WWE's NEW ERA THUS FAR

Only one episode in with each brand, but the new era has begun. I wasn't too focused on draft picks as it didn't really matter given different styles was all that mattered. I did question some picks though, such as Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens being on the same show after their feud having already gone on for so long. Like many, although only just starting things I have an opinion, and of course I typed it out for you haha Here it is...

RAW
I like how there will be a new title, WWE Universal Championship, and not a rehatching of the old World Championship. Not that I dislike the World title, it is just that it is well known to be #2 to the WWE Championship. Now the World Heavyweight Championship and Universal Championship can be on par. Universal is technically bigger than World.

I am hoping perhaps Cesaro's "dislike" of being on RAW, was actually part of the storyline. A feud against The Authority could work in his favor. If it was a shoot, here's hoping he isn't "too right" about it being about Steph and Mick.
Having the WWE Women's Championship change hands on the opening show was good to see, and hoping it is a look into the future of the womens division is a major part of the show.
Unlike Ric Flair, I am overly happy that Finn Balor was put over by Roman Reigns. I am a fan of Balor, and think Reigns should be out of the title picture for a bit. I can't wait to see The Demon make its way into things.
Although I used to like the Cruiserweight division, I saw how it pigeon holed some guys into being "too small" for the top titles. But, if they perhaps pushed the fact that someone like Shawn Michaels could have fit into the weight class, it could make sure that doesn't happen. I must say that I don't like how they always promote the division with mainly high flying vignettes, as it isn't just high flying as we see in the WWE Cruiserweight Classic. Hopefully things go well when it debuts.

Smackdown! Live
With this show, I am taking mainly a wait and see approach. The initial brand extension had Smackdown! even with RAW, and at times surpassing it in some stories, and matches. So, the inaugural Smackdown! Live being good wasn't surprising. Even the WWE title going there wasn't shocking, as it was done the first time around.
Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan has seemed hyped about everything but the Smackdown! Live women's division. Sure, there was a match and then all the ladies came out, but nothing about the future. Is there going to be a new title? I pray that they don't bring back the Divas title, a new WWE Universal Womens Championship would be better. I am hoping it is simply a case of what happened on RAW, and things will be explained next episode.

Is Dean Ambrose about to set on a long run with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship? They say that there will be opportunity, but does that mean a lot of guys will get a title shot? And then will it be simply a shot or will the championship get "whorey" for awhile? Dolph is the new #1 contender, but that isn't something new. Ziggler has been on top before, and then reduced to simply being the overly good hand who can make anyone look better than they are. Is this the start of something, or again just a shot?
I like that Smackdown! Live is getting their own special events/ppv's, as at times it becomes clear as to which is Vince's preferred brand via main event (last match) in joint shows. Plus, keeping them separate allows for more stories from one brand. Which is always a matter of opinion, which feud one prefers, but that way we don't have to sit through something from say RAW when Smackdown! is why I am watching.

It is still too early to say how things will be of course. Especially since the rosters aren't "full" yet with some big names returning and some more NXT call-ups happening in the near future. I am curious as to how they will all fit, especially with Smackdown! Live still being a two-hour program. Of course, I am also already wondering how this affects the Royal Rumble haha

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RAW VS SMACKDOWN LIVE

I can't really think of how I would draft the rosters for RAW and Smackdown Live. That's the great thing about sports entertainment/professional wrestling, all of the different styles and how they create unique matches. Contrary to popular belief, John Cena can wrestle. He has taken too many moves to say he can't. Pro-wrestling is both offense and the ability to take someones moves without making it look horrible or getting hurt. Cena does that. Regardless, it is the variation across the roster that makes it exciting. One of the major draws for the original UFC was seeing different fighting styles go head to head. Now we know that some are just not that good, and even the best fighters today require at least a general knowledge of everything beyond there offensive strong suit.

So, while everyone is holding their own mock drafts, I am going to focus on simply how I would like it set-up. We found out on RAW that the Cruiserweight Division is returning exclusively to Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley's brand. This is good and bad imo. As long as they don't pigeon hole anyone in the division it is good. Simply have the weight class for entry and nothing more. Shawn Michaels was 195 lbs. through his career I believe, so if HBK was still in the game he could take part. And there was no way he would've allowed anyone to hold him down, and that was before and after finding God. But, does that also mean we have an idea of who will be drafted to RAW now? Need superstars 205 lbs. and under to fill that roster now for the division. Are there plans to bring in other stars that simply aren't named in the drafting list? Tag teams are drafted as a pair unless only one star is wanted, will this be Vince's way of splitting up Enzo and Cass?
Many will disagree, but I think that it is the only way to make things even. WWE World Heavyweight Championship is split into the RAW World Title and the Smackdown World Title. They may have the champ bounce around at first, but will likely split them into two. And putting the WWE title on Smackdown Live is what they did in the initial brand extension before it became obvious that the "top" title was whichever one was on RAW. Obviously ended up being the WWE title, with the World title as the B show strap. This way it is even steven, or at least would appear that way.
Since another mens division (although women could compete) is part of RAW, I would make the Women's Division an exclusive to Smackdown Live. Or I would split the title in the same manner as the mens. It is now just starting to happen via Natalya and Becky Lynch, but the division needs to grow beyond the title and title holder. Although I am sure it will be a situation of the champ feuding on one show, while one other story takes place on the opposing show, and then switching. Still leaving a large portion of the female superstars on the sidelines.
If both shows were 3 hours it would be easy to see everything fitting in and being even. But everything mentioned above and there is still the IC and US title pictures and of course the tag team division. If all these stars are able to appear on both shows, it doesn't really make things "unique" either.

Guess it is all a wait and see, as is everything in entertainment and sports. The General Manager picks were good, but lacked any shock power like before. I am assuming the stories will initially be conflict between Foley and Steph, and Daniel Bryan adjusting to a corporate position. Not bad, but was just hoping for more.


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WWE BRAND EXTENSION 2.0

I enjoyed the early days of the initial brand extension. RAW was good, but Smackdown! was a bit better initially for me. Undertaker was the cornerstone, Rey Mysterio was exclusive, and many levels of stardom being reached by many performers. Top names like John Cena, Brock Lesner, Edge and Eddie Guerrero. But, also guys like Jamie Noble and even Matt Hardy's star shined a little brighter (I was a MFer back then haha). It really held its own, and really didn't feel like a taped show most times.
But, that was the early portion of the split. It slowly and simply outright obvious that RAW was their A-Show, and Smackdown! the B. If someone was really doing well on SD!, they were heading over to RAW at some point whether via the draft, a trade, or something. It made for some great moments and stories, like when Benoit won the Rumble and opted to go after the WWE World Championship on RAW at Wrestlemania XX. But, it general it only made Smackdown! fall further.
Even after the brand extension was dissolved, Smackdown! was almost viewed by the fans, as top WCW names looked at Thunder, a joke. It was pretty much a guarantee every episode of Smackdown! would consist of highlights from RAW, a minimum of four men in the ring as to inspire Teddy Long to make a tag-team match in some fashion. Sure, it was nice to see all the talent get on the show, as television is still television, but product wise it was just stagnant.

Here we are now in 2016 and about to enter another brand extension. This time around, both shows will be live every week. Evening the playing field. And they keep pushing that each show will have its own unique set of superstars. Which is making me wonder if we will see all the indy guys Triple H has brought in on one show, and Vince's "usual" on the other. Or if perhaps Smackdown! is possible another test for Triple H after the success of everything he has accomplished with both NXT and the performance center. Smackdown! going live just has me curious. After all this time, and clamoring about the cost to run a live show I am left wondering "why?".
Regardless of the why's, I am really looking forward to this. Other questions that come up are more about the products. The thriving Women's Division needs more room to showcase the superstars beyond the WWE Womens Championship and its holder. Will we see all the female talent on one show with more room, or will they be spread over both with the Champion bouncing back and forth. Title picture on one, while a separate story takes place on the other? If they stick to the current format of one story, it hasn't really changed beyond the title name. Too much talent sitting on the sidelines, and some ready to come up from NXT. Speaking of titles, it is safe to say that the WWE Intercontinental and WWE United States Championships will be separate. But, what of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and WWE Tag Team Championships? Will there be two separate titles like the initial brand extension? If they were to split them like before, this time however I wouldn't go WWE and World titles. I would perhaps go RAW World Champion and Smackdown! World Champion.
Splitting all of the titles would help avoid there appearing to be an A or B show, if perhaps more people on RAW are "over" than on Smackdown! or if it is almost blatantly obvious who will be winning the title match. But, this also opens the door to perhaps have John Cena on one, and Roman Reigns on the other and it is simply two live squash shows.
Another thing that was great in the early days of the initial brand extension was the General Managers. The days of Stephanie McMahon, Eric Bischoff, and Paul Heyman were entertaining and added to each shows quality. It became lame and clear that the Smackdown! GM was always the runner-up given they were running the B-Show. Will we see McMahon V McMahon? Shane V Stephanie? Or will we see someone new or someone like Bischoff return to the roll? Hoping it isn't something lame like the Anonymous or majority of the Celebrity Guest General Managers (some were good when you knew they were legit fans too).

And what of NXT? Rumors are simply rumors, but at times they turn out to be true. Rumor has NXT being split as well. This is something I am hoping won't happen. Having NXT be one show that is the "farm system" for both RAW and Smackdown! adds to the "surprise" when call-ups happen. Even if we know someone is being called up to the main rosters, we won't know which one for sure until it happens.

Guess we will find out most things come July 19th on the now live Smackdown!. Being Canadian I need to make sure that Smackdown! will be aired live every Tuesday, and not on Wednesday or something. In a perfect world RAW and Smackdown! would air on the WWE Network, but Vince makes way too much money from the shows to be doing that anytime soon, if ever.

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