7 Traps WWE’s Brand Extension Has Fallen Into (Again)
The Undertaker's either on SmackDown or he's not...
Eyebrows were raised when WWE revealed plans to launch a second brand extension in the summer of 2016. Adding to the excitement coming out of the promotion was the small matter of SmackDown being rebranded as a live show, a move theoretically bringing the blue brand on par with Monday Night Raw's status as WWE's flagship.
Launched last July, the latest extension has been running for close to seven months now. That's ample time to be judged on, and whereas there are positives to both Raw and SmackDown, it's baffling that WWE didn't foresee some familiar problems cropping up.
Even more bizarre, all of these issues were prevalent during the very first brand split. WWE have fallen victim to the same problems they did following that initial extension in 2002, showing a remarkable lack of preparation and foresight.
Should they continue to casually gloss over such issues, WWE may find this brand extension will fizzle out just like the last one did...
7. Lack Of Real Roster Depth
Quick question, WWE: just how many times can you present Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns and expect people to maintain the same level of interest?
Further, there's only so much of the same old combinations across both Raw and SmackDown people can be expected to take. The blue brand isn't exempt from this, as AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose is another match that has been done to death.
It'd be harsh to criticise the actual wrestlers themselves for their work, and combos like KO/Reigns do deliver inside the ring. At the same time though, it's hard to shake the feeling that watching current programming is like watching a repeat. That's down to the lack of numbers across the two major brands.
This was a problem first time around with the brand extension too, which is why bouts like Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar happened with alarming regularity. Again, world class fare, but any match will lose some shine if it's presented weekly for a sustained period of time.
It all makes sense when viewed plainly, because cutting your numbers in half for each show is always going to breed repetition.