For the first time since splitting the WWE into two last summer, Vince McMahon returned to Raw. With RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon out of action after being accidentally put through a table at WrestleMania, Mr. McMahon arrived unexpectedly at Raw to name the replacement for recently fired Mick Foley. The man named to the post was none other than 2017 WWE Hall Of Famer, Kurt Angle. Oh, it’s true.
But another nugget that Vince dropped during his brief address to the RAW after ‘Mania crowd was that next week would feature what he referred to as a “Superstar shake-up.” Many have speculated that WWE would be having another draft this year after ‘Mania and this could be what Vince McMahon had in mind.
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WWE reinstated the brand split back in July last year after quietly dissolving it in 2011. The move was done to increase Smackdown ratings as the USA Network had been unhappy with the dwindling numbers that the show was providing. With the brand split, the roster was effectively divided.
During Vince McMahon‘s fourth-quarter earnings call he praised WWE’s brand extension. McMahon said they are seeing crossover with RAW and SmackDown viewers but were also introducing new viewers to SmackDown, which is something that was not happening before the split.
Vince spoke about how the brand split will allow for opportunities to keep talents fresh as they go from brand to brand, saying it’s hard to create new stars with just one show but the brand split allows other talents to get a chance to climb the ladder of success. He then used Roman Reigns potentially jumping to SmackDown as an example.
While it seems hard to believe they would completely revamp each roster, it’s possible WWE could do a scaled down version of the initial brand split draft that would leave each brand’s champions exempt from switching shows. Obviously, the Red and Blue belts will stay with their respective shows.
What do you think Vince has in mind for next week?
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