Will it blend!?! Did combining the brands help?

[LuckyLouie]

So, after years of not having a separate Smackdown and RAW.
Wat do you guys who screamed WWE needed to combine the band into one. Clamingin how it would save the WWE and make it better.
But what do you guys think? Were you for it or against it.
Do you think it helped or made the company worse?

My opinion:
I never wanted the brands to combine, and it was a sad day when they did. Now from having two faces of the WWE, it was all for John Cena. Thats all WWE focused on since they combined the brands. John Cena. No more WWE companion, no more WHC, no more WWE draft. No more brand specific superstars.
While I agree that PPVs should feature both shows. It seems to me like Smackdown is a RAW aftershow. And id rather have Smackdown be Smackdown and RAW be RAW. Smackdown is where you were groomed to make it into big time. The Rock, Undertaker, Beniot, Cena, Triple H (??I think he was moved to Smackdown ) were all part of Smackdown and moved to RAW to grow even bigger.
I miss the days when i could watch RAW for Kane and Smackdown for UNdertaker. I think they are missing a huge chance with the tag team titles and cruiserweights could go back to Smackdown and keep RAW the same.

 

[L@RISANO]

It worked before because there was a bigger roster, and a wider scope of quality performers which allowed the brands to become worth it on their own.


Can it be done again? Sure, it can be, but only if they are kept seperate and there are enough guys of high quality who can make both shows worth watching like it was over a decade ago. We haven't reached that point as yet, however.

 

[Navi]

Seriously doubt we will ever see another brand split like we did before. The size of the roster right now won't support it. I bitch and complain all the time about seeing the same matches over and over again. Can you imagine what it would be like with two smaller roosters. It would be hell. Each week would be a replay of the last show.

I also don't think it was all for John Cena, he rarely appears on SD, and when he does it's a big deal. I do agree however, that creative has dropped the ball on SD. That show could be used for showcasing talent that doesn't get to appear on RAW all that often. For some reason I guess they don't think we want to see half the roster. Idiots that they are.

 

[Aquaman6686]

Smackdown is where you were groomed to make it into big time. The Rock, Undertaker, Beniot, Cena, Triple H (??I think he was moved to Smackdown ) were all part of Smackdown and moved to RAW to grow even bigger.

Just FYI, Undertaker went from RAW to SmackDown, not the other way around. He was on SmackDown from September 2002 until the end of the Brand Extension, and it was widely reported that Undertaker shot down several storylines that would have seen him move back to RAW, because he disliked the locker room atmosphere on RAW. Many of WWE's stars, including Big Show and Booker T, openly spoke of their preference for competing on SmackDown.

Anyway, onto the topic at hand. In my opinion, ending the Brand Extension was one of the worst decisions WWE ever made and it severely damaged their product. WWE just isn't as interesting without separate brands, because storylines focus on only a handful of individuals while everyone else is lost in the shuffle. WWE NEEDS to bring back the Brand Extension, separate championships, and brand-exclusive PPV events.

 

[J Money]

The brand extension worked back in the day due to the overinflated rosters. I don't think there's enough established true main eventers now that are draws at the time to necessitate two rosters. As much as I'd like to see it come back, as it made for some much more entertaining shows and pay per views without it becoming overkill or overexposure like we see with today's product. Besides, can you imagine how long a three hour raw would become to sit through with only around half of the available roster? I don't need multiple segments with the bunny or hornswaggle to fill time.

 

[Papa Pillman]

The entire idea of the brand split was stupid and only happened because the roster was way too large with way too much filler "talent".

Smackdown is where you were groomed to make it into big time.

Now we have NXT for that, and its a way more effective system.

The Rock, Undertaker, Beniot, Cena, Triple H were all part of Smackdown and moved to RAW to grow even bigger.

You realize that Rock, Taker, and Hunter were all top stars in the company before SmackDown ever existed? Right? From your context I'm thinking maybe you didn't, and that's the problem.

 

[cornerdon26]

Unfortunately I didn't really watch wrestling during the vast majority of the brand split. I live in the UK, and Sky1 was removed from normal TV in about 2002 and we did not have Sky Television in which WWE broadcasting was on. I was also 8 and it became uncool! I would watch the odd Wrestlemania throughout by teens but really got back into it at the turn of 2012 and never looked back really.

If you look at the current roster it would be interesting to see how viable it really is. (I know my classification is subjective)

Here is a hypothetical brand split -

RAW
Cena, Reigns, Rollins, Kane, Sheamus, Rusev, Swagger, Rowan, Cesaro, Dallas, O'Neill, Axel, Fandango, R-Truth, Ryder, Sin Cara
Teams - The Uso's, The Ascension, Los Matadores


Smackdown
Orton, Bryan, Ambrose, Wyatt, Big Show, Ziggler, Ryback, Henry, Harper, Barrett, Rose, Young, Kidd, Slater, Gabriel
Teams - Dust Brothers, Miz and Mizdow, The New Day

Considering in most programmes we get about 6-9 matches, including a few squash matches. In terms of enough wrestlers, there is enough. But there is not enough interesting and viable matches for programming to work for longer than a month or two.

If HHH, Jericho, RVD and Rey were competing regularly though it would be a different story. Even better if you add Taker and Brock Lesnar into the mix. But that is never going to happen.

I think their is a golden bunch in NXT at present - Neville, Zayn, Owens and Balor. They can add a much needed boost to the main roster. If booked well Breeze could be interesting, whilst Amore, Cassidy and Carmella could liven up the tag division a lot - just through promo work alone!

 

[Mustang Sally]

Now from having two faces of the WWE, it was all for John Cena.

Given that Cena rarely appears on Smackdown, I don't see that as being true. It appears he sticks mainly to Raw either for contractual reasons.....or because the company fears the backlash from those who "hate" him. (Even as I believe Cena probably understands the irony of people hating him for working himself to a position above everyone else, the company's management still has to deal with it for the sake of their TV shows).

I believe they needed to eliminate the brand split because there aren't enough main event-level performers to carry two brands. Instead, they've been trying to insert younger stars-to-be as featured performers on both shows..... which is fine.....and what we're getting at present is Seth Rollins on every Raw and Smackdown. Before Daniel Bryan's injury, he was the guy in front of our faces every time we tuned in.

In itself, that's fine; Bryan had the audience following along with the "Yes!" chant (which seemed to constitute more of his appeal than did actual ring wrestling), while Rollins has a personality and presence that's growing every week even as his ring repertoire expands. He's a thoroughbred, and they should ride him.

It's all good, yet if we're going to see the same people on both shows, I think we need more of them. Randy Orton will again be one of them....and that's good, yet we need more, which is why the company is trying so hard with guys like Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose.

The point?.....if there aren't enough headline-level performers for one brand, there sure ain't enough for two. In that regard, combining the brands did help.....but not for altogether happy reasons.

 

[Jeritron5000]

Smackdown is where you were groomed to make it into big time. The Rock, Undertaker, Beniot, Cena, Triple H (??I think he was moved to Smackdown ) were all part of Smackdown and moved to RAW to grow even bigger.
I miss the days when i could watch RAW for Kane and Smackdown for UNdertaker.

Im sorry but this is straight up nonsense. Cena got drafted to RAW when there were two legit separate rosters and it was a big moment I guess...but no The Rock, Undertaker, and Triple H were not "groomed" on Smackdown. Don't know where you even got that idea. But anyways you seem to be suggesting that those who were in favor of combining the rosters were incorrect to think so as it didn't "save wrestling" or something like that. Good booking, storytelling, and star power vs having or not having a brand split is not the same thing. the brand split was restrictive. Case in point...you miss not being able to see both the Undertaker and Kane on the same show. I miss not having to fast forward through Adam Rose and Los Matadores. My problem is way worse.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

The Brand Extension failed because it's original concept or conceit of you like was wrong.

Vince genuinely believed that the brand he "created" in Smackdown was superior to the one that he acquired in WCW. This was at best flawed thinking and at worst sheer arrogance. The only correct way to run two brands would have been to keep WCW as the seperate company. I say correct, not right... history shows the WWE is still in business, they didn't sink the company with the brand extension... but creatively and from a sustainability perspective it has near crippled the company, coupled with relentless PG and the "public trading" of shares...

When the SD v RAW split was in place, it was never even, or whatever semblance it had ended when both Cena was drafted to RAW and Trips was allowed not to go to Smackdown. 2 massive moments that permanently skewed WWE in favour of RAW forever...

It's going to be interesting what happens with GFW, Jarrett is being VERY smart about how he is playing this, he's seeing how Lucha Underground are presenting their shows, how ROH, NJPW and AAA are handling their business AND the positives of NXT on the business and the interest it's getting. If you're going to see "brands" it's likely to be there rather than the WWE now... Realistically you could see GFW operate as that Umbrella organisation the NWA once was and the WWE SHOULD have been post 2001.. WCW and ECW should have been still going today with the WWE as the umbrella... now you could see GFW with its own brand, NJPW and who knows, maybe even ICW over here in the UK as brands...

 

[rmp0012002]

While I'm an NWA fan the days of any kind of territory system are over. It was a mistake of Vince and Crockett to destroy the NWA promotions rather than use them to their benefit but Vince doesn't need to oversee another promotion when he can buy any wrestler he wants or develope his own.
What you mentioned is exactly what I see Jarrett doing right now but I don't know if that's his end game. Since GFW itself is not a functioning in ring promotion right now he will either, use wrestlers from promotions he's befriended like ROH,NJPW and AAA and have a sort of inter-promotional roster or setting things up for a large scale talent raid. He also still owns more than a quarter of TNA so that's another roster he can grab from.

 

[kadroan]

I think it helped. The way WWE books things, going forward, a brand split could never be a true brand split since they don't have enough depth to pull off a legit split. I wouldn't want a split to come back.

 

[akathelaw]

The brand split did have some really great attributes. It allowed for a spiritual WCW to exist with the World Heavyweight Championship defended as the top title. There were fantastic main event programs for talents like Jeff Hardy, CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and Edge. Smackdown often felt better planned out and more traditional than Raw, and in my opinion was the better show most weeks for a period of years between 2009 and 2012. Now that the Raw/Smackdown brand split is history the need for an alternative brand has come about again in the form of NXT. I think it's pretty apparent that a huge roster with few people getting spots on TV is inferior to separate teams putting on unique shows. I think the brand split will be back in some form eventually, even if it's not official. Cena very, very rarely makes Smackdown appearances, so he still operates under the split.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

While I'm an NWA fan the days of any kind of territory system are over. It was a mistake of Vince and Crockett to destroy the NWA promotions rather than use them to their benefit but Vince doesn't need to oversee another promotion when he can buy any wrestler he wants or develope his own.
What you mentioned is exactly what I see Jarrett doing right now but I don't know if that's his end game. Since GFW itself is not a functioning in ring promotion right now he will either, use wrestlers from promotions he's befriended like ROH,NJPW and AAA and have a sort of inter-promotional roster or setting things up for a large scale talent raid. He also still owns more than a quarter of TNA so that's another roster he can grab from.

Territory is dead in the US but a global version of the NWA wouldn't be... and Jarrett seems to be eyeing that as the way forward.. Not to be a media company but a WRESTLING organisation. NJPW and AAA could use the vehicle to become truly global themselves, ICW in Scotland with Drew Mac, the South African and Indian stuff TNA was working on etc would all benefit and GFW handles the US side of thing, working through all the indies on their own shows.

Why can't it come back? Cos Vince says so? Hell no... Vince want's to be this Empire focused on anything BUT wrestling, so there absolutely is room for a global version of the NWA focused on re-establishing wrestling as an empire in it's own right... Perhaps that's the "fantasy" outcome, but it's nowhere near impossible and if anyone has the nous to manage it, it'd be the Jarretts...


Look at ICW, they are soon to have the 2nd season of their own "reality show" shown on BBC ONE because it was so popular last time on the more obscure BBC Three. That's the publicly funded, main channel in the UK, watched by nearly all of the population at some point during the week...showing Drew Mac's return, Grado and the leaps and bounds the company have made since the last season put them "on the map".

Jarrett would be mad not to work with them, Vince doesn't care... ICW would, off the back of that TV show be able to get shows further into England going very easily with Jarrett's/GFW's help and assistant with talent. It goes quickly then from a niche/comedy type situation about Grado and his crazy pals to a proper wrestling promotion with national TV exposure, that Insane Fight Club got ratings for the BBC means either ITV or one of the other channels (Can't ever see wrestling on the BBC proper somehow) would pick it up. GFW sends some american talent over for a bit to fill out the roster and boom before you know it it's a GFW/ICW show on PPV or mainstream UK TV from Newcastle or Manchester or Liverpool or even in Glasgow with some major talents on there.

Rinse and repeat around the world and have the GFW "home shows" in the US and you have the potential future of the business... not Sports Entertainment WWE style, but wrestling.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Overall, it did make things better. We didn't need a second brand or a second set of titles anymore. Smackdown, with the exception of in 2008, to me always felt like the "B" show. Whether it was the WWE Championship or the World Heavyweight Championship, whichever World Championship was Smackdown exclusive always felt like the secondary title. The Divas Championship always felt inferior to the Womens Championship, which while it legitimately was, retiring one of those titles needed to happen regardless of which one it was. There were nowhere near enough tag teams for two seperate tag team divisions. Lastly, when Raw entered the "supershow format" and anyone could appear on it, it made it feel like a significantly more important show. All of the top guys could now appear together on Raw without it having to be Wrestlemania season. This was awesome.

The downside to all of this is the decrease in overall quality of Smackdown during the last few years. What once was a close 2nd to Raw is now a distant 2nd. There's way too many Raw recaps and they need to do something to make Smackdown feel like a "must-see" show again. Raw is the flagship brand though and it always was. If one show had to receive a huge boost, it needed to be Raw. I'd rather have an obvious "A" show with an obvious "B" show then trying to evenly distribute the roster across two sets of title tiers when only one is needed. Smackdown can be focused around one or both of the midcard titles, featuring guys who didn't make it onto Raw that week. Everyone knows Raw is the top show anyway. It helped in my opinion. Had they not combined the brands we would literally have the same two Raw tag teams feuding for the Raw tag team titles and the same two Smackdown tag teams feuding for the Smackdown tag team titles over and over again on each brand, divas who cannot wrestle constantly getting title shots they do not deserve for both female belts, and a World Championship that feels like a glorified midcard title. WWE made the right call, even if it meant Smackdown dropped in quality.