No More Brand Only PPV's

[hbk&triple h]

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Due to some disappointing buyrates, and in particular the comparisons with UFC, Vince McMahon has decided to change the approach the company has for its pay-per-view shows.

The "B" shows, wile they will be listed as brand-specific shows, will start featuring talent from all three brands. Stephanie McMahon sent out a memo stating that Vince wants more of an emphasis on interbrand matches on PPV shows, thus opening up more potential matches.

Starting with Backlash, the show is scheduled to feature talent from all three brands. Batista, Bobby Lashley, RVD and Undertaker are scheduled to appear on the show. Also, the poster for the 7/22 Great American Bash PPV features John Cena, as well as Batista and King Booker.

I think this is kinda cool because it kinda helps each show and I love cross brand rivalries they can be very good and very intense.

Your thoughts?

 

[Diehard]

Its a nice way to get the cash benefits of the brand extension, while not exactly having seperate brands. I like it cuz it keeps things new and lets us see some different feuds and matches.

 

[jedite]

This is a way to make bettter PPVs, because right now, the roster of each brand are extremely limited. Also, maybe we'll finally see more than 4-5 matches on a PPV card.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

The only problem I see with this is that it mean's more Lashley. The main eventer's on Raw & Smackdown get on plenty of P.P.V's. Lashley's brand only has two a year. I dont really need to see more of Lashley. Or anybody other than Punk & RVD from ECW.

 

[BaldwinBaller08]

I think that the brands are not quite as interesting as the original idea of WWF. There were no brands or anything just the shows. Four hours a week for any wrestler to do their thing and entertain. I understand they want some time off, but usually most guys make appearances on other shows as well. I don't know though cause I was a die hard fan throughout most of the attitude era and stopped watching around 01. This past year though I have really gotten back into it. I think that ECW is not on any level near smackdown which is levels below raw. I don't know what they could do to make all of these "brands" equal...

 

[xDJx]

Maybe there tryin to relive the whole attitude era again with this i mean the lottery was lame but maybe vince is thinkin they can try to go back to the good old days of world wrestling federation.I like this idea alot

 

[robert04]

dose it mean no more ecw and smackdown? that would be like in the 80s and 90s with just raw all brands become one?

 

[jason420]

The brands were a terrible idea from day 1.

1 company, 1 champion, 1 flagship show and everything else is peripheral.

However, if we must deal with THREE seperate brands than I want to see a CLEAR DIFFERENCE between the brands so they can carve out their own niche and fanbase, for example:

RAW: Flagship, show, more traditional wrestling and storyline driven, more or less whatyou see right now.
Smackdown: Concentrate on tag teams and cruuiserweight, make those divisions credible again.
ECW: ECW should be the REAL ECW, get Heyman back running the show. Emphasis on hardore.

 

[Jonny B]

If you ask me, this is the first sign that Vince has realised the Brand Split hasn't been successful. If Smackdown cant put on its own Pay Per View’s, which for the most part they cant, then they should look at combining the Rosters. The fact is the WWE have 5 Hours of Television a Week, if they were to do one PPV a Month, that’s 20 Hours or so to build up for a Pay Per View, which in my mind is more than enough. Back in the days when they had RAW and Smackdown as one brand the shows themselves were not all that better than they are today, however the Pay Per View’s were absolutely solid and were built almost to perfection.

Without turning this into a TNA vs. WWE debate I’ll make this point. Down the road TNA are going to become a viable competition for the WWE, and with their partnership with Spike growing all the time, its reasonable to predict that they will get at least a weekly two hour show with which to build their Pay Per View’s, maybe even a second show if everything goes well. So the WWE should be looking to build their PPV’s in the same manner, throw everything into that, make people tune into RAW and Smackdown to see what’s going to be going on for the next PPV.

I have to say this Year’s Wrestlemania is looking like possibly the weakest for years, probably since WM15, and its because of the lack of TV time.

This idea of cross branding things will only work for so long, before they are just going to have to tear down the walls completely and be done with the Brand Split all together.

 

[tmangamer]

I think this is a good idea, since some PPVs have not had interesting cards so people don't pay for them. I'm thinking of December to Dismember, the Great American Bash and New Year's Revolution mainly (NyR was actually pretty good this year, but could be better).

I'm looking forward to a little bit more mixture between the brands, hope it's not just ECW-Raw and ECW-Smackdown. Raw and Smackdown could put on some good stuff together, I'm mostly thinking of making a single tag team division for the three brands.

 

[marcello]

why dont they put raw and sd together and just make it raw or simply WWE. then just have ecw?? than that would be mad because sd and raw together could put on some great matches.

 

[mrkennedy___kennedy]

well marcello if you think about it alot of superstars have been appearing on other shows so its what you see now is what would happen if your wish was granted

 

[Abyss]

I always have hated the Idea of 3 brands on WWE, there is just no distinction between any of them, when was the last time you saw any 'Hardcore' Weapons on ECW?

This is one of the main reasons I get fed up with the WWE. They truly don't care about the fans.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

They cant end the brand split now. Yeah feud's would be better but the main event scene would be full of the same old face's. If it was'nt for the brand split Kennedy probably would'nt be getting a proper oppertunity. And we would'nt have seen Batista or Cena as champion's. WAIT.

 

[Diehard]

With the announcement that Backlash, the first brand only ppv that wont be such, that HBK vs Cena and Taker vs Batista will likely headline the event it got me to thinking that if the ppvs arent going to be SD! star vs Raw star but rather still mostly SD and Raw stars facing people from their own brand for the ppv that it could pose a problem. With SD facing SD and Raw facing Raw at a monthly ppv build up time would be hit hard. Think about it Raw, SD, and ECW have about a 2 to 3 month time to build up feuds until the next brand only ppv. But know with ppvs not being brand only they only have a month which is 8 hours to build up instead of 16 to build up for a ppv cuz its not like Batista and Taker are going to feud for the SD title on Raw except for maybe some rare appearances. With not a lot of build up time WWE could hit the pitfall that TNA is hitting right now. From Genesis to Destination X just about every match has been the same except for a difference in stipulation and when there is a new feud it seems rushed. So the non brand only ppv idea could backfire unless the booking is very very good to avoid the problem of smaller build up time.

 

[HBKShowstopa]

It sounds like Vince finally got it right. Now maybe we can see more champion vs. champion matches. Maybe....

Cena vs. Taker

London/Kendrick vs. The Hardyz

I always have hated the Idea of 3 brands on WWE, there is just no distinction between any of them, when was the last time you saw any 'Hardcore' Weapons on ECW?

This is one of the main reasons I get fed up with the WWE. They truly don't care about the fans.

Well, they just had one of the better Hardcore matches i've seen in recent years just last week. (Originals vs. New Breed)