Before I go there, let me just give one reason that the WWE might want to do this. It draws in viewers. It did the last time they did this. Fans just are likely to tune in to see what happens. You might say it is a cheap trick. Problem is, you cannot go to the well too often and expect it to always produce for you. The WWE still has to do more to draw.
Of course, the shake up can also help a few men get some fresh feuds. For example, Dean Ambrose and Miz have been feuding with each other way too much in the past year. It might be refreshing to get these two on different shows to make sure they don't face each other again for a while. Finn Balor has not been treated that well on Raw since coming back from an injury. Maybe Smackdown can treat him like the main-eventer he should be pushed as. He is the first Universal Champion. Looking at how they push him, you might not tell. Who can Smackdown afford to send to Raw? Will John Cena end up there? Some might also say that Smackdown does not need both Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles. One of them could move.
An issue you had with the last shake up is that Smackdown lost a lot of top guys and didn't get back many from Raw. Jericho recently returned, so that helps a little. Besides that, they ended up having to push Jinder Mahal as a main-eventer. Let's see if that investment in the Indian market works. This time around, that should not happen. Raw is stacked. It does not need to raid Smackdown. An even change should be okay. If Smackdown sends over two top guys to Raw, Raw should send back the same number.
The tag divisions are terrible right now. The big issue is the WWE breaking up so many tag teams. Right now, Raw's tag division might be worse because it lacks a clear direction. What is the big focus there? The Hardys becoming broken, or whatever word the WWE will use to avoid issues with GFW? Is it the Tag Team Champions, Sheamus & Cesaro? Heading into the biggest PPV of the summer, the division is sloppy. But I would not say the answer is to bring in more teams from Smackdown to Raw. The writers just need to develop clear feuds. It might not be easy to do with The Hardys in limbo over their popular gimmick. Overall, no teams really need to change in the shake up, even though there will likely be a switch just for the sake of it.
There is a reason 2009 was the first and only full year during the previous brand split that featured two titles in the women's division. It is just hard to keep it going and keep things fresh. Injuries made things even more difficult. Keep in mind, there were multiple drafts and trades in 2009 that had women changing brands. Were the moves necessary? Pretty much.
This year is the first full year where there are two women's titles during the current brand split. It hasn't been pretty. Injuries are not the issue. For the most part, the depth is good. But things still do not feel fresh and it just feels like changing shows for some women would be a good thing. Why is that? Because the WWE just mismanages the talent on both shows. On Raw, the WWE is juggling Sasha Banks and Bayley as the contenders to face Alexa Bliss. I am not saying Dana Brooke deserves a title shot, but how about Mickie James? How about have Nia Jax play tweener and get pushed against Alexa, just for the sake of freshness? Over on Smackdown, everyone frequently wrestles each other in multi-women feuds. All the freshness goes away very quickly when you do that. And there are just some feuds Smackdown forces that don't feel heated, which they then have to force to get fans interested. I would say Naomi vs. Natalya falls in that category. There is a price to pay for forcing yourself to give everyone something to do. You run out of fresh options fast.
What are some likely moves? How about Charlotte back to Raw? Seems stupid. She just moved to Smackdown in April and hasn't done anything. Moreover, can two queens coexist on Raw? I would move Becky Lynch to Raw. Who goes to Smackdown? Mickie James? I have seen some fans say it would be great if she went to NXT to take Asuka's spot. That's just dumb. It would make sense to send Sasha Banks or Bayley to Smackdown. I'll go with Sasha Banks, since they are pushing Bayley against Alexa Bliss again. However, just like I said with the tag division, the writers just need to develop feuds better on both shows. Switching a few women around won't fix everything.
No comments:
Post a Comment