After a nearly seven year absence from WWE television, Shane McMahon made what can only be described as a triumphant return to Raw last Monday in Detroit. As overexposed as the McMahon clan has been, the Boy Wonder (and the thunderous ovation he received) proves that absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder. In one night, WWE succeeded in adding genuine intrigue to what had been shaping up as a ho-hum WrestleMania card. If Shane hopes to take control of Monday Night Raw, all he needs to do is defeat The Undertaker inside “Hell in a Cell”. Easy enough, no?
Shane was always the one McMahon I never got tired of seeing. While I would argue that Mister McMahon is the greatest villain the company has ever produced, there have been many times …show more content…
It’s a match that many fans still clamor for. Others may dread it, but there is no doubting the marquee value such a match would have (once the bell rings, that’s another story). Were it not for Sting’s diagnosis of spinal stenosis, which ended the careers of both Steve Austin and Edge, and the fact that he still needs neck surgery, he would make a fine choice, but it just doesn’t seem possible. Or how about The Rock? He did tease a major role for himself at WrestleMania, though the belief is that he won’t be wrestling on the card, which would seem to disqualify him from consideration. Then again, in wrestling, it’s probably wise to never discount anything from …show more content…
Many fans online are excitedly pointing to a Ticketmaster listing for an upcoming Raw in May that is being billed as “Monday Night Raw vs. WWE” as evidence that a return to a brand split is imminent. Given how stale and monotonous the show has become, Shane McMahon taking control, even if only in storyline, could give Raw a fresh feel that it so desperately needs. That being said, I believe a formal brand split, at least at the moment, would be a terrible idea. Even a decade ago, WWE never seemed to fully embrace the idea of a true brand split, and so long as the same person is in charge of running things, that is unlikely to ever change. But that’s not even the biggest problem they face. One of the biggest changes since that time has been the expansion of Monday Night Raw to three hours. At a time when the company lacks depth at the top of its roster, a roster that has been absolutely ravaged by injuries, it makes absolutely no sense to take an already depleted roster, split it in half, and then attempt to fill those same three hours every Monday night. Of course, they can always call a bunch of NXT names down to the main roster to fill those spots, but will they? Colin Cassady and Enzo Amore are most certainly ready to make the transition, as should someone like Samoa Joe, but I just don’t see them gutting the NXT brand by shifting over enough names at one time to make up that
Shane was always the one McMahon I never got tired of seeing. While I would argue that Mister McMahon is the greatest villain the company has ever produced, there have been many times …show more content…
It’s a match that many fans still clamor for. Others may dread it, but there is no doubting the marquee value such a match would have (once the bell rings, that’s another story). Were it not for Sting’s diagnosis of spinal stenosis, which ended the careers of both Steve Austin and Edge, and the fact that he still needs neck surgery, he would make a fine choice, but it just doesn’t seem possible. Or how about The Rock? He did tease a major role for himself at WrestleMania, though the belief is that he won’t be wrestling on the card, which would seem to disqualify him from consideration. Then again, in wrestling, it’s probably wise to never discount anything from …show more content…
Many fans online are excitedly pointing to a Ticketmaster listing for an upcoming Raw in May that is being billed as “Monday Night Raw vs. WWE” as evidence that a return to a brand split is imminent. Given how stale and monotonous the show has become, Shane McMahon taking control, even if only in storyline, could give Raw a fresh feel that it so desperately needs. That being said, I believe a formal brand split, at least at the moment, would be a terrible idea. Even a decade ago, WWE never seemed to fully embrace the idea of a true brand split, and so long as the same person is in charge of running things, that is unlikely to ever change. But that’s not even the biggest problem they face. One of the biggest changes since that time has been the expansion of Monday Night Raw to three hours. At a time when the company lacks depth at the top of its roster, a roster that has been absolutely ravaged by injuries, it makes absolutely no sense to take an already depleted roster, split it in half, and then attempt to fill those same three hours every Monday night. Of course, they can always call a bunch of NXT names down to the main roster to fill those spots, but will they? Colin Cassady and Enzo Amore are most certainly ready to make the transition, as should someone like Samoa Joe, but I just don’t see them gutting the NXT brand by shifting over enough names at one time to make up that