MeeThinks 10.10.06: Long Live the Brand Extension
Posted by John Meehan on 10.10.2006
Why three brands are STILL better than one.
Welcome back to your weekly dose of IWC optimism! We're back to our regularly-scheduled program after a two month trip down memory lane. Thanks to all who tuned in over the past two months to humor my nostalgia trip - and I'm glad many of y'all took the time to write Mee and share your feedback and personal stories along the way! For those of y'all who might not have dug our retrospective? Well... good news - this week we're speaking up for what's left of the brand extension!
Better news?
I just had the chance to visit the folks again, which means that I've got a TON of action figures, photos, wrasslin' mags and plenty of memories to share for a future multi-part retrospective down the line!
I'm pumped, so let's get this show on the road!
Sound like a plan?
Rock & roll...
Our Story So Far...
After bankrupting WCW and buying out the remnants of every other major wrestling organization in North America (I'm looking at *YOU*, ECW...) - Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation Entertainment company found itself as the only pro wrestling game in town. An enviable spot, to be sure - but a spot that remained pretty well unchallenged at the time (TNA was -- and is -- still a LONG ways off the WWE-threat mark), which meant that the hard-working brains who'd once worked nonstop to pull the 'Fed through the "Monday Night Wars" could actually rest on their laurels for just a bit... right?
Wrong.
For as the old saying goes - "no rest for the weary," you know.
Without a viable competitor to push the company to its "pull out the stops" best -- the characters, storylines and creative minds that once dazzled in Vinny Mac's WWE soon became stale, overexposed, and painfully stagnated. And when the product turned sour - ratings plunged, rosters bloated, fans tuned out, and the business on the whole settled into a pretty lethargic (and altogether unmemorable) lull.
It was pretty clear that a big change needed to be made, and FAST.
So on March 25, 2002 - World Wrestling Entertainment decided to put that change into effect, and on that evening's broadcast of RAW, the company initiated the first ever "draft lottery" in sports entertainment history. On that show, Ric Flair (then-storyline co-owner of McMahon's company) drafted half of the company's superstars to wrestle exclusively for the red brand. Vince McMahon (serving as spokesperson for Smackdown) chose the second half of WWE's roster for competition solely on Thursday nights.
Now sure, there were some growing pains...
Like the fact that the champions (well, some of them anyway) would be allowed to compete on *both* brands. That is, until Stephanie McMahon (who'd replaced Vince McMahon as Smackdown's figurehead by this point) left RAW champ-less as she claimed exclusive Smackdown! rights to the WWE Champion, Brock Lesnar.
Or the fact that there were tag teams on *both* brands, but there were only tag titles on RAW. Whoops.
Or the fact that there was never any real explanation as to how single-brand pay per views would work.
Or the fact that Steve Austin (arguably the company's biggest star at the time) was currently in a spat with WWE Creative, and so he was given the luxury of sitting out this all-important company split.
But never mind that...
Because road bumps or not, the "brand extension" was off to a resounding (if somewhat confusing) start.
Fast forward to the summer of 2006 (holy crap - four solid years later!) - and WWE's brand extension took its next step as the once-dead ECW was suddenly resurrected as World Wrestling Entertainment's "third brand." But since the brand was still pretty sure on star power, WWE gradually began importing established WWE performers onto the ECW roster. And once the rosters were set, WWE took to bringing in "guest star" wrestlers from their other "brands" on a weekly basis. Within just a few weeks, ECW's ranks (and ratings) were buoyed thanks to other-brand imports like Batista, The Undertaker, Kane, Edge, and dX. Critical reaction was mixed on this one: a clear blow to the crediblity of the brand extension, but a brilliant move for ECW's Neilsen numbers.
Then -
On October 9, 2006 - WWE further blurred the lines in their "brand extension" by announcing that the *entire* three-brand roster of WWE (ECW, Smackdown! and RAW) would all be celebrating a "family reunion" on the "season premier" of the company's flagship show.
And - surprise! - critics of the brand extension IMMEDIATELY came out of the woodwork once more.
"Who are they fooling? Three 'brands?!?' Yeah right."
"The solidarity of each show's roster is so dilluted... just end it already!"
"Oh look - Big Show on RAW... AGAIN."
"Kicking dirt on the coffin of the brand extension..."
As you can see, the hate-on the three-branded WWE is pretty well at an all-time high. So let's see if we can't discover any life left in the show-split in a little column I likez ta' call...
MeeThinks?
As much as I never thought I'd be a defender of the brand extension, I honestly can't say enough good things about how smart the thing has ultimately proven to be. Have concessions been made? Absolutely - seeing dX on ECW was tantamount to spotting Kermit the Frog on a bicycle; definitely a fish-out-of-water experience, for sure. But by and large, I think you'd be hard-pressed to argue that the three-branded WWE hasn't offered its fair share of positives along the way.
Don't believe Mee?
Well let's go back for a second and see if we can't imagine what the landscape of WWE might look like in a world *without* a brand extension...
Like, for instance...
Tired of watching dX and the McMahons decimate the undercard, terminate the tag ranks, and run roughshod on RAW? Be happy for the brand extension, folks - or else you'd be watching Hunter and Shawn do the *exact* same thing on Smackdown! Were it not for the brand split, dX would likely be continuing their midcard-squashin' shenanigans on Friday nights, too. And not that Smackdown! has bred any *real* breakout tandems just yet - but at least they're TRYING, ya' know? And if the old pros were extending their "kill the tag teams" angle to two nights a week, that'd mean "so long" Stevens and James, "bye-bye" Kendrick and London," and "no chance" to the Pitbulls (for what little run they had).
Or, for example...
Are you digging the king-tastic antics of King Bookahhh? Lovin' the revitalized Big Show? Then a big old "thank you" to the brand extension is in order! With John Cena and Edge holding the "marquis feud" program role down over on Mondays, there'd simply be no room for any other top-level baddies to warrant any real top-level push of length. And if the company *were* inclined to churn out another challenger to Cena's title, you can bet that the push could hardly sustain momentum for more than a month or so, tops (after all, Cena *IS* their "franchise" - love him or hate him). And with such a limited window of opportunity at stake, you can be all the more assured that WWE would be even less inclined to offer the "new and improved" challenger spot to somebody like a wheel-spinning upper-midcarder who'd already had his time to shine in the old WCW. So without the brand extension - it'd likely spell "siyonara" King gimmick Booker, and it looks like it'd be back to battling Jeff Hardy in the midcard for Big Show.
(Sorry, I was writing this while watching Monday's RAW ;-)
But speaking of old timers...
Are you a mark for Fit Finlay? How about Chris Benoit? 2 Cold Scorpio, perhaps? Or maybe Marty Jannetty is more your cup of tea (wait - strike that... looks like he's gone again)? Well I hate to break it to ya' - but if WWE was just a one-brand venue, then you can pretty well bet that NONE of the guys mentioned in that last sentence would ever have been put back on WWE's active (or semi-active) roster. Benoit was burnt-out, no question - but the need for an established "name" on Friday night's undoubtedly helped to call the Wolverine back into the sports entertainment fold. Ditto for Fit Finay - and there's little doubt that his return to pro wrestling may well have turned out some of the *BEST* North American performances in his career. But again - if there was just one brand of WWE wrestling? No chance Finlay would have come out of the woodwork - and just LOOK at the goodness we fans would have missed. And that's saying nothing of guys like Scorpio, Brad Armstrong - heck, even the few shining moments from Tatanka (yes, Tatanka) and Road Warrior Animal.
Ok, so maybe they haven't *all* been winners... but the point is...
WWE's brand extension might well be taking a "creative license" pounding on a week-in, week-out basis as talent is culled from one show to another at whim - but there is simply no question that the split-show platform continues to offer WWE (and its fans) a boatload of fresh, fun and exciting programming. From Finlays to Bookers to tag ranks on the rise, there's plenty of "positives" to be gained by keeping the three brand approach. And on those rare instances where *all* of the stars of the three shows get put back together on the same evening's card (say, a supershow or the "Family Reunion")?
You can't honestly tell Mee that the idea of a cross-show rivalry (Taker/Cena, RVD/Booker, Show/dX) doesn't automatically go a long way in creating a much-needed "big deal" effect. And if "big deals" can go a long way in making "big changes"?
Well then I'd say the heart of the show-split is still beating - and wrestling fans still have quite a lot to gain from this brand extension after all.
Agree? Disagree?
"Methinks it sounds a parley to provocation!"
- Iago, Othello
Act II, scene iii
In the wake of last week's trip down memory lane, it would appear that Clayton Chandler grew up a lot like Mee:
Meehan,
Just wanted to let you know that your latest column (Going Old School, Part IV) brought a smile to my face. It seems as if you and I share a very, very similar childhood of wrestling fandom growing up, right down to the huge rasslin' fan of a dad to two equally addicted brothers. All the exploits and memories from the column resonate with me as well.
I still give my Hulk Hogan wrestling buddy hell, to this day. True story: my younger brother brought HIS Hogan wrestling buddy (younger brothers, always begging for your "cool" toys) to a WCW house show here back in 97. He waved it in the air during a Faces of Fear / Outsiders match, and Meng motioned for him to throw it into the ring!
Meng then gave the faux-Hogan the TONGAN DEATH GRIP (!) to a huge roar of approval from the crowd. Even better, he then held the doll up as Barbarian came storming off the ropes with the KICK OF FEAR and nearly took the Hulkster's cotton head off.
After the match, they both came to ringside and gave him the doll back. Total class acts.
Anywayg great job on the column. Thanks for stirring up so many childhood memories of mine.
Clayton Chandler
Thanks for the letter, Clay. The Meng and Barbarian story is INSANE, dude. Seriously - that's about as cool as it gets. Just awesome.
Keeping the "growin' up wrasslin'" vibe alive, Mark Satrang had this to say:
Meehan--
A brilliant finish to your trip down memory lane. I too think back to many of the same things as a kid. (Of course us being about the same age would probably have something to do with that.) But I can't count the number of pillows were eliminated "over the couch" to win another Royal Rumble match or flying elbows off the arm of the couch. Those couch legs were perfect for the ring breaks and a pillow to the face is way friendlier than a steel chair to the face, although I think I sometimes my friends and I could sell that pillow shot better than Test can sell a chair shot today *rim shot.* I think back to all the Attitude era PPVs I've seen and taped and glad we have most on tape because we spent half the original viewing staging our own epic encounters. And the 14 foot trampoline in my grandpa's back yard? Best. wrestling ring. ever. I've still got boxes of Apter mags and virtually every WWF magazine from August '92 - August '01.
My first wrestling memory has to be the MegaPowers - Twin Towers match at The Main Event where the Powers finally exploded. Heavy stuff for a five year old. The next recollections I have were from that fall when they were hyping up Survivor Series '89 and I got my first looks at the Powers of Pain and Demolition. I still mark out for those guys.
Anyways, keep the good work up. I got my thesis advisor to bite on me going with a wrestling based fantasy theme analysis for my graduate thesis so it looks like my play will become my work for this school year.
Later...
Mark Satrang
Good times, Mark. Glad you enjoyed the column, dude! And yes, trampoline wrestling is by far my favorite backyard activity.
Switching gears to close things out, Jeff Sheehan gets personal for a second...
Piscataway, NJ
Plainfield, NJ
Asbury, NJ
Hunterdon County, NJ
Why in the hell are you a Patriots fan? I could live with the Giants, but, as a resident of Metuchen, NJ from birth until 2003 (and a lifelong J-E-T-S fan) I simply cannot understand why anyone from our area could be a Patriots fan. Just please, whatever you do, don't say you're a Red Sox fan. If so, I may never read 411 again (and I've been reading it (in its many incarnations) since 1997). In reading a few of your articles, I have come to view you as an educated, logical and loyal fan of wrestling, but, unfortunately, that is all in the shitter. The Patriots? For shame, Meehan, for shame.
Jeff Sheehan
Thanks for writing, Jeff. Believe it or not, I simply backed the Pats from my childhood for much the same reason that many Jets fans support the Big Green "Shreking machine" today ; namely, because they ALWAYS lose. I mean seriously, man - Jacksonville? 41-0? That's about as "ouch" as they come.
But anyway...
When I was a kid (much like your modern-day Jets), the Pats were MISERABLE. As such, I couldn't help but root for those poor saps (and their kickass cartoon logo) in hopes that they might just pull off the upset win. Call me a glutton for punishment, a sadist, or just a lousy gambler - but I was completely sold on pulling for the NFL's loveable band of losers. Kinda like rooting for the Washington Generals to score a fluke victory against the Globetrotters, I suppose.
That said... It's a bye week for the boys in blue, and y'all have Miami next week... so - ah what the hell...
"J-E-T-S, Jets! Jets! Jets!"
Ok, enough of that...
And With That, I'm Outta' Here
Thanks again for reading, all. The old alma mater is celebrating its Homecoming this weekend, so it's a work-filled weekend for yours truly. As for y'all? Enjoy the autumn, root (root, root) for your favorite home team (Pats have the week off, so feel free to watch baseball if you must :), and always stay positive.
