Here comes the split

[Guest oldschoolwrestling]

From 411wrestling:

In Demand Gives More Major Hints At WWF Split

 

iN DEMAND has updated their preview for the WWF Backlash PPV and now lists the following:

 

"Sunday, April 21 share all the contempt, all the retribution, and all the classic matches that only WWF Backlash can deliver. Ever since Vince McMahon and Rick Flair held their own WWF draft creating the two most powerful forces in sports entertainment, the Raw and Smackdown Superstars have been building their own vendettas, their own rivalries and their own reasons for domination. Be there live, when it all comes together, at WWF Backlash"

 

iN DEMAND gets these previews straight from the WWF. Obviously this indicates that the roster will be split into two factions, RAW headed by Vince McMahon and Smackdown headed by Ric Flair. It also indicates that a draft of sorts will take place.

[Guest Human Fly]

How do you think the draft will come about, and who do you think Ric or Vince will take and in what order?

[Guest oldschoolwrestling]

I think it will be announced the night after Raw, and then the draft will take place probably on Smackdown or on the following Raw.  From what I've heard, Vince will take the NWO and the sports entertainers and Flair will take the actual wrestlers, but that doesn't make sense for when the want to battle each other.

[Guest converge241]

Why dont they just take waste of space excess and tape the draft and air it on Excess, the ratings would be better with all the hype and they dont have to worry about losing ratings levels on Smackdown or Raw, you knwo people get sick of it after a while and tune out. A 2 hour draft with good video production and mic work by Flair and Vince in an empty arena would be great to watch and draw at least double or triple what the recaps and the musings of "the Coach" would draw (in the 0.9 range).

[Guest El Luchadore Magnifico]

Well, they need to do SOMETHING to make up the mass influx of viewers that leave after Wrestlemania. The WWF cannot afford to have its RAW ratings drop below a 4.0, and this split may just be the thing to keep fans interested. They need to do it right after Wrestlemania, though, to make sure they keep people's attention before they leave.

[Guest The Masked Yodeler]

A 2 hour draft with good video production and mic work by Flair and Vince in an empty arena would be great to watch and draw at least double or triple what the recaps and the musings of "the Coach" would draw (in the 0.9 range).

 

2 hours of video of a goat eating grass would get better ratings than Excess.

[Guest Tony149]

I like the idea of having the draft air on Excess. It would be better than watching the shit thats on their now (Except "From the Valut"). The WWF was going to do the draft with WCW until the angle bombed. They even had a website for it.

[Guest Human Fly]

Having the draft on Excess would be a good idea. That show sucks, what was the WWF thinking? Have all of the top stars there and have each company have a different logo so that after they get drafted they can come out and put the shirt on like in pro sport drafts. They could have all kind of tense moments like if Vince drafts the Rock he could be like "I don't like you, but I respect your skill, blah, blah....." Also they should have a couple of new guys like (theoretically) Rey Misterio, and Jeff Jarrett get drafted that would be a good way to reintroduce them. I would be a big mark for a draft.

[Guest Army Eye]

Well, they need to do SOMETHING to make up the mass influx of viewers that leave after Wrestlemania. The WWF cannot afford to have its RAW ratings drop below a 4.0, and this split may just be the thing to keep fans interested. They need to do it right after Wrestlemania, though, to make sure they keep people's attention before they leave.

Who says that viewers will leave after Wrestlemania?? It happened last year but I think that was the exception rather than the rule.

[Guest converge241]

I expanded on the excess and other draft ideas in the fantasy thread but a basic thing I wanted to add here is that a draft for the WWF would be great in April. they can capitalize on the attention the NFL draft gets on 0420-0421.

[Guest Pidgerii-4q2]

My God this sounds like a horrible idea - All it sounds like is we get two factions with the same old storylines.  We all know how easily Vince and co can kill factional storylines.