Here's a question: How could have the WWF have done the brand extention differently?
Possibility one: Separate shows for separate divisions. Instead of splitting the roster, they could have had:
WWE Cruiserwieght Heat WWE Hardcore Velocity WWE Heavywieght Raw WWE Divas!
So Cruiserwieght Heat is an all C/W show, Hardcore velocity is all hardcore matches, etc.
The 6 singles titles would be: WWE Cruiserwieght WWE Hardcore WWE Womens WWE Heavywieght (replacing the Euro) WWE Top Contender (replacing the IC) WWE Unified
6 Tag belts would be: WWE Cruiserwieght WWE Hardcore WWE Womens WWE Heavywieght WWE Top Contender WWE World
Every 1st PPV would be all Heavywieght, the 2nd all womens, the 3rd covering all divisions, the 4th all cruiserwight, the 5th all hardcore, and the 6th all divisions.
So what about SmackDown? It'd be where the top stars from each division and the big angles get played out.
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A lot of people have suggested that the brand extention would have worked better if more of an effort had been made to make the shows look more different. But then again, would the WWE want Raw fans who can but choose not to watch SmackDown?
I think that would be too many champions (18!). I also have my doubts that the women, hardcore div., or cruiserweights could carry a PPV by themselves. But even if they could to a certain extent, I think this would only accomplish splitting the audience, which is not what they really want to do. The only real benefit of the split is that it forces them to use more of their deep roster, allows more time off for wrestlers (split house and split TV shows), and allows writers to write for less shows a year. They talk about competition between the brands, but it's not really possible, since the WWE need both to succeed. I think the split has been successful in the realistic sense that I stated above. Just not successful when compared to the grandiose, pie-in-the-sky goals that the WWE stated (which pretty much amounts to each brand being as big as the one WWE is right now, each with their own successful PPV's).
I agree that idea is quite strange, as it makes way too many titles and further dilutes the talent into, what? 6 shows? Who'd buy a PPV featuring all women's wrestling? I think WOW's proven that it's hard to do. And besides, with the downturn in the market, the WWF isn't about to hire more women to fill out a PPV...
Still, I think that they should've had the Undisputed and Tag Titles float, kept the IC belt on RAW and elevated the European title so it is the Smackdown equivalant. Then, Cruiserweights on Smackdown and Hardcore on RAW. Simple as that. But at least now the titles mean more. Personally, I like what they're doing now.
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"Smile." Maguire (Jude Law), Road to Perdition
"You can't fight in here, this is the War Room!" The President (Peter Sellers), Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love the Bomb
Originally posted by ges7184I think that would be too many champions (18!). I also have my doubts that the women, hardcore div., or cruiserweights could carry a PPV by themselves. But even if they could to a certain extent, I think this would only accomplish splitting the audience, which is not what they really want to do. The only real benefit of the split is that it forces them to use more of their deep roster, allows more time off for wrestlers (split house and split TV shows), and allows writers to write for less shows a year. They talk about competition between the brands, but it's not really possible, since the WWE need both to succeed. I think the split has been successful in the realistic sense that I stated above. Just not successful when compared to the grandiose, pie-in-the-sky goals that the WWE stated (which pretty much amounts to each brand being as big as the one WWE is right now, each with their own successful PPV's).
Oh come on, Billy Kidman, Rey Mysterio, Juventud Guerrera, Chavo, and before they left, Dean Malenko, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, and Eddie Guerrero carried Nitro, Thunder, and Saturday Night for several years.
Many weeks it was the only thing worth watching on Dub-Cee-Dubya. In fact, I know of quite a few former WCW fans who *just* watched for the CW's and Lucadores.
As for C/W's (and for that matter Women, or Hardcore), fine, throw in Top Contender vs World & Top Tag Contender Vs Tag Champs for good measure.
Hardcore wrestlers & matches carrying a fed? Yeah, ECW only succeeded at that for nearly a decade without a national TV deal bar one year (and that hour regularly got over a 1; not bad esp. considering it didn't have Vinny Mac's or Uncle Eric's greenbacks behind it.
Note in the case of WCW's CW's and ECW they not only made 2 PPV's a year bareable, but in many cases 12!
Give people what they want and play to the nieches.