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WWE needs a makeover......a new brand strategy, a new way of looking at things.

Let's face it, in WWE, the word "creative" is used very loosely.  First of all, from everything that I read it seems like the "creative team" just toss around ideas and then Vince takes those and writes and rewrites the shows how he wants to.  Again, from what I'm to understand, the booking control in WWE has never been out of the hands of McMahon.

 

My problem with WWE right now is that there are 3 brands, 4 unique television shows and absolutely ZERO direction in any of them.  6 hours of unique television each week and the direction of the company is week-to-week, month-to-month.  I'll bet if you could get a truthful answer out of anyone in WWE right now, they have absolutely NO IDEA where any of their current programs are headed and have NO CLUE who the tentative Wrestlemania matches are for 2010.  Wait, actually I'm wrong.  It'll be a 3 way between Orton, HHH & Cena......because those are the ONLY guys WWE is pushing at the main event level.  Jeff Hardy may be gone, they were starting to get behind Punk as a heel champ, but then had him lose to Jeff (who is not a lock) and that is IT for the main event picture the last 3 months.

 

If Vince is upset about the product, he can't blame creative if he doesn't give them any TV time to try anything.  I'm sick of seeing the company that I enjoy make so many mistakes.

 

Why are there 3 brands?  Is it solely for touring reasons?  So they can run 2 sets of house shows on the weekends?  Why is ECW a separate brand from SmackDown if they travel and wrestle together?  I am so lost on this concept, it's not funny.

 

Here's an idea, try to follow me.

 

There were 2 eras of true success in WWF/E.  The late 80s/early 90s with Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior.......then again in the mid to late 90s with Stone Cold Steve Austin and the Attitude Era.  WWE should try to re-capture that magic and re-brand their shows, each following the ideals that made those eras so successful.  In other words, 2 brands, 2 completely different formulas.

 

Who watches Friday Night television regularly?  Parents and kids, right?  The 18-35 male demographic that possesses the other major segment of wrestling fans mostly watches Monday nights (myself included).  There is the opening, I think.

 

Friday Night SmackDown could become the throwback to the old family TGIF TV era for families to get together and watch a wholesome show.  John Cena, Rey Mysterio, CM Punk, MVP, Chris Jericho, the Big Show, Undertaker, Great Khali, Kane, the Hardys and Cryme Tyme could be the focal points of the show.  The thing that made the Hogan/Warrior era great was the 2 big babyfaces fighting the big challengers and overcoming the odds.  Since Cena/Mysterio appeal to kids so much, they could be the Hogan/Warrior of today.  No matter what you say about Hogan, the reason he was so successful was because of big guys like Andre, King Kong Bundy, Earthquake, Yokozuna, etc. that could today be played by Kane, Khali, Show etc today.  Also, Hogan/Warrior had the perfect heel characters like Sgt. Slaughter, Mr. Perfect, Randy Savage, etc.  Punk/Jericho could be today's versions of those.

 

Monday Night Raw needs to get it's edge back....figuratively and literally.  A PG show featuring HHH and Randy Orton is not cutting it.  Dolph Ziggler, Christian and Edge, among others could jump ship to RAW and add some flavor to the mix.  Edge being turned face coming back from this injury is just the shot in the arm WWE needs.  Maybe even try turning Batista heel when he returns.  Either way, RAW needs to go back to being PG-13....the 9pm-11pm slot is not the optimum time on a weeknight to get kids interested.  I'm sorry, but young adults watch TV during that timeframe.  The RAW brand's strategy needs to be more geared towards the nWo/Austin/Attitude era's way of thinking.  Slowly built storylines, centralized around characters that appeal to that demographic.  Disney films would never succeed at 9pm on a Monday night, so why is WWE trying to make RAW PG?  It's a fantasy show that should be likened more to a reality tv drama show.

 

RAW needs another faction that can get the crowd interested, sell t-shirts, make money.  Something new, something fresh.  A group led by some young guys (just like HBK & HHH were when they started DX).  Legacy isn't going to get over as a threesome, has any threesome truly gotten over before?  I think you need to take some new talent, some young guys coming up through developmental.  They could start as the cool, cocky heels that eventually get turned babyface if they can start gaining some crowd support.  Some comedy, some heelish tactics, something fun.

 

One thing that I haven't seen tried in a major pro wrestling company is a greek/fraternity angle/group.  I think a group of young college age guys, working the frat angle could work.  They could "induct" new members, they could "haze" guys that wanted to get into the frat that they were going to turn on.  It's the perfect wrestling angle that has been left untapped.  Off the top of my head (since wrestling always likes to play on words), something along the lines of Phi Tau (said together "fighta") etc. would be interesting.  A bunch of drunken college guys that like to fight.  You could introduce them in a bar, at ringside, etc.

 

Either way you look at it, WWE is badly in need of a makeover.