Ever since the return of Shane McMahon in February of this year, WWE has promised that a ‘New Era’ is coming. This apparently arrived at Payback in May with it being billed as “The first pay-per-view of a New Era”.
However, it still feels like we are stuck in the prelude to this revolution coming to fruition.
Not much has changed in WWE since Payback but the brand split on July 19th is set to shake things up and many feel this is when the ‘New Era’ will fully materialise.
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So, what is going to change after the brand split?
This article will look at 5 things that could become the trademarks of the “New Era’
#1 - Two separate, unique shows
WWE has announced that Smackdown and Raw will have two unique rosters, but this isn’t the only thing that should make them different from one another.
Smackdown needs a makeover when it airs live on July 19th; it should have a brand new stage set that is exclusive to them and should appeal to a different type of fan than Raw does, in order for each show to establish it’s own identity.
Raw has followed the same format for years and regularly begins with a lengthy in-ring promo.
Therefore Smackdown needs to find its own structure for the show, that is different and distinguishes it from Monday night’s product in order for the brand split to realise its fullest potential.
#2 - Fresh faces and new matches
Shane McMahon promised new Superstars, more opportunities, and fresh match-ups when given control of Raw and wasted no time in introducing the likes of Apollo Crews and Enzo & Cass to the main roster.
This must continue on both Raw and Smackdown in the ’New Era’ for the product to keep feeling fresh and exciting. It will be interesting to see how NXT is utilised post-brand split as they are rumoured to be losing many of their top talent in the draft.
But this will give WWE a new way to introduce talent from their developmental system with the separate brands bidding for NXT’s hottest superstars, and also allow them to maintain a steady flow of new faces on the flagship shows.
Also, rumours of WWE contacting former talent to flesh out the roster should be a method they exploit long-term; that way they can rekindle old feuds or set-up exciting matches between stars from different eras that fans never thought they’d get the chance to see.
#3 - Long-term storylines
In a recent Q&A session, Stephanie McMahon spoke about the brand split and about how it will allow WWE to slow down their storytelling and focus on the details of a feud.
Stephanie admitted that WWE has lost the ability to tell stories over a longer period of time and attributed this to having three hours of TV time to fill with storylines on Raw, and then continuing them on Smackdown.
But with two shows having unique rosters after the draft, they will only have one show a week to tell these stories and will therefore be forced to slow things down.
This should benefit both the writers and the fans, as they will have more time to connect to a story instead of it being rushed to make a match for a pay-per-view.
#4 - Better character development
A by-product of long-term storytelling but something equally as important, is the character development that more intricate details would allow.
Many performers on the roster have not been granted the opportunity to establish their personas and have therefore not connected with the audience as well as they might have had they been afforded more time.
Superstars such as Tyler Breeze have been largely restricted to in-ring work since their debut, rather than being able to showcase their personalities in backstage segments or interviews.
Hopefully, with the roster being split and more time dedicated to each performer, more superstars will be able to get over with the crowd which would result in a better product overall.
#5 - Women’s Wrestling
Another goal of WWE that has failed to materialise is the Women’s revolution. Although the Women’s division has improved over the last year, it hasn’t developed as much as many were hoping.
It is unclear how the Women’s division will be presented after the brand split, but it was rumoured to be exclusive to one brand and then to be divided between Raw and Smackdown. In case this scenario presents itself, it should work out to be more beneficial to the female talent on the roster.
By being split across two shows, more Women will be given the spotlight in multiple feuds and will not be restricted to feuding for the Women’s title alone. This will allow for more character development and could finally allow the Women’s revolution to come to fruition.
If done right, women’s wrestling could become a trademark of the ‘New Era’ in the WWE.
