Raw and Smackdown Differentiation

[Metalhead0290]

With the upcoming return of the brand split, it has me thinking how far are they going to go in order to differentiate between the two shows. For the longest time I have missed the different sets as well as the ring rope colors. Having the same set and boring white ropes for both shows has made the look of all shows extremely boring to look at. Yeah, that's not a major concern, however having a good stage and ring setting can make or break the atmosphere of a show, which can provide a solid foundation to build a program with.

I really hope they bring back these changes. I love the darker look of the older sets, such as back when they used black for the ring posts and steps. That combined with the red and blue ropes gave off a great look and atmosphere to the show. Everything looks so bright and overproduced now. NXT has an amazing looking set. If they made a larger version of that with red or blue ropes for Raw/Smackdown, that would be amazing. I also love black ropes too which were used by WWE back in the day too.

This is the perfect opportunity with the brand split and the supposed "new era" beginning to really change it up and craft an interesting new presentation for each show.

What are some of your thoughts? How would you like to see them present and differentiate the shows in this new era?

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I may be in the minority, but I don't really care how the sets look so long so long as they look professional. I don't care what color the stairs are, what color the steps are or the ropes, etc.

Both shows need their own identities to the extent that it can't just be that "Well, Raw is the A show while SmackDown is the B show." With SmackDown going live, it's a mentality WWE should do away with in the first place. While I know this is unlikely to happen, I think the best ways to differentiate the brands is for Vince to allow creative to have more freedom with what they do. That might possibly be THE definitive reason why NXT has felt like such a breath of fresh air: Triple H is the final creative voice in NXT, yet he allows the writers of NXT a strong amount of freedom and input rather than just writing the show based around just how Vince wants it, which is what writers on the main roster have had to do at times. I'm not talking about having the women run around in thongs, stiletto heels and pasties on their nipples or someone dropping the F-bomb during promos or any of that other juvenile nonsense. Allow the wrestlers to use their own words more, allow the writers to come up with less formulaic scenarios regarding show set up, promo segments, etc.

 

[Navi]

Yea I don't really care either. Unless you don't know your days of the week then it should be pretty obvious which show you're watching. Plus with the rosters being brand exclusive as they say it will, you will get to know who you can expect to see and who you can't.

I'm not sure they will go the extra mile and make a completely different set for SD. Although having not watched that show in forever can't tell you right now if the set is already different from RAW.

 

[dsotm5150]

It's highly unlikely we'll see a set update for either brand, the HD set seems to be the norm these days, which is fine. I would like to see a vast difference in the products presented between the two shows though.

 

[No Count Pup]

The look and feel of the set does matter. If any part of an on-screen product is boring it needs to be changed. Why not maximize value on investments rather than put in tens of millions for subpar visuals? WWE should take the "New Era" thing to heart and give the shows the facelifts they need (ropes, entrances, and ramps for starters). Raw and Smackdown are also long overdue for better intro themes. Maybe Raw can do like the early Brand Split days and put the announcers nearer to the back like where the Nitro announcers used to be.

 

[Metalhead0290]

The look and feel of the set does matter. If any part of an on-screen product is boring it needs to be changed. Why not maximize value on investments rather than put in tens of millions for subpar visuals? WWE should take the "New Era" thing to heart and give the shows the facelifts they need (ropes, entrances, and ramps for starters). Raw and Smackdown are also long overdue for better intro themes. Maybe Raw can do like the early Brand Split days and put the announcers nearer to the back like where the Nitro announcers used to be.

This is exactly what I am thinking. If you are trying to re-brand a "new era" for the product, a new image is definitely needed for the production of the product. Also, with the added brand split, there needs to be a separate image for each show to actually visualize the fact that there is a split. It's the perfect opportunity for them to revitalize the look of everything to add a new flavor to the visual experience.

 

[blueskyy]

I'm curious as to how they would run both brands. Yes, making the sets different would liven things up, but it would not be make or break deal changer. If the brand changes are just cosmetic changes, and the running of RAW and Smackdown stays the same (but just with a different name), the ring appearance is the least of my concern.

 

[Metalhead0290]

I'm curious as to how they would run both brands. Yes, making the sets different would liven things up, but it would not be make or break deal changer. If the brand changes are just cosmetic changes, and the running of RAW and Smackdown stays the same (but just with a different name), the ring appearance is the least of my concern.

I was primarily focused on visual presentation differentiation when I created this thread. Like I said in my first post, visual presentation isn't a major concern in the big picture, but it can create a solid foundation for a product to build itself on. Almost like a snapshot of the image and style you want the show to be. Sort of like how WWE used to differentiate between PPV sets more than they do now. I'm simply curious as to how they will visually present the new era and the brand split. Because of the non brand split right now and the same exact sets with boring colors being used, I am visually tired of the presentation. I'm looking forward to see how the update their image.

 

[Hem]

The look matters to me because it gives the show a different identity. I think the RAW set is fine and should be kept as the standard set but the Smackdown set needs to be completely redesigned.

I don't want to go back to the big fist or anything previously used because the previous brand split is a failure and the set could be a reminder of that.

I believe they should have a different styled ramp where it's not just a straight runway from the back to the ring. There was a NXT special but I can't remember which one which was pretty different. The stage and the ramp were different for that.

I think it would be cool to see the audience completely surround the ringside area and create an almost complete O shape with just a small gap for the wrestlers to come through

Also the show needs new music.

The interesting thing to me is that will PPVs have a different set? I don't care if the same set is used for every ppv but it must be different from the Raw/SD ones.

 

[TDFG]

RAW being 3hrs compared to Smackdown being 2hrs would suggest that RAW is going to have more 'star-power', while Smackdown will have it's mixture of stars on the way up and some veterans, much like it was in the last Brand Extension.

Smackdown going live will probably have either a World title match or some sort of gimmick match for US/IC/Tag Titles in it's early weeks.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I would bring back the red ring ropes for Raw and the blue ring ropes for Smackdown, for starters. Those were great. Next, the brand lines would be strongly enforced. If we're doing the brand extension then there should be no one from Smackdown showing up on Raw, and vice versa. Make the viewers WANT to tune into Smackdown, so they can expect to see a show that's not everyone they just saw on Raw. That's been a big problem with Smackdown for almost 5 years now. The only wrestlers who should can appear on both brands are the World Champion, his #1 contender, and the Money In the Bank holder if they are going to still do only one briefcase.

Brand exclusive PPV events would make their return. I would do one show per month with half being dual-branded while the remaining half are 3 exclusive to Raw and 3 exclusive to Smackdown. Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania, Money In The Bank, Summerslam, Night of Champions, and Survivor Series would all be dual-branded. Lastly, make the two midcard titles brand exclusive. The US Championship would be exclusive to Raw, as would the Women's Championship. The Intercontinental Championship would be exclusive to Smackdown and one other one, they could create WWE Women's Tag Team Championship titles and make those Smackdown exclusive. Why not? The division has gotten large enough for it and it's better than two female singles titles or two sets of male tag titles.