Did they blow the split shows already?

[Guest oldschoolwrestling]

I was reading where they held HHH off of Raw since he is in a program with Hogan who is on Smackdown.

 

Doesn't that kind of defeat the whole "champion can appear on both shows" rule?  Or was it a smart move?  

 

So I guess since Backlash is Vince's ppv (#1 contender-wise) HHH will appear mostly on Smackdown.  Then after this ppv, it will be Flair's turn so HHH will appear mostly on Raw.  That could work....or not.

[Guest Cataclysm911]

I don't think that this split is coming off credible at all. For example, take Raw this past Monday. More than half of the crowd has "Rocky" signs, then they show replays of shit that happened on Smackdown.

 

If this is going to be pulled off they have to act like it really is two seperate companies. Then, the champion being on both shows might actually matter.

[Guest]

RAW was just fine w/out Triple H. Let him stick to one show per week so that way he doesn't stink up both shows. I see Triple H got that "much needed" win over Angle again. What a load of crap. That, and Storm & Christian being jobbed out.

[Guest Brian]

Well, I can understand them showing the Thursday stuff this wewk, but after a while they are going to have to become independent of each other, as in splitting the titles.

[Guest oldschoolwrestling]

Well, I can understand them showing the Thursday stuff this wewk, but after a while they are going to have to become independent of each other, as in splitting the titles.

When you say splitting the titles, do you mean the WWF Undisputed title which can no longer be disputed since its only one belt?

[Guest Brian]

Yeah, just have Flair not recognize Triple H. I mean, if Flair gets screwed for the title shot at the next show or whatever Undertaker and Austin are fighting for, you have him do that as part of his heel turn (giving it to Undertaker?), so he can feud with Austin since that is what they're heading for.

[Guest oldschoolwrestling]

Have Flair say something like "I was born WCW, I bleed WCW, I'm taking my half of the company, and I'm naming it WCW.  Whoooo!!!"

[Guest Risk]

Good idea, Oldschool.  But wasn't he born NWA?  I guess they could do WCW since they own it.  They should either use the name or sell it for ten times what they payed for it, IMO.

[Guest mastermind]

I agree they will have to stop mentioning the other show. This week had a good excuse though. I think it's good to have Triple H appear only on the show where his challenger is. It will make the champion stay fresh. At least not over saturated. The way it's going if the champion only has his title defended on ppv and house shows it will become tremondously important. Personally, I think it's better that way. Of course I see ppv shows for free, so it doesn't matter to me. It makes RVD and the Euro Champ get the spotlight. The CW and Tag team have all the spotlight on SD or are suppose to anyhow.

[Guest]

You can't have them totally "Split" both shows. Then they wont be able to put matches from both shows on the same PPV. I'll be Damned if I'm gonna buy 2 WWF PPV's a Month.  

[Guest Brian]

I think the last run total number of pay per views was sixteen, which isn't that bad. I wouldn't mind if Vince ran a charge around whenever their interpromotional matches were (the big show, probably WrestleMania), but then I'd keep InVasion the other co-promoted card with matches that are interpromotional except for the inaguaral ten man tag, which makes sense for me. One company than promotes Survivor Series as their major show, the other SummerSlam. King of the Ring tournament should be some kind of invitational thing where the group that doesn't have the show gets a certain number of spots to contend for (maybe ten for the rumble, and one King of the ring spot of the four semi-finalist). That makes each of those guys seem more important because they are representatives and with what little their company is given, they have to prove their loyalty by making the best of it.

[Guest Tony149]

This is a little off-topic, but I read that the KOTR tournament will have both "brands" involved. First in promotional matches, then the finals being a Raw wrestler vs. a Smackdown wrestler.

[Guest cobainwasmurdered]

well i geuss that'll be cool. i'm still not sure how the ppv's are going to trn out.

[Guest mastermind]

King of The Ring should have each franchise with their respective qualifying matches. The finals having a RAW wrestler against a SmackDown wrestler. The winner gets the world title match for SummerSlam.

 

Survivor Series should have franchise survivor matches. Then a final survivor match with 5 on 5 raw vs. smackdown. Each battling for the last ten spots for Royal Rumble(this way it doesn't even have to be the top main eventers each year to increase the unpredictability). Then at Royal Rumble 15 each for the 30 man field. Winner still gets world title shot at WrestleMania.

 

This way you can build heat between the two promotions through the year and tease at the big 5 shows. Generate the dream matches by teasing and then blowing some matches off at WrestleMania which would be the big interpromotional ppv. Something like the World Series with the National League vs. American League.

[Guest RickyB]

It would be cool if they did go with WCW as one show and WWF as the other.  But they are definatly not going to go that way.  A "Brand Extention" is different to a "split" since the idea is that both companies are under the WWF banner, but they are seperate in the way that they are ran by a different person.

 

It sucks that they are going that way.  Using the WCW name would rule.

[Guest TheHulkster]

They only showed one clip from Smackdown, the HHH-Hogan encounter. Thats the main event of the show the Raw brand's stars are appearing on, so it's understandable. It's not like they are putting over other angles of the Smackdown crew.

As far as Triple H goes, what is the purpose of him being on Raw this week, he's in a program with Hogan. Because he can? He could be main eventing a Smackdown house show or taking a day off while they build up other stars.

[Guest notJames]

The WCW name/brand/whatever has been dragged through the mud so much by its own half-assed promotion, nonsensical business practices, and rampant ego-stroking (not to mention McMahon's own machinations, i.e. terribly-booked inVasion, discontinuing the WCW title, etc.), that I doubt any casual fan would view anyone using it as a real competitive entity when put head-to-head against the WWF. Even if it was loaded with more talent, pushed as the better company, booked to the Internet fan's wildest dreams, the stigma of WCW's ultimate failure and demise would tarnish anything WWFE could do to build it up.

 

When I think of the success of Flair and Co., I think of the NWA. That name carries a sense of history and prestige. WCW was at best an inferior product, and at worst an absolute joke, even when they were successful in 96-98. And their failure to capitalize on that success is what people will remember most. Besides, their only money-making angle (nWo) has now been rehashed into a mid-card joke, thanks to ineffective booking, the deterioration of the principles, and the fact that it's an old angle that died years ago.

 

Let WCW rest in whatever peace it can lay claim to. There have already been too many unearthed dinosaur bones cluttering the wrestling landscape.