So, I don’t know if anyone noticed on WWE Raw Monday night, but Smackdown and Raw totally hate each other. It’s pretty crazy how this is the only time of year the two brands seem to see themselves as different teams instead of the same company. I think WWE has a decent idea for a concept PPV here, but it needs support the rest of the year to really get people to buy. Here are some ideas for ways to make this show a bigger deal.
– Keep Raw and Smackdown separate brands, unless it is a very special occasion. The three hour Raw episodes are fine events for brand intermingling, but maybe just a promo or a special match featuring two Smackdown stars. Other than that, the Royal Rumble and special challenge matches at Wrestlemania, the two brands should be kept separate.
– Change the time of year that Bragging Rights occurs in. Simply put, WWE has had two PPVs in three weeks and three PPVs in five weeks. This is just too much for anyone to purchase. Maybe if this show was moved, or one of the last two shows were eliminated, WWE would have a hit PPV on their hands. This show draws on the sports feel that wrestling often lacks, which could be it’s big selling point.
– Enhance the sports feel of the show. In wrestling, it is always fun to keep score and have a good time with a show. Treating it like a real sport with something real and tangible on the line would be a welcome addition to the silly trophy they have now.
– Actually put something on the line. Maybe the man who scores the winning pin fall gets a championship match at Survivor Series? What does the winning brand actually receive? Maybe say that the GM of that brand gets his wrestler at #30 in the Royal Rumble? Perhaps there could be another reward completely. I don’t have the exact answer, but a sad looking trophy is not it.
– Really work to establish franchise players for each roster. This year’s Bragging Rights teams don’t have any wrestlers that appeared for their brand’s teams last year. Why not keep a couple guys around the teams to make sure that the brands look similar most years? Wouldn’t it help the credibility of each team? What if some wrestlers could be guaranteed to hit some big moves? It would be like having a star wide receiver or running back to count on.
– Finally, make the rivalry more than something the commentators talk about. At the draft, discuss how this could affect Bragging Rights. Maybe even move the show closer to the draft to keep it fresh in everyone’s mind.
How would you improve Bragging Rights?
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