4 Ups & 3 Downs Of WWE Universal Championship

4. Marketability

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On the positive side, the Universal Championship is going to boost Raw’s marketability tenfold. People are more likely to be drawn to a wrestling show when they know that the “world champion” is going to be in the house, and by installing the new belt, Raw have recovered the championship pull that they lost in the Draft.

If a second title hadn’t been installed, SmackDown would have an immediate advantage in terms of ratings and live crowds. The promoted inter-brand competition is for show and nothing else, but WWE need both of their flagship brands to succeed in pulling viewers in and keeping their attention. Regardless of whoever holds the belt at the time, people tune-in to watch the champion in action, and both Raw and SmackDown will soon have one on their books.

Raw now has the Universal, United States, Women’s, and Tag Team Championships on their books, while SmackDown carries the WWE and Intercontinental belts. The balance of gold still leans in Raw’s favour, but without a top prize, Raw’s lustre was greatly diminished. Those concerns should now be alleviated, and Raw is just as marketable as it was before.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.