10 Questions About WWE Brand Split
What fans are wondering about the latest attempt at dual promotions...
Here we go again. WWE brand split, take 2.
Last week, WWE made a major announcement concerning the future of SmackDown. First, beginning on July 19th, it will be going live on a permanent basis and, thus begin airing in the US on Tuesday nights from 8-10PM.
The bigger news came when the company announced a brand split that will separate the company into two distinct teams. There will be specific creative writers and storylines for the 23 year-old Monday Night RAW show and there will be specific creative writers and storylines for the 17 year old SmackDown. In addition, the talent roster will be split into two separate teams, similar to the way the first brand split was handled nearly 15 years ago.
That is what we know, but...what about everything else?
For all the excitement and anticipation the news has caused, there are a number of unanswered questions that will have a huge impact on the future of the promotion.
What will happen to the the champions? What about the women's division? How will PPVs be handled?
So many questions remain unanswered, but will be revealed before long.
10. Will The Product Be Watered Down?
Many fans have been wishing for a brand split for a long time now. The return of Shane McMahon and the current storyline focusing on his share of control with Stephanie, along with the influx of talent WWE has seen recently, has only intensified many of those wishes. On the other hand, there are many who think that the show will be negatively impacted, like it was back in 2002.
In 2002, WWE was coming off its most successful period ever in the Attitude Era and the resulting brand split led to decreased ratings and viewership for both RAW and SmackDown. There are now similar concerns that by separating the talent roster, the company will be limiting itself in terms of the compelling match-ups and storylines it can present.
Fortunately, the current WWE talent roster is loaded with impressive performers, many of whom haven't had the opportunity to shine on RAW because the pool has been so crowded. Vince McMahon said on his second quarter earnings conference call two weeks ago that the roster has never been as large as it is right now.
This is likely the main reason why WWE has confidence that splitting the promotion again will not result in a decrease in the quality of the product.