For the first time since 2011, WWE split the Raw and Smackdown brands in 2016.
A lot changed - some good, some not so good.
We’ve seen NXT call-ups, a refresh of characters, and the rise of new talent - but we also have
loads of PPVs, too many world champions and some very stale feuds.
I am Luke Owen and these are the five worst things about the WWE Brand Split.
Too Many PPVs
During the original brand split, WWE separated their monthly PPVs between the two brands.
For example Raw would get one in August and then Smackdown’s show would be in September.
This allowed for some long-term booking, which didn’t always quite pay off.
With the advent of the Network, however, WWE now have the option to run as many shows as
their cheque book will allow.
As a result, we now - usually - get a 3-hour PPV every couple of weeks.
This can feel like overkill.
The events of Great Balls of Fire are still fresh in our minds, when suddenly we have
to get excited about a Punjabi Prison match between Randy Orton and Jinder Mahal.
And with the way WWE book storylines - where only championship matches get full attention
- the undercard bouts are usually filler, which makes their PPVs feel like extended
episodes of the TV shows.
WWE Championship Means Less / Devalued Titles
The original idea during the brand split was that the WWE Champion - or Undisputed Champion
back then - would work both Raw and Smackdown.
This changed later in the year when Brock Lesnar signed exclusively to Smackdown and
Triple H was handed the World Heavyweight Championship.
Suddenly WWE had two world titles.
Although it started out prestigious, the World Heavyweight Championship eventually became
an afterthought, a prop for guys to fight over often resulting in the championship match
opening the PPV when they went back to dual-brand shows.
And now we have two world titles again in the WWE and Universal Championships.
Moreover, you now have two sets of tag team championships and two women's championships.
Coupled with the two world titles, they all feel like gimmicks to set up feuds rather
than coveted accomplishments.
The WWE Championship lost a lot of value during the original brand split, and it wasn't given
credence again until the two belts were merged in 2013.
Wouldn't have CM Punk’s 434 day world title reign meant more if Sheamus wasn't defending
another world title on the same show?
Wouldn't Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose’s tag team title win have meant more at Summerslam
if The Usos didn't win the same belts on the pre-show?
Sometimes, less is more.
Feuds Growing Stale
Despite having the biggest depth of any roster in WWE history - seriously think about the
amount of talent on both Raw and Smackdown - the brand split has somehow created stale
feuds.
From September to December 2016 we saw Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens and Chris
Jericho having the same matches and storylines over and over again.
Randy Orton and Jinder Mahal feuded over the WWE Championship for four months - that's
a third of the year.
Dean Ambrose and The Miz started a feud in December 2016, and it finally ended in July
2017, eight months later.
When you only have a few tag teams on each roster, you quickly cycle through the matches
you can have.
How many times did we see The New Day face off against Gallows and Anderson before the
end of 2016?
The same goes for the women on both brands.
Big E once openly joked on Smackdown about how many times Charlotte and Sasha Banks would
fight over the title?
I never thought I’d say this, but there are only so many times you can see Kevin Owens
versus AJ Styles.
Raw Feels Longer
No one likes the 3-hour Raws, no one.
Well, no one in their right mind at least.
Although Raw has the larger roster of the two brands, the 3-hour format exposes it,
making it look smaller because you’re seeing the same guys and girls week in, week out
- see the previous feuds growing stale point.
Because there are three whole hours to fill - excluding the ad breaks of course - we sometimes
get extended squash matches, Elias Samson guitar segments or really lengthy and unnecessary
in-ring promos.
On the plus side it does mean that we get longer and more competitive matches.
It’s very uncommon for an episode of Raw to not feature a 20-25 minute match, which
is a real treat for fans.
The downside of this, though, is that 3-hour PPVs also feature 20-25 minute matches featuring
the same people - which means they no longer feel as special or important.
With so much TV time to fill, you end up having Bray Wyatt and Finn Balor in a long match
on Raw, only for them to have almost the exact same match less than a week later on PPV.
That is not a great way to tell stories.
Both shows feel the same
The WWE brand split was a reaction to Vince McMahon buying out his competition WCW in
2001: If you don’t have competition, you just create your own - Raw v Smackdown rather
than WWF v WCW.
When Vinny Mac announced the new brand split in 2016, it was the same principle.
Stephanie runs Raw, and Shane runs Smackdown - competing over ratings, merchandise sales,
social media shares and other unimportant things.
The problem, however, is that both shows are exactly the same.
WCW was a very different product to WWF.
Its presentation was different, the wrestling styles were different, the rosters were vastly
different, the commentary was different.
Because of that, both shows drew different fans.
WWE want this with Raw and Smackdown, but when both shows are exactly the same you just
draw the same fans.
The sets look the same, they both have 3-man commentary booths which sound the same and
the wrestling is the same across the board.
There isn’t anything that separates Raw and Smackdown apart from the roster and the
colours red and blue.
And when both shows look and feel the same, there isn’t that level of competition that
WWE are trying to replicate.
The Rock left in the early years of the first brand split - find out why!
And which NXT stars got botched call-ups?
Find out more by clicking those videos over there.
Press subscribe and support WrestleTalk on Patreon.
I’ve been Luke Owen, and that was wrestling.