10 Signs WWE's Brand Split Just Isn't Working
Time to call it, guys.
When it was announced that WWE planned to channel the spirit of 2002 and split both top shows into two distinct brands, there were murmurs of excitement. Sitting alongside that mild anticipation, some pointed out that the roster wasn't exactly deep. Creating new, bankable stars has been a problem for WWE over the past few years.
Names such as Triple H, The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar, and even The Rock have been called upon to return from time to time, lending a hand when things look especially bleak. Hell, even Bill Goldberg's recent comeback shows that things have been trundling along since the WWE Draft. Management clearly didn't feel they had anyone on the regular active roster better-suited to facing Lesnar.
The brand extension started in earnest on July 25. That night's Monday Night Raw debuted a new aesthetic, one quickly followed by the very first episode of SmackDown Live the next night. Since then, excitement has died down a fair bit. That must be worrying for WWE.
Although it's still early days for the brand split, let's look at what the main teething problems are and why they're happening...
10. There's Not Enough To Distinguish Between Both Shows
Credit where credit is due, WWE have tried to add a whole host of little differences to help distinguish between Monday Night Raw and SmackDown Live. For example, the Raw announce desk is now permanently placed beside the entrance ramp, whereas the SmackDown version still sits at ringside.
Other contrasts come when analysing the way both brands shoot matches. Raw favours a much more standard WWE approach, whilst on SmackDown the company have added some new camera angles to try and spice things up. Sadly, none of these differences are really enough to create a clear split between both major shows.
Programming still often begins the same way. One wrestler or an authority figure enters the ring to cut a promo. Then, after that opening segment, we get a few matches and more of the same. Whilst it seems crass to criticise WWE for what can be expected during a wrestling show, there's little to tell Raw and SmackDown apart even post-Draft.
Unfortunately, the latter is still coming across as a less-important variation on the flagship. Making that even more tragic, there are different stars on each show. WWE have to find a way to make that work for them; the actual wrestlers themselves should be what offers a clear parallel.