BRAND EXTENSION/DRAFT Thread: Keep It All Here

[Alastor]

Just because you watch the shows doesn't mean the rest of the viewers do. If you put main eventers on the show, does that mean you overwork your cashcows on headlining 3 brands and 3 tours at the same time? You still havn't answered my question what can WWE do to make people tune in to watch the show. Throwing main eventers is not a viable long term solution. If the goal is to put the spotlight on guys like Kofi how would making a third show with main eventers headlining the show help them at all?

Making them appear exclusively on a third show that nobody watches won't help reduce the risk of htem losing momentum anymore than now. If they are not brand exclusive then why the need for a third show in the first place?

 

[SuperSteve16]

If there was a third brand which was successful main eventers would have to be on the show, but quite frankly the WWE doesn't have too many of them right now. They wouldnt put CM Punk, John Cena or Randy Orton on the show unless it failed and millIons of people are not going to watch a show for Mark Henry, Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio or Big Show. I think that the WWE needs to get exposure to these lower card guys as well other than on NXT or Superstars but unless they make more main eventers that everyone wants to see, it's not going to happen anytime soon

 

[vampirek]

Just plain no, they already have a third brand in many respect and its called FCW. If you are good enough, train hard and prove yourself down there you get called. Superstars is somewhat the middle ground, too good for FCW but not good enough for the main roster. The problem isn't the lack of air time, which by suggesting another brand is basically your argument here. Its about the lack of focus on the lower card that suddenly disappeared when Heat and Velocity went (Ironically for a third brand). They should just scrap the worthless NxT and Superstars and just bring back two shows recorded before Raw and Smackdown. Whilst at it bring back Sunday Night Heat live before a PPV and use that as a lower card PPV whilst at same time promote the bigger PPV.

 

[J.J.]

Your idea means well, Alex Riley has been losing momentum for a few weeks now and that's because he has no character, he's stale. If many wrestlers aren't getting over on the shows now, dedicating a show to them is not going to make it any better. Tyson kid turned heel a long while back and they even tried to give him a muscle to accompany him, didn't catch on. If they're not a big cash draw or are still green, using shoes like NXT and Superstars is good enough.

 

[Da Big Champ]

@alastor it is a third brand which means the main eventers will be exclusive to the brand much like Orton is exclusive to Smackdown and Cena is to Raw. you are thinking of another show instead of brand.

WWE have loads of guys that people want to see but they havent pushed these people into main event and put world titles on them because the title picture is too crowded. If you had guys like Cena, Dolph Ziggler, Miz, Big Show, Wade Barrett and John Morrison as the Main Eventers you would have guys who were ready but are not getting the shot on Smackdown or Raw, you would have guys that people wanna watch wrestle and theres a bit there for everyone and if WWE wanted to make the brand a success then they wouldn't mind putting these guys on the brand for a year or two and you could have mid card guys who get the rub and lower card guys who can also get a rub.

 

[J.J.]

But you need a mid card. I honestly think WWE mid card is getting interesting again. Mid card is important because its also a creative tool to keeping viewers entertained throughout the show, then into the mainevent. Because they're not main event doesn't mean they have to be, some wrestlers are just midcard fixtures

 

[Dagger Dias]

NO THEY DO NOT.

WWE does not need a third brand because they are barely able to generate interest in two right now. The tag team and female divisions got merged. The midcard and main event tiers are likely to follow some day as well. In order for a third brand to be successful they would need a world titler tier, a midcard tier, a divas division, and tag teams to add to the overall tag team division. A third brand would fail miserably due to the fact that they would be unable to make enough fans care for it to stand on its own outside of the bigger brands in Raw or Smackdown.

 

[crippler]

ECW didn't work before because it was only a 1hr show that you could only build for 1 match also smackdown and raw had 3 titles each (world , IC and tag on SD) ( WWE US and Tag..RAW) all ECW had was the ECW title if they had a 2hr show with 3 titles like ECW championship TV or cruiserwieght and a Tag team title and have a few big stars on it then it would have worked and had more interest. ECW didn't work because when one of the top stars got over and was looked at as one of the top stars of WWE he got moved to Smackdown or RAW such as CM Punk.

 

[lilnev2009]

After watching raw tonight for some reason it kind of dawn on me, why has there never been an inter-brand stable? I was watching the dolph ziggler/Randy orton match and thought, boy I would love to see a stable of Ziggler, Rhodes, Swagger and Christian. But to my point why hasn't this happened? Evolution could have done it. HHH had the raw title, Orton could have won the smackdown title and batista and flair had the tag titles. It seems as smackdown guys are wrestling on raw more often then most raw guys so just have some raw guys show up on smackdown. You make swagger and christian tag champions, Rhodes the smackdown champion and ziggler the raw champion. and especially with vickie, why wouldn't this work? But take the people out of it and insert any you want to. What do you guys think? Could an inter-brand stable work or am I just dreaming?

 

[Why Always Me]

Why do people want more brands? One company should have one roster and one set of titles. When the WWF was pulling in their highest ratings there was one roster that wrestled on both Raw and Smackdown. Yes I know WCW was around but it was crap and it was another company, not part of a divided company.

When The Rock and Austin were tearing it up in the Attitude Era people weren't saying then 'oooooh, lets split the rosters so you can have The Rock, Mankind, Undertaker, Jericho and Angle on Smackdown and Triple H, Stone Cold, Benoit, Kane and Big Show on Raw', and lets have a WWF Title and a World Title. If that idea had been pitched at the start of 2000 people would of laughed. Its just stupid, I hated it at the time (although with the then purchase of WCW and acquisition of ECW it had to be done. However when The Rock, Stone Cold, Hogan, Goldberg, Lesnar etc started leaving and the talent pool started to dwindle then everything should of been brought back together.

The rosters should be brought back together so that feuds have more time to develop, having wrestlers appear twice a week instead of once allows for this to happen. Having one champion instead of a WWE AND World Champion is dumb, I would of never thought watching Austin, Rock, HBK, Bret Hart etc with the WWF title that one day that same title would spin and have another title within the same company on the same level (could even argue that there were 3 World titles with the WWECW title).

The extension needs ending ASAP.

 

[Aquaman6686]

I think the Brand Extension NEEDS to stay, and if anything they need to go back to the way it was in 2002-2006, when there were brand-exclusive PPVs, and RAW Superstars only appeared on SmackDown if the planets correctly aligned at the same time a comet passed Earth, and vice versa. Interpromotional matches should be extremely rare and a HUGE deal when they do happen. There's simply too much talent for there to be one roster. End the Brand Extension and what do you wind up with - the same 4 guys main eventing every show and every PPV, every time.

 

[Cleavo77]

I'm sure the first thing most of you will be thinking upon clicking this thread is, "Do you see ECW around anymore?". Clearly it is not. I am also aware how many of you feel about the brand extension as it is. But in all seriousness, if done correctly could the WWE benefit from a third brand. We have Live Monday Night Raw, Pre-recorded Friday Night Smackdown, and god knows what you classify NXT and Superstars as anymore.

It's pretty plain and simple that WWE has more talent than they know what to do with right now. Leading to the releases of great talent such as Masters, Kozlov, etc. But also possibly the reason why so many superstars such as John Morrison are leaving, because they are not being utilized properly, and this would definitely impact their decision to stay with the company or pursue other endeavors.

ECW was great in my opinion. It was almost like a warm-up brand. It gave us the opportunity to see up and coming talents before they broke through to the main roster. We got to see Christian, Evan Bourne, Big Zeke, Ryder, etc. all get their start here.

Here's how I see it. Tape it Tuesday before Smackdown. Air it on Wednesday Nights. Hump day. Middle of the week. 2 days removed from RAW, 2 days away from Smackdown. Hell, you could even do it exclusively on the WWE Network, while making it available online the night after for a year or so til the Network gets it's feet wet.

This would be a great place to showcase allllll that talent that doesnt have the opportunity to feud. Reks, Tatsu, Hawkins, McIntyre, Big Zeke, Mason Ryan. The list goes on and on. You could even keep it called NXT if you want, make it the "Yellow" Brand.

They could use this brand to re-invent the tag team division. Spend 2 hours every Wednesday building great stables, friendships, alliances, rivalries. This would be a great opportunity to debut a divas tag title division as well. Think about all the currently existing ones. Divas of Doom, K2 and Eve, even do lay-cool again.

RAW has the US, SD has the Intercontinental. Here is their chance to bring back the Cruiser-weight. There are so many guys on the roster that could have great matches for this title, it's time to bring it back.

This is also a great time to debut the Internet Championship. The WWE Universe can vote from a select group of superstars after every PPV, to determine who will challenge the champion, and also vote on the match type from a few different options. Giving the internet crowd the chance to finally tell us what they want to see.

Finally, what show wouldn't be complete without a brand-specific championship? Whatever they would decide to call it, be it the NXT Championship or whatever, it needs to be legit. They need to make this title something to be sought after. Perhaps it could determine WWE's top Mid-Carder. Maybe it's prestige is equal to that of the US Title, maybe a little more. It's just something the top mid-carder in WWE could hang onto for a while, before getting bumped up to the main roster.

Bottom Line? With as much talent as the WWE has, I hate seeing it go to waste. I know people have lives, but if you are a true wrestling fan, you would make room for a third show. Whether you watch it as it airs, online the next day, or just read the spoilers, you're gonna pay a little attention.

Whose got some thoughts? And please don't shit all over the concept if all you're going to talk about is "Brand Extension Sucks", you knew what this post was about when you read the title.

 

[pharrison0scorpion]

IMO, most of this post would not work. I could see the third brand working only if it was equal to Raw and Smackdown. If it worse, it would just turn out like Superstars and NXT. In other words, no one would watch it.

I could kind of see the title working that is for up and coming people to seek out, but it would have to be done in the right way. If it changed hands every month or less, then it wouldnt work. If a person has it, then they should be considered a legitimate star that could be on Raw and Smackdown. If almost everyone on that show has a reign on the main title, then it loses its effect.

Oh and divas on its own doesnt draw enough money for a tag team division to ever be considered. There is no way that would ever draw enough money to work.

The internet championship has already been done. (Z! True Long Island Story) Admittedly, its not a legit championship, but people would be annoyed if it was called the Internet championship. Even if it wasnt called the Internet championship, I still cant see it working. The Superstar of the Year at the Slammys proves that. Its only the faces that would get voted, or the most popular heels if only heels could be voted for. It wouldnt work.

Oh and by the way, NXT is normally filmed before Smackdown anyway. And if this new brand was filmed before Smackdown, it would degrade it in terms of its presence as it makes it seem inferior to Smackdown, and if it was, it comes back to my point again that no one would watch as it would turn out like Superstars.

 

[The Hardcore Kid]

I liked WWECW. I don't like that they for some reason had to tarnish ECW's name with it, and it could have been called anything else, but the concept of a third, mostly younger guys with a couple veterans brand is a good idea. WWECW built up plenty of stars, including the current face of the company CM Punk.

I'd be all for it, but I think WWECW is seen as a failed experiment, so I wouldn't hold your breath.

 

[akathelaw]

The brand system is working very nicely right now. I like that Raw gives you the big stars and the flash, while Smackdown is for long, classic matches and features in-ring specialists. The "Supershow" concept is great also because "hot" wrestlers like Ziggler and Ryder get more TV time which is what the fans want. Superstars is a great Saturday morning recap show, not sure why it isn't aired in syndication to hype the brand to kids on the weekends.

The NXT situation is what stands out to me. NXT is a weird hybrid show that is in a bit of a rut, but features some less successful veterans and up-and-comers. They wanted it to be a game show that introduced new stars... Isn't that what Tough Enough is? I think NXT should be the 3rd brand. I think it should introduce some heavy duty fan interaction to the show, through the live crowd and the internet. Let fans at the shows get in the ring and judge the rookies. Air video clips of fans ranting about the talent on NXT. Have fans vote online for their favorite. Use legends as pros more often. Lastly, give the show one championship. It can be a cup, or a medal, or even a belt but it should have a "face" of the brand. Anything's an improvement over what it is now: Odd and confusing.

 

[Kane666]

Why not bring back WCW or go old school and revive the AWA?A third brand could work.There's is definitely more than enough talent out there to fill a third show.

 

[rokuma]

I'm on the other end of the spectrum. I think this and the brand extension in general is a HORRIBLE idea at this time. I disagree. I don't think there's nearly enough talent or TV time allotted to those talents in this day and age. That's why we have repetitive matchups (really, how many times are Orton/Barrett, Show/Henry, and Ziggler/Ryder going to wrestle before everyone is sick of it? Oh wait, I already am...how about you?)

I think if the brand split were to end, a lot of the gripes most fans have would subside...IE there would be a stronger, more fresh main event scene, a stronger midcard scene, there could be a revived tag team division, and there would be more diverse and interesting storylines to choose from instead of the same old bland matchups. Adding a third brand into the mix would be a disaster in my opinion. Remember when the brand split first came about? Look at the talent that was drafted: (from Wikipedia)
- The Rock
- The Undertaker
- Kurt Angle
- The NWO
- Chris Benoit
- Kane
- Hulk Hogan
- RVD
- Booker T
- Edge
- Big Show
- Brock Lesnar
- Bradshaw
- Chris Jericho

...and many others. Are you saying the talent pool the WWE has to choose from is anywhere NEAR that loaded? Plus in the coming years they added back guys like Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Goldberg came in, Stone Cold Steve Austin had one more match in 2003, Cena came into his own, Orton came into his own, Ric Flair showed up, Batista came into his own, Christian gained some popularity, Jeff Hardy hit his prime, Eddie Guerrero became Eddie, Rey Mysterio became a main player....

...and in 2011 is the roster anywhere close to that? You have maybe Cena, Punk, Orton, Mark Henry, Show....and who else? Del Rio? Miz (I'm not a Miz fan...don't see him as legit)...Christian could be up there but he doesn't get much of a push. Kane appears to be a big-time player. Ziggler and Wade Barrett are on the way up. Daniel Bryan appears to be at the top for now. I just don't see why the brand split is a good idea in 2011. I understood it back then, but honestly it just needs to end and we need to go back to one roster and more TV time for those guys.

 

[multiverseman.com]

A third brand would be great if they didn't mention or involve the other two shows. Let Triple H run it by himself or use it to groom writers as well as wrestlers. Make it truly seperate. The FCW show could be gold if they do it this way. Don't worry about ratings and do something different.

 

[#CenaHeelTurn]

Aside from seeing an Indy (FCW) with a weekly show on "The Network", I don't think this ever happens again.

There have been countless tries at a third show, and the over saturation has shown through time after time, there just isn't a market for it.

 

[Rampage Bentley]

I'm on the other end of the spectrum. I think this and the brand extension in general is a HORRIBLE idea at this time. I disagree. I don't think there's nearly enough talent or TV time allotted to those talents in this day and age. That's why we have repetitive matchups (really, how many times are Orton/Barrett, Show/Henry, and Ziggler/Ryder going to wrestle before everyone is sick of it? Oh wait, I already am...how about you?)

I think if the brand split were to end, a lot of the gripes most fans have would subside...IE there would be a stronger, more fresh main event scene, a stronger midcard scene, there could be a revived tag team division, and there would be more diverse and interesting storylines to choose from instead of the same old bland matchups. Adding a third brand into the mix would be a disaster in my opinion. Remember when the brand split first came about? Look at the talent that was drafted: (from Wikipedia)
- The Rock
- The Undertaker
- Kurt Angle
- The NWO
- Chris Benoit
- Kane
- Hulk Hogan
- RVD
- Booker T
- Edge
- Big Show
- Brock Lesnar
- Bradshaw
- Chris Jericho

...and many others. Are you saying the talent pool the WWE has to choose from is anywhere NEAR that loaded? Plus in the coming years they added back guys like Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Goldberg came in, Stone Cold Steve Austin had one more match in 2003, Cena came into his own, Orton came into his own, Ric Flair showed up, Batista came into his own, Christian gained some popularity, Jeff Hardy hit his prime, Eddie Guerrero became Eddie, Rey Mysterio became a main player....

...and in 2011 is the roster anywhere close to that? You have maybe Cena, Punk, Orton, Mark Henry, Show....and who else? Del Rio? Miz (I'm not a Miz fan...don't see him as legit)...Christian could be up there but he doesn't get much of a push. Kane appears to be a big-time player. Ziggler and Wade Barrett are on the way up. Daniel Bryan appears to be at the top for now. I just don't see why the brand split is a good idea in 2011. I understood it back then, but honestly it just needs to end and we need to go back to one roster and more TV time for those guys.

The OP clearly stated that he wasn't talking about an equal third brand. You wouldn't have to send any main eventers over, just fill the card with the guys who are being squeezed off of RAW and SmackDown.

I'd probably set Drew McIntyre as the face of the brand, and at least for the first couple months set decent main events using guys from the big brands, then slowly transition it where the big name guys are wresling some of the upper card guys on the third brand and eventually seperate them all together.

Honestly, how do you expect to flesh out the WWE's card without a platform to give some of the lower card guys a chance to swim without the sharks. If it weren't for WWECW we wouldn't have CM Punk, Sheamus, or Jack Swagger in the spots they're in. Not only the new stars, but it also helped reestablish guys like Kane, Christian, and Mark Henry.

I think it's a great idea and with the WWE Network debuting this year, the timing is perfect.

 

[badnewzxl]

DROP SOME TALENT! They're merely being stingy and trying to scoop up all the guys who could become mega stars without them. It's not fair to those guys either, bc they aren't even making a name for themselves; Tyler Black's been wasting away in FCW for a year now, when he could have been a long reigning ROH champ and come into WWE around now with Danielson-like momentum. Hopefully, the WWE Network WILL put the FCW show on there and what they do can actually help the guys there get some exposure with the WWE Universe bc a HUGE majority of of the fans have absolutely no idea who those guys are when they come in.

Tri-branding has been proven not to work; hell, the two brand system isn't even working right now...

 

[rokuma]

The OP clearly stated that he wasn't talking about an equal third brand. You wouldn't have to send any main eventers over, just fill the card with the guys who are being squeezed off of RAW and SmackDown.

Never said the brands should be equal. I simply said that WWE doesn't have enough talent to carry two brands much less a third brand and should only have 1 roster to split the TV time. Would likely help "elevate the games" of some of the guys who go unnoticed in the lower cards and stop bringing more cookie cutter wrestlers into the limelight.

 

[DustyTheManiac]

If the 'E would create a new brand, it would propabably be just for up and coming superstars (kind of like WWECW). Revamp NXT, give it a timeslot on televison, and give it titles.

 

[trashboy]

We don't need another "brand" for WWE. I hate calling Raw and Smackdown a "brand," it's all WWE. It's one organization. Hell, everyone pretty much goes to whichever show they want anyway. I think they just need to combine the shows again. Have one world title. It's fuckin' WWE, there doesn't need to be 2 world champs. Who's the best in the company if there's two titles? I just hate the brand split, wish it would end already. And now I keep seeing threads like this pop up about wanting a 3rd brand. I say no. WWECW was good in the beginning, then it just got crappy. NXT started off decent, then turned into shit.

 

[XXJJ]

There are reports of a possible FCW show for WWE Network. I feel this would be the best option for a third show.

Yeah that would be great. I dont think their current roster is deep enough to have 3 brands. They can barely pull off two seperate brands. Look at the SD roster. Their are about 5 guys that are actually over with the crowd. The rest of the roster a majority of people dont care about, and they struggle to get any reaction from the live crowds.