6 Reasons Why WWE Needs To Bring Back The Brand Split In 2016

A few years ago WWE got rid of the brand extension and merged Raw’s roster with SmackDown, but was it really for the better? Since the brands have merged SmackDown has become a shell of what it used to be and many members of the WWE roster are getting lost in the shuffle. We think WWE should bring the brand extension back in 2016 when SmackDown moves to the USA Network and here’s why.

#6 – There’s Nothing Special About SmackDown

Monday Night Raw is WWE’s flagship show. It’s always been that way and it’s always going to be that way. When you tune into Monday Night Raw you know that anything can happen. Titles can change hands, huge stars can make surprise returns and big storylines will always play out on Raw. Raw is a constant reminder that anything can happen at any time in the WWE.

But what do you get when you watch SmackDown? You get nothing. SmackDown is a glorified recap show with wrestling matches. The matches that take place on SmackDown rarely have any impact on the rest of the WWE. So where’s the motivation to tune in?

SmackDown doesn’t have to be the black sheep of WWE’s television family. But it needs something exclusive to the brand to get people interested.

#5 – Having Two General Managers Is Fun

Remember watching Eric Bischoff compete with Stephanie McMahon for brand supremacy? How about Teddy Long feuding with John Laurinaitis? Both of those feuds and several other General Manager feuds always made for entertaining television.

Having two different authority figures in the WWE allows for a different tone to be set for each show. Giving SmackDown an exclusive General Manager would be a big step toward making the show feel important again. Currently there’s no one on the show taking the brand seriously and trying to convince fans that SmackDown is better than Raw and that’s a hole that could easily be filled.

#4 – Too Many Wrestlers Are Lost In The Shuffle

WWE has a massive roster at the moment but so many of the wrestlers in the WWE are lacking direction. One week Cesaro is cutting a promo in the ring on Raw surrounded by “Cesaro Section” signs and the next week he’s wrestling on Main Event, Superstars or even worse, a dark match. The point is that there’s only so much TV time that WWE has every week and without two separate rosters we’re constantly seeing the same guys over and over again while others get lost in the shuffle.

Giving SmackDown its own roster could help ensure that guys like Cesaro, King Barrett, Stardust, Adam Rose, Damien Sandow, Bo Dallas and others get the attention they need to progress. WWE has a deep talent pool but some of those talents need a better platform to apply their craft.

#3 – It Would Help NXT Stars Make The Transition To The Main Roster

For every NXT success story on the main roster, there’s been another NXT wrestler or tag team that didn’t make the transition so easily. Sure guys like Kevin Owens, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and even Divas like Paige, Charlotte and Sasha Banks are doing great on Raw. But guys like Adam Rose, Bo Dallas, The Ascension and even the Lucha Dragons have seemingly faded into obscurity without being given a fair shot.

Those names weren’t able to find their footing on Raw which caused WWE to give up on them. But SmackDown is a different animal. SmackDown like NXT is a taped show and there’s less pressure on the performers compared to Raw which is live. Some NXT superstars are built for a live debut on Raw, but others still have some growth to do and SmackDown would be the right place for them to do it.

#2 – The Draft Is Must See TV

Remember how exciting it was tuning into WWE’s annual draft lottery? Every year the landscape of the WWE would change. Big stars would get shuffled to SmackDown, up and comers would get moved to Raw and tag teams would get split up. The draft truly was must see TV for a wrestling fan as it had a way of making both shows seem fresh again.

Now there is no jumping ship from brand to brand and you know that the performers you see on Raw will be the same performers you see on SmackDown. The draft is something that creates memorable moments that get people talking. You would be hard pressed to find a wrestling fan that doesn’t miss this annual event.

#1 – Two World Titles Makes It Easier To Create More Main Event Stars

Having one World Championship in WWE is cool in theory, but it seems to have done more harm than good. With only one World Championship spots in the World Title scene are limited which is hurting WWE’s chances of creating their next big star.

When WWE had two World Championships there was far less pressure on SmackDown’s World Champion when compared to Raw’s World Champion. This allowed the WWE to take chances on new stars by giving them a World Title run and seeing what they could do. Having two World Championships gave guys like Rey Mysterio, Jeff Hardy, Christian, Mark Henry, Daniel Bryan, CM Punk and others their time to shine. After seeing what these guys could do after winning the big one, it caused their stock in WWE to rise.

It could even be argued that John Cena who is now a 15 time World Champion never would have broken into the main event scene had he not been given a shot on SmackDown. Sure Edge won his first WWE Championship while he was a member of the Raw brand, but it was his time on SmackDown that turned him into a wrestling legend. Jeff Hardy was always a star, but it’s the SmackDown brand that turned him into a legitimate main eventer

Could you imagine what a second World Title could do for guys like Dolph Ziggler, Cesaro, Dean Ambrose and others? These guys are constantly on the cusp of the main event scene but just can’t quite seem to break through. If WWE won’t allow them to break into the current main event scene, it would be beneficial to everyone to create a separate main event scene altogether and to do that you need another World Championship.

What do you guys think, do you want to see the draft return? Sound off below.