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Smackdown moving to Tuesday and going live


Cox

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I didn't say you were, I've simply never understood the idea that was prevalent during the time period and apparently still exists that Raw was presented as so much more "important" than Smackdown during that era. It just feels like one of those things that gets presented as fact just because people keep saying it and yet when you actually examine the reasons people give for why it's true they just don't hold up.

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I didn't say you were, I've simply never understood the idea that was prevalent during the time period and apparently still exists that Raw was presented as so much more "important" than Smackdown during that era. It just feels like one of those things that gets presented as fact just because people keep saying it and yet when you actually examine the reasons people give for why it's true they just don't hold up.

Cena was on Raw, he was the star of the company. Triple H was on Raw, he was the second star of the company. HBK was on Raw, he was the third star of the company. Raw was the bigger deal, even if it was the worst show.

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I didn't say you were, I've simply never understood the idea that was prevalent during the time period and apparently still exists that Raw was presented as so much more "important" than Smackdown during that era. It just feels like one of those things that gets presented as fact just because people keep saying it and yet when you actually examine the reasons people give for why it's true they just don't hold up.

 

 

What's important to people like us is very different to casual fans and WWE itself, The company really can't make it any more clear by what they do.

 

 

WWE doesn't consider Smackdown an important show no matter how good the wrestling can be on it. Whenever there was an injury or Raw's ratings would dip, they would raid any stars from SD instant.

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I wouldn't mind a brand split, but in all honesty I would love if Stephanie/HHH had full control off Raw (cause let's be honest it WILL BE RAW) and continue the boring template it currently has while filled with a bunch of people I don't care about. And let Smackdown be the show filled with the characters that aren't tired. Styles, Sami Zayn, Ceasaro, Kevin Owens, etc. Keep Sheamus, Big Show, Kane, Alberto Del Rio, etc. on Raw and let HHH/Stephanie have the program they feel the fans 'deserve'. This is a situation where WWE can (as they did with NXT) have its cake and eat it too. Keep The Dudleys, Jericho, HHH, The Ascension, and the other stale acts on the main show. I would also love to see only one world champion and not multiple. Give Raw The I.C. and Women's title. Give Smackdown the U.S. and Tag titles.

 

I know no one asked for it, but if I was in control the first 15 drafted superstars to Raw would be:

 

The Ascension

Kane

Big Show

Sheamus

Chris Jericho

Alberto Del Rio

The Dudley Boys

Randy Orton

Fandango

Swagger

The Miz

Maryse

John Cena

 

 

Keep building to WM 34 and the main event will be Cena vs. Reigns for the first time...watch the money pour in. I also hope WWE hard splits the women's roster. The split would be the workers (Charlotte, Sasha, Becky, Natalie, etc.) from the non-workers (Eva, Lana, Rosa, etc.). Again, this is really a situation where WWE can keep Raw stale and full of 'the names' while Stephanie gets to brag about leading a revolution. As all of this goes on and Raw continues to be a 3 hour death march, Smackdown is just tearing it up.

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Hopefully this leads to the return of the Bragging Rights show as a Network special. I always liked the dynamic of teams that didn't really get on, but would try and put their differences aside for one night. Something about heel Jericho and face Matt Hardy celebrating together with their winner trophy in 09 made me quite happy.

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When the first Split occured, I was stil a pretty young and easy to influence man and only watched Raw, because it had the bigger stars and "more important" storylines, and was presented that way, clearly.

I only started watching Smackdown way into the Split. This time around I'd have the benefit of having a little more, I'd say, defined fandom. So I'm trying to be neutral and just see the things that are about to come. IF the split occurs, that is, which isn't a given. I'll just be glad to, hopefully, see Smackdown moved up in value. I think a big part of nothing really important happening there is/was the tped episode format and spoilers beeing everywhere. With that now finally gone, I can see that changing.

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According to Dave's breaking audio yesterday, at least right now, the plan is for two champions. They have yet to discuss what happens with the women and will figure that out in coming days. They are also planning a massive and aggressive frenzy of signing guys from outside the company to fill the roster without killing NXT, and that includes guys from Japan and Mexico.

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I am kind of excited. This sort of false competition has always been the WWE's best bet in the monopoly era. I hope against hope that they keep the shows completely separate with maybe the exception of Mania. I assume PPVs will be joint or at least all the big ones will be, but to me the biggest benefit of the brand split is you can build tensions and questions about who is better - questions that were all the buzz of fans in the Monday night wars - but this time you can actually pay them off if you are patient and don't put the rosters in much contact.

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Is it weird that I'm glad to see guys dubious about the brand split? Because I'm cautiously optimistic about it as a guy who liked the last one, thought watering it down/ending it was a terrible idea, and I remember defending way back when against people using it as a scapegoat for every bad decision the company made (there couldn't possibly be deep systemic problems in WWE...if you get rid of the brand split, everything will get better!). So when this broke, part of me was glad, but part of me was grinding my gears that everyone else was glad, too. Like, I knew I wasn't alone in my opinions, but kinda miffed that this thing lots of people groused about that I went to the wall for was being welcomed back by everyone with open arms without so much as an "I didn't know how good I had it until it was gone". So I'm actually glad to see people who are dubious, just to know I'm still grounded in the real world, especially since their complaints seem more sensible than most of the ones I came up against back then. Truly, this is the best world I could have woken up to.

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HHH's tweet this evening seems to hint at a Smackdown direction:

 

On June 8th LIVE on @WWENetwork
#NXTTakeOver: The End...
Where do we go from here?

 

 

I'm hoping this is just a reference to this being The End of the "Takeover" name - I mean, its fine, but its not fantastic and I think NXT could stand to use something a bit more creative for every Network special. I, personally, always liked some of the one-off names that Heyman would come up with for his bigger ECW shows or some of the nicknames WCW attached to their Clash of the Champion specials (you know a show is gonna be good when its subtitled "Knocksville USA" or "Season's Beatings").

 

I also think NXT being put on cable would ultimately kill the brand. Take everything unique and great about NXT and being an NXT fan - from the show being a compact, concise episode to not having to feature countless RAW recaps to not being needlessly promoted as "appointment viewing" as much as something that viewers can explore and enjoy on their own time to purposefully being designed to promote wholly new talent for the short-term and letting the main roster be the place where the "glass ceiling" and "lifers" reside - and watch it evaporate as the company is forced to deal with network notes, sponsors, and Vince actually watching the thing.

 

I can not thing of one positive, from a fan perspective or a business perspective, to turning NXT into SmackDown.

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There is a LOT of raiding you can do to NXT and then just shuffle in the Global Crusierweight Series folks onto NXT. Is losing Balor, Joe, etc.. going to hurt that bad if it's then focused on Zack Sabre Jr, Biff Busick, Drew Gulak, La Sombra, etc.. ?

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Two champions not only repeats the mistakes of the last split, it dilutes their efforts to make Roman the Top Guy (since of course he'll be one of the champions).

If more than one person is the top star, then nobody is the top star.

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