. Plus, if it's a legitimate split like that, it protects more people from overexposure and maybe even gives the wrestlers an extra day off so instead of running 200 nights a year, they're only doing 150.

 

[George Binks]

I do miss the drafts they had

 

[KaseMeOutside]

they need to blow up how they format the show....raw is the same predictable trash every week. change the lighting, change the stage, watch a ****ing ufc show and see how they manage to put on long shows with all the different things they do.

it's getting to where you can tell all the wrestlers are being trained the same way, everyone does the same generic facials, all these guys get distracted by outside interference instead of focusing on their opponent, which is what real athletes and fighters do.

i hate how babyfaces never leave the ring to go after heels after chasing them out of the ring, and act like the ropes are stopping them, then there's the slow backwards walk up the ramp that everyone does and they all smile when they do it....

do you see my point yet? these little things to me add up, they are just annoying and make the show seem more fake, this is the downside to the performance center/nxt, they are all teaching these guys the "WWE" way so all the little nuances are just way too similar.

i really wish we had a legit no.2 company in the US that had the power to push vince out of his complacency

 

[ColePens]

I would only accept a brand split if it was NXT that took over Smackdown entirely. Not just in terms of talent but in terms of who is in charge (Trips over Vince) and allowed to run creatively as they see fit and not just utilize creative guys that they already have too many of.

The whole Raw v. Smackdown bit is not a good idea but NXT as a brand on its own has momentum. Then you'd have no reason to split the titles up because you could actually get over the idea that these are two different brands and not just the same group of people running two shows with some fictional competition between them.

There would be real motivation by the talent, by Trips, and whoever he employs to get that show over and that would push Vince and his group on Raw to get the job done. Plus, if it's a legitimate split like that, it protects more people from overexposure and maybe even gives the wrestlers an extra day off so instead of running 200 nights a year, they're only doing 150.

It'd be fine if WWE understood NXT is a televised show ONLY for 1 hour and ONLY in small buildings. Treat NXT like ROH. If they try to fill big stadiums w/ NXT and do monthly PPVs, it'd be a disaster. So literally taking something from their network and putting it on tv. But Vince would never do that.

The best part of NXT is the long builds and their shows freaking fly. An hour goes by in no time as opposed to 3 hours of Raw that feels like 10.

 

[Shoalzie]

No brand split...just make NXT to a weekly cable show. Smackdown offers nothing to the key storylines. It's pretty much Superstars at this point.

I doubt it'll affects Network subscribers that much. How many subscribe just for NXT and not for the PPV and the backlog content?