This "favoritism" towards RAW

[JN News 0]

I've been doing alot of thinking about this issue, and the one thing I wanna know is, when did Vince start showing this favoritism towards RAW? I'd like to think that maybe it all started somewhere in late 2002 with guys like HHH and Scott Steiner signing with Bischoff.

 

 

 

 

 

Who do you think?

[Scroby 0]

I'd say right when Beniot jumped to Raw and Edge was being considered being brought over to Raw until it actually happen. Then pretty much after Brock left.

[MrRant 0]

What?

[Precious Roy 0]

August 31, 1999

[Guest JerichosHi-Lite]

I noticed that it was round about March-ish time this year that SmackDown started to disintegrate ... soon after that, Benoit jumped and Edge jumped. I don't recall time before that when the favouritism to Raw was openly obvious.

[Detox 0]

For the most part he has favored RAW since the split it is the WWE flagship show if there was no RAW then there would be no Smackdown

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Ever since they named GMs in 2002.

 

Smackdown benefitted from McMahon's favoritism when he was the figurehead of the show. He stacked the roster for his show and when he left Smackdown was suddenly the second class citizen. Just go back to the 2003 PPVs to see how much more Raw got in terms of matches and time.

[jester 0]

For the most part he has favored RAW since the split it is the WWE flagship show if there was no RAW then there would be no Smackdown

I agree. It goes back a long way, it's only more noticeable now. Smackdown was recently stripped of most of the things smarks liked about it--guys with an actual workrate, more smark favorites like Benoit, and although the cruisers weren't placed on a pedestal, they weren't nearly as buried as they are now.

[Guest wildpegasus]

When the Rock moved over to Raw for no real reason that was the most obvious thing I could remember that really said, "We, the WWE favour Raw over Smackdown." I think after that happened it was pretty clear in everyone's eyes.

 

 

 

Remember when Raw was so horrable and Smackdown was legit 10 times the better show Raw was? I remember reading how Vince {and family?) thought Raw was the more superior show. Maybe he finally came to his senses a little while later and realised that Smackdown was beating his Raw creation so he decided to do what he could to make sure Raw was definitely the show. I don't know. I'm just guessing here.

[SuperJerk 0]

When the Rock moved over to Raw for no real reason that was the most obvious thing I could remember that really said, "We, the WWE favour Raw over Smackdown." I think after that happened it was pretty clear in everyone's eyes.

There was reportedly a decision made around this time to send all new/returning talent to Raw. The decision seemed to be apparent in three consecutive moves: Steiner's placement on Raw (which later turned out to be a huge mistake), the Rock's move, and then Goldberg's placement on Raw (which only makes sense if you think that the Rock and ONLY the Rock had to be the first to put him over...there was no Goldberg/Stone Cold program planned, and the only other reason to hire him--to feud with Brock--logically meant sticking him on Smackdown).

 

The main event for Wrestlemania XIX may have been Smackdown's last shining moment before becoming Raw's bitch.

 

The last bit of dirt was thrown on the Smackdown's coffin when Stephanie was taken off of TV so she could get married (Smackdown has become so low-priority the McMahon's won't even appear on it now), and Triple H officially became a part of the family (meaning he was officially considered the company's top star for life, and his show MUST be good so he'd look good).

[Guest jephnaz]

"His Raw creation"

That just doesn't make sense to me. It's his company. They are both "his" shows. Raw obviously came first, but that's not a good reason to sabotage Smackdown.

Eh, who cares? A year from now, everyone may very well be arguing about how far Raw has fallen and how great Smackdown has become. Again.

[Papacita 0]

I really don't think there's that much favoritism towards Raw. Other than HBK, Raw didn't really have any strong faces, so it made sense to bring Edge and Benoit over. I think they thought Smackdown would be fine with Eddie and Cena carrying the show. I think the show's recent decline can be attributed more to stupidity than favoritism.

 

If there's any favoritism at all, it stems from the fact that Raw is the live show, and thereby more unpredictable (which is why they have Rock make his surprise appearances on Raw instead of Smackdown, where it'll have less impact due to spoilers).

[Ultra Violence 0]

Really they need to make smackdown live...

[Youth N Asia 0]

I think the favortism swicthed once it was realized that the flagship show was far and away the lesser of the two...then Benoit jumped

[algrim 0]

The day Heyman was removed as the Smackdown head writer (IMO) was the day Raw became more favored than Smackdown!

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

I stopped watching Smackdown regularly after the much-hyped Iron Man match between Angle and Lesnar was mediocre, and afterwards Lesnar went into ANOTHER feud with Undertaker, and the McMahons FEUDED WITH EACH OTHER AGAIN....Late Sept. 03.

[Youth N Asia 0]

I pretty much tape Smackdown, then watch it the next day fast forwarding 3/4 of it

[Guest JerichosHi-Lite]

What is noticeable about Raw being favoured over SmackDown is that the Rock never makes appearances on his own show. He was actually drafted to SmackDown but then, for some reason, decided to return to Raw to fight Austin. He's never made an appearance on SD! since. I know it's because SD is taped, but as somebody else said, I think it needs to be live

[JN News 0]

I think that Smackdown was officially killed off when they put Triple H on Smackdown for only 24 hours before putting him back on RAW. I personally think that dispite most people's hatred for him, HHH could have been very benificial to Smackdown as long as he constantly does the right thing for the brand to point where he would actually deserve to be WWE Champion.

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

I really don't think there's that much favoritism towards Raw. Other than HBK, Raw didn't really have any strong faces, so it made sense to bring Edge and Benoit over. I think they thought Smackdown would be fine with Eddie and Cena carrying the show. I think the show's recent decline can be attributed more to stupidity than favoritism.

 

If there's any favoritism at all, it stems from the fact that Raw is the live show, and thereby more unpredictable (which is why they have Rock make his surprise appearances on Raw instead of Smackdown, where it'll have less impact due to spoilers).

Didn't WWE flat out say that Smackdown was their "B Show" and that they would use it to try out outlandish storylines and gimmicks?

[Papacita 0]

I really don't think there's that much favoritism towards Raw.  Other than HBK, Raw didn't really have any strong faces, so it made sense to bring Edge and Benoit over.  I think they thought Smackdown would be fine with Eddie and Cena carrying the show.  I think the show's recent decline can be attributed more to stupidity than favoritism.

 

If there's any favoritism at all, it stems from the fact that Raw is the live show, and thereby more unpredictable (which is why they have Rock make his surprise appearances on Raw instead of Smackdown, where it'll have less impact due to spoilers).

Didn't WWE flat out say that Smackdown was their "B Show" and that they would use it to try out outlandish storylines and gimmicks?

Possibly. I've never heard them call it a b-show outright. The most I'd heard was that Pritchard wanted to bring in more gimmicky characters.

 

Maybe I'm trying to be a little too logical here, but I can't see them intentionally trying to make the show bad if they expect to profit off the brand.

[Art Sandusky 0]

No Mercy 2003.

[AndrewTS 0]

"Maybe I'm trying to be a little too logical here, but I can't see them intentionally trying to make the show bad if they expect to profit off the brand."

 

Kind of like you don't see why they'd buy their competition and make them look like total tools?

[Guest NitroJMS]

What is noticeable about Raw being favoured over SmackDown is that the Rock never makes appearances on his own show. He was actually drafted to SmackDown but then, for some reason, decided to return to Raw to fight Austin. He's never made an appearance on SD! since. I know it's because SD is taped, but as somebody else said, I think it needs to be live

After defeating Hogan at No Way Out 2003, The Rock received special permission from Vince McMahon to be able to appear on both shows. He's the only WWE star that can do this. Although, he basically now only appears on RAW, he can crossover to either show at his whim.

[Papacita 0]

"Maybe I'm trying to be a little too logical here, but I can't see them intentionally trying to make the show bad if they expect to profit off the brand."

 

Kind of like you don't see why they'd buy their competition and make them look like total tools?

You can really compare this to the WCW thing, because WCW was never an independent entity after the purchase. Smackdown runs largely independent of Raw with its own show, own house shows and PPVs. Why would Vince sabotage the show (his own creation at that), knowing that to do so would be throwing away a direct source of revenue?

[Guest Captain Jack Sparrow]

Vince knows RAW is better than "Minor Leagues" (Smackdown).

[Promoter 0]

The Rock leaving smackdown was kind of a root. I think it really started at the Survivor Series last year. There was a little side story of raw outshining smackdown. At the time some just thought the wwe was trying to boost raw(which did need it). It slowly grew to the Heyman/Bischoff scuffle at the Royal Rumble. Then there was Benoit jumping, Triple H down talking the WWE title on raw, etc. etc. until what we have now. Maybe they are so demented they feel creating this much discrepancy is re-creating the anti-wcw/pro wwe days of the net.

[Guest JMA]

Right now it might just be better to fully convert Smackdown! into the "developmental leagues." They certainly can't portray the shows as equals any longer (if they ever did).

[The Amazing Rando 0]

Vince has always showed favoritism toward Raw. Always. Even if he was mainly on SD for a great period, Raw will always be "his show" no matter how many others he has.

 

Raw was first, period.

Smackdown was created to compete with WCW.

 

With WCW gone, Smackdown is basically just there. He is using it as a training ground, putting in a few established people (Angle, UT, Eddie, etc) to help work with the HUGE load of newer stars that they are trying to give spots to even when the writers can find nothing to do with the cruiserweights other than give the title to a woman and they fire the others.

 

There is positively NO reason that Smackdown should have all of this new talent coming in. NONE. There are guys they could be pushing and aren't or weren't. Kanyon, Mysterio, London, the FBI, SOH (yes, I know some of them aren't employed there anymore)...hell...Rhyno and A-Train were doing at least respectable jobs. Oh, and I'm with the masses that say they should axe Holly and Gunn (even before this whole "unhappy" mess started).

 

The FBI as a gimmick has a huge lot of potential behind it, and it has "history" enough that the fans could get into it and maybe even CHEER them if it was done right. Sure, they should really be a heel group, but a face group could do just as good if not better.

 

The ENTIRE Cruiserweight division needs more than one segment every Smackdown. Period. They have too many guys there to not use them, and a good many can connect with the crowd.

 

Rey and Chavo get great reactions more on their actions than their words, and even Shannon Moore could be great for an "underdog face" role as he was playing last year for a little while. Jamie Noble is a pretty good heel when he doesn't talk, so just let him beat the crap out of people.

 

 

It just sickens me right now to look at the championship listing and see JBL and the Dudleys there, when they could just as easily have Rico/Haas or the FBI there, or any other two guys. The WWE Championship is DOA right now (and has been discussed elsewhere ad nauseum) so I'll just leave that alone.

 

Smackdown needs a more proven roster, a few live shows a year to brighten things up, and a bunch of better writers. Some of the plots that have came out of SD in the past few months wouldn't cut it anywhere else but in the W-W-E.

 

I have my own little ideas of course, but that's a Fantasy Booking thread for another day.

[AndrewTS 0]

You can really compare this to the WCW thing, because WCW was never an independent entity after the purchase.

 

I compare it because it was something that could have been a huge money-maker but Vince's ego made him kill it.

 

Smackdown runs largely independent of Raw with its own show, own house shows and PPVs. Why would Vince sabotage the show (his own creation at that), knowing that to do so would be throwing away a direct source of revenue?

 

*shrug*

 

Monday Night Raw was his idea, his creation from the very beginning.

 

Smackdown was more or less an "answer" to Thunder.

 

For some reason, regardless of show quality, Vince prefers Raw.