The Beginning of the End of the Brand Split?

[Mercury Bullet]

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WWE Dumping Brand-Only Pay-Per-Views
By Matt Boone on March 6, 2007 at 5:19 PM EST

Due to some disappointing buyrates, and in particular the comparisons with UFC, Vince McMahon has decided to change the approach the company has for its pay-per-view shows.

The "B" shows, wile they will be listed as brand-specific shows, will start featuring talent from all three brands. Stephanie McMahon sent out a memo stating that Vince wants more of an emphasis on interbrand matches on PPV shows, thus opening up more potential matches.

Starting with Backlash, the show is scheduled to feature talent from all three brands. Batista, Bobby Lashley, RVD and Undertaker are scheduled to appear on the show. Also, the poster for the 7/22 Great American Bash PPV features John Cena, as well as Batista and King Booker.

Breaking News: Steve Austin Involved In Verbal Confrontation Backstage With MAJOR Top RAW Name! In talks with TNA? STONE COLD NUDE PICS INSIDE! [>>]

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It was only a matter of time. I think the era of the split brands is drawing closer to an end. Thoughts on this?

[ddpBANG]

Why the fuck did you post this?

[Mercury Bullet]

To start a discussion about it.....perhaps? No? I shouldn't have? We can't discuss something like this?

[Jura]

Because everyone and their baby's mama are posting stuff like this lately.

[ddpBANG]

It's already on the site. Hmm... Mercury Bullet... MB... You're Matt Boone, aren't you?

[Mercury Bullet]

I guess I thought it was an important sign of a huge shift in the way WWE puts on their shows and warranted discussion. Guess I was wrong then if its so offensive to everyone that I bring this up.

[Mercury Bullet]

People post news from the site all the time. Does that make it inappropriate for the forum? The main site isn't a discussion board.

And no, unfortunately I am not Matt Boone.

[Jura]

Unfortunately lol.

[Mercury Bullet]

Unfortunately lol.

Unfortunately because he and those like him should be award winning journalists!

:shifty:

Mercury Bullet's backstage heat w/ Matt Boone! Details inside!

[Corkscrewed]

I've wondered whether or not reuniting the brands might jumpstart the writing crew, because they'd be forced to think about continuity within the same week, which might make their thinking slightly better.

We'll see.

[Mercury Bullet]

More and more poeple are starting to appear on more than one show all the time too. Lashley has been all over the place, same with Umaga, Johnny Nitro,etc...

I think an end to it could happen sooner rather than later. I could see this happening, the whole scenario of Edge wins MITB, Taker wins the WHT, Edge then cashes in right there at 'Mania and beats Taker to become WHC. Instead of moving to Smackdown, Edge stays on Raw and fueds with the winner of Cena/HBK and at some point in the not so distant future the belts are unified and the brand split ends altogether.

[V]

get off his ass, he's trying to start a discussion, so what if he used a news post to start it? This topic isn't about the payperviews themselves, it's about the possibility of the brand split ending

[Jura]

Do you know what they do to those chickens?
No, but they're delicious.
Now don't get me wrong. I love animals but I love to eat them even more.

- Jim Gaffigan

[Jaton]

Perhaps if the brand split ended, I'd start watching again.

Maybe. Minus Cena.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Yeah, there's nothing wrong with this thread. Mercury Bullet, is fine with me. :y:

Anyway, it makes no sense for Edge to not be majorly involved in Backlash, as he is the focus of the Backlash 2007 poster. I am really hoping they have Edge win the World Heavyweight Championship from The Undertaker after Taker beats Batista at WrestleMania. That way, Taker loses his streak after 15 wins, and Edge continues his record with two more wins (taking him up to 7-0), and he looks like a heel doing it.

If they do re-unite the brands, it might be fun to see them have a tournament for the World Titles at Vengeance, seeing as it was the event where the WWE and WCW Championships were unified.

[Jeritron]

What if Edge and Randy Orton are taking out of the MITB and given their singles match at WM, and its made a #1 contenders match to give some insentive and since they're both heels.

Then after Wrestlemania you can have chaos in the world title scene. You have the 2 champions, the losers of the WM main events who want rematches, the #1 contender, and the MITB winner.

When brand extension ends they should focus on making the title unification deliver. We'll probably either see it end (whenever and wherever it does) with the big Cena vs Batista match, or else maybe you'll get an elimination chamber.
Cena/Batista is a pretty big match they're saving.
The elimination chamber would be lame. Too simple and predictable for such a big changeover.

I'd go with multiple fueds regarding the champions, the contenders and such. Then I'd have either some kind of PPV exclusive tournament a la deadly games, or else maybe bring in a war games type thing.
It'd be a push and a half for whoever won such a big unification.

[94 SVT Cobra]

All i know is that when i read this threads title i thought "why are we talking about wrestling circa spring/summer 2002?"

[Corkscrewed]

BTW, if the brand split ended, people would bitch about "so and so" appearing on so much WWE programming that it "makes [insert poster here] sick."

Remember, the original idea of the Brand Split was to allow more wrestlers on TV. Except they went and halved the amount of matches shows had and put in more commercials instead, so there was really no substantial change. ;)

[Corkscrewed]

I know that sort of contradicts my original notion of a brand split helping. Basically, I have no faith in the writing crew these days.

[Afterlife]

I just don't get the point of reuniting the brands. It seems so conviluted in any logic.

Hell, the purpose of throwing the B-show PPVs as a mishmash of talent would be to provoke crossbrand fueds and pride. Like, say Benoit jumps to Raw and is then scheduled to headline GAB, formerly a SmackDown PPV; the SD guys would be pissed not only that he jumped like a 'traitor', but that he jumped ship and then stole the main event of their show. And the beauty is, this can go on for fucking ever.

I recall Kurt bitching about not having match at WrestleMania 18 (I think), because of the gimmick batle royal: "Everybody has a match but me - even the freakin' Gobbly Gooker!" Well, let's say we have something like Kenedy vs. Punk at Backlash; there, you have an SD vs. ECW match, at a RAW ppv. And leave off an upper-mid Raw guy like Benjamin, and have him screw thinmgs up, bitching about having two guys at a RAW show that aren't even from RAW, and yet someone as talented as he and his partner are left in the shadows.

This can go on for a looong time, and the posibiltes are nigh infinite. There is an assload of potential here, in entertainment, suprises, and money makeable. But, shit, with these people, who the fuck knows?

[Mercury Bullet]

But, shit, with these people, who the fuck knows?