Brand Irrelevancy?

[Lockard 23]

The brand extension already doesn't exist anymore. It's all just one show now, which is why I'm all for a title unification. Having two different people (champions) walking around both proclaiming to be "the best" of the company makes no since when it's all just one show with one roster.

The brand extension was a good idea when it was created in 2002, but back then, it was done out of necessity because the death of WCW gave the WWF a huge influx of talent and there was literally too much room to continue to book everyone all on the same roster. You had big names like Austin, Rock, Triple H, Undertaker, Hogan and Angle still there, and then you had guys who were ready to break out into the main event scene at any moment like RVD, Edge and Booker T., and then you had Brock Lesnar receiving the biggest push in history as well as new talent being signed like John Cena, Randy Orton and Batista, all who were pegged as having the potential to become huge stars (which they did, as we've seen.) Over the course of the next year, you also had guys like Goldberg, Scott Steiner and Rey Mysterio coming it, thus making the roster as a whole even more stacked.

Compare that scenario with how it is today. You have your veterans in Cena and Orton, and then you have CM Punk and Daniel Bryan, the latter of who only just broke through to the top (and didn't stay there long) and the former who himself is a multi-time world champion who just came off the longest title reign of the past 25 years. That's not a very stacked main event roster that can really be stretched to two different brands. There's guys in the undercard who have potential to break through and become main event players, but we can't judge how strong a main event scene is (or the roster as a whole) just based on who has mere potential.

I also don't agree with getting rid of the United States Title. When there are two world championships on the show, then sure. But with the titles being unified, I say keep it. I like having two belts in the midcard, and the European Title gave us some good feuds back in the day as did the Television Title back in WCW (which was their version of a secondary midcard belt.)

 

[the_hoff]

Scumbags like you and I stream PPVs and don't buy merch. they don't give a shit what we think

Imo the PPVs aren't really worth buying. Fucking like what..40 or 50 bucks for a PPV? No thank you. I haven't bought any merch in God knows how long.

I also don't agree with getting rid of the United States Title. When there are two world championships on the show, then sure. But with the titles being unified, I say keep it. I like having two belts in the midcard, and the European Title gave us some good feuds back in the day as did the Television Title back in WCW (which was their version of a secondary midcard belt.)

I really hope they don't get the stupid idea of eventually unifying the two midcard titles...seriously bro

 

[Farooq]

Brand split does not exist whatsoever, and I agree to the unification of the world titles because it's all one roster. As for where I stand in the midcard titles, the Intercontinental championship will shoot up in prestige once there is only one world title. The United States title will rise as well. I don't mind them keeping both titles around, as long as the United States title gets used right.

 

[Larsosc]

Are they? WWE doesn't have to give a shit about belts to keep them around. Without the US Title what will they do for Pre shows on PPVS?!?!

Internet Championship, an idea I've been pitching for a while now. Just cut the bullshit and have the title actually catered to the pre-show. I mean, that's kinda what the US title already is, but just have it officially be known as the pre-show belt so people don't have to hope for something big every time a new guy gets crowned champ.

And you know, also a way to push Ryder if people still want that. Having him introduce the championship by actually defending it or something like that, make a big deal out of it.

 

[Dolph'sZiggler]

Internet Championship, an idea I've been pitching for a while now. Just cut the bullshit and have the title actually catered to the pre-show. I mean, that's kinda what the US title already is, but just have it officially be known as the pre-show belt so people don't have to hope for something big every time a new guy gets crowned champ.

And you know, also a way to push Ryder if people still want that. Having him introduce the championship by actually defending it or something like that, make a big deal out of it.

:eww:

 

[Larsosc]

:eww:

@ Ryder or Internet title idea? Man, I think I got something with the title. Ryder wouldn't be necessary, just had a go at getting a cheap pop.

 

[Larsosc]

Anyway, I say whatever floats the booker's boat is fine. It's obvious that they have more titles than they can handle, and that only results in lame, half-assed feuds. "IC title picture was so much better back then." Well, that's 'cause there was plenty more time to come up with better feuds and angles and less time on thinking which rookie they wanna slap the US title on, as there was only 3 belts to worry about. Perhaps giving creative some breathing room can allow creative to produce something actually interesting for both the mid-card and the main event. I just think that they're limiting themselves because of all these belts.

 

[Dolph'sZiggler]

Anyway, I say whatever floats the booker's boat is fine. It's obvious that they have more titles than they can handle, and that only results in lame, half-assed feuds. "IC title picture was so much better back then." Well, that's 'cause there was plenty more time to come up with better feuds and angles and less time on thinking which rookie they wanna slap the US title on, as there was only 3 belts to worry about. Perhaps giving creative some breathing room can allow creative to produce something actually interesting for both the mid-card and the main event. I just think that they're limiting themselves because of all these belts.

Don't give creative the benefit of the doubt when they do absolutely zero to earn it. How does having belts make it difficult to book feuds? With or without a title involved the main job of creative should be to build feuds the fans are interested in but they build one feud at a time in the ME while everyone else just wrestles random opponents without any real meaning behind it.

 

[Larsosc]

Don't give creative the benefit of the doubt when they do absolutely zero to earn it. How does having belts make it difficult to book feuds? With or without a title involved the main job of creative should be to build feuds the fans are interested in but they build one feud at a time in the ME while everyone else just wrestles random opponents without any real meaning behind it.

Well.... yeah. You would think a creative's job is to actually book interesting feuds whether it'd be mid-card or not, but they're slow and incapable of doing so, I agree. See, I'm with you and I'm certainly not crediting creative or trying to justify the pure laziness going on with feuds, angles and such. Just saying that it looks like we aren't getting anything better. As much as it hurts me to say this, I'd rather just make his job easier and try having him reach his full potential. I swear, I'd rather just want a complete spring cleaning of the creative office or whoever's responsible for the lame builds we've been served time and time again. I've kinda given up anyway, so I'm probably not the ideal guy to ask, but that's what you get from me.

 

[Josh...]

I'll miss the brand separation. I rarely even watch Smackdown anymore and at times forget to read spoilers lol. I miss nothing though so it's kind of okay.

 

[Leo C]

Indeed, it's exactly because of the way that they slowly killed off the brand split that they're unifying the belts. The roster isn't so deep, so there's absolutely no need for it, there's practically no midcard anyway and the main event has few guys running around.

 

[Dolph'sZiggler]

Indeed, it's exactly because of the way that they slowly killed off the brand split that they're unifying the belts. The roster isn't so deep, so there's absolutely no need for it, there's practically no midcard anyway and the main event has few guys running around.

I still don't agree with this. You could easily have a Raw ME comprised of Cena, Orton, Punk, Bryan and I guess Show (ewwww) and ofc Lesnar/Rock when they come around.

then SD you have Henry, Ziggler, Christian, Rhodes ect to ME SD and a ton of mid carders to elevate to that position with the Wyatts, Barrett, Del Rio, Miz, The Shield ect.

having a 2 hour Raw and recorded SD with their own rosters really isn't much more difficult than filling 3 hours of Raw and 2 hours of SD with the same roster

 

[Leo C]

I still don't agree with this. You could easily have a Raw ME comprised of Cena, Orton, Punk, Bryan and I guess Show (ewwww) and ofc Lesnar/Rock when they come around.

then SD you have Henry, Ziggler, Christian, Rhodes ect to ME SD and a ton of mid carders to elevate to that position with the Wyatts, Barrett, Del Rio, Miz, The Shield ect.

having a 2 hour Raw and recorded SD with their own rosters really isn't much more difficult than filling 3 hours of Raw and 2 hours of SD with the same roster

Yeah, if they elevated guys to main event level on SD they could do it. But I just mentioned that currently we have very few guys (Punk, Cena, DB, Orton) that are effectively in the main event, and Cena and Punk particularly are two guys that are always going to be in major programs (almost never drop down to midcard level). If they were interested in elevating dudes that can main event but aren't atm like Henry, Dolph and etc, it could go, but in the current state it wouldn't work.

 

[Dolph'sZiggler]

Yeah, if they elevated guys to main event level on SD they could do it. But I just mentioned that currently we have very few guys (Punk, Cena, DB, Orton) that are effectively in the main event, and Cena and Punk particularly are two guys that are always going to be in major programs (almost never drop down to midcard level). If they were interested in elevating dudes that can main event but aren't atm like Henry, Dolph and etc, it could go, but in the current state it wouldn't work.

Nothing works in the current state because the current state is fucking bullshit lol.

 

[Leo C]

Nothing works in the current state because the current state is fucking bullshit lol.

Well, yeah. :dawg: