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WWE programming has, understandably, had to undergo many changes due to the global pandemic. Not only does that involve the presentational aspect, but the creative side of things too. Absence of big names like Roman Reigns, Becky Lynch, and Sami Zayn has led to last-minute changes in a lot of storylines.
With brand mergers being a proven rating booster, WWE has decided to introduce the Brand to Brand Invitational, an iteration of last year's infamous Wild Card rule. While this invitational allows a Superstar to have four appearances per brand per year, we cannot be sure about it, as WWE did bend the Wild Card rule to allow a plethora of superstars appearing on other brands.
With very little information available to us regarding the brand merger this time, let us try to predict how WildCard Rule version 2.0 affects the WWE. Let the WildCard rule run wild on you, brother!
Honorable Mention: No more Drafts and Superstar Shakeups
The good news is that The Phenomenal One is back into The House That AJ Styles Built. We at SportsKeeda have reported that WWE is experimenting with their product right now, and the trade concept might be one of those experiments.
One needs to evolve in the world of pro-wrestling and present fresh content to the fans. Going forward in this direction, WWE might have decided to scrap the Draft and the Superstar Shakeup and might be testing the waters with the trade concept, the Brand Invitational being a part of it.
As a part of this concept, WWE can organize trades after WrestleMania, where superstars will switch brands across the entirety of a month, not only allowing storylines to proceed, but also bringing in more eyeballs to the product for the whole month at least. They can even go a step further by recruiting authority figures for RAW and SmackDown, having them go against NXT GM William Regal in a mad bidding war.
The bidding idea is weird, but weirder things have happened in WWE.
#5 Many Champion vs Champion matches
This week's SmackDown saw SmackDown Women's Champion Bayley and NXT Women's Champion Charlotte Flair go at it in a much-advertised Champion vs Champion bout. The Brand invitational will blur the lines between the brands, allowing WWE to have champions from different brands clash with each other at a show not named Survivor Series (more on that later).
As seen in the Bayley/Charlotte bout, these Champion vs Champion matches can put over the winning Champions in a big way, also giving room to the company to build a storyline upon the other Champion's loss. Any show advertised for a Champion vs Champion match is sure to garner attention from the fans, which is something WWE desperately needs in this period of all-time low ratings.
The company is sure to explore every Champion vs Champion possibility, using it to their advantage. While this is mere speculation, there is a possibility that these Champion vs Champion matches lead to the unification of some titles as well.
Given the shallow tag division (both men's and women's) right now, it wouldn't be a bad idea to do so.
#4 Survivor Series will no longer be only about Brand Warfare
Ever since the brand split returned in 2016, Survivor Series has only been about Interbrand rivalries, to the extent that the Big 4 Pay-Per-View seems to be nothing more than a glorified version of the Bragging Rights PPV. The idea that the brands go to war with each other just because a PPV is approaching is quite illogical, and the absence of authority figures on RAW and SmackDown further makes the brand warfare confusing. Repeated invasion angles have destroyed the aura of the same, and a move away from the brand warfare will be best for the Survivor Series event.
Luckily, the introduction of Brand to Brand invitational (if it stays that long to begin with) will see the boundaries across brands fading, with no concrete reason for brands going to war. Also, the Empty Arena era has seen a lot of stables emerge in WWE, so we cannot rule out the possibility of a gang war at this year's Survivor Series event. Coupled with the speculation that The Undertaker may make his final appearance at the PPV he debuted, it will be better for the brand warfare theme to take a step back for this year. The concept can return at the following year's event, with proper booking ensuring that the idea doesn't feel imposed.
#3 A boost to the Women's division
WWE's Women's division isn't exactly on fire, to say in the least. While Bayley and Sasha Banks have been carrying the SmackDown's Women's division on their shoulders, it was Charlotte's appearance that brought more eyeballs to the blue brand. The same is true for RAW, which is suffering due to the unexpected departure of Becky Lynch from the scenario. The brand invitational concept can surely help the Women's division of NXT, but that of RAW, SmackDown, and maybe even NXT UK as well.
Also Read: 5 Superstars that need to revert back to their original gimmick
For example, the team of Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai can have a long term feud with Bliss and Cross over the latter's Women's Tag Team Championships, even if they do not exceed the number of appearances on other brands. Not only does this make the tag division fresh, but it also brings the spotlight on the fantastic duo of Kai and Gonzalez. Women, who struggle to get screentime, can be used to have mini feuds on other brands, which will showcase the diverse roster that the company has to its full capacity.
#2 Open challenges become a common notion
I have said it before and will say it once more: RAW of today is what SmackDown was back during the inception of the Ruthless Aggression Era, and the May 25, 2020 episode of RAW was proof of that. The future main eventers of WWE stepped into the spotlight and proved why they deserve the world. But, WWE has a vast roster, and keeping everyone relevant without a title program can be a tough task.
Enter Open Challenges. We have all seen how John Cena's open challenges as the United States Champion have been instrumental in setting the stage up for the debuts of Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, along with making the title prestigious. Given how Andrade's suspension and Sami Zayn's absence have negatively affected the United States and the Intercontinental Championships respectively, Open challenges can prove to be useful in cementing the reigns of new champions.
These open challenges can allow WWE to give us classic matches, without building up a storyline. Superstars like Bo Dallas, who have enormous potential but are out due to lack of a proper storyline, will surely benefit from this. These can also serve as the perfect platform for a big return/debut or kicking off a storyline.
#1 Paul Heyman, Bruce Prichard, and Triple H working across all three brands to improve the overall product
Now, I have been a WWE fan long enough to know that this brand invitational is just a part of kayfabe. But, this brand invitational might have some huge implications behind the scenes too.
Take, for example, Akira Tozawa. The Japanese Star has been a staple of RAW and NXT recently, but his presentation on both shows is quite contrasting. Tozawa had a great showing on NXT, delivering in every Cruiserweight Title tournament match and coming out a bigger deal than he was before. On the other hand, he was jobbing out to almost all RAW superstars on the red brand. Given that the two shows are on the same network, it damages the reputation of NXT to a large extent, making the fans believe that NXT stars are not that big a deal, leading to the viewers tuning out of the show.
So, to make every brand and superstar look better than before, the creative heads of all three brands, namely Paul Heyman (RAW), Triple H (NXT), and Bruce Prichard (SmackDown) may start working together, focusing on the development of all three shows. Triple H has proved his worth by making NXT what it is today, and the Paul Heyman effect has seen the revival of WWE's flagship show. Bruce has been responsible for some great storylines in the past, and when you have three of the best minds working in the business together, there is little chance that the product doesn't get better.
Let's hope that too many cooks don't spoil the broth here!
There you have it from me, dear readers! What effects will this Brand invitational have on WWE, according to you? Be sure to drop your valuable opinion in the comments box!
