Although many fans seem to be sighing with boredom that Randy Orton and John Cena will meet ONCE AGAIN at the upcoming TLC pay-per-view, there does seem to be a general consensus that a Unification of the WWE’s two World Title belts would be a good thing. Given that the brand extension has officially been declared dead by Triple H, it makes sense to have one champion, or so the story goes.
In the early days of the brand extension, the WWE had the depth in the talent roster to make both shows a success. With no competition left to speak of after the purchases of WCW and ECW, the reasoning was that the WWE could be their own competition, with two distinct brands offering different wrestlers and characters and presenting shows that were different from each other in terms of feel and concept. For a while it seemed to work. Distinct rosters grew into having their own pay-per-view shows from 2003 and attempts were made to use the shows to push newer and under-utilised talent. It didn’t always work, naturally, but there were at least signs that the WWE were doing what was “best for business”.
The WWE even introduced ECW as a third brand in 2006, but even by now the cracks were showing. Lowering buy-rates for ppv shows led to more “inter=promotional” matches on shows and within less than a year of ECW re-forming, single-brand ppv’s were consigned to history as of Backlash 2007.
In amongst all this, the original idea for one World Champion who would be eligible for both brands hadn’t lasted very long. Brock Lesnar “signed” exclusively for Smackdown in 2002 and the Triple H World Title was created. In an ego boost it was visually the same the NWA/WCW World Title belt that his hero Ric Flair had once worn but despite what the WWE might claim, there was no historical lineage between the two. Apart from the terrible beginnings (HHH was simply handed the belt by Eric Bischoff) and distinct brands the “two champions” idea made sense; it gave every wrestler something to aim for and meant there was a focus to each show that, theoretically, increased fan interest. It’s also difficult to imagine that someone like Eddy Guerrero would ever have been given the World Title if there was only one in the company. Admittedly you could say the same thing for The Great Khali but you can’t have everything can you…?
As time went by though more and more wrestlers appeared on both shows every week and event like Bragging Rights failed to make any difference, despite heavily pushing the Raw Vs Smackdown angle in feature matches. Wearing a blue or red t-shirt twice a year doesn’t signify solidarity and brand loyalty when people seemingly could fight on either brand whenever it suited the bookers. In recent months and years even the pretence of Raw Vs Smackdown was quietly forgotten.
In this respect, it has almost been a relief to hear Triple H admit in-character that there is no such thing as a brand extension anymore. He’s only telling us what we already know. You can analyse the reasons all you want, and you can even suggest that if the WWE were as great at “creating stars” as they would tell you are they should have more than enough talent to spread across two brands. Falling TV ratings have played their part and it’s far easier to give us John Cena or CM Punk twice a week than it is to elevate a new name. But is it really the right time to unify the two World Title belts?
The plus points include the obvious prestige boost, an idea that every wrestler in the company is gunning for the same man and the fact hat two heavyweight champions are unnecessary in one company when there is no longer even a pretence that Raw and Smackdown are different shows. And yet, there are a lot of big names still on the roster who need appeasing and like the ego boost that taking part in World Title matches gives them. Two World Titles allows for a greater spread of wrestlers to be gunning for the belts at the same time and mean that there are more opportunities for “lesser” stars to aim for in terms of elevation up the card. There’s also the fact that if the WWE continue to promote Raw and Smackdown house shows as separate entities (as it does on occasions, especially on overseas tours) one show is not going to have a World Championship Main Event. In the 80’s boom a B-Show was acceptable, but in today’s market it’s a struggle to see how that could work, especially when (as I’ve banged on about before) the WWE have rendered the mid-card titles useless in a world when winning and losing has little effect either way on any given wrestler. And given that John Cena is on both shows every week anyway, why does he need to be the “only” World Champion to do so?
The WWE seems very reluctant to push the “unification” aspect of the Cena/Orton match and rumours abound of a finish at TLC that will either keep the status quo, or even switch the belts around. And although I can see the merits of one, undisputed World Champion, I also think that that ship has long since sailed. Unifying the belts is no cure for the WWE’s ills. And to unify them in a throwaway match at a secondary pay-per-view, with little build up, would be even more unfathomable. Which isn’t to say the WWE won’t do exactly that, but I for one am hoping they don’t, regardless of whom would walk away the Champ.
– By Matthew Roberts