WWE Crown Jewel 2025: 8 Nightmares That Could Come True
5. Announcers Lean On Raw vs. SmackDown
The brand split is dead. It has been for ages.
WWE barely has a recognisable, credible brand split to speak of in October 2025 anyway. Technically, the rosters are separate, but wrestlers show up whenever they like on rival shows without consequence so it’s flimsy. If Michael Cole and the other commentators start banging on about the importance of “brand warfare” over the weekend, then we’re in trouble. That’d likely mean some ‘Team Raw’ vs. ‘Team SmackDown’ matches would be considered for Survivor Series.
They’d mean nothing. That whole “brand warfare” hype means little to viewers tuning in, especially these days. People were getting pretty sick of it a generation ago under Vince McMahon, and there's simply no need to make it a focal point under Triple H's watch. Hell, they don't even have video games to sell with the Raw vs. SmackDown tag these days! It'd be pointless. A stupid idea from bad creative, if you like.
Unfortunately, both Crown Jewel Championship bouts have some brand business just beneath the surface. Seth Rollins is a Raw guy, and Cody Rhodes is a SmackDown guy. Stephanie Vaquer is a Raw champ, and Tiffany Stratton is a SmackDown champ. Gee, how thrilling. Thankfully, WWE has managed to find slightly more for the men's match than that. Not so for the women, sadly.
The idea that wrestlers care about which show they're tied to when they freely rock up elsewhere without consulting GMs is weak. It'd be insulting to fans if Cole and the announce crew pushed the idea of brand loyalty or the importance of being team red or team blue at this stage in the game.
Please don't even mention it, lads.