For some time now, there have been rumors of what will occur with the WWE brand split. We knew going into this that WWE was going all out. Not only did they plan to do a WWE Draft, meaning a unique roster, but they also planned to make WWE SmackDown LIVE on a weekly basis for the first time ever. All of this sent rumors flying about PPVs, titles, and many other things. So how much is true, and how much is just rumor?
It appears that yes, WWE will be bringing back unique PPVs. This was confirmed when they had both Clash of the Champions and Night of Champions open for ticket sales. It told us that WWE RAW and WWE SmackDown would have their own night where all the titles were on the line. That said, it would be kind of stupid to have brand PPVs, and yet, only have one World Title, Women’s Title, and Tag Team Title.
Therefore, it does look like that they are going to have at least two World Titles. This was seemingly confirmed on WWE RAW this past week when the announce team called Dean Ambrose’s title the WWE Championship instead of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The graphics even changed up for it. Ringside News backed this up claiming all of this had to be an indication that two major World Titles were going to be present. On top of this, WWE made it clear on their website as well.
The Wrestling Observer claimed that we are also getting two Women’s Divisions as well, meaning we could have two Women’s Titles. It appears that Sasha Banks will go to SmackDown and Charlotte will go to RAW, just going off of the promotions for upcoming shows later this year. With Banks and Charlotte being planned for WWE Battleground, it does appear that WWE is just getting this match out of the way because of the almost year-long setup.
Many of the original plans changed for WWE SummerSlam due to the WWE Draft as men and women will be separated to different brands. Originally, Banks vs. Charlotte was planned for the biggest party of the summer, but with the brand split, they will most likely be moved to different shows, and WWE does not want to kill off the rivalry fans have wanted to see for months now before it even happens.
This is the same reason why WWE is not changing the WWE Title triple threat either. Despite the fact that Roman Reigns was suspended for 30 days due to a Wellness Policy violation, he has to be in the match because it may be the last time we ever get the chance to see the Shield triple threat before the split. While many fans still disagree with him being in the match, WWE most likely knows they have no alternative but to do it this way.
That said, Cageside Seats does report that Roman Reigns is most likely not walking out with the World Title. Despite this, with two World Titles being in place, it should go without saying that Reigns will win another one soon enough regardless of where he lands in the upcoming draft. The hope is that WWE turns him heel because fans now, more than ever, do not want to cheer for him wherever he goes in this world. When mark towns like Brooklyn or Chicago don’t cheer, that’s one thing. However, when random places like Des Moine or Milwaukee don’t want to, that’s when you know there is an issue.
This brand split will hopefully do good things for the WWE. If WWE does bring back the two World Title system, it could do wonders for people who would have never been given a chance before. People like Kevin Owens, AJ Styles, and Cesaro, who deserve a World Title eventually, may now see that happen for them, whereas before, WWE would have kept the top guys at the top and may have never wanted to stray from it. With two brands, they have no choice but to do just that.
[Image via WWE]