Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.
This week, Dallas Allsopp, Greg Coleman and Joshua Jones discuss whether or not the Brand Spli should end.
Despite Raw and SmackDown being two different shows, they feel very similar in production and presentation. Would a Draft help, or should the entire endeavour be ended?
Question 1: Should WWE continue with the Raw and SmackDown brand split?
ALLSOPP: Unless there is a plan to keep the brands separated by a stark difference in presentation, then I feel the brand split should come to an end. Raw and SmackDown should carry their own distinct flavour and identity, much like Raw and SmackDown had in 2002 and 2003, but in 2022, all we have is a set of shows that serve the same purpose. Something needs to change.
COLEMAN: The brand split should continue, but only if WWE is prepared to fully commit to it! The brand split would allow WWE to effectively create two different promotions under one company umbrella. You could have all of the “sports entertainers” on one show, and all of the “pro wrestlers” on the other show. If you wanted to have one World Champion and one set of Tag Team Champions that were able to appear and compete on each show, that would be fine. This half-ass brand split they have now ain’t it.
JONES: As long as there are two championships representing both brands, it’ll be difficult to keep the two separate. Being a fan of the Ruthless Aggression Era, I prefer there being separate championships on each brand, but I also enjoyed when Raw and SmackDown had their own unique identities and feel. Hopefully we can go back to that.
Question 2: Would an Autumn Draft be a positive event? Or should a Draft be delayed until after WrestleMania?
COLEMAN: If WWE’s season ends after WrestleMania, then the most appropriate timing for the Draft in my opinion would be in the Summer, perhaps before Money in the Bank. This would be more reflective of how major sports handle their Drafts. If you wanted to do a fall event, I think a supplemental Draft would be awesome. WWE would mandate that each show would have to make a certain number of their talent available to be drafted by another brand, and if that talent is drafted to another show, that is their new home. If the talent isn’t drafted, they would stay on their current show.
JONES: It depends on what storyline the WWE is pushing at the time. If a feud needs to have its proper conclusion at WrestleMania, then by all means put the Draft afterward to keep things fresh. It also kind of depends on how invested the audience is to a particular feud or person on either Raw or SmackDown. When John Cena was drafted to Raw in 2005, a lot of people were invested in him, so it kind of made sense to put him on what was considered the A show.
ALLSOPP: I’m in favour of a post WrestleMania Draft. WWE has a sense of change at the moment with the recent returnees, therefore it can be argued there is less of a need to refresh the product. After WrestleMania, there is always a need to reset, which is why a Draft should take place at that point. To do it now would reek of desperation.
Question 3: Should NXT 2.0 be part of a Draft? Which main roster superstar would most benefit from a Finn Balor-esque return to NXT?
JONES: I think NXT in its current state should remain a developmental brand. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t send NXT stars to the main shows during the Draft if you feel they are ready. A main roster star I’d like to see go back to NXT is Happy Corbin, just because it would be curious to see if he would return to his old lone wolf gimmick.
ALLSOPP: 110% yes! NXT 2.0 starts need to seem like a big deal. As does the brand itself, which is why I would have Kevin Owens return to create some new storylines and freshen up what seems to be a stale character.
COLEMAN: NXT 2.0 should definitely be a part of the Draft! I think it’s a huge missed opportunity that NXT 2.0 doesn’t have a great presence on the main roster when the opportunities present themselves (such as Money in the Bank and Royal Rumble).
There are several main roster superstars that would benefit from a return to NXT, but the one who would benefit the most is Ricochet! He seemingly has never gotten out of second gear in his time on the main roster. Most importantly, Ricochet never became NXT Champion because of how stacked NXT was when he was there. A return to NXT would make Ricochet a bigger star when he finally returned to the main roster, and allow him to do some more character work.
Those are our thoughts on the issue, but where do you stand?
Let us know your answers to these questions in the comments below!
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