10 Reasons WWE SmackDown Is Totally Irrelevant

2. The Brand Split Originally Helped Make SmackDown Great

Following the end of the Monday Night Wars, the purchase of WCW, and the end of the Invasion, WWE split its roster into two distinct shows, and created distinct images and goals for them. Starting immediately after WrestleMania X8, RAW had the best talkers, biggest Superstars of the present, and the show was centered mainly on stories and drama. SmackDown, meanwhile, was based around building the stars of tomorrow, and as such was centered on athleticism, and giving up-and-coming WWE Superstars a chance to shine. In other words, RAW was the €˜story show, and SmackDown was the €˜wrestling show€™; which was the best split they could€™ve had. Fans who wanted to see drama and what amounts to a male soap opera had RAW, while the hardcore fans who loved action and traditional wrestling had SmackDown. Everyone was a winner. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, including this period of show difference. In 2011, the brand extension was formally ended, and both RAW and SmackDown showcased all of the WWE Superstars, or at least didn€™t feel like distinct entities anymore. The end of the brand extension really hurt SmackDown, as the show no longer has any true uniqueness. It has just become another €˜WWE show€™ with the same features, structure and characters as RAW. It€™s no longer the €˜drama show€™ and the €˜wrestling show€™; it€™s two WWE shows whose only differentiating characteristic is the overall color scheme.