Any serious thoughts about the nuclear option?

[Art Sandusky]

Okay, we can all agree that since the move to USA, WWE has been absolutely bonkers. Whether it be on-screen angles or backstage gossip, reading about shit these days is dumbfounding. Need I mention that TNA is in the early stages of what seems like a huge charge to be competition? And oh yeah, UFC's busy establishing an impressively sized fanbase.

 

So now you've got an injured World Champion, a main event level heel that's out, wrestling penis gags, a little people division, the voice of your company gone forever, probably a half dozen other guys who shouldn't even be wrestling, people outright leaving, and the future franchise WWE Champion is floundering after eight months with the title.

 

And that's ignoring loads of other lunacy and "creative decisions." On the bright side, we aren't hearing much about HHH these days. We're also getting loads of retro goodness, but at the price of misinterpretation of why the retro stuff is good.

 

So WWE's really backed into a corner. We say it all the time, but does WWE circle the wagons and end the split, say, after Wrestlemania? Raw versus Smackdown could be the catalyst.

 

With a company stretched as it is, it woule be tremendously beneficial if all the little good things we loved that died due to inconsistency and lack of depth were consolidated into a single roster. Also, financial considerations have to be made. You're cutting people left and right to stay above water, and eventually there won't be much left to support two shows. We say now that it's silly to think so, since so many people don't get TV time as it is, but perhaps having everyone together would reinstate the meritocracy that allowed the last boom to prosper. Current locker room political assholes would nullify each other and force Vince to look at multiple positions. The Friday night death slot would be given a pardon, becoming essential viewing again. I also strongly believe that going back to a single roster would make the shows improve based on match quality alone. It does say "wrestling" on the marquee still after all. Much like a football team, a rebuilding begins with strong physical effort.

 

Then again, things aren't THAT bad. It's hard to really imagine WWE admitting they're wrong and going back to the old way which, quickly, lessens the chances of it happening. Perhaps the current style change'll end up working in the long run and we'll be talking at this time next year about the awesome Survivor Series coming up. A month isn't enough time to tell, but all signs report to this becoming a fuckup of spectacular proportions. And what would happen with all the guys who don't get any time? The show would be flooded with main event wrestlers. And they're still breaking even, I believe. The split's been through worse times too, but those came in its infancy and during a time that WWE was still enjoying a fading afterglow from the Attitude era and trying to find a new identity. What's left now is a core group of fans, none of the residuals of that time remain (and certainly not in the form of making retired wrestlers like Austin and Foley return).

 

It's been three years and seven months since this new identity took hold. Pretty crazy to think about it, really. As politicians love to ask, "are you better off now than you were four years ago?"

[UZI Suicide]

Honestly, I can't even imagine the WWE *not* in a brand split anymore. I don't know why. I just don't know how they would make it work, I mean obviously they could, since they did it before, its just hard to fathom.

 

There just seems like so many main event level guys now though, maybe more than ever before. HHH, HBK, Cena, Taker, Orton, Batista, Benoit, Eddie, Angle, Edge, Mysterio, Booker T, Kane, Big Show.

 

How do you fit all those guys onto one show and still make room for the guys below them on the roster?

[Matt Young]

It's been four years and seven months since this new identity took hold. Pretty crazy to think about it, really. As politicians love to ask, "are you better off now than you were four years ago?"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

No, it's been 3 years and 6 months. May 2002.

 

And as one of the biggest WWE marks here, it would seriously damage my interest if they ended the brand split.

[k thx]

Personally, I prefer the brand split. Normally, there's one brand that's a little better than the other, largely due to the underside.. If you merge them both, chances are that you'd lose that.

[Celtic Jobber]

I think everything's gone downhill since the roster split and they should've ended it about 2 years ago. But I seriously doubt WWE will end it anytime soon.

[Scroby]

If WWE ended the brand split and without having head or velocity on tv, there would be cuts done left and right. If it means people loosing their jobs with would most likely happen if the split ended, then in my view the split should remain.

[Use Your Illusion]

I think re-joining the shows would be detrimental as they run the risk of having too many 'top guys' that they need to work with. While I'm sure there is enough ground to spread them all over, it may mean that it will be even harder for younger and fresher talent to get proper television time and build themselves proper.

 

There is the option of possibly working this hypothetical surplus of 'bigger stars' with some of the other guys. However, I suppose this could also eventually (depending on how it was handled) devalue some of the star power of those involved and probably bruise a few egos to the extent that there are even more morale problems.

 

Re-joining the brands right now would cause more problems than it would solve.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh]

Just to nitpick, April 2002 was the brand split, as Backlash 2002 featured Raw and Smackdown brand-exclusive bouts.

 

I remember Kidman/Tajiri opening, a very hot *** 1/2 match, with the crowd going batshit for Kidman.

 

"The Cruiserweight Division will be one of the crown jewels of Smackdown!"

 

Bah.

[LaParkaYourCar]

Technically they could end the brand split, but still showcase the talent between two shows pretty well. Shift things around so that between the two shows they get their midcarders in equal amount of time, or close to equal. With all the quittings, firings, and letting go's they are probably down to a low enough number to make it work.

[cabbageboy]

Nah, they shouldn't end it simply because now they've gotten both shows to the point where they each have an identity and even a bit different fanbases. I know lots of people watch both but there ARE people who just prefer to watch Smackdown and can't stand The HHH Show. Hell, my parents are among them.

 

Besides, do we really need to see JBL twice a week, or HHH twice a week?

[Guest slmon]

Well, the decision may be made for them. If UPN doesn't want to pick up SD again and no other network wants it, then the split will end.

[Guest Gary Busey]

If they end the split, it'll be just like Nitro and Thunder was.

 

The big stars will only appear on Raw and the midcarders and jobbers on Smackdown. As mentioned, they have so much top tier talent now that they can't merge things without destroying any semblance of using the mid and undercard. Besides, if each writing team can't come up with good ideas for the characters once a week, how would they come up with two shows worth of ideas for the characters?

[Mystery Eskimo]

It wouldn't be the answer because the problem isn't a lack of stars on each show, its how they're being pushed and written for. And while failed soap opera and sitcom writers are hired, thats not going to change.

[krease]

Nobody's mentioned the other good thing about the split from a business standpoint - it allows them to tour around essentially with two separate rosters.

 

With the split, they can have both RAW and Smackdown putting on two different shows with "main event characters" in two different cities - at the same time. They can have RAW one night and Smackdown the next without requiring everybody to be there, essentially giving the rosters more time off.

 

It also allows them to give more TV time to more people. Granted, it's a lot of the same people most of the time, but imagine seeing the same 10 people on both shows combined, rather than the same 10 on RAW and a different 10 on Smackdown (for a combined total of 20 - that's definitely more people) - less of a chance to tire out your viewing audience.

 

Don't forget, there's a lot more to the split besides what we see on TV. It's also an excellent decision from a business perspective.

[Angle-plex]

WWF in the early 90s/80s had a lot of talent that was at the level or higher than Orton, Edge, Kane, Big Show, Rey, Booker, Benoit ect are now that were fighting for the IC Title to make that division worthwhile (Savage, Steamboat, Warrior, Rude, ect.). I'd rather see an Orton/Rey IC title match over Carlito/Shelton/Rob Conway/jobbers infinity times.

[Vyce]

No, NO. No end to the brand split. You think WWE TV is bad NOW, wait till the split ends. Just HHH or HBK or Taker or JBL EVERYWHERE.

[Guest Leelee]

WWE likely won't have the luxury of 2 primetime slots every week for much longer, so meh.

 

It doesn't mattermuch anyway. So, they'll fire a bunch of people they have no idea who to build... and every show will be filled with the same garbage.

[Guest Brian]

Leelee's right. Once the SmackDown contract up, the Nuclear option is the only option.

[Hunter's Torn Quad]

Leelee's right. Once the SmackDown contract up, the Nuclear option is the only option.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Even if WWE lose Smackdown on UPN, and can’t get another network here to take it, they might keep Smackdown going, like they did with Heat and Velocity, to maintain commitments they made to overseas broadcasters. If that happens, that means SD gets shown on WWE.com and the split stays.

[snuffbox]

If the brand-split ended, maybe there could be good tag team wrestling in the wwe...

[Guest Leelee]

There could just as easily be good tag teams now. WWE doesn't care to build any.

[Art Sandusky]

Why did I think we were in 2006.

[Hunter's Torn Quad]

Why did I think we were in 2006.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Because 2005 is so bad you want it to end now?

[Art Sandusky]

Probably. I'm still not at the "I don't care" point anymore. Every now and then I still get pretty excited about this stuff.

[Lord of The Curry]

I've always been a fan of Kotz's writing but I stopped reading after the "Things aren't THAT bad" line.

 

Yes they are.

[Guest *KNK*]

Why did I think we were in 2006.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Because 2005 is so bad you want it to end now?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Not just in wrestling but in general. sports, music, the world. 2005 has been pretty shitty.

[Guest Brian]

Leelee's right. Once the SmackDown contract up, the Nuclear option is the only option.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Even if WWE lose Smackdown on UPN, and can’t get another network here to take it, they might keep Smackdown going, like they did with Heat and Velocity, to maintain commitments they made to overseas broadcasters. If that happens, that means SD gets shown on WWE.com and the split stays.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That can't do well for SD-only PPV business. And wouldn't all their other contracts be up as well, because I can't imagine everybody signing off on the programming if there were any doubts UPN might not pick it up after the contract period.

[Hunter's Torn Quad]

Leelee's right. Once the SmackDown contract up, the Nuclear option is the only option.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Even if WWE lose Smackdown on UPN, and can’t get another network here to take it, they might keep Smackdown going, like they did with Heat and Velocity, to maintain commitments they made to overseas broadcasters. If that happens, that means SD gets shown on WWE.com and the split stays.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That can't do well for SD-only PPV business. And wouldn't all their other contracts be up as well, because I can't imagine everybody signing off on the programming if there were any doubts UPN might not pick it up after the contract period.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That can't do well for SD-only PPV business.

 

They can't get worse. Right now, they're down to their core fanbase who are going to buy the PPV's no matter how bad they look or how terribly they get promoted.

 

And wouldn't all their other contracts be up as well, because I can't imagine everybody signing off on the programming if there were any doubts UPN might not pick it up after the contract period.

 

The overseas contracts are for hours of television per year, and some of them are less then a year old and are likely to be a few years in length, meaning WWE would have to find the programming to fulfill those obligations from somewhere, so it makes sense from that point just to keep going with Smackdown.

[Guest Brian]

I don't know. Without TV, a touring promotion can't do as well. And besides, their core audience has to be exposed to the product to actually want to buy the shows.

[Hunter's Torn Quad]

I don't know. Without TV, a touring promotion can't do as well. And besides, their core audience has to be exposed to the product to actually want to buy the shows.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As long as they've got Raw, WWE will not lose that core audience. If they lose Raw, which I don't think Vince will ever let happen, then they might be in trouble.