7 Major Problems With RAW Vs. SmackDown At WWE Survivor Series
4. Weeks Of Neutered Television
For the next few weeks, the episodes of RAW and SmackDown are unlikely to matter in any way. The SmackDown invasion of RAW surely needed an immediate response from the red brand, but nothing was forthcoming. WWE is headed to Europe shortly too, so the chances of any more cross-brand violence is next to non-existent.
After seeing Roode and Ziggler work together on Monday, not to mention a host of babyfaces acting like vicious goons, how is the WWE Universe supposed to get involved in the usual run of stories on SmackDown Live? Chad Gable has been a great babyface so far, but after seeing his behaviour on Monday I have less of a desire to see him succeed. Gable is simply one example.
WWE is likely to sleepwalk through its television programming for the next couple of weeks, until the door is open again for invasions. The promotion has a hard time keeping its TV audience as it is, so a couple of weeks of harshly neutered television is only going to be detrimental to both RAW and SmackDown’s numbers.