That is not to say John Cena or Batista do not know how to work a match. That is saying that Smackdown has a fresher product with younger stars that may not have as much name value as say, Batista, but monster potential, with the ability to put on a good to great match any day of the week. I don't know if I can say the same for Santino, as much as I love his microphone skills.
On Raw, general manager Vickie Guerrero can, at times, dominate the show. She is a great heel, but too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Smackdown's Teddy Long on the other hand, is utilized in small but effective doses to showcase his authoritative power.
Raw doesn't have to put on 15-20 minute matches every segment. The brand just needs matches with a better work rate and most importantly, fresher feuds. MVP, Miz, and Matt Hardy should be the pillars to Raw's future, in conjunction with future Hall-of-Famers John Cena, Triple H, and Randy Orton.
And would it hurt to give Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase more personality?
WWE shouldn't be afraid to interject new contenders on pay-per-views like Judgment Day. It proved to be a learning experience for a then-midcarder John Cena in 2003, who unsuccessfully challenged Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at Backlash. I doubt his game was stepped up by accident after that. The man was given a taste of the big time and worked harder to get there and stay at the top.
The main event is not for everyone. Many have failed amidst their big pushes. Talk to Ahmed Johnson, Gene Snisky, and even Ronnie Garvin. They'll tell you that.
For WWE and specifically their Raw brand, it is imperative to occasionally have a guy like Miz challenge for the world championship.
That allows the powers that be to not only gauge the crowd's response to the superstar's ascension, but also watch how that person handles the pressures of a larger role on the brand.
WWE's Smackdown is getting it right with CM Punk, Shelton Benjamin, and John Morrison being perceived on the same level, at times, with the more established talent on the brand.
I know Smackdown is not the flagship show, but WWE can learn a thing or two from that brand. After all, even a passionate wrestling fan like myself can come to this consensus. Lately, my Monday nights have been, for the most part, anything but RAW.
Fred "The F-Bomb" Richani is a writer for BleacherReport.com and 411Mania.com, and has been featured on ProWrestlingTorch.com, LayUpDrill.com, GOOGLE News, and CBSSportsline.com. He is also the host of his own web series FRIDAY NIGHT F-Bomb (Youtube.com/CaddyCads). He currently resides in Freehold, NJ with his family and cat Bella.
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