by Michael Kelly

Created on: May 07, 2008   Last Updated: May 02, 2009

Imagine an NFL with three champions at the end of every season. Imagine an election with two winners. Imagine a man raising a different family in three different states. Imagine this juggling act, in particular: "A man raising three different families in three different states." Essentially, this is just what Vince McMahon has reduced himself to since his "Brand Extension" in the WWE. The result of this action has shaken a once dominant wrestling empire, and the end result is a watered-down version of it's former self.

Now, we have three champions. Instead of one or two title changes a year, we could have a dozen. We have essentially two intercontinental (or United States) champions. We have two separate teams calling themselves tag team champions. We have sloppy story lines resulting in mediocre pay-per-views, and still, the price continues to skyrocket like gas prices. Is this fair? I myself have been a wrestling fan since I was five years old. That's twenty-three years. Long before wrestling was socially acceptable. Long before arguably the largest period of popularity in professional wrestling: "The Monday Night War". And yet, I am suddenly uninterested. I can go weeks without it, when before, I could barely go hours. I no longer purchase merchandise or pay-per-views. Why? Because I am not a real fan? Of course not. Because it is the same week in, and week out. Recycled story lines resulting in a more mediocre product. This is what the brand extension has done to WWE, if nothing else.

True, the financial results have to be staggeringly positive on the part of WWE. And as is always the case, it is the fans who suffer. Maybe it's time to take a step back, and re-assess this idea. Re-examine whether it really is a good thing to have three heavyweight champions. Whether or not it is a good idea to ruin potentially great pay-per-views with "Cross-Brand Promotion". When is the last time the intercontinental title was defended at Wrestlemania? When was the last real "Survivor Series" pay-per-view? When was the last time we had a real heavyweight champion? What is this? Boxing? Give me a break. Swallow your pride, Vince, unify the titles, dump "ECW" where you found it, and get back to interesting and intriguing television. We as fans do not want to see John Cena versus Randy Orton versus Triple H, or some combination of the three, over and over again. We do not need to see Edge feuding with the Undertaker for the next six months. You already have Shawn Michaels (Raw) feuding with Batista (Smackdown). You already have superstars from other brands appearing on other brands. Why not stop this endless charade, and just go back to what it was that made WWE great. Let's see John Cena versus Batista. More Randy Orton versus Undertaker. Triple H versus Khali. There are dream matches that fans of professional wrestling may never see, simply because those superstars have different traveling schedules and obligations.

Why divide an empire, when you can unify it, and make it better? In the end, the result will be the same. Eventually, ECW will fail. The fourteen or so superstars will either move to one of the two remaining brands, or worse, be released. And, in the end, an alternative may be sought just because fans are tired of the same main events with the same guys from the same brands.

Learn more about this author, Michael Kelly.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.