RAW and Smackdown brands?

[In Exile]

So, I was a big wresting fan from the mid-90's until about 2004. I would say I fell out of sync sometime shortly after Katie Vick and Goldberg in WWE and such. Just got tired of everything, one of the refugees who felt like wrestling kind of bombed slowly after the Invasion angle.

Anyways, I have been casually back into it since Career vs Streak at Mania two years ago, and have been following things a bit. Definitely not consistently.

I've been watching a bit more the past few weeks, and I am kind of confused: Is the brand split over? Cause I am noticing that the wrestlers are basically the same on either show, or at least there is a lot more overlap than there once was.

What'supwitdat!?

[Lock Jaw]

Technically it is still in place, but in the storyline, Triple H made it so Smackdown guys also appear on RAW now. Which is why it is now called "RAW SuperShow"

[In Exile]

So do RAW superstars also appear on and/or wrestle on Smackdown, though? I was under the impression that Jericho was a RAW superstar beings that he returned on RAW and is feuding with a RAW superstar, but he's been on Smackdown recently?

[Rammsteinmad]

There's still two brands, but they're not really seperated as 'two brands' anymore. So if you're a Raw guy, you can still wrestle on Smackdown, but you'd be labelled as a 'Raw guy', and vice versa.

Raw guys don't appear on Smackdown as often as Smackdown guys do on Raw.

[Lock Jaw]

I think RAW guys are more on SD now, because that always happens around Mania season.

A few months ago it was RAW guys on RAW, and SD guys on both SD and RAW.

Basically, WWE thought that no one was interested in Smackdown, so they gave them some of RAW's time to get their superstars/angles over so people will watch Smackdown.

[Droford]

I think that the battle for GM of both shows is the first step in ending the last resemblence of a brand split.

Hoping it ends in a Title Unifcation. Punk and Jericho and Bryan and ??

[XL]

Screw the Brand Split. When was this pairing of Goldberg and Katie Vick!?

[Cool King]

I think that the battle for GM of both shows is the first step in ending the last resemblence of a brand split.

Ditto.

[Evil Vito]

<font color=goldenrod>At this point, the ONLY thing the brand split does is determine who you're going to see at house shows. They could officially end the split if they wanted to and continue using 2 house show crews, but the split provides some clarity for the fans. People going to the SmackDown house show will understand that they aren't going to be seeing John Cena, etc.</font>

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

Do you think they will still do House Shows during live and taped television shows if they don't have two separate brands?

[James Steele]

Do you think they will still do House Shows during live and taped television shows if they don't have two separate brands?

What do you mean? They have always done RAW on Mondays, filmed SmackDown! on Tuesdays, and film Superstars, NXT, Heat, Velocity, etc during the "pre-show" for RAW or SD!. Have they ever done house shows on Mondays or Tuesdays other than International tours?

[Juan]

I think sometimes they have SD house shows on Mondays in nearby towns. I don't think they've been doing that too much lately tho

[Lock Jaw]

I think it was pretty rare when they did that, wasn't it?

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

I thought it was the norm for awhile. You either have a Smackdown House show on a Monday or a Raw House show on a Tuesday.

A Raw house show would have made more sense because Smackdown would air on either Thursday/Friday. So, there was no chance of lost viewers.

Looks like there is no Smackdown scheduled for the Friday before WrestleMania. Guess they will be filming something from Fan Access or whatever.

[James Steele]

I thought it was the norm for awhile. You either have a Smackdown House show on a Monday or a Raw House show on a Tuesday.

A Raw house show would have made more sense because Smackdown would air on either Thursday/Friday. So, there was no chance of lost viewers.

Looks like there is no Smackdown scheduled for the Friday before WrestleMania. Guess they will be filming something from Fan Access or whatever.

I think they do a huge super taping where they tape everything the Monday before WrestleMania so they can do all the "WrestleMania Week" shit.

[XL]

Yup. Last year, IIRC, the SD before Mania featured maybe 2 matches, some stuff from Axxess and a load of promo vids/recaps.

[James Steele]

Seriously, they should just film a huge 20 vs 20 man elimination tag match with all the wrestlers on the WrestleMania card and anyone else who is over and it just ends in a huge clusterfuck. Daniel Bryan escapes and goes YES! YES! YES! YES! on top the ramp.

[Destor]

theres too much money on the line to cut back house shows and you really need the brands to sell that concept so it wont be ending. you also need two world titles so i wouldnt hold my breathe on unification. them appearing on both shows is good for buisness tho. sd! guys need the better exposure of raw and sd! itself needs the more established raw guys for ratings. the current set up is optimal.