Brand Split coming in July

[wildturkey]

WWE announced today that Smackdown is going to air live on Tuesdays (on USA network) starting in July. And with it, there's going to be a brand split to make what they say is a "distinct feel" for both shows.

Those are all the official details but I've been scouring the Squared Circle on reddit and some peeps that have been plugged into things in the past said it's gonna look like this:

-World champ is universal and can move between both shows
-IC/US Title will be on separate shows
-Tag Teams will be exclusively on Raw
-Women's Division exclusively on SD

 

[Ewa PGH Fan]

This could be great or suck like the last time. IMO it's all on creative to make it work this time. The dirt sheets are reporting that the guy in NXT Creative that make NXT so good has been promoted to Smackdown. I take that as a very good sign WWE will make the split great this time!

 

[Duffman]

I think we'll see the Women's champ move between both shows like the WWE champ since they are promoting them as equals.

 

[futballiscool]

I'd prefer as true a brand split as is possible. No multi-brand champions. Completely separate rosters and storylines.

You don't need multiple world championship either.

I got into wrestling in the late 80's/early 90's so this could just be a product of childhood nostalgia but I would love to see them rehabilitate the prestige of the Intercontinental championship. Macho Man, Warrior, Mr Perfect, Bret Hart, Steamboat, Shawn Micheals.. That belt use to signify one of three things... You were the best worker in the company, you were a future main even fixture, or you were both the best worker and a future mainevernt fixture..Make that the Smackdown title and restore it's prestige. Imagine Owens, Wyatt, Cena, Styles and Cesaro feuding over that belt as the biggest championship of their brand. It would be back 1990 level prestige in a few months

 

[futballiscool]

One World Title on Raw, One on Smackdown, IC and US are the secondary titles- one per brand..

July 11th is possible draft date...

Possible WWE Draft Date, Brand Split Rumor On The WWE Women's Division, More Backstage Talk - WrestlingInc.com

 

[Duffman]

Doubt they go back to 2 world titles.

 

[futballiscool]

Doubt they go back to 2 world titles.

It's being strongly reported.

I think it works as long as they keep the brands completely separate and the titles at an equal level

 

[Ewa PGH Fan]

It's being strongly reported.

I think it works as long as they keep the brands completely separate and the titles at an equal level

Which WWE had a lot of trouble doing the last time but we'll see if this time is any different.

 

[Old Lion]

Could be an opportunity for a rival to step up and challenge WWE since they are dividing themselves they would be easier to conquer.

 

[Duffman]

Which WWE had a lot of trouble doing the last time but we'll see if this time is any different.

They really only did that towards the end when they didn't have the talent to sustain 2 separate brands. When the brands split in 2002 and I'd say maybe up until 2009 there was hardly ever any of that except for stuff like Survivor Series & Royal Rumble hype.

 

[Ewa PGH Fan]

They really only did that towards the end when they didn't have the talent to sustain 2 separate brands. When the brands split in 2002 and I'd say maybe up until 2009 there was hardly ever any of that except for stuff like Survivor Series & Royal Rumble hype.

Yeah, when injuries hit hard the concept was kinda ignored without WWE saying the split was over.

 

[wildturkey]

Sounding more and more that they are gonna do two World title. Meltzer reported that along that there's strong indication that Reigns is "the guy" on Raw and Cena will be "the guy" on SD.


I don't really like the two title idea. They just have settled into a nice groove with one champ. The second belt always means one is less than the other and we'll just go right back to the same dynamic where there's the main guy, a b level champ, and IC/US belts don't mean shit and get ignored. The brand split era was like the worst part of WWE from like the last 20 years and it sorta seems like they are starting down that road again already.

 

[futballiscool]

Sounding more and more that they are gonna do two World title. Meltzer reported that along that there's strong indication that Reigns is "the guy" on Raw and Cena will be "the guy" on SD.


I don't really like the two title idea. They just have settled into a nice groove with one champ. The second belt always means one is less than the other and we'll just go right back to the same dynamic where there's the main guy, a b level champ, and IC/US belts don't mean shit and get ignored. The brand split era was like the worst part of WWE from like the last 20 years and it sorta seems like they are starting down that road again already.

For me it's all about execution. When you have Punk, Cena, and the Rock fighting over one belt while ADR and Swagger fighting over the other it's obvious which belt is more important. When HHH had one belt and Kurt Angle had the other or Benoit had one and Eddie Gurrero had the other the belts both felt like legitimate championships.

Now if you have a tournament to decide the first Smackdown champion and the final is Cena/Styles at Summerslam while Rollins and Reigns are fueding over the other belt neither feels watered down to me.

They have so many main event caliber guys right now I think they can easily pull it off

 

[anotheridiot]

thats why Cena will be on Smackdown and Reigns will be on Raw. The bigger names will be with the new show. I just think they have some work to do. When Rollins went down, HHH took all the importance out of the WWE title. He PUT it on Rollins, do what he says and he will LET reigns wear it. All the work Lesnar did to make that title back like a world title went away in a stupid segment. IF they blow this up again, at least its champ against champ for a world belt again.

Cena made the US belt important again, for all I care that can be the main championship on smackdown. IC belt, main belt on Raw, WWE belt, both shows.

 

[wazzu31]

So if Smackdown's ratings aren't where they want are they going to do the Super Raw or whatever they call it? They kind of basically have to do 2 world titles. How can they develop storylines when each show only has 1 real title that all of them a vying for especially in a PG era style show. In the era where anything goes then you can develop storylines that don't revolve around titles to me it just doesn't make to much sense.

 

[Hitman Hart]

So if Smackdown's ratings aren't where they want are they going to do the Super Raw or whatever they call it? They kind of basically have to do 2 world titles. How can they develop storylines when each show only has 1 real title that all of them a vying for especially in a PG era style show. In the era where anything goes then you can develop storylines that don't revolve around titles to me it just doesn't make to much sense.

RAW Supershow, I think.

2 World Titles in one company is so dumb. I don't think the IWC shits on the WWE enough, for having an 11 year period, where they had two "world" titles.

Completely agree with the poster who said that the brand split started to falter in 2008-2009, when they no longer had the talent to support it. Was pretty much a result of John Laurinitis being a shitty VP of Talent Relations. I know I'm in the minority, but I also liked the single brand PPV's. I believe the the beginning of the end for the brand split, was when they scrapped those, and made every PPV multi-branded.

Would also love to see Roode on the main roster. Love his work. Still has the GOAT TNA World Title run.

Personally, I think the World Title, Women's and Tag Team titles should be defended on both shows. Make the IC and US Titles brand specific. With that said, I don't know if the WWE has enough women talent to execute my idea.

 

[wazzu31]

I think two world titles is dumb too but having the main titles crossing over all the time will lead to IMO Smackdown becoming the B squad again. Who's really going to want to watch Smackdown for the US title run when the world title and IC title runs are on Raw?

 

[futballiscool]

Keller is saying it's a near lock that Cesaro, Styles and Zayn are going to Smackdown.

 

[futballiscool]

Personally, I think the World Title, Women's and Tag Team titles should be defended on both shows. Make the IC and US Titles brand specific. With that said, I don't know if the WWE has enough women talent to execute my idea.

What I love about the brand split is the idea that more talent gets a chance to shine. You can't slot Reigns, Cena, Rollins, Ambrose, Wyatt, Orton, Styles, Balor, Kevin Owens etc all in important feuds if there's only one roster. With two rosters you can pull it off. Plus talent like Ziggler, Rusev, Cesaro etc can feel like important upper mid card talent instead of getting completely lost in the shuffle. If you have champs going from show to show it's going to take TV time and stop the continuity of the mid card and upper mid card programs. I think this needs to be a clean roster split with everyone on one show only

 

[Hitman Hart]

What I love about the brand split is the idea that more talent gets a chance to shine. You can't slot Reigns, Cena, Rollins, Ambrose, Wyatt, Orton, Styles, Balor, Kevin Owens etc all in important feuds if there's only one roster. With two rosters you can pull it off. Plus talent like Ziggler, Rusev, Cesaro etc can feel like important upper mid card talent instead of getting completely lost in the shuffle. If you have champs going from show to show it's going to take TV time and stop the continuity of the mid card and upper mid card programs. I think this needs to be a clean roster split with everyone on one show only

While a lot of this is true, having no tag team division on one show doesn't make any sense to me. Then again, it is the WWE, and they've been shitting on tag team wrestling for years now.