Raw vs Smackdown, part LXXVI (SPOILERS?)

[Batsu]

Does anyone else think that the difference between the two shows is slowly creeping toward the difference between Raw and Nitro in 98-2000?

or rather... kind of like the difference between WCW and WWF, in general?

SmackDown is slowly creeping back to its old "we're not Raw, we're a WRESTLING show" standard, that made it the top brand when Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, and the cruiserweights ran the show. Brock Lesnar, Undertaker, and others also added to the fun. On SmackDown, it's all about the belts; John Cena steals the show on the quest to regain the U.S. Title, Spike Dudley has now made himself a target for aspiring Cruiserweight champs, and JBL is holding on for dear life to keep his WWE Championship.

RAW, the "flagship" show, has some of the more "soap operatic" angles, but also some great matches (largely due to who is champ), outrageous characters (Eugene) and rivalries. The women also compete on the "B" level show, sometimes on RAW as well...reminds me more of a typical "WWE" style show.

WWE in general has become more "WCW" ish, but SmackDown leans heavily toward that side moreso than Raw.

When you look at it like this, it makes the brand extension make more sense.

That's why I hope WWE keeps up the roster split as long as possible.

(But NO MORE 2 PPVs a month...it gives more time to develop feuds between PPVS, and also it makes events like Summerslam, Wrestlemania, and the Royal Rumble more worthwhile as they are the only time you'll see Smackdown and Raw superstars in the same month....)

[Drakul]

I have been saying that for ages and everyone ignored me.Thank you
I'll rep you now (not that it makes much diffrence)

[LK]

I do see your point

[Corkscrewed]

We noted that difference early on in the brand split, and it's only gone on.

I personally would like a little more drama on SD! though. I miss the days of sudden run-ins by unexpected people to end the show on a high adrenaline rush.

[tucsonspeed6]

Originally Posted by Batsu Does anyone else think that the difference between the two shows is slowly creeping toward the difference between Raw and Nitro in 98-2000? or rather... kind of like the difference between WCW and WWF, in general? SmackDown is slowly creeping back to its old "we're not Raw, we're a WRESTLING show" standard, that made it the top brand when Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, and the cruiserweights ran the show. Brock Lesnar, Undertaker, and others also added to the fun.

Which is why every promo is obligated to have the word "poop" in it, we're serinaded with JBL promos every ten minutes, El Gran Luchedor is running amok, and Lex Luther...er....Kurt Angle (until about a week ago) plots and schemes his evil webs whilst Big Show flips cars for the main event.

On SmackDown, it's all about the belts; John Cena steals the show on the quest to regain the U.S. Title, Spike Dudley has now made himself a target for aspiring Cruiserweight champs, and JBL is holding on for dear life to keep his WWE Championship.

Randy Orton, the longest reigning Intercontinental champ in 7 years loses his precious belt to a tweener who cheated him of it three times in a row, the unstoppable Chris Benoit proves again and again that he is the real thing.

RAW, the "flagship" show, has some of the more "soap operatic" angles, but also some great matches (largely due to who is champ), outrageous characters (Eugene) and rivalries. The women also compete on the "B" level show, sometimes on RAW as well...reminds me more of a typical "WWE" style show.

I'd rather watch that than a pot bellied nazi texan do his best Jeff Jarret impression, "Poopmaster Flex" keep less rhythem and rhyme than Fred Durst, Undertaker shoot more lightning bolts from his arse than William Wallace, and cruiserweights who steal the show with the best three minutes of a 2 hour program.

WWE in general has become more "WCW" ish, but SmackDown leans heavily toward that side moreso than Raw. When you look at it like this, it makes the brand extension make more sense.

"If I agree with you completely, I'll see that you're always right and that your vision is reasonable and true...." Where do I sign up for your cult?

That's why I hope WWE keeps up the roster split as long as possible. (But NO MORE 2 PPVs a month...it gives more time to develop feuds between PPVS, and also it makes events like Summerslam, Wrestlemania, and the Royal Rumble more worthwhile as they are the only time you'll see Smackdown and Raw superstars in the same month....)

You make sense here at least. I agree 100%.

[Batsu]

Originally Posted by tucsonspeed6 Which is why every promo is obligated to have the word "poop" in it, we're serinaded with JBL promos every ten minutes, El Gran Luchedor is running amok, and Lex Luther...er....Kurt Angle (until about a week ago) plots and schemes his evil webs whilst Big Show flips cars for the main event. Randy Orton, the longest reigning Intercontinental champ in 7 years loses his precious belt to a tweener who cheated him of it three times in a row, the unstoppable Chris Benoit proves again and again that he is the real thing. I'd rather watch that than a pot bellied nazi texan do his best Jeff Jarret impression, "Poopmaster Flex" keep less rhythem and rhyme than Fred Durst, Undertaker shoot more lightning bolts from his arse than William Wallace, and cruiserweights who steal the show with the best three minutes of a 2 hour program. "If I agree with you completely, I'll see that you're always right and that your vision is reasonable and true...." Where do I sign up for your cult?

I didn't say it was completely like WCW...but that they are slowly moving to that standard.

I, too, think JBL moved to the top of the card was a bad idea. His character has gotten funnier to me, though...but he should have been the reason Cena got his title stripped, if not Rene Dupree.

Also, I think, by the response you've given that perhaps you feel that this was a Raw bashing post, which it isn't. They are slowly becoming two distinct shows, for a myriad of reasons. That's why the brand extension seems to be working somewhat and should be kept on. The reason why I posted this up, was because... well, there's been quite a few posts bashing the brand extension and really, I think it's a lot of people caught up in the smoke-and-mirrors of the Attitude Era. I loved the Attitude era, loved heel Rock, the anti-heroic Stone Cold, the crazy DX, Mankind, Undertaker (especially... I think Undertaker through the latter end of the Attitude era up until ABA times was the highest point in his career), and all of that... but no matter how entertaining it was, there was always something lacking (in WWE, it was the lower card matches...some of them, REALLY sucked in the quest to go all-out with characters and angles, and since wrestling took a backseat...)

I also agree with Corkscrewed that SmackDown needs a little drama to stir things up, and not random run ins... the beginning of the "SmackDown Renaissance" seemed to be showing a little of that with the Booker T/RVD conflicts, and Kurt Angle as GM. It stalled indefinitely when they decided to push JBL to the top, after trading HHH back to SmackDown....last week's incident with Spike Dudley was a great way to build up that kind of drama. It actually has me wanting to tune in next week to see why Spike turned in the first place. (Never thought I'd be saying that about Spike Dudley of all people...)

Raw's bit with the IC belt was great. Randy Orton is one of my favorite wrestlers on the Raw brand, and giving Chris Benoit the belt he earned and then was stripped as he left for WWE and having him KEEP it after making HHH tap cleanly for months was one of the best things WWE has done in months. I think of all the people who have held a title in WWE, no one has had the deck stacked on both sides of the fence more than Benoit (except for maybe Chris Jericho...that's a different post altogether). It gives me hope that perhaps other great, passed-over talents will get their moment to shine before they do other things.

as for the "poop" comments, that seems to be grounded to John Cena, because no one else really does that. Actually, I like it when Cena does it, because it's seemingly less premeditated than his "toned down presumably for the FCC" rhyming rants, and actually pretty funny because he doesn't do it every time he's on the mic. It's certainly a lot better than one of the top 5 lowest points on Raw: when Austin peed on Arn Anderson, offscreen...

[Cool King]

Originally Posted by Drakul I have been saying that for ages and everyone ignored me.Thank you I'll rep you now (not that it makes much diffrence)

[Favre4Ever]

I think Vince Mcmahons presence on the show gives it a little more of a dramatic feel.