Rumored update on whether WWE is planning to end the brand split
According to the latest reports, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is not planning to do away with the brand split between RAW and SmackDown. There has been a lot of speculation about the same in recent times.
Roman Reigns became the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion after pinning Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 38. As a result, the Tribal Chief is now the world champion of both brands. Meanwhile, RK-Bro and The Usos will face off for the unification of the RAW and SmackDown Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania Backlash.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there are no plans as of now to merge RAW and SmackDown. He further went on to note that the plans are subject to change, and Vince McMahon's mindset is highly unpredictable.
The history of WWE's defined brand split
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WWE's first brand split occurred in 2002 after the promotion roped in talent from WCW and ECW. The incident saw the establishment of RAW and SmackDown as separate shows with different rosters. The initial brand split lasted until 2011.
The company decided on its second brand split in 2016 when SmackDown was set to go live on Tuesdays. The Blue brand received a different creative team as well as a separate talent roster, which was determined through a live premiere episode of the Draft in July of that year.
The concept remains to this day, although the Wildcard Rule of 2019 threatened its existence. The promotion held a complete reset of the rosters in October of that year, as SmackDown moved to FOX. It remains to be seen how the title unifications will affect the brand split, given that it is reportedly staying intact.
Do you think the company should keep RAW and SmackDown separate or merge the rosters again? Let us know in the comments section.