Fans have been asking for the WWE brand split to return for years now. Having Raw and SmackDown as two separate brands gave fans two completely different shows to watch with two completely different rosters. Many fans miss the variety and the excitement of SmackDown having its own exclusive storylines and championships.
The subject has been a hot topic as of late as a new rumor is going around saying that WWE is at least considering the possibility of bringing back the brand split. Some fans are for the idea and some fans are against it. But one thing’s for sure, splitting up the brands would allow some of WWE’s biggest stars to shine even brighter.
If WWE does decide to bring back the brand split, that means they will have to bring back the draft. We put together a list of some of WWE’s most key players right now and thought about where the chips would fall if the brands were separated. Let’s take a look at how a two brand roster could potentially look.
Roman Reigns – Raw
Like it or not, Roman Reigns is the guy that WWE has picked to be the next face of the WWE. He’s featured prominently on WWE’s flagship show and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change anytime soon.
In the event of a brand split Reigns would likely stay on Raw and continue to either hold or challenge for the WWE Championship. WWE has simply put too much time into promoting him as the next face of the company to move him to SmackDown.
Dean Ambrose – SmackDown
Dean Ambrose is over with the fans but he just can’t seem to get out of Roman’s shadow. Ambrose has been doing big things in the WWE since The Shield split up but he still has yet to win the big one.
SmackDown’s going to need its own World Title and it’s going to need someone to carry it as well. Dean Ambrose seems like the logical choice to carry belt and the blue brand. The fans like him, he’s charismatic and he’s been ready for a while. Promoting Dean Ambrose as the face of SmackDown seems like a no brainer.
Brock Lesnar – Raw
Brock Lesnar is arguably the biggest name that WWE has, so they’re not going to take him off of their flagship show. WWE relies on Lesnar’s name to carry big feuds and they need those feuds to be featured prominently on Raw. If WWE ever does split the brands again it’s unlikely that Brock Lesnar would be featured anywhere but WWE’s flagship show.
John Cena – SmackDown
John Cena proved in 2015 that he’s capable of having great matches with up and coming talent. The United States Open Challenge was a huge success for the Raw brand as it gave fans something to look forward to every week.
Repeating the same formula with John Cena on SmackDown could be just as successful and SmackDown is going to need something exclusive for the brand. But it doesn’t have to be the exact same thing. Cena could always do an open challenge with the Intercontinental Championship. John Cena may be coming off of a decade of dominance in WWE, but the IC Title is a belt which he has yet to win in his career.
The New Day – Raw
The New Day have revitalized the WWE tag team division and they’ve made the titles important again. That’s something many teams have been struggling to do for years now. Keep the New Day on Raw and don’t change a damn thing.
The Wyatt Family – SmackDown
It’s such a shame that WWE just doesn’t seem to have any plans for The Wyatt Family. This group was on fire for a long time but things have cooled off tremendously. The Wyatt Family is unique and this group is being wasted on an almost weekly basis. The Wyatt Family needs to feel important again and they need to feel dominant again.
Put them on SmackDown and let them run the tag team division there the way The New Day is running the division now. It would also be nice to see Bray Wyatt challenge for a World Championship in a singles match.
Seth Rollins – Raw
During his run as WWE Champion Seth Rollins really started to make a name for himself. Rollins was able to crossover into the mainstream thanks to his feud with Jon Stewart and it helped to create a buzz around WWE. Seth Rollins is the type of Superstar that can always create controversy and that’s the type of thing that’s in high demand on Monday Night Raw.
Keep Rollins on Raw, keep him a heel (if that’s even possible when he returns) and just let him keep doing what he was doing. Before Seth got injured nothing was broken when it came to his weekly performance on Raw. And you know what they say, if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.
Cesaro – SmackDown
Cesaro needs a main event program, or to be more accurate, Cesaro needed a main event program years ago, but he really needs one now. This guy is legit in the ring and he’s managed to build up a good fan following. But unfortunately Cesaro has been pretty much without a direction for most of his WWE career.
Back in the day SmackDown was the brand that helped turn up and comers into big stars. SmackDown could potentially do the same for Cesaro. The fans are ready for Cesaro to break out, but WWE isn’t. Over on SmackDown there’s less pressure which means WWE could finally give Cesaro a shot in the main event and possibly a World Title reign to see what he can do.
AJ Styles – Raw
WWE has done a great job at hyping AJ Styles up to be a big name and it seems to have worked. Many fans were familiar with Styles before he made the jump, but some fans weren’t. WWE has continually promoted him as someone to keep your eyes on and they’ve made every single one of AJ’s matches feel important so far
The best thing WWE could do with AJ Styles is to keep doing what they’re doing. Just make sure he’s always involved in a great feud and that he always seems like a big deal. The fans are behind him and he’s killing it in the ring so there’s no reason to change anything. There’s truly no limit to how far AJ Styles could go in the WWE and Raw is the perfect place for him.
Dolph Ziggler – SmackDown
SmackDown might not be its own brand, but Dolph Ziggler has been a big part of the show for years now. Dolph has been featured in many SmackDown main events and awesome matches associated with the blue brand. Plus before the brand split ended, he was one of the bigger names on the show.
But when it comes to Raw, Dolph Ziggler just can’t seem to find his footing on the show. No matter how hard he tries, he never seems to end up in a program that helps him gain momentum. Ziggler was being pushed as a top heel on the blue brand before the brand split, but WWE didn’t go all the way with it.
In the event that WWE splits the brands, it would be a good move to send Dolph to SmackDown and finally pull the trigger on him as a main eventer. The fans have been waiting for Dolph to get his shot for years now and they don’t want to wait any longer. Dolph is too damn good to continue moving up and down the card without direction. A move to SmackDown would give him a chance to possibly get himself back in the title picture and maybe even become a 3 time World Champion.
Kevin Owens – Raw
Kevin Owens has had an amazing run on Raw since making his debut in 2015. He’s had some high profile feuds, some great matches and he’s won championship gold. Owens is comfortable in his own skin and it shows. The only place for him to go from here is up and the place for him to do that is on Raw.
Raw is always in need of good heels and that’s a role Owens can fill at any time. It would be great to see Kevin Owens stay on Raw and continue to move up the card.
Ryback – SmackDown
At one point it looked like Ryback was going to be the next big thing. Unfortunately for one reason or another, things didn’t work out and he’s been struggling to find his place on the card ever since.
Ryback is still over with the crowd. He just needs to be put in a place where he’s featured consistently and that’s not happening for him on Raw.
Randy Orton – Raw
There’s still a lot than can be done with Randy Orton. Despite the fact that he’s accomplished just about all there is to accomplish in his WWE career, his tank is far from empty.
Randy Orton is still a name that makes your ears perk up when you hear it. But no one wants to see him face off against Sheamus week after week for months on end. Randy Orton needs to feel important again. Keep him on Raw, but relegate him to part time status and bring him out for a few important feuds a year. Not seeing Orton on a weekly basis would make his feuds feel special again.
Neville – SmackDown
Neville is arguably the greatest high flyer in the WWE today. He’s a unique talent and he should be treated as a featured attraction. Neville is another star that seems to be getting lost in the shuffle on Raw which is why SmackDown would be perfect for him.
Neville could be featured as SmackDown’s resident high flyer similar to how Rey Mysterio was years ago. Neville is very special, but WWE hasn’t been promoting his as such for a while now. The fact of the matter is Neville would just have better opportunities in an environment where the brands are split. SmackDown would be a great place for him to show off his superior abilities and further establish himself with the WWE fans.
Sasha Banks – Raw
Fans have been dying to see Sasha Banks get into the Divas title picture ever since she debuted on the main roster and now it seems like they’re getting their wish. It’s likely that if Sasha does end up winning the title she’s probably going to hold it for a while.
Sasha Banks is the next big thing in the WWE Divas division. She’s new, she’s exciting, she’s fresh and she’s unlike anything the WWE Divas division has seen before. On Raw Sasha will have a better chance to establish herself as the face of the division and help change the perception of women’s wrestling in general. Sasha is charismatic and knows how to carry a storyline. That makes her the frontrunner to carry the division on Raw.
Paige – SmackDown
Paige has been drifting further and further away from the title picture ever since the Divas Revolution happened. Which is ironic because if not for Paige there probably wouldn’t have been a Divas Revolution on the main roster.
In any case, Paige needs to be a leader in the division not just another WWE Diva. As she says, this is her house and it’s time for her to take it back. Having Paige lead the charge for the Divas on SmackDown would give the division a strong presence on the brand. A brand split could also potentially give WWE a chance to bring the Women’s Championship back.
So there you have it guys. Those are our thoughts on a potential brand split and who should go where. But we want to know what you guys think.
How would you split up the rosters? Sound off in the comments below.
