WWE’s brand split made a major impact with last night’s Smackdown Live as superstars shifted loyalties, NXT call-ups were made, and announcement teams were changed up.
With all of those changes taking place, this leaves more for a lot of questions. Some of those questions are due to disappearing storylines. Other questions are the result of gaps in logic. Here are some of the things that I am wondering about, although not necessarily losing any sleep over:
– What was the significance of Charles Robinson giving the “screwjob” finish to the Charlotte match a few months ago? Sure, he knowingly has long-standing loyalty to Ric Flair, but Charlotte ditched Ric Flair.
– What happened to the Hype Bros tag team? Zack Ryder had reinvented himself last year as a tag team wrestler on NXT alongside Mojo Rawley, then after Wrestlemania, he moved back to being a singles competitor. They are both now part of Smackdown, but will their past as a tag team be acknowledged?
– Are The Dudley Boyz faces or heels? They were positioned as heels for most of this year, but then they were on the ‘Murican team on the July 4th episode of Raw.
– Similar question, is Big Show a face or a heel? The July 4th episode showed him as a do-gooder ‘Murican, leading the team with a patriotic pep talk. In the Wrestlemania battle royal, he worked heel. There was never a proper turn.
– With American Alpha being called up to Smackdown, what was the significance of them being attacked by The Authors Of Pain on that NXT special?
– Regarding Heath Slater being undrafted, does that mean the end of The Social Outcasts?
– Tamina wasn’t drafted, either, but hasn’t been released. Does that mean that she’s on her way out of WWE?
– Luke Harper wasn’t drafted and Erick Rowan is now on Smackdown while Bray Wyatt and Braun Strohman were drafted for the Raw roster. Does that mean the end of The Wyatt Family?
– A.J. Styles was split from Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. Does that mean the end of The Club? How can the whole “Beat Up John Cena” concept move forward if A.J. Styles can’t play the numbers game anymore?
– The Undertaker wasn’t drafted. How is that going to be addressed when he returns for Wrestlemania? Same question for Triple H.
– If Raw and Smackdown are supposed to be competing, why is one show two hours and the other show three hours?
– Furthermore, if the two weekly shows are competing and are able to draft talent from NXT, then doesn’t that mean that they are competing with NXT? If so, why is the GM of NXT so content with losing so much of its talent?
– Whatever happened to J&J Security? Sure, they’re agents backstage, but it’s not as if Seth Rollins turned babyface and/or grew a spine as a competitor.
Sure, wrestling fandom means suspending your disbelief, but if WWE is starting off the brand split with a lot of gaps…well, Smackdown Live isn’t necessarily starting on the right foot.
Fingers crossed that we the fans now have three weekly programs — or six hours — of exciting weekly programming to watch each week.
well, 1st of, I agree with almost all points you have raised, WWE has left a lot of big gaps during this brand split draft, but 1st thing I would like to mention is that Bray is drafted to Smackdown, not on the Raw roster. secondly, those who are not drafted, the likes of tripleH, might be drafted some later time. and lastly, about The Undertaker, obviously He is above this draft system. He is the WWE himself, drafting him to any brand would be totally unfair with the other, besides He is under contract of “once in a year performance”, so in that case, there was no point in drafting Him.
I liked the list, it’s great! But I found 2 mistakes and 1 information that may help:The mistakes are: 1) Bray is on Smackdown. 2) Big Show is face from the start of the year or so. And the information is that Rock, HHH and Taker weren’t drafted because they only mak special appearances and Harper, Tamina, Emma, Nikki, etc weren’t drafted because they’re injured (I don’t know why their injuries are such a problem and why injured superstars weren’t drafted)
I take your point about Part Timers but Lesnar was drafted and he is a part timer and under a major cloud.