Brand Split Officially ends on may 31st

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Comments

  • jono
    jono Members Posts: 30,280 ✭✭✭✭✭
    A lot of people give the WHC a bad rap because its the #2 title but for most of the brand extension it was the #1 title.

    Basically whatever title was on RAW was the #1 title, they were virtually interchangeable. Both titles main evented PPVs and WMs but that was days past...

    HOWEVER, it is solidly the #2 belt now.

    If they were to combine the straps the Big Gold Belt would probably die...and that's a shame for the business. That belt goes back to the NWA days, the history behind it keeps it alive and is probably why it was brought back in 2002.


    It took a couple credibility hits (Jack Swagger for instance) but I still love that belt. ? those toys they keep coming out with.
  • 5th Letter
    5th Letter Members, Moderators, Writer Posts: 37,068 Regulator
    I liked the early days of the brand split when Smackdown was the workhorse brand led by Brock, Angle, Benoit, Guerrero. Raw was more storyline driven led by HHH, Michaels, Jericho, Kane. I liked the dynamics of Raw and SD and how it's similar to leagues with different conferences. NFC/AFC in the NFL and AL/NL in baseball. The beginning of the end was when they kept moving key pieces of SD's workhorse image. First Matt Hardy then Benoit and Edge. They gave SD Booker T and RVD who were good workers but were stale at that point. The brand split had its moments but Vince wasn't patient enough to let it reach its true potential.
  • dalyricalbandit
    dalyricalbandit Members, Moderators Posts: 67,918 Regulator
    as much as i like the Big Gold belt I thin k its time to put it to rest its a WCW/NWA belt and its a Main title not a second rate belt, time for them to just put the IC belt back as the number 2 belt of the Federation
  • TheBoyRo
    TheBoyRo Members Posts: 13,647 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Jamaica wrote: »
    I liked the early days of the brand split when Smackdown was the workhorse brand led by Brock, Angle, Benoit, Guerrero. Raw was more storyline driven led by HHH, Michaels, Jericho, Kane. I liked the dynamics of Raw and SD and how it's similar to leagues with different conferences. NFC/AFC in the NFL and AL/NL in baseball. The beginning of the end was when they kept moving key pieces of SD's workhorse image. First Matt Hardy then Benoit and Edge. They gave SD Booker T and RVD who were good workers but were stale at that point. The brand split had its moments but Vince wasn't patient enough to let it reach its true potential.


    huge cosign, i remember when a wrestler on raw that made a appearance on smackdown was a BIG deal cause it was so exclusive, like HBK was a RAW wrestler but he made an appearance on smack down on like 05-05 for the first time in yrs, when the brands were completely separate, it was much better, when drafts happen, new wrestlers on new shows made things fresh and interesting
  • smokelahoma
    smokelahoma Members Posts: 6,961 ✭✭✭✭✭
    marchin closer to that date. wonder how its gonna work
  • Broddie
    Broddie Members Posts: 11,750 ✭✭✭✭✭
    marchin closer to that date. wonder how its gonna work
    \

    Uh it's been in effect as far as TV is concern since the RAW Super Show ? started. You see the exact matches on Raw and Smackdown every week going back to last summer. This will have more visible effect on house shows since those are still ran as separate brands.

  • smokelahoma
    smokelahoma Members Posts: 6,961 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Broddie wrote: »
    marchin closer to that date. wonder how its gonna work
    \

    Uh it's been in effect as far as TV is concern since the RAW Super Show ? started. You see the exact matches on Raw and Smackdown every week going back to last summer. This will have more visible effect on house shows since those are still ran as separate brands.

    I meant hows it gonna work with smackdown and raw? they wont be called that anymore right?

  • twizza 77
    twizza 77 Members Posts: 4,201 ✭✭✭✭✭
    It looks like they are keeping all the belts thou. I don't think that's the direction to go. The secondary belts are not consistently defended and change hands often. Less belts would bring back prestige of holding a belt and defending it from a challengers.

    As for brand extension ending, it'll just be the same thing before the split, top guys getting all the tv time and squash victories.
  • jono
    jono Members Posts: 30,280 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Broddie wrote: »
    marchin closer to that date. wonder how its gonna work
    \

    Uh it's been in effect as far as TV is concern since the RAW Super Show ? started. You see the exact matches on Raw and Smackdown every week going back to last summer. This will have more visible effect on house shows since those are still ran as separate brands.

    I meant hows it gonna work with smackdown and raw? they wont be called that anymore right?

    The house shows will be changed from "Smackdown"/"Raw" brand house shows to just "WWE Live".

    Won't much change.
  • willhustle
    willhustle Guests, Members, Writer, Content Producer Posts: 6,550 ✭✭✭✭✭
    twizza 77 wrote: »
    It looks like they are keeping all the belts thou. I don't think that's the direction to go. The secondary belts are not consistently defended and change hands often. Less belts would bring back prestige of holding a belt and defending it from a challengers.

    As for brand extension ending, it'll just be the same thing before the split, top guys getting all the tv time and squash victories.

    They really need to get rid of some of the belts though and if Vince was smart he should just unify both World Championships & Mid-card championships.

    It really should look like this in WWE:

    WWE Championship
    IC Championship
    WWE Tag Team Championship
    Divas Championship (Women)

    and maybe a TV championship or cruserweight division for the low mid-carders/jobbers.