WWE Draft 2023: 5 Things That Will Happen (And 5 That WON'T!)
5. WON’T: “Brand Warfare” On PPV
Please keep "brand warfare" away from TV for as long as possible.
WWE pounded that idea relentlessly between 2002-2021, and it got seriously old. Seeing wrestlers only give a toss about what show they're attached to in November was crap, and the knackered 'Team Raw' vs. 'Team SmackDown' bouts at Survivor Series played before diminishing returns.
Those randomly-chaotic "invasion" scenes that played out the week of the pay-per-view also felt totally forced, and don't get anyone started on the frankly sh*te Bragging Rights trophy that workers posed with before the thing was put back into storage. That was second-rate storytelling at best.
Triple H changed the game (ha) by reintroducing WarGames at last year's Survivor Series pay-per-view. He ditched the boring Raw vs. SmackDown dynamic in favour of something that excited fans. It'd be great if Vince McMahon acknowledged that as the way forward - not all that chatter about crummy "brand superiority" for one month only.