WWE's Roster Is Too Thin for Rumored Raw and SmackDown Brand Split

Making Raw and SmackDown two separate entities isn't the cure to WWE's ills; it's glittering fool's gold.

Memories of when SmackDown was a marquee show and flashbacks to an era loaded with top talent have some dreaming of a return to when WWE split itself into two brands. The current roster, though, isn't equipped to handle that. A lack of high-level star power threatens to make a brand split a flop.

Shane McMahon returning to Raw last week and vying for control of Raw stirred up that conversation once more.

Rumors have only further fueled the discussion of Raw and SmackDown each existing on their own again. According to PWInsider Elite (h/t Wrestling Inc), there have been internal rumblings about a potential brand split. Nothing is concrete, but the idea has apparently been on WWE's mind.

It's an idea that many fans are behind. NoDQ.com recently conducted a poll where nearly three-quarters of those who responded supported a brand split:

However, the idea of it is better than the reality. "Go back to the brand split" has almost been as common a refrain for how to fix WWE's ratings as "Go back to being PG-13." WWE just couldn't deal with heading back in that direction, though.

Yes, undervalued midcarders would get more opportunities. That means WWE would be forced to do far more with Damien Sandow. Natalya would be showcased more often. Neville wouldn't be pushed off to the side so much.

It's the top tier that is the issue with returning to the brand split. There are just not enough marquee names to sustain a brand split.

Wrestling Inc pointed out a reality fans of the idea have to face:

While Raw and SmackDown each going their separate ways would equate to more airtime for a guy like Sandow, it would also mean fans should get ready for Kane, Sheamus and Big Show being moved into even more prominent positions.

WWE simply doesn't have the options it did when it first moved to the brand-split model. In 2001, the company boasted its own top names, as well as the best of WCW.

That led to a stacked lineup of world title contenders:

• Booker T
• Chris Benoit
• Chris Jericho
• Eddie Guerrero
• Kurt Angle 
• Mick Foley
• Steve Austin
• The Big Show
• The Rock 
• Triple H 
• Undertaker

Today, potential is at a surplus. Star power is not. There's a reason Shane-O-Mac (46), Undertaker (50) and Triple H (46) are set for major matches at WrestleMania 32.

WWE's stock of top-of-the-card guys doesn't compare to 2001's:

• Brock Lesnar (part-time)
• Dean Ambrose
• John Cena 
• Randy Orton
• Roman Reigns
• Seth Rollins

Lesnar won't be around for majority of the year either. 

Maybe one adds AJ Styles and Kevin Owens to that list, projecting that they will indeed become marquee names. Bray Wyatt has the potential to step up to that level, too. He's beaten down by booking, though. After being treated like prey for so long, it will take some convincing to make the audience believe in him as a fearsome predator.

Even so, wrestlers better off on the upper midcard will have to rise to the top tier to keep things fresh. That means Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio will remain in the world title hunt despite being far from the Internet Wrestling Community's favorite sons. 

JP Yim/Getty Images

Raw specifically will have a tough time making full use of its three hours without either repeating itself or putting on Superstars-worthy matches. 

On SEScoops, Jason Solomon wrote, "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."

Note that if the brands were split today, it wouldn't have Cesaro, Rollins, Orton and Cena to plug in on either show. WWE would be scrambling as a result.

If Daniel Bryan hadn't retired and if CM Punk hadn't left the company, there would be a stronger argument for a brand split. As it stands, filling out both Raw's and SmackDown's top rungs will be a struggle. Variety would be as issue, too.  

On Forbes, Alfred Konuwa pointed out, "While keeping certain stars apart can keep several matchups novel, WWE is also stuck with smaller rosters for each show, which means fewer possibilities for feuds. Over time, Raw and SmackDown pay-per-views could seem like reruns, and WWE can only shake things up so many times."

Many will note that NXT has a wealth of talent to call up to support the brand split.

The trouble with that is, if WWE raids its developmental brand too much, there won't be enough star power to keep it as hot as it is today. WWE would have to rush the pace of its call-ups. There won't be a choice: Finn Balor, Sami Zayn, Samoa Joe and Bayley will all need to make the move to the main roster.

Is WWE really going to hand the NXT keys to Baron Corbin and Apollo Crews right now? 

When Cageside Seats did a brand-split fantasy draft last November, Bill Hanstock created a compelling lineup for SmackDown. He couldn't have known Bryan would end his career early, taking away a key star from his vision. He couldn't have known Wade Barrett would reportedly give his notice to the company, per Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet.

His SmackDown roster also included Brie Bella, who has since told Good Morning America, "I just feel that it's time for me to hang up the boots."

Suddenly, the options for matches and rivalries are lessened. That will be especially true for both the tag team division and women's division with a split WWE. The company has a tough enough time as it is keeping The New Day busy with fitting rivals. Put that trio on Raw or SmackDown exclusively, and count on a lot more matches with the likes of The Ascension.

Credit: WWE.com

Better balance and storytelling is the answer to WWE gaining momentum again. Cultivating wrestlers who look like they could be stars into bona fide household names is the key.

But that's no easy fix. WWE can't just decide to do that overnight like it can choose to split the brands again.

The timing just isn't right to go the two-brand route. Should WWE effectively kick-start an era where Wyatt is thriving on the mountaintop, where Cesaro is treated like a main eventer and Rusev proves to be a future Hall of Famer, that's when dividing Raw and SmackDown again makes sense.

For now, halving a roster that isn't pulling in respectable ratings as a whole is a mistake.