Brand Extension to blame for poor ratings

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

I think all the problem can be blamed on writing.

 

Even-steven booking.

 

Pushing the wrong people.

 

And especially the lack of any drama or storylines, with the exception of the necro angle, which obviously failed because it interested nobody.

[Guest Kahran Ramsus]

I don't see a problem with talent. Yes, Smackdown has the better pure wrestlers, but RAW has the more entertaining guys for the marks (Booker, Kane, RVD, Dreamer, Hurricane, etc.)

 

With better writing, RAW could hang with Smackdown as far as quality programming, even if they don't get as high star ratings as Smackdown. I would still prefer Smackdown, but there are many who prefer RVD to Benoit. Writing is the problem. Keep in mind that when HHH was on Smackdown, the ratings bottomed out there too, and recovered after he left, while RAWs ratings went in the toilet. HHH is a MAJOR problem that has to be dealt with.

 

I have no major problems with the draft otherwise. Sure Rikishi should be on RAW, and someone like Storm would probably be a better fit on Smackdown, but minor concerns like that won't sink a show.

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

Smackdown's ratings will never really go up that much because of UPN's limited availabilty and its horid timeslot (vs Survivor, Friends, etc..)

 

Smackdown averages about the same rating on a consistant basis while RAW has been up and down the 3.0s and down overall since the split.

The fact is Smackdown has had far better wrestling matches than RAW on a consistant basis since the split. RAW is hardly a wrestling show any more, and the ratings are showing that, as people who want to watch wrestling are turning it off.

[Guest Kahran Ramsus]

Smackdown's ratings will never really go up that much because of UPN's limited availabilty and its horid timeslot (vs Survivor, Friends, etc..)

 

Smackdown averages about the same rating on a consistant basis while RAW has been up and down the 3.0s and down overall since the split should mean something..

Actually, UPN is available in more households than TNN is.

[Guest snowfan]

Smackdown's ratings will never really go up that much because of UPN's limited availabilty and its horid timeslot (vs Survivor, Friends, etc..)

 

Smackdown averages about the same rating on a consistant basis while RAW has been up and down the 3.0s and down overall since the split should mean something..

Actually, UPN is available in more households than TNN is.

Yes but during sports seasons it also loses a lot more to displacement....

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

Smackdown's ratings will never really go up that much because of UPN's limited availabilty and its horid timeslot (vs Survivor, Friends, etc..)

 

Smackdown averages about the same rating on a consistant basis while RAW has been up and down the 3.0s and down overall since the split should mean something..

Actually, UPN is available in more households than TNN is.

I get TNN (Two feeds, east and west, in fact) and I don't get UPN.

 

Currently the only way to get UPN locally is with cable and its not even a local station (Its from Washington DC and I live about 3 1/2 hours away from DC) I have heard we may be getting a local UPN channel, but it will be cable only as well, and since I can't get cable out where I live, I still won't get it.

[Guest Kahran Ramsus]

Smackdown's ratings will never really go up that much because of UPN's limited availabilty and its horid timeslot (vs Survivor, Friends, etc..)

 

Smackdown averages about the same rating on a consistant basis while RAW has been up and down the 3.0s and down overall since the split should mean something..

Actually, UPN is available in more households than TNN is.

I get TNN (Two feeds, east and west, in fact) and I don't get UPN.

 

Currently the only way to get UPN locally is with cable and its not even a local station (Its from Washington DC and I live about 3 1/2 hours away from DC) I have heard we may be getting a local UPN channel, but it will be cable only as well, and since I can't get cable out where I live, I still won't get it.

I feel sorry for you, but it doesn't change it. I got it from Meltzer so I assume it is accurate.

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

Heh, don't feel sorry for me. Remember, Im the one that gets to watch the satellite feed of Smackdown earlier than just about everyone else (sometimes a good thing, sometimes not). The thing I hate the most about UPN is that they took Buffy and now I can't watch that anymore after getting adicted to it on WB which I do get. Other than that I don't think I would care at all if I didnt get UPN.

 

Also, I think the fact that RAW is on TNN has something to do with the low ratings. The stupid commercials (repeated over and over) and other crap have probably caused a few people to stop watching..

[Guest Dangerous A]

HHH's push needs to be adjusted according to the need. The need right now is to build money players and stars. HHH needs to be near the top, but needs to be putting over talent so they can be moved in to money drawing positions. Vince is the one capable of doing this, but chooses not to. That is the problem. HHH getting a career ending injury isn't the solution. While it gets a cancerous person out, it does not help in any way. I figure, at least get something out of HHH. Again, Vince can do this, but chooses not to. Vince is the reason for the shitty tv and refuses to do anything about even-steven booking as Jobber of the Week pointed out. No one is drawing right now for any brand. Both shows are drawing half to one third full houses. Although SD shows are producing great matches, crowd heat is being altered as the spoiler reports are saying that the crowds have been dead for a lot of good matches. Nothing is over as a legit draw at this point in the company and it's sad.

[Guest Paranoid]

Vince is totally at blame here.

 

He's the one that oked the idea of sending most of the good talent to Smackdown while leaving Raw with 5 "stars" not counting the cripple HBK.

 

Then he oks making the handful of potential stars on Raw look like total jokes at the hands of HHH.

 

 

The split is a good idea if only Vince wouldn't fuck it up.

 

Smackdown and Raw should've had equal amounts of "hosses" "circus act wrestlers" and actual good wrestlers.

I really don't agree with your POV, but that Scanners gif in your sig fuckin kicks ass. Where did you get it?

[Guest Paranoid]

The whole UPN arguement is correct. I live outside of Atlanta and if the Thrashers or Hawks play on Thursday night then we get no Smackdown. We get to watch shitty teams lose!!!

[Guest Kotzenjunge]

I like the split, keep it at least until next Halloween so I can see Steph as the witch again. I mean, DAMN.

 

Seriously though, I've liked the split since day one, and it got better for me personally when they installed GMs for each side (maybe because I'm a hopeless Bisch mark and I pretty much love Stephanie).

 

Speaking of GMs, what happened to the whole kiss thing? I mean, wasn't that supposed to go somewhere?

 

Fo sheez,

Kotzenjunge

[Guest razazteca]

Even-steven booking

that Disney show rules, but what do you expect from Gertwetz?

 

Smackdown should be on a network that does not pre-empt shows for "real sports"

[Guest El Satanico]

I really don't agree with your POV, but that Scanners gif in your sig fuckin kicks ass.  Where did you get it?

I got it from this site, but I don't remember which category i found it in.

[Guest Kojack]

ITs also changing things like The Royal Rumble becuase of the damn spilt. Also you cant hype as much.

[Guest Paranoid]

I really don't agree with your POV, but that Scanners gif in your sig fuckin kicks ass.  Where did you get it?

I got it from this site, but I don't remember which category i found it in.

Awesome fucking site! I will be changing my avatar and sig in the near future. So everyone enjoy th X-files while you can!!!

[Guest deadbeater]

Soap operas don't focus on one or two stories. There are 40 wrestlers on Raw, there should be at least 10 storylines going on at the same time. Even if they do 30 sec a week for a story, it still builds. Some could be one-shots, others could be long-term, but keep them busy. Nowinski built a storyline about doing Molly, and only needed 30 sec per week to push it along. That's what the others should be doing. With the multitude of stories swirling, Lawler wouldn't be doing twenty minutes talking about hymen or HHH. and WWE can drop one bad one for good ones.

[Guest Spaceman Spiff]

The whole UPN arguement is correct. I live outside of Atlanta and if the Thrashers or Hawks play on Thursday night then we get no Smackdown. We get to watch shitty teams lose!!!

Huh, that's weird. I'm in the Philly area, and when SD gets pre-empted for a game, SD just comes on after the game is over.

[Guest eirejmcmahon]

I know bugger all about the way ratings work but taking those figures at face value, they tell quite the story.

[Guest Paranoid]

The whole UPN arguement is correct.  I live outside of Atlanta and if the Thrashers or Hawks play on Thursday night then we get no Smackdown.  We get to watch shitty teams lose!!!

Huh, that's weird. I'm in the Philly area, and when SD gets pre-empted for a game, SD just comes on after the game is over.

Well they show it but it's on Sundays. FOX has a kickass line-up on Sundays so I don't bother with SmackDown. Ther isn't shit else on Thursdays, but I be damn if I give up King of the Hill, Simpsons and Futurama for a sub-par wrestling show!

[Guest godthedog]

even though smackdown rules for now, i can see this whole thing coming down fairly soon.

 

all of the smackdown five are getting completely overexposed by wrestling & feuding with each other EVERY SINGLE WEEK. i'm not complaining at all, cause it makes for great television...it's just that smackdown seems to be flying by the seat of its pants right now just as much as raw is. it just doesn't seem like it, cause the television is better. but fuck, everybody's feuding with everybody else at the same time. in a month, every single possible combination of these guys will be played out. what then? the logical thing from this point for just about anybody is a feud with brock, but they can't all feud with him at the same time.. it's kamikaze booking, there seems to be no long-term plan for the show at all.

 

they've already pretty much blown the angle/benoit feud (which is the hottest thing they've had in almost a year) by having them face each other twice on free television & still being a tag team. at this point, there's no payoff if they do a final showdown at a ppv. at least they were smart enough to do something resembling a blowoff with edge/eddie.

 

i've been writing this on & off for like half an hour between little bouts of studying & drinking coffee, so i don't really know what i'm saying anymore. time to wrap this up.

 

so, in sum....shit, i forgot my point.

 

oh yeah, heyman's going all premature ejaculation with his roster.

[Guest Kahran Ramsus]

Smackdowns biggest problem, and this will come and bite Heyman in the ass if he doesn't watch it, is that injuries have left the Smackdown roster depleted, more so than RAW. Smackdown is going to end up with a ton of main eventers (especially when Rock & Taker come back), with not enough underneath to support. Which is why when guys like Kanyon & Rhyno come back, they need to go to Smackdown, and not Steiner who would further clog the main events. This is the complete opposite of RAW, which has a huge undercard and not nearly enough main eventers.

 

Benoit & Angle will do okay. They will move on to Lesnar (even if he jobs to Show, he's winning it back at Armageddon) after their program with each other is done, with Benoit probably getting the first shot, and Angle being the guy who first beats Lesnar legit (unless they stop the split, in which case You-Know-Who will). Edge will get the other guy who is not facing Lesnar, and Rey ends Noble's run. That's fine. Mark my words, it is the Guerreros that are going to get the shaft on this one. They are the odd team out. I'm hoping for a feud with Matt/Moore, but that may be about the best you will get for awhile. They are like Jericho during the Alliance angle. While Rock & Angle (and even Taker) get to fight the big guns, they are stuck with Rhyno & RVD.

 

i'm not complaining at all, cause it makes for great television...it's just that smackdown seems to be flying by the seat of its pants right now just as much as raw is.

 

This is true, but the way Heyman has arranged they can basically do anything short of having Angle feud with Albert next and it would make sense. With RAW, an injury to HHH or Michaels fucks over everything because they haven't elevated anybody else. I don't think Benoit/Angle will ever have a true blowoff. It's like Rock/HHH, they have been fighting off and on pretty much since joining the promotion (Rock's first match was against HHH, Benoit was fighting Angle within his first month). It is just one of those Midnight Express/Rock N Roll Express feuds that will never really be over as long as both guys are around.

[Guest Brian]

I disagree with Angle/Benoit. When one of them makes a clear-cut move in the right direction (Angle as a face), the feud will come off better and especially when they're fighting for getting a shot at the belt (and post-Mania over the belt), it will just be a different feud.

 

Guerreros will probably end up with the tag titles so they won't quite be the odd guys out. They'll just be the ones not doing singles. I still can't figure out how they're going to use Edge at Mania.

 

I figure Rhyno will come to SmackDown because Heyman will eventually turn on Brock post-Mania and that's the first feud right there, Rhyno-Brock.

[Guest humongous2002]

The split is part of the problem, also pushing the wrong people and poor booking has hurt the WWE product. WWE hasn't created new main eventers since 99(Angle), Lesnar was going to become a great main eventer and people were liking him but being stuck with that useless untalented fat fuck was a bad idea from the start. Seeing my favorite wrestlers like RVD,Y2J,Book,Benoit,Eddy and even Angle being stuck in the midcard level upsets me because these guys bust their asses to entertain us but are not given the chance to become main eventers.

[Guest The Czech Republic]

Lesnar was going to become a great main eventer and people were liking him but being stuck with that useless untalented fat fuck was a bad idea from the start.

What? Paul Heyman is not untalented! I hope that was a Big Show reference.

[Guest Olympic Slam]

What everyone seems to be overlooking (including the company) is what the split was SUPPOSED to accomplish. Which was to create two seperate promotions. While the split is a great idea and much better for the wrestlers, there isn't enough star power or talent to make it work like the company probably had intended. That and the writing has been ass

[ChrisMWaters 0]

Seeing my favorite wrestlers like RVD,Y2J,Book,Benoit,Eddy and even Angle being stuck in the midcard level upsets me because these guys bust their asses to entertain us but are not given the chance to become main eventers.

Guess you're not counting the Vengence 01-WrestleMania X8 reign of Chris Jericho...

[JasonX 0]

This is just more the reason to keep the roster split. The problems on RAW have to be solved; merging the two rosters won't do that. They need to figure out what's working on SmackDown and figure out how to do it with a RAW twist.

And the simpler solution would be to banish HHH via sending him on "sabatical" and gutting the SD roster of it's top talent and sending it to Raw. That means shipping Kurt Angle, Edge, and several others away from SD and put them on Raw and let them freaking sink or swim in terms of saving Raw. Besides, Angle belongs on Raw, not SD and is being criminally wasted with his meaningless little feud with Chris Benoit. Send him to Raw to feud with Jericho, RVD, and Booker T have him do something constructive instead of doing a dumbed down retred of his time spent playing annoying sidekick to Austin via his teaming with Benoit....

[Guest humongous2002]

Seeing my favorite wrestlers like RVD,Y2J,Book,Benoit,Eddy and even Angle being stuck in the midcard level upsets me because these guys bust their asses to entertain us but are not given the chance to become main eventers.

Guess you're not counting the Vengence 01-WrestleMania X8 reign of Chris Jericho...

Jericho barely got a push, from the get-go he was booked as a weak fluke champion and by the end of his reign he became Stephanie's personal assistant and dogsitter, after he lost the undisputed title he was demoted to midcard jobber.