On Smackdown live and the new roster split

Image credit: WWE.com.

In the unexpected news department, WWE announced an return to the brand roster split as Smackdown is set to go live on USA in the near future. Both pieces of information are good news for the burgeoning roster and the talent that occupy it.

The original brand split worked well for a couple ears, but the split pay-per-views lost viewers. The existence of the WWE Network curbs most of that problem. Meanwhile live Smackdown allows that show to finally overcome the problem it faced in the original brand extension. Without the live element Raw had, it was easy to overlook any surprise angles on the show. But with Mauro and The King̵s team can do just that. Now the fight can begin between the announce teams about who gets Byron Saxton.

My assumption is the extension will come with Shane and Stephanie splitting the brand. It will be interesting once it happens to see what WWE will do to removed the stigma of Smackdown as the WWE B-show. With it being an hour shorter than Raw, it could also suffer from a smaller roster and less of a big show feeling.

Of course, rumors are already in place that the women's division might find its way a single brand. Whether WWE gives the other brand a sub-division (the Cruiserweight Classic alumni, perhaps?) remains to be seen. How WWE treats their unified World title and Tag Team titles, also remains to be seen.

I an only think of this new brand extension as a wise move for WWE. It should set up a future for the company and find roles for many of the superstars that have been overlooked and lost in the last few weeks.