Brand of the Year: 2003

[D-Will316]

I have yet to see anything like this so I thought it'd be fun to name brand of the year from 2003 to today(2011) so without further ado!

Basically I didn't start watching wrestling until 2004 but I will chime in on my thoughts for this year as much as I can.


Raw

By the time 2003 started Triple H had been a 2 time World Heavyweight Champion and in the middle of one of his biggest feuds with Shawn Michaels and one of the worst with Scott Steiner. He formed evolution, and dominated most of the year.

The Rock and Steve Austin have their last feud against each other. The Rock turned heel for the final time before leaving. Austin has his last match at Wrestlemania. The Rock vs. Hogan 2 at No Way Out.

Goldberg returns and starts a program with The Rock also becoming World Champion feuding with Triple H.

Booker T main events Wrestlemania for the first time.

Kane unmasks for the first time! started off the year tag teaming with RVD then feuded with him, Shane McMahon, Triple H, Goldberg, and The Undertaker.

Austin becomes co-general manager with Eric Bischoff but loses hid half of control at Survivor Series.

Triple H walks in and out World Heavyweight Champion in 2003.

WHC title changed hands 2 times this year.

Goldberg def. Triple H(c) at Unforgiven
Triple H def. Goldberg(c) and Kane at Armageddon






Smackdown

Kurt Angle starts off 2003 as WWE Champion.

Brock Lesnar wins Royal Rumble and WWE championship twice. Having high profile feuds with Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Big Show, and John Cena.

The Undertaker goes 11-0 at Wrestlemania feuds with Big Show, A-Train, Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle, John Cena, and Mr. McMahon.

John Cena becomes one of the most over stars on Smackdown.

Hulk Hogan vs. Mr. McMahon feud.

Vince and Stephanie McMahon feuded for control of Smackdown.

The Undertaker gets buried alive. (again)

Brock Lesnar walks out 2003 WWE Champion.

WWE title changed hands 3 times this year.

Brock Lesnar def. Kurt Angle(c) at Wrestlemania 19
Kurt Angle def. Brock Lesnar(c) and Big Show at Vengance
Brock Lesnar def. Kurt Angle(c) on Thursday Night Smackdown.

Well in your opinion which brand was better in 2003?​

Based on what I've seen on youtube I watched more of Smackdown than Raw so the blue team gets my vote

 

[Murphy]

Thinking back, I can't remember 2003 all that well, but if I'm not mistaken Paul Heyman was booking Smackdown at the time. Which is why Smackdown gets my vote. I think that is a good enough reason.

 

[ROCKY VS CENA OMG]

Smackdown and it isn't even close. You had the great feud of Angle and the hottest wrestler in the world Brock Lesnar, you had Taker vs Lesnar, and you had the beginning of the John Cena era. On the flipside Raw was bombing. The Rock had left wrestling and Triple H was just burying people left and right. Goldberg's return was a bust after his WHC title reign. Chris Jericho was in a slump up until the Christian feud (That was in early 04). Smackdown was better in every single facet of 2003.

 

[morrisonfan]

If I'm not mistaken their was that Katie Vick storyline on Raw aswell at the time. Now I think more about it, Raw was truly awful, at the time.

It was in late 2002 around October. I hated that storyline.

Now for me, I am actually going to say Raw. When I think of the year 2003 in wrestling, Raw sticks right out to me. I have a few reasons why this brand was my favorite for this year.

It was the rise of Evolution. Around February they originally formed and they became one of the most famous factions of the decade. Yes, Triple H seemed to bury people and have some horrible feuds with Scott Steiner and Booker T(this one just didn't entertain me), but this was my favorite of all his characters. This was also a big year for Orton and Batista, winning their first championships in WWE, and Flair also won a championship that year, which was his first in WWE in a long time.

One of the main reasons Raw in 2003 also sticks out majorly is because of the Kane storyline. I look back on this and remember watching, wondering why they would decide to do this and thought it would be a bad idea, but it turned out to be one of Raw's shining moments. All of my favorite moments from this year involve Kane, from setting Jim Ross on fire, to giving Linda McMahon the tombstone, to being under house arrest. He was insane. And he had some pretty good feuds with Shane McMahon and Rob Van Dam. We all can't forget when Kane tied up Shane and tried to electrocute Shane's testicles. All in all, Kane was my favorite superstar in 2003.

Another thing that sticks out is that this year was the beginning of Christian's Peep gimmick where he had a complete character change, and he also was the first superstar to win the Intercontinental Championship, which became inactive the year before. Also worthy to note that Smackdown also debuted the United States Championship this year also.

All in all I don't have any major reasons why this was the best brand of the year 2003, but it's why it was my favorite. Entertainment wise, it was amazing.

 

[THEpapachamp]

haha..

Yeah but Smackdown would get my vote as well..

Hulk Hogan was headling Smackdown every week and with his Mr America gimmick.
Any show Hogan and Vince make there stamps on is THE show

Also it was the last time we seen that horrible American Bad Ass Gimmick from Undertaker

 

[TNA cross the line]

I know alot of people hated how HHH dominated RAW the entire year with the WHC and the birth of Evolution. Personally I loved every minute of 2003 mostly because i was a HBK mark as a kid and 03 was his first full year wrestling again. It was cool to see all the WCW newcomers try and take the old wcw title belt now renamed The World Heavy Weight Championship from HHH the only one to suceed was goldberg only to lose it back to HHH 3 months later. Also Austins return at the time was soo epic because nobody thought he would ever return the way he and wwe parted ways just a year earlyer. So for me i have to go with RAW

 

[darbare]

Im gonna say SmackDown was better....more things were happening on SD! that year....RAW was pretty annoying with Triple H as the champion....he was a good heel dont get me wrong, but he went over RVD, Kane, Booker T, and pretty much anyone else that came along....on SD! Undertaker was Big Evil which was cool....Brock Lesnar was awesome....him and Kurt created history with their main event match at Mania....you know what let me take that back....Rock and Austin were awesome in 2003...Rocks heel turn was awesome....Jericho and HBK was awesome.....Goldberg and Rock was cool....I give it a legit tie