Promotion and Relegation in Pro Wrestling

[Okay Fabian]

Quote from Wikipedia:

“In many sports leagues around the world promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season in which teams are transferred between divisions. The best-ranked teams in each division are promoted to the next-highest division, and at the same time the worst-ranked teams in the higher division are relegated to the lower division. This process may continue down through several levels, with teams being exchanged between levels 1 and 2, levels 2 and 3, levels 3 and 4, and so on.”

This is done most prominently in European soccer leagues.

Could (or should) a similar process be instituted for WWE Superstars?

I realize that pro wrestling is not true competition, but there is already an unspoken structure of the A, B, C, D show, etc. I think it would bring something similar to what NXT’s records do. Realism. I think it would be good for all Superstars to have a win-loss record. It gives a “what are we fighting for?” element.

For instance, after Wrestlemania, instead of a draft, the best stars from FCW move up to NXT, the best stars from NXT move up to SD!, and the best stars from SD! move up to RAW. And at the same time those who are struggling on RAW get moved down to SD!, those who are struggling on SD! move down to Superstars & FCW (skipping NXT of course, as NXT is for Rookies)

Is such a visible promotion and relegation structure possible?
Is it plausible?
What would it look like?
What would it mean for WWE Superstars , the WWE Universe?
Would it damage a Superstar’s credibility?
Would it discourage viewers from watching SD!, Superstars, FCW, etc?
Would the hierarchy make surprise debuts obsolete?

Anyway, just an interesting thought experiment. Discuss.

 

[Ferbian]

It wouldn't work for WWE superstars, because in the end, we'd have all the main eventers (those who are doing good) moving up to RAW if they're on Smackdown, all those who aren't in the main event picture yet, or wouldn't be ready would then be stuck on Smackdown, and there would be nobody to really put over as a legitimate world champion if you ask me, because it'd just be two upper mid-card wrestlers fighting for a main event title, wouldn't seem proper if you ask me.

And in other cases, it'd just leave RAW with both world titles, and then Smackdown wouldn't be as exciting.

I like how they're doing it now, the draft is coming up to make some regulations in the rosters, and it will ultimately serve a purpose of making new exciting feuds, which would be the only reason to have the football regulation system working, so why actually make it a legitimate showing that "oh this guy is doing shit, we're bumping him down to the now "official" crappier show" people wouldn't tune in to watch Smackdown as much as they do now if they know they're just getting the crappier product.

Besides, you'd need to put on a ranking system too of points etc. to properly grade of whether the wrestler did poorly or did great in the "season" which would again put forth the whole "oh but that guy is crappy, and he's getting bumped down to Smackdown now, where he'll be alongside the rest of the people that wasn't good enough to be on the now official better show"

Keep it like it is I'd say.

 

[richunclescrooge]

I would like to see something like that as far as championship matches go. There are a lot of #1 contenders that either won one random match to get it or are just randomly named it themselves. If they at least showed WHY each guy was involved in a #1 contenders match (which they actually kind of have done with edge/jericho) it would be more exciting.

Things like that would bring a little more reason and logic to why matches happen