So after 2 years of not posting on this blog, why don't I start with the hottest angle in wrestling right now? CM Punk's departure.
Remember when the Brand Split first happened? Raw and Smackdown divided, owned and written by two seperate people, some were on air week after week, others behind the scenes or in a different role on the show. However, still they were divided, when a Raw guy showed up on Smackdown from the years 2002-2006 you marked out or it didn't happen and you dreamt it. The only time I can remember seeing Smackdown guys on a different show was the 2004 draft. The split was so great you even had matches that belonged on one brand, it wasn't until 2006 that anyone other than Raw got an Elimination Chamber, heck, even the first Money in the Bank was only Raw superstars.
Remember when the Brand Split first happened? Raw and Smackdown divided, owned and written by two seperate people, some were on air week after week, others behind the scenes or in a different role on the show. However, still they were divided, when a Raw guy showed up on Smackdown from the years 2002-2006 you marked out or it didn't happen and you dreamt it. The only time I can remember seeing Smackdown guys on a different show was the 2004 draft. The split was so great you even had matches that belonged on one brand, it wasn't until 2006 that anyone other than Raw got an Elimination Chamber, heck, even the first Money in the Bank was only Raw superstars.
Many have argued that the 'Brand Extension' as WWE calls it helped create new stars like Eddie Guerrero, JBL, Chris Benoit etc, guys that would have probably been kept in the mid-card division behind people like Triple H had the roster been one big one. The fact the rosters was seperated helped the Smackdown writers and talent themselves create household names and WWE legends (with the exception of Benoit for the unfortunate circumstances).
Yet with all that the Brand Split has given us WWE seem like they want to destroy it, ever since 2007, heck maybe as far back as late 2005 when Raw returned to the USA network and the birth of 3 hour Raw's, Smackdown superstars have appeared so frequently on Raw its not even worth watching Smackdown. This month we had 2 Raw's in a row which were 3 hours long, which has meant that because Raw's short roster cannot fill 3 hours and because Zack Ryder can't go a whole hour with his material, Smackdown have had to show up and give us some inter-promotional matches or just their feuds on Raw. This has gone on for years, Smackdown arriving on Raw and giving us a match or two, just this week Smackdown's own Sin Cara had a match with Raw's Evan Bourne, arguably this match only happened because Sin Cara should have fought Bourne the previous week due to WWE's faulty voting system, but still another inter-promotional match on Television. I remember I was hyped in 2005 when Raw's Randy Orton was challenging Smackdown's Undertaker to a match at WrestleMania, much like Smackdown's Kurt Angle was challenging Raw's Shawn Michaels to a match at the same show and WWE played it so well to have Orton move to Smackdown and Angle to Raw to continue these feuds after the WrestleMania with the draft a few months later.
The draft, that lost all credibility years ago, the first instance of the draft looking pointless was early 2006, just 2/5 days (whether you go by Smackdown's taping or airing) after losing an Elimination Chamber on Raw only PPV New Year's Revolution, Kurt Angle moved to Smackdown and won the World Title in a Battle Royal when Batista forfeited the title through injury. Sorry, how is this allowed? I understood it was an open invitation Battle Royal, but surely just for Smackdown superstars? The draft has also flip flopped between rules every other year as well, in 2007 Bobby Lashley moved from ECW to Raw and was stripped of his ECW Championship and the following year Kane makes the same move and was allowed to keep his ECW Championship (despite leaving ECW with no Championships). How about Money in the Bank winners? Edge was a Raw superstar and yet wins the Smackdown title and moves to Smackdown, then CM Punk wins the World Title from Smackdown's Edge and moves the title to Raw.
Okay, that's enough talk of how pointless the Brand Split and Draft are, how about I tell you where CM Punk fits in. Now Punk's contract legitimately ends on the 17th June 2011, now unlike other former superstars, indications show Punk is not leaving for TNA, ROH or any other promotion, in fact he's taking a sabitical like Chris Jericho did in 2005 and 2010. He's actually burnt out and taking a break from wrestling to re-gain some energy. Now Smackdown's ratings at the moment are poor, the WWE have scrapped their Bragging Rights PPV and both the Tag Team and Diva's title are undisputed and can be defended on either show. Therefore, I propose we end this Brand Split and have one big roster (especially with this already thin one), and have one world champion (still keeping the US and IC championships to keep the WWE with at least 5 championships). CM Punk wins the WWE Championship and leaves for a while, the WWE is in commotion and eventually scraps the brand split and goes for one world champion with the 'new' WWE Championship, however, Punk returns and almost like the whole Michaels/Ramon scenario in 1994 faces off with the 'new' WWE Champion to crown the Undisputed WWE Champion.
Obviously, this involves long term booking and the guarentee Punk will return to conclude this story, it could probably be ironed out as well better than I can do it, still I think this is a good way to help WWE out especially with a thin roster as it is. Its safe to say the 'Brand Extension's' shelf life has very much expired.
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