Is it time to End The Split

[ChrisMWaters]

All righty then...once again we're back with the question taht has been asked so many times before in the past:

 

Is it time to end the brand extension/roster split?

 

Now, before you make your arguments either way, let's look at the facts here:

 

1)Both Raw and Smackdown's rosters are getting stale as far as matches and such go.

 

2)Most of Smackdown's big time players are injured anyway.

 

3)With ECW returning, that would make, technically, 3 brands. I could see WWE uniting against the "ECW Threat"

 

I'm sure there's more facts, but those are the ones that easily came off the top of my head.

 

Anyway, what do you people think?

[Guest Princess Leena]

As long as WWE can con respectable networks into giving them 2 primetime slots per week, there's no reason to end the split.

 

It's making them more money.

 

Shows would definitely be more stale if we were seeing HHH, Angle, etc... twice a week.

 

Improve the SD injury situation? Move someone over from Raw again. And it's not even necessary, either. As weak (or just not top-heavy IMO) as the SD roster is... most would be lying if they still think Raw is the better show in 2006.

[NoCalMike]

Nitro/Thunder did a good job of featuring the entire roster without having a brand split.

 

The problem with the brand split, which others have commented a hundred times, is that Raw and Smackdown don't feel very different, same crappy writing and booking style, basically feels like the same show with different faces. That is why we are all holding out hope for Heyman having full control over the ECW brand that way it doesn't feel like a third WWE show, and rather an entirely different brand of wrestling.

[Black Lushus]

on the contrary, Mikey, I think a brand split is EXACTLY what WCW SHOULD have done prior to folding.

[dh86]

exactly....how would a brand split be handled? would the shows have different storylines or will the same storylines advance over both shows?

[Guest]

I'm sorry, are you stuck in 2001 or early 02? There's a brand split now, in case you missed the message for the past 4 years.

 

They need the split, but they also need to do it right, not the way they have been.

[NoCalMike]

on the contrary, Mikey, I think a brand split is EXACTLY what WCW SHOULD have done prior to folding.

 

Well I think Nitro/Thunder offered a different dynamic then Raw/Smackdown. With the latter two, it is structed exactly the same, 90% of the time is for the ME'ers and the rest is filler.

 

With Nitro and Thunder, Nitro was given a lot of time for the nWo and 2nd tier guys, while Thunder was used to get over other feuds, like the tag team feuds with Raven/Saturn/Benoit/Malneko/Rey Jr. etc.....

 

I just think a brand split is a waste of time if you are going to make the shows the same exact thing except one has red banners, and one has blue banners.

[Downhome]

I've said this for a while now, but it makes more sense now than ever.

 

-Fold the big names from SD into RAW

 

-Take some of the younger guys, and maybe someone like Benoit into ECW

 

-Give ECW the SD slot

 

Right now we have two "brands" in WWE as well as ECW. To me, it just makes sense to change that to WWE vs. ECW, instead of RAW vs. SD.

[RavishingRickRudo]

This is similar to TNA fans saying TNA needs two hours. If the WWE has 2 chances to put on a good 2 hour show a week and can't even get one right, what makes you think they can make 4 hours of one show? The problem isn't that they are losing all these stars, the problem is and always has been that they are _creating_ stars at a snails pace, which won't be solved by ending the brand split (and, if anything, it will just further stunt the creation of new stars).

[Guest JustPassinBy]

I agree.

I think the brand split was the most important cause for the fall in wrestling ratings.

There's just not enough talent to go around.

I'm not sure of any positives that were gained by it.

[razazteca]

This is similar to TNA fans saying TNA needs two hours. If the WWE has 2 chances to put on a good 2 hour show a week and can't even get one right, what makes you think they can make 4 hours of one show? The problem isn't that they are losing all these stars, the problem is and always has been that they are _creating_ stars at a snails pace, which won't be solved by ending the brand split (and, if anything, it will just further stunt the creation of new stars).

Throwing bad gimmicks into the main event isn't exactly building new stars.

[RavishingRickRudo]

Considering the WWE started to fall in ratings well before the brand split, I wouldn't exactly attribute the fall to the brand split. The positives? Not a whole heckuvalot, but I imagine they've made more than they would have without the two separate touring groups, esp. on international tours. Not that the brand split is a good thing, I just don't see the long-term benefit in merging the brands being greater than how it is right now. The problems with the WWE have little to do with the split. Would Steph stop being DoC if they merged? Would Vince stop being nuts?

[Guest whizzo]

IF they went back to one brand they would surely have to cut the number of ppvs. Unless of course we want ppvs with 2 weeks build like we used to before.

[Jericholic82]

I agree.

I think the brand split was the most important cause for the fall in wrestling ratings.

There's just not enough talent to go around.

I'm not sure of any positives that were gained by it.

Benoit and Eddy winning world titles happened mostly due to the split, and Rey as well. JBLs rise to the mia n event would not have happened (ok not a big deal but he ha sbecome one of the best heels on either show) and they were able to bring up some rookies like MNM more effectively. but defin the first point

[The Tino Standard]

There is no more brand split. The brand split happened 4 years ago. There are two separate brands now, and they're far too entrenched and turning far too hefty of a profit to be folded back into one.

 

Would one brand make more money than either of the two right now? Sure. Would one brand make more than the two COMBINED right now? No way.

 

In other words, it ain't happening. Get over it. End of thread.

[CBright7831]

But it's not going to end.

 

Even when it's at it's worst, it's not going to end.

 

Vince is to bull-headed to realize that for the most part, this brand split has been a failure, and he refuses to end it.

[CBright7831]

EDIT - And somehow I made a double post.

[Guest Human Highlight Reel]

No. If the brands recombine, a lot of people are going to lose their jobs, and knowing Vince, it'll be the talented ones.

[FroGG_NeaL]

I like the idea of ECW taking over SD!

 

Then the cruiser weight division could go to ECW, and Heyman could make it as good as WCW's was if he's allowed to.

 

Also, King Booker coming out of nowhere on Raw and taking HHH's head of with an axe-kick would be fucking great.

 

Benoit could go to ECW as well. I could see Finlay fitting in there.

 

Everybody else that matters comes to Raw.

 

Heat and Velocity can be absorbed into one show, and show in place of A.M. Raw.

 

But none of that will happen.

[JustJoe2k5]

The brand split could actually improve over the next couple of weeks. You'll have some talented performers from both shows moving to ECW, so WWE will have to give the lower-card talent more time on the show and they will have to work to build a few more superstars to contend for the United States title and World title.

[Guest panthermatt7]

The brand split could actually improve over the next couple of weeks. You'll have some talented performers from both shows moving to ECW, so WWE will have to give the lower-card talent more time on the show and they will have to work to build a few more superstars to contend for the United States title and World title.

 

What is this "build superstars" that you refer to? It's not like that has really happened much before...

 

I know that I personally always enjoyed the shows a lot more prior to the brand split. Then again, the shows regularly featured The Rock, Austin & co, and my last fond pre-split memory was the Rock and Jericho taking on the McMahon/Helmsley Regime (very entertaining stuff, IMO).

 

I don't believe that the "average fan" watches (or cares) enough to keep up with two shows simultaneously. That was the beauty of the uniroster - you could miss a show and not really be behind at all.

 

By the way, this is my first post in like a year and a half. Cool.

[dubq]

It seems like there's a new thread on this topic every month or so. Can't you just bump the old thread?

[frisco]

I think the brand split will probably end. As stated it makes more sense for WWE vs ECW anyway. I always thought the whole idea of two WWE world champions was bull. What I thik will happen is ECW will open its doors, and a few stars from RAW and Smackdown will head off to ECW again (RVD, Tazz and maybe a few others). WWE will reunite to take on the threat of ECW...probably another invasion angle...and things should hopefully get back to normal.

[Guest Edgehead]

They are currently hyping ECW as a third brand so no change yet atm. If SD! ratings fail terribly on the new CW, we could see a change.

[Fro]

Zero chance the brand split will end... they're advertising ECW as extending to a third brand.

[FroGG_NeaL]

Oh, no doubt.

 

As has been said, Vince won't admit defeat over the Split.

 

It'll be there until it can absolutly not continue, or SD! gets dropped and can't get a deal.

 

Then I'm afraid for the new ECW, it might get bumped for SD!, even if it's doing better. Just 'cause Vince-created shit is automatically better than anybodyelse-created shit.

 

Especially Paul Heyman.

[Dangerous A]

In theory, it'd be great to see ECW swallow SD up and have half the SD roster head up to Raw and the other half to ECW, but it's not going to happen.

 

Simply put, UPN/CW don't want ECW. They want the WWE/Smackdown brand. That is why ECW is going to Sci-Fi and will stay there. CW doesn't want something they view in their eyes as unproven. If shown clips of ECW, CW would probrably cancel the TV deal all together. ECW is made for prime time/late night cable.

[Promoter]

Well, I think ecw swallowing up smackdown and turning this into ecw vs. wwe might be the most profitable. At least more than this raw/smackdown deal because it would feel more like a brand war. However, Dangerous A is right about the networks and their wants. What I see happening or a possibility is this. Doesn't smackdown's contract end next year? Vince might have a plan b in case smackdown doesn't get picked up next year and have ecw as the back-up brand. Split smackdown's talent into raw and ecw and have Sci-Fi run ecw and the wwe won't lose anything because they already conditioned fans to Tuesday night with smackdown tapings and live on Sci-Fi(if that is the current plan). Just have ecw take over the touring that smackdown does now. Have Vince and Paul war over the ecw name and eliminate this brand split we have now. From a business perspective the brand split is not really making anymore money than before there was a split or even the same amount of viewers. The slow build of ecw returning and the wwe re-uniting can be the storyline that they are looking for to hook the masses. Of course, from a business perspective Stephanie Mcmahon would have been fired long time ago as head of creative and we know she still runs it. They need to get a fresh perspective at head and shake things up like this, but the chances are slim.

[hyperchord24]

This is not a question of will Vince end the split, it's whether we think it's a good idea to end it.

 

With that said, I think nothing good will come from the brand split, I just think they major/ME storylines from RAW and SD! will be featured on each show, but instead of seeing those storylines progress once a week, you'll see them twice a while. It'll effectively bury the undercard, and move ME storylines faster.

 

If you think Vince didn't know how to build credible MEers now . . .

[mfn]

If the world were a perfect place, The McMahons would lose their egos and wrestling would actually be more than 'just watchable' for a change. I remember in the late 90's I was proud to be a wrestling fan, because all 3 companies were putting out a good product. Now, it's almost taboo again to like wrestling.

 

Oh, and get rid of Steph please. She's horrid.