We've all had a couple of days to let the draft digest. The surprises and shocks have worn off, the dust has settled and now it's time to get to work. Raw and Smackdown each have their own rosters, their own leadership figures and their own weekly live shows.
With that said, the playing field is even and we are ready to move into the future, right? Not so fast....
At the time of this year's draft, pro wrestling in general, not just WWE, but the entire industry was in need of change. Change can be a nerve-rattling endeavor; it can be intimidating and it can be uncomfortable.
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But change is also necessary at times, including this year.
The wrestling scene, while as popular as ever, has been fairly stale lately and one of the key contributors to the recent lagging in entertainment is the TV PG.
Look, I get it. Today's product is geared more towards children and generating revenue via family family entertainment. Unfortunately, we have seen a sacrifice in overall quality, just for the sake of remaining inside the federal mandated box of PG programming.
Moving forward, even with the excitement of the draft, is going to be a difficult feat, due to the stranglehold of TVPG.
In 2002, WWE underwent their first brand extension draft, but that particular era was privy to a much deeper talent pool. Well, at least as far as the top tier talent is concerned. For instance, the first four picks in the 2002 draft included: 1. The Rock went to Smackdown, 2. The Undertaker went to Raw, 3. Kurt Angle went to Smackdown and with the 4th pick, Raw took the nWo.
So, when you look back at the 2002 brand-split, it was a successful venture, at least for the short term.
Both Raw and Smackdown held their own, in regards to ratings. Each program was churning out quality programming on a consistent basis, week in and week out. With that said, should we look at that years success as a model hope the WWE powers that be should try in every way to mimic the 2002 brand extension?
Absolutely not.
The year now is 2016, it's a totally different era and the entire way fans view the sport has changed completely. Fans today expect more and of they don't get it, they voice their frustrations in a major way. This year's brand-split needs to be taken completely different.
Mick Foley spoke of the Attitude Era being long gone, yet the talent needs to carry some of that type of attitude with them, as they move forward into this new era. Going back in time cannot be an option whatsoever. Every week needs to be a step forward, not backwards in hopes of replicating years gone by.
In order to move forward and not have the failures of the past repeat itself, there are a few things that need to be addressed.
BRAND IDENTITY
This is something I've mentioned in the past, but it needs to be brought up again. Smackdown and RAW need two totally different identities. This includes separate storylines, completely different stages setups, a different vision and a totally different attitude. Smackdown needs to stand alone and be a featured attraction, not "the B show.'
Most of us are old enough to remember the huge fist that once protruded from the jumbotron. That alone was enough to help build self-identity for the blue crew. It was exciting, it was a symbol of recognition and it simply let the viewers know that Smackdown was to be taken seriously and that they could and should expect a high energy, quality show.
There is a tremendous need for brand identity right now, and it needs to be addressed immediately.
EQUAL PLAYING FIELD
When we talk about the dangers of history repeating itself, we need to understand that we can't even begin to move forward, in a positive, productive direction, we must level the playing field.
The issue we already have is the lack of equality and the fact that Raw is already ahead of the game, before true shots have even been fired. Raw has the three-hour program, as well as the fact that they certainly got dealt a much better hand with regards to the draft.
So, how can we make things better for both brands moving forward and create a more level playing field?
One thing that needs to be addressed is the three hour Raw, versus Smackdown continuing with a two-hour format. Raw already has name recognition, when it comes to consistently being recognized as the "flagship" program. For years now, WWE has been preaching that statement to their fans.
Effective immediately, that notion needs to be forgotten. There needs to be an idea going forward that both brands are equally equipped to carry out the imminent ratings war that is looming, which is the Shane vs Stephanie.
FREE AGENCY/TRADE ELIGIBILITY
I'm not quite sure of how the logistics would play out, but there could be some sort of trade deadline put in place where Raw and/or Smackdown can make an offer to their rival brand about a certain superstar they might have their eyes on.
For instance, if Shane wanted to make a play to bring Anderson & Gallows to Smackdown, so he could pair the tandem with Styles and put The Club back together, he would go to Stephanie and either offer a certain number of superstars in trade, or possibly ask Steph is there's someone on his roster that she may want to join her roster.
They would then come to an agreement and make the trade happen.
As far as free agency, it could be a situation where a certain NXT star is ready to make his or her main roster debut. Shane and Stephanie would come together and decide which brand that superstar would be a better fit for.
If both want the star, then there would need to be some sort of deal worked out between brands. Maybe one brand offers a star from their roster, in order to claim the rights to the upcoming NXT talent.
Either way, it could be an added exciting element to the whole situation and could be another tool to prevent the company from repeating history.
NO ADDED PPV'S
This is a topic that has been discussed a lot lately. Some want to see each brand have their own respective pay-per-view events each month. I cannot express enough how much I think this is a terrible idea.
We already have a watered down PPV schedule as it is. There are times when we get a new one every three weeks. If we add an additional event each month, for the sole sake of allowing each brand to have their own PPV, it would only dilute things even more.
If an additional PPV is added to the schedule, we could see some weekly schedules that look like this:
-MONDAY: 3 hours of RAW
-TUESDAY: 2 hours of Smackdown
-WEDNESDAY: 1 hour of NXT
-SUNDAY: 3 hours of PPV'S
Let's be honest, sure it's a lot of wrestling for us to enjoy, but it's simply too much. Fans would grow tired because we would see a lot of repetition. Again, it would just dilute things way too much.
GIVE WORTHY TALENT A CHANCE
Okay, you've split your roster in half. Smackdown gets one half(well, almost) and of course, Raw gets the other. With that said, there's more room at the top of each respective roster for newer talent to get that proverbial shot at the brass rings.
This creates an exciting opportunity for some of the guys who have worked hard and deserve a fair shot at a top spot.
Guys like Cesaro, Bray Wyatt, Sasha Banks and a number of others deserve a chance at title contention. Also, it brings about opportunities for newly arriving talent to get showcased.
Enzo and Cass, American Alpha, Baron Corbin, Finn Balor and Apollo Crews. These are the names of future champions, which we need to start molding into top level stars now.
The future doesn't have to repeat itself this time. In fact, history needs to be made this time around. WWE has landed some phenomenal talent in recent years and now they have a unique opportunity to build an exciting future around these new stars of today and tomorrow.
It's a new era and a new chance to create a secure future for the entire industry.
It all starts at the top and if WWE is doing great, chances are, the rest of the wrestling world is doing well. This year's draft has created new chances at greater things than we've seen before. Everything moving forward, will rely heavily on proper planning and execution.
If the company takes advantage of what they have right in their own backyard right now, they could potentially see huge success from this ordeal, which could sustain them for many years to come.
So, yes, history could indeed repeat itself. However, history could be made as well.
