Wrestling Thread 5: FKA The Viking Experience • Page 67

Sounds like Raw was cool

 

Session is such a fucking delight.

 

Guys there's no actual rule. Vince admitted tonight the brand split is over...that's the announcement. And I for one am happy for it...now we need to get rid of some titles

Also, didnt watch most of raw but it reads like every other raw.

 

STICK IT IN THE VEIIIIIIIIIINS! should be the new SAY IT TO MY FAAAAAACE

 

The brand split being over is horrible for the midcard. It's just going to be the same 10 guys that are "draws" both nights.

 

So I was under the impression that Jake Strong was still the LU champ.

 

he most certainly is lol

 

Hey man, as long as they keep showing off that beautiful belt, I don't care who is champ.

 

remember the original one that Cage destroyed? lol

 

Really?

 

I just want the split to be over for the women and tag division scene to be fixed.

 

I'd actually agree with that. Let those two divisions be cross brand and keep the rest split. But they seem to want the opposite.

 

According to the Wrestling Observer, both the FOX and USA Networks are putting pressure on WWE to end the brand-split due to poor program ratings for Raw and SmackDown. This somewhat explains the bizarre “wild card” rule announced by Vince McMahon on last night’s episode of Raw, where he stated that a certain set of superstars can jump back and forth between the brands at any point. This week’s viewership numbers haven’t been released yet, but WWE did have Game 4 of the NBA playoff showdown between the Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors to compete with.

Meanwhile, last week’s numbers were the lowest WWE has had all year, down significantly from the same point last year at the start of the new quarter. SmackDown Live specifically has dropped nearly 40% in the 18-35 demographic.

Stay tuned.

 

I’ve always been pro brand split.

 

Brand split works well when the writing is good. If you can't correctly book the top superstars then how do you expect them to write successful angles for the middle/low card superstars?

 

I doubt that will be fixed by ending the split tho.

Hope they keep the split..

 

Brand split isn't why the ratings are down, wwe very much doesn't want to look at itself in the mirror.

 

Would be infinitely worse with no brand split given their current writing.

 

if it wasn't for their blood money deal with Saudi Arabia the WWE would be going under right now.

 

Yep, Smackdown actually gained viewers when it moved to USA and was split, and held those viewers all the way into WM season. They surpassed RAW I believe 2 or 3 times in ratings.

When I saw that stat the other day, I was blown away. That's a death knell for the company if they dont turn that around.

 

Crossing over wrestlers to each show is such a Vince solution haha

It’s going to make things worse if anything.

 

Last night was basically how the show was before the band split. Everything was about Roman fighting the authority, it kicked off every show and usually main evented them too. And there just isnt enough story to write to cover like an hour of TV each week with one person's story.