The WWE roster is more packed than it's been in a long time. It has alot of depth with many talented superstars. Having the whole roster on both Raw and Smackdown means less talent is able to be featured each week. For this reason, I think now is the time to separate the brands and bring back the draft.
For those who don't know what I'm talking about, back in 2002, WWE separated Raw and Smackdown into two separate brands. Every wrestler was assigned to a brand and could only compete on that particular brand's shows. Each brand got their own PPV's and championships. Bringing this back would allow more young talent to be showcased and given a chance to utilize their abilities.
In this article, I will present how I would separate the WWE & World Title again, separate the brands, AND build a new top superstar all at the same time. It's a process that I feel should begin around SummerSlam.
Brock Lesnar broke The Undertaker's streak at WrestleMania so a shot at the World Title is inevitably in his future. I'd have Lesnar return before SummerSlam to challenge Daniel Bryan for the World Heavyweight Title. The previous week, Bryan was allowed to choose his opponent for SummerSlam and to return the favor from last year, he picked John Cena. Bryan tells Lesnar and Heyman this, but they have an offer for him. Heyman says if Bryan is the fighting champion that everyone claims him to be, he'll put both titles on the line in separate matches. Heyman says Bryan is a small little runt that doesn't deserve to be called a Heavyweight Champion and that Brock Lesnar is the definition of a Heavyweight Champion. Heyman antagonizes Bryan to the point that
he accepts the challenge and will defend his World Heavyweight Title against Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam as well as his WWE Title against John Cena.
SummerSlam rolls around and Daniel Bryan's match with John Cena opens the show so he will have time to rest between matches. Bryan hits the Cena with the running knee, but before he can pin him. Heyman and Lesnar come to ringside. Cena recovers and slides outside with Bryan to tell Heyman and Lesnar to leave. Bryan sneaks back in the ring and hits a running dive to the outside on Cena. When he dove, he knocked the referee down as well. As soon as Bryan gets up, Lesnar picks him up and delivers an F5 on Bryan to the ring post. Lesnar rolls Bryan back in the ring. Cena doesn't see what happened, but crawls back in the ring and hits an AA on Bryan for the win. John Cena is the new WWE Champion. After the match, Cena sees a replay on the titantron of what happened with Lesnar slamming Bryan into the post. Cena tries to help Bryan up and apologize, but Bryan shoves him off then limps away.
Then came time for the main event Daniel Bryan defending the World Heavyweight Title against Brock Lesnar. Before the match, Brad Maddox announced that it would be a No DQ Match. Bryan is still limping from his beat down earlier in the night as he makes his way to the ring. Bryan puts in a valiant effort throughout the match, but near the end it seems as if The Beast was just too much for him. Lesnar nails an F5 on Bryan, but BRYAN KICKS OUT! Lesnar lifts Bryan up to his feet and slaps him, Bryan kicks him in the crotch and backs up to go for the running knee, but Lesnar nails Bryan with a huge clothesline! Lesnar covers him.. 1..2..--BRYAN KICKS OUT AGAIN! The crowd is going nuts! Lesnar then takes Bryan to the outside as Heyman clears off the announce table. Lesnar sets up the steel steps beside the announce table and climbs up them with Bryan on his shoulders. Lesnar is seemingly about to F5 Bryan through the announce table, but WWE Champion John Cena runs down to ringside with a steel chair and nails Lesnar in the back with it. Bryan falls off Lesnar's shoulders to the floor. This chair shot brings Lesnar to knees, but not for long as he turns around and stares down Cena. Cena goes for another chair shot to the head of Lesnar, but he blocks it! Lesnar picks Cena up on his shoulders and delivers an F5 to him off the steel steps through the announce table! By this time Bryan has recovered and is on the ring apron. Bryan runs and jumps off the ring apron delivering a running knee to the head of Lesnar knocking him off the steel steps!! Heyman walks over to Lesnar and starts yelling for him to get up. Bryan walks up behind Heyman and grabs him and slams him into the barricade. Bryan holds Heyman by the throat and tells him if he interferes again he will kick his head in, but before he can finish talking, Cesaro runs down and gives a huge uppercut to Bryan knocking him off his feet. Cesaro begins helping Heyman, but Bryan gets up and kicks Cesaro in the head. Bryan turns around to a huge chairshot from Lesnar. Lesnar is pissed off as he rolls Bryan into the ring and delivers a brutal F5 on a Steel Chair for the victory! Brock Lesnar is the new World Heavyweight Champion!
Over the next few months, Lesnar defends his title successfully against the likes of Jack Swagger and Ryback as well as defeating John Cena in a Champion vs. Champion match. Lesnar's schtick becomes that he isn't the WWE's Champion, he's the WORLD's Heavyweight Champion. Billing Lesnar as this brings alot of prestige back to the title. Lesnar also gains some new allies as Heyman recruits Curtis Axel and Damien Sandow to become Heyman guys.
Time rolls around and 2015 has arrived. Vince McMahon promises a blockbuster announcement to kick off the new year. McMahon announces that after the Royal Rumble PPV, Raw and Smackdown will be two separate brands. The night after the Royal Rumble, the first WWE Draft Lottery in years will take place. McMahon announces himself as the General Manager of RAW and that he is still contemplating who the GM of Smackdown will be. This brings out Triple H! Hunter says he would love to have the honor of being the General Manager of Smackdown. Vince says that Triple H would be a good choice, but before he can finish - Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman come to the ring. Heyman makes his case to be picked as the GM of Smackdown. He mentions the fact that he led Brock Lesnar to breaking the streak as well as becoming the most dominant World Heavyweight Champion in history. Vince says Heyman has a point and for that reason, he will-- before he can finish, Triple H interrupts him. Triple H says Heyman is a lowdown dirty scumbag and that Lesnar's wins were a fluke. This infuriates Lesnar who takes the mic and asks Hunter if he was a fluke when he beat him twice two years ago. Lesnar then says he being the most dominant World Heavyweight Champion isn't a fluke - it's a fact. Lesnar lists off the people he's beaten over his career.. Triple H, Daniel Bryan, John Cena, The Undertaker -- and that Heyman led him through all of those victories so he should be the General Manager. Before Lesnar can continue, Batista's music hits and he comes to the ring. Batista says that his name wasn't on that list of people Lesnar has beat. Batista says that Lesnar isn't the most dominant Heavyweight Champ history, because he was. Batista goes on to slander Heyman and endorse Triple H. Batista then says he will cut to the chase.. he wants a match with Brock Lesnar for the World Title at Royal Rumble and as an added stipulation, if Brock wins - Heyman gets elected as GM, but if Batista wins - Triple H will be the GM of Smackdown! Lesnar accepts and Vince approves it!
At the Royal Rumble, Paul Heyman has another very successful night as Cesaro wins the 2015 Royal Rumble Match and Brock Lesnar defeats Batista to retain his World Heavyweight Title and earn Heyman the position of General Manager of Smackdown!
The next night on RAW is the draft. The show opens with Vince, Stephanie, and Triple H in the ring. Vince says despite Triple H not being Smackdown GM, he will be a part in the decision making on Raw. Vince then introduces Heyman as the Smackdown General Manager. Vince gives Heyman the first three picks in the draft since he won the match at the Royal Rumble last night. Heyman chooses Lesnar, Cesaro, and Curtis Axel. Vince allows Triple H to choose Raw's first three picks and Triple H chooses John Cena, Roman Reigns, and Daniel Bryan. So, the World Heavyweight Title will be on Smackdown and the WWE Title will be on RAW. Vince then says that for the rest of the night, Triple H and Heyman will be at ringside to scout talent and approach them with offers. After each match, the competitors will get to choose which brand they compete on depending on the offers they receive from one or both men. Vince also announces that the main event of the evening would be the first three RAW draft picks facing off against the first three Smackdown draft picks. John Cena, Daniel Bryan, and Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar, Cesaro, and Curtis Axel. After an evening of recruiting talent, each brand has the majority of their roster set. The remaining picks will be made on Main Event the following night. The current rosters are shown on RAW before the six man tag and they are as follows:
RAW:
John Cena, Daniel Bryan, Roman Reigns, Sheamus, Kane, The Miz, Ryback, & Jack Swagger.
SMACKDOWN:
Cesaro, Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, Dean Ambrose, Curtis Axel, Wade Barrett, & The Wyatt Family.
Since the drafting for the night is complete, it's then time for the main event of the evening pitting Raw's John Cena, Daniel Bryan, and Roman Reigns against Brock Lesnar, Cesaro, and Curtis Axel. The match ends in a DQ finish after Smackdown stars Randy Orton, Dean Ambrose, Wade Barrett, The Wyatt Family, and Corey Graves run to the ring and beat down the Raw guys. The rest of the Raw roster runs to the ring, but they are too late. Heyman and the Smackdown guys retreat to the entrance ramp. Heyman says that he had to go out of Raw with a bang and that he's taking this party to Friday nights and bids farewell to Triple H, The McMahons, and Monday Night Raw as the show goes off the air.
Smackdown has always been known as the inferior brand, but I think doing the brand separation like this would really make it some like there was some great competition between the two shows. Beyond this, there's one more thing I would do to make the brand separation successful - appoint a face of Smackdown.
Some of you are probably wondering why I have Brock Lesnar positioned seemingly as the face of Smackdown. Truth is, that's only for the time being. The way Lesnar has been built is leading to a big payoff for a certain superstar. That superstar's name is Cesaro.
As you read above, I booked Cesaro to win the 2015 Royal Rumble, this means he gets to choose between the WWE Champion John Cena and the World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar. On the first episode of Smackdown since the brand split, Cesaro chooses his opponent. Throughout the night, Heyman is overheard telling Lesnar that there's no way Cesaro will pick him and even if he did, he could never beat Lesnar so they have nothing to worry about. Cesaro hears this, but Heyman doesn't know. Heyman tells Cesaro backstage that he knows he'll do the right thing by choosing to face John Cena and beating him thus bringing the WWE Title to Smackdown. At the end of the show, Cesaro comes to the ring with Heyman, Lesnar, Axel, and Sandow to announce who he will face at WrestleMania. Cesaro shockingly chooses to face Brock Lesnar for the World Heavyweight Title at WrestleMania! Heyman tells Cesaro he didn't want him to do this, but since he did.. so it will be. Heyman then nods to Axel and Sandow and says "Boys.." Axel and Sandow jump on Cesaro, but are unable to beat him down. Cesaro throws both men out of the ring before going face to face with Lesnar. Cesaro says he will save his beatdown for WrestleMania where he will become the World Heavyweight Champion.
At WrestleMania, Cesaro defeats Brock Lesnar for the World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of the show.
This would be HUGE for Cesaro. He would be defeating the man who broke the Undertaker's streak then wreaked havoc on WWE by going undefeated and becoming World Heavyweight Champion. It would anoint Cesaro as the fan favorite and new face of Smackdown and the WWE as a whole. I think this would be the perfect way to push Cesaro to the top as well as the best way to book separating the brands.
The full roster listing for each brand is below. I'd place the United States, Tag Team Title, and Divas Title on RAW while Smackdown has the World Heavyweight, Intercontinental, and Cruserweight titles on their roster. WWE has enough divas to spread across two roster so eventually I think a Smackdown Women's Title should be introduced.
RAW:
John Cena, Daniel Bryan, Roman Reigns, Sheamus, Kane, The Miz, Ryback, Jack Swagger, Solomon Crowe, Alberto Del Rio, Adrian Neville, Bo Dallas, Brodus Clay, Drew McIntyre, The Usos, The Ascension, Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins, Titus O'Neil, AJ Lee, Emma, & The Bellas.
Faces: Cena, Bryan, Reigns, Ryback, Adrian Neville, The Usos, Emma, and The Bellas
Heels: Sheamus, Kane, Miz, Swagger, Crowe, Del Rio, Brodus Clay, McIntyre, Ascension, Natalya and AJ.
SMACKDOWN:
Cesaro, Randy Orton, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, Dolph Ziggler, Wade Barrett, The Wyatt Family, Tyson Kidd, Sami Zayn, Evan Bourne, Kofi Kingston, Justin Gabriel, Corey Graves, Xavier Woods, Paige, Natalya, Summer Rae, Naomi, and Alicia Fox
Faces: Cesaro, Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, Dolph Ziggler, Tyson Kidd, Sami Zayn, Evan Bourne, Paige, and Naomi.
Heels: Randy Orton, Dean Ambrose, Wade Barrett, The Wyatt Family, Corey Graves, Curtis Axel, Justin Gabriel, Summer Rae, and Alicia Fox.
Agree? Disagree? Tweet me your thoughts on this article @StylesClashx on Twitter!
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