The Development Of The Brand Split Angle: Now With More Teddy Long

The WWE furthered the brand split drama this week. Most notably, they had Teddy Long come back and audition to be in charge of Smackdown when it goes live. That is, he was was hoping to audition for the job. It was a funny return.

Might it be a good idea to have more former authority figures return to try to get a job running either Smackdown or Raw? It might lead to more fun segments. Vickie Guerrero could return. There's John Laurinaitis. Paul Heyman could be used for this. There is a list of men and women that could take part. I doubt it would be a big draw, but it could be fun.

Overall, however, there still doesn't feel like the WWE has really done a great job creating a true storyline off of the brand split returning and Smackdown going live. It feels like all they are doing is promoting it and using it for some segments that might have entertainment value.

Look at how the WWE has handled the WWE Network. They have frequently been promoting it. It is even mentioned now and again in segments. Kevin Owens gave a little bit of that on Raw this week in that opening segment. But they never really made a storyline revolving around the WWE Network. Why would they? It isn't really something to make a storyline out of. It was a business move by the WWE and it would be awkward to make a storyline based on it.

The brand split is something else. This should not be treated as just a business decision. Go back to the first brand split. They had Ric Flair coming into some power after The Alliance crumbled. Vince McMahon and Flair couldn't get along. The rest is history. It was more than just a business decision. It was kayfabe. It was a storyline. It was a storyline that led to changes in how the shows were being featured. And the WWE should have been able to do something like that again. They could have continued having Shane and Stephanie not get along. Just have history play out like it did with Ric Flair and Vince McMahon, with some obvious differences, of course. Instead, it seems the WWE is going about this in a business-like way that lacks some of that storyline drama.

This looks like the WWE's big summer angle. The big summer angle is usually something that causes a lot of drama and shakes things up. The brand split coming back definitely falls into that category. I just wish they handled it better. The WWE's website and news sites breaking the news of the brand split and live Smackdown isn't as impactful as it playing out in a segment on Raw. And that New Day segment last week wasn't exactly an epic way to introduce it. Even Teddy Long coming back this week doesn't change things much. Let's see how the WWE improves things.

Speaking of improvements, I have mentioned various things that have happened on Raw, but what about Smackdown? Smackdown going live will help it, but there is also the roster split to hinder it a bit. The WWE will need to be efficient with the roster and start having big things happen more frequently on the show. Have they become more efficient with Smackdown to prepare for the brand split. Looking at spoilers this week, there doesn't seem to be anything to talk about. And that will have to change. Is the WWE just being lazy now because they don't plan to put effort into the show until it goes live? You can't always flip a switch and expect magic to happen. Some of the WWE's bad habits might not go away easily.

Oh Look, It's Vickie

A new Smackdown GM has been named. Teddy Long? Brad Maddox? Booker T kept his spot? None of the above. It is Vickie Guerrero.

That is not the person I would have chosen, but now that she does have the position back, I hope they do something different with her. She was getting stale as Raw GM and not really contributing anything of value for a while at one time. The fact that she draws so much heat was her only redeeming quality, but they were not even featuring her properly to let that do anything. Besides, do people really tune in just to see Vickie screaming over being booed? Let her be a true heel GM now. Don't let her be one of those GMs that pander to the fans and bosses to try to do a good job. You have Brad Maddox to do that. If you are going to make Vickie a GM again, have her get a storyline where she wants revenge against the fans that had her fired, in kayfabe. They are already teasing that direction, but run with it. Have her make life miserable for faces on Smackdown. Develop her as something the fans would really like to see fired even more than she just was on Raw. Make her more intriguing. Fans might tune in just to see what Vickie would do next and who will finally stop her reign of terror. Even though fans didn't like her during her recent run as Raw GM, she really didn't have that strong of a reign of terror, especially in the last few months.

How would I like to have seen the Smackdown GM situation handled? Very simple answer to that. Let Booker T and Teddy Long finish their feud. There was tension between the two before Booker T left. There's more than one way to get rid of one GM and name another. Having it done by authority figures above the GM is one way. That already happened recently on Raw. You can also have it settled in some kind of match. John Laurinaitis knows about that. Why not have a representative for Booker T face a representative for Teddy Long? If the WWE is not going to settle the issues between Vince McMahon and Triple H at Summerslam, a Smackdown power struggle culminating at the big summer PPV would not have been bad. Booker T can even represent himself by competing. In the end, my point is simply that it would have been nice if they mixed things up a little better with recent GM changes.

If I would not have had Vickie be a GM again so fast, where would I have put her if she still wanted to stick around? Make her a manager of a wrestler again. Vickie's career would just be going through this cycle of manager and authority figure, but what else is there for her? Who would she manage? I have seen some people mention Vickie teaming with Ryback. I like that idea. He's a heel that they are currently interested in featuring. Giving him Vickie as a manager might have made him look more interesting after he's lost so much credibility.

Team Long Vs. Team Laurinaitis Preview

When I got up on Tuesday, I expected to log onto my favorite pro wrestling message board and see a topic with over 100 posts about Christian being suspended for violating the WWE Wellness Policy. Why else would the WWE write him off the huge tag match to decide the boss of both shows? That stupid hairstyle he now has? He has been out with an injury for a while, but if he was healthy enough to take a beating at the hands of CM Punk, I don't see what the problem would have been in having him involved in a large match featuring a dozen wrestlers, not to mention mascots and GMs that will be at ringside to eat up some time. Christian could have definitely have done a little bit and taken a little bit.

Who did they replace him with? Drew McIntyre. That makes this even more awkward. They take out a former World Champion, and one of the heels to first side with John Laurinaitis, and replace him with a guy who is barely finding a place in the midcard recently? In terms of the storyline, McIntyre makes sense. He has had issues with Teddy Long. But they announced him joining the heel team only in passing. Could they maybe have done a backstage segment for it? What would that really have ruined? Two less minutes for the closing promo between The Rock and Cena, or have the overrun last a little longer? Obviously, it's not like there were a ton of other credible heels with nothing else to do for Wrestlemania on the active roster. If they had not gone with McIntyre, it probably would have been Jinder Mahal. I think we dodged the bullet on that one.

Aside from the switch with Christian and McIntyre, the final two members for both sides seems pretty strong. Miz is on the heel team. That is not shocking. He saved Laurinaitis from Santino. In a reversal of what happened there, Booker T saved Long from Mark Henry to get a spot on the face team. Wasn't expecting him at all before Raw. Nice surprise. Not a shocking surprise, but nice. Both Miz and Booker T have that credibility.

I'm not going to run through all the members of the team. I just wanted to mention the recent additions and changes. Moving on, who will win? Not only do I want John Laurinaitis to be GM of both shows, I think it is heading in that direction. Things would be pretty flat if Teddy Long were to run both shows. There is more potential with a heel GM that a lot of people despise, while a lot of other people are finding funny. Laurinaitis is fresher than Teddy Long right now. Obviously, there will be some shady happenings. The GMs arguing with the ref and fighting each other are almost guaranteed. Will there be someone betraying his team? Not necessary, but it could make things more interesting for what happens after Wrestlemania. In the end, I think it is a good idea to have just one GM. And Laurinaitis would not be a horrible choice.

Teddy Long Ran Raw For The Night

The General Managers switched shows this week, which is a continuation of the storyline feud between Teddy Long and John Laurinaitis. There was that epic segment with Santino. He beat Jack Swagger for the United States Championship. Teddy Long was among the faces out there to support Santino and celebrate with him after, while Laurinaitis was there just to try to screw Santino and Long. After the win, Long kicked Laurinaitis out of the building.

After that, nothing with Teddy Long. I know the commentators sold the idea that Long was running the whole show, but I would have liked more segments to actually sell how Long is running the show, including building up allies for his war against Laurinaitis and interacting with heels who do not like what he is doing. Time that could have gone for those kinds of segments went to The Rock, and I am not going to complain about that. That was The Rock that could entertain well. And of course, other segment time had to be devoted on Raw to Shawn Michaels, Cena, and so on. I can understand why Long did not get more time, but that does not mean I have to like it.

I'm expecting better on Smackdown. The main reason for that? Smackdown doesn't really have all the epic feuds going on for it that Raw is featuring build for. There is more time for Laurinaitis to work. On Smackdown last week, he teased putting Long's girlfriend in a match with Kane. I don't know about anyone else, but that certainly draws my interest. I know, bring in Orton for the save, but it is still an interesting thing to tease. I really have hope for a good Smackdown this week.

Back to Raw for one last point. Jack Swagger lost his title. Disappointing? It is to me. He did not do anything good with the title at all. Blame the WWE for that, not Swagger. Before him, Zack Ryder did not do anything with the title, either. What will Santino do with the title? That is up to the WWE. Right now, he seems to be just a supporting character in the feud between Laurinaitis and Long. The longer that continues, the longer you may not have a good U.S. title feud. An obvious feud you can see forming is between Santino and Otunga. That might actually be good. Am I saying that the WWE should have Santino lose it to Otunga next week? No. Nevertheless, I wouldn't be surprised if the WWE did something like that.

Laurinaitis Readying His Troops

When the WWE started pushing this idea that John Laurinaitis was going to try to gain control of Smackdown, I was hoping for a storyline featuring a plan from Otunga that was a little more sneaky and intriguing, culminating, of course, in some action in the ring. It seems they are just going to have the two GMs go against the each other. Not directly. Alberto Del Rio, Christian, and Mark Henry have aligned with Laurinaitis. Otunga, obviously, is with Laurinaitis. Who does Teddy Long have on his side so far? Zeke. Yep. Smackdown's screwed.

I have nothing against doing it this way. It is still reminiscent of when the GMs used to feud against each other in the past. If you are an Otunga fan, you also have to be liking how they are using him. He beat Zeke clean. If the WWE is going for Team Long vs. Team Laurinaitis at Wrestlemania, that might make it tougher to have that potential MitB match, especially with so many injuries. How would it be if Team Long vs. Team Laurinaitis was a battle royal, not a tag match? On the yearly Drafts, you usually have Team Raw vs. Team Smackdown in a battle royal, so what I am talking about isn't too unusual. Then again, with so many battle royals recently, it may be repetitive. Obviously, potential faces for Long to have on his side are not abundant right now, so it will be interesting to see if they can pull together some big names.

What I also like about doing it this way is that it does not look like Laurinaitis simply trying to overthrow Long, and Long then being on the defensive. Long is standing up and fighting back. I especially liked his short segment with Laurinaitis and Otunga on Raw. And they are selling the idea that he may be the one taking over both shows. Of course, in the end, I would rather Mr. Excitement got the win in this feud. Much more potential there.

Laurinaitis Going For Even More Power?

It was only mentioned in a brief backstage segment, but it could be the seeds for a great storyline. John Laurinaitis is back as GM of Raw. His henchman, Otunga, seems to have a plan for him to solidify that position with the Board and gain control of Smackdown too.

When was the last time the head of Raw and the head of Smackdown feuded against each other? It was fun when Eric Bischoff and Stephanie McMahon did it many years ago. Have a storyline putting John Laurinaitis against Teddy Long? Why not? If the WWE should follow through with giving Laurinaitis control of both shows, that would make a feud between John Laurinaitis and Triple H even more interesting down the road. Laurinaitis would become the most powerful heel to not be a part of the McMahon family.

I'm also interested to see what the WWE has planned. In kayfabe, it would be what Otunga has planned. I hope it is not lowly comedy skits, which simply makes the heels look like fools for some cheap laughs. Since there is so much going on around this time of year, it may get the short end of the stick. Then again, Smackdown doesn't really have a big storyline going on for it, aside from World title matters. Raw has World title matters, Cena/Kane, Cena/Rock, Triple H/Undertaker, and you can count the recent drama with Laurinaitis in that too. Smackdown can use more major creative attention. There is intrigue here, so it might work out well, but there was also intrigue over Jericho for a while. Where did that lead? Same old Jericho. Oh, but he did bring in that fancy jacket, of course.

Big Show vs. Mark Henry- Survivor Series Aftermath

Decisive or indecisive? I hate it when I have one of those moments and mix those two words up. In any case, the match between Big Show and Mark Henry at Survivor Series ended indecisively. DQ finish. That is not surprising. It also guarantees that this feud is not over yet.

How did this title match match up with the previous encounter? That was one of the major questions I tossed around about this feud for a while. After these two broke the ring, how can they and the WWE top it? Putting them in another regular match did not seem like an interesting way to handle a feud like this, especially after they killed the ring in the first regular match they had for the World's Heavyweight Championship. The match at Survivor Series had its moments, although nothing as epic as what happened before. Then the DQ happened. Disappointing? As I said before, it guarantees that they will face each other again. You can call it a necessary disappointment. However, the really good stuff happened after the match. Big Show injured Mark Henry. Revenge. Makes the feud even more interesting. I still say it was dull booking to have their rematch at Survivor Series be another regular match, but still good progression for the feud.

And then there was Daniel Bryan. He came very close to being the new World's Heavyweight Champion. Teddy Long did not allow the title change. Bryan still has his briefcase. Daniel Bryan then earned a shot at Mark Henry for the title. I see him playing the same role right here that Sheamus played in Christian/Orton and Orton himself has played a little while Mark Henry has held the title. The main title picture on Smackdown is still between Mark Henry and Big Show. Their feud can still continue without the title, but it would be more interesting with the title. Even though Daniel Bryan still has his Money in the Bank briefcase, it would not surprise me if he was booked to win the title. Should he lose the title a while later and fail to regain it with a rematch, he can cash in on whoever has the title whenever he chooses. Wouldn't it be funny if he loses the rematch, beats down whoever the Champion is himself after the match, then cashes in to win it? Still, I see Daniel Bryan still being used as just a filler defense in the larger feud between Big Show and Mark Henry. Don't forget that Big Show is still in the title picture too. His feud with Mark Henry is not over yet and he is still in the title picture. It would only make sense for Mark Henry to retain against Daniel Bryan.

McIntyre Still Going Strong

You can have the best of both worlds sometimes. I wanted Kofi Kingston to win the Intercontinental Championship, and that happened. However, Drew McIntyre was not exactly kicked to the curb. Right after the loss a few days ago, McIntyre got some segment time to still show his character. On Smackdown, he proved that he still has Mr. McMahon on his team. He still has his angle going for him. In the end, that will count for so much.

What does the future hold for Kofi and McIntyre? The WWE booked Kofi's last title reign very well in one way. He got a lot of title defenses. What it lacked was storyline creativity. Will that happen to Kofi again? It depends whether he even gets through McIntyre, who has a rematch coming. I would hate to see them give the title back to Drew so fast, but you never can tell with the way they book him. I would rather see Drew continue his feud with Teddy Long without the title. It may do a lot in sending Drew to the main event. That is where they want him, right? Just like Sheamus?

How About Teddy For Raw GM?

Combine the angle Edge started about getting a new permanent Raw GM with Teddy Long's angle in which he has his role as Smackdown GM hanging by a single string. Teddy Long for new Raw GM?

Why Teddy? It may bring some closure to his troubles on Smackdown. It can clear the way for Vickie Guerrero to take full control of Smackdown, unless they have someone else in mind. On Raw, Long can call the shots without guest host crap getting attention for the booking. He can remain somewhat neutral and fair. The celebrities can push whose side they are on. And most people do not recall Teddy ever having power on Raw at all. He has been the main GM on ECW and Smackdown. Time for Raw?

Few holes in the idea. First, is the WWE still really interested in finding a new permanent GM? Even if they are only interested in shifting bodies around until a final decision is made, which may be a good idea, let Teddy Long be one of the bodies who is in charge for one night. Have something happen to make it so that he cannot be permanent GM, or so they would want fans to think. After another few weeks of having other "permanent GMs" run the show, but only to get bumped off at the end of the night, have a final decision made by naming one of the people who ran it for a night or swerve everyone with a totally different choice. However, there is another hole here. Vince does not seem pleased with Teddy Long in this angle. Why would Vince seemingly reward him by naming him Raw GM? The WWE can dance around this issue by saying "The Board of Directors" chose Long. In the end, would it still not be easy for Vince to make life miserable for Teddy?

Teddy has been on probation for months now. Is this angle going to last longer than MVP's losing streak? I have to admit, they are at least still keeping it fresh a bit.

Drew Stays Golden Without Even Having To Fight A Match

When Teddy Long demolished Drew McIntyre's career last week, I was looking forward to one of the most intriguing storylines going on for Smackdown right now. Who would win the Intercontinental Championship? How would Mr. McMahon get involved? Would there be some kind of unification match when Drew returned? Would he go to Raw? So much could have come from this.

The WWE took a cheap way out. One week after the shocker, Drew returns. Kofi Kingston had won the Intercontinental Championship. All Drew did was show up with his support from Mr. McMahon and get back his job and title. I do not mind this gimmick of Drew having Mr. McMahon protecting him, but they got to do more than this.

Kofi will probably enter a feud with McIntyre. He will probably win the title. They cannot screw Kofi like this. Smackdown was supposed to be his fresh start. Then again, they could choose to keep the title on McIntyre until Matt Hardy returns in the picture. With all due respect to Matt, I would rather see Kofi get the title back. The main event does not have space for Kofi yet. What else is he supposed to do to build him up? Feud with CM Punk and his minion? Hmmm....they did hold tag gold together before. That is another issue.

What about the larger picture involving Drew being Vince's pet? This thing really looked good last week. It is not starting to look like the same old crap again. Drew loses a match, Vince wipes it off the record. Drew cannot qualify for Money in the Bank, Vince keeps giving him shots. Drew gets fired, Vince rehires him. Drew gets his title taken away from him, Vince gives it back. I think we get the picture. They need to really escalate this thing now. Either lead to it getting Teddy fired, bring Vince directly into the picture, or do something that either elevates Drew's character further or breaks him. I do not care which. I like Drew. The WWE just seems to be dropping the ball.