Darren Young on Track to Make Major Impact After WWE Raw, SmackDown Brand Split

Darren Young won a Battle Royal on the July 11 edition of Monday Night Raw, and that win gives him a shot at The Miz's Intercontinental Championship. Suddenly, the guy that was barely on the radar is now in the title hunt, and it could not have come at a better time.

WWE's brand split is coming, and that's a good thing for Young.

This is the time to begin elevating fresh talents. Darren's days in The Prime Time Players initially gave him some spotlight for quite a while, but this is the first time fans can connect with him on a singles level. 

He's only 32, he's in tremendous physical shape and he can work. He has great upside, and he now has a real chance to get over in a big way. Everything is looking up for Young, and the New Era is surely part of that.

WWE is moving ahead, and spotlighting the next generation is the smartest move the company has made in years. It's the logical next step after NXT's explosion in popularity, and it's working better than anyone could have expected.

It's about evolution, and Young is part of that evolution.

Fans are being persuaded to change their view of him now, as his new run is only just beginning. Having Bob Backlund in his corner is valuable, as it emphasizes the importance WWE is placing behind this. It's not just a gimmick to get attention; this is a statement by the company.

Darren Young has arrived.

The brand split is a big time for WWE, and all the top players need to be ready to perform. The only way to sell this angle to the fans is to get the excitement level up, and the easiest way to do that is to offer something new.

Young is new, and this sudden burst of fame could be a sign of things to come.

All he needs to do is catch fire, and if he does that, then the sky's the limit for him. But fans must care about Young, and booking him against Miz is part of that. Miz is a hated heel and not popular at all. Just getting into the ring with Miz is enough to get Young over, and WWE is surely aware of that.

Young is now stepping into the famous midcard of the world's largest pro wrestling company, and he's in great company because of it.

credit: WWE.com

Rusev, Sami Zayn, Alberto Del Rio, Kevin Owens, Cesaro and Dolph Ziggler are just some of WWE's hottest midcard stars. Each man is able to turn up the volume whenever the match calls for it, and each man is able to deliver a top-notch performance every time he's booked.

Young is entering the fray now, and he will surely be part of this rotation. Is he ready for it?

More importantly, is WWE ready for it? This needs to be more than just a guy getting another shot, this needs to be the creation of another top star. Young has the tools needed to be that star, now he must be utilized to his full capacity.

Young must get on TV, and he must start winning. "Making Darren Young great again" was a nice catchphrase, but the vignettes must stop now. Backlund can continue to accompany him to ringside, but maybe it's time Young began speaking for himself.

The time has come to flesh out his character and create that all-important connection with fans. Beating The Miz at Battleground is a major part of that.

Young needs to win the Intercontinental Championship at Battleground. The feud with Miz is just beginning, of course, and many may ask why the title should change hands now. But there's nothing like a gold strap to give a Superstar the shot in the arm he needs, and that is especially true for Young.

Feuding with Miz can continue, and Young will get even more opportunity to shine. But he will also have the chance to shine among the other midcard stars, and that is important as well. However, which program he ends up on is important, too.

Raw has always been considered the flagship program, while SmackDown has been the second choice. But with the advent of SmackDown Live on the horizon, anything can happen in terms of ratings and overall popularity.

Maybe the best spot for Young is the second choice.

But there's no denying the spectacle that is Raw, and if WWE truly wants to maximize Young's minutes, then perhaps he should be live every Monday night. The best thing about this, of course, is that no matter what the plan is for Young, he has options.

It's a clean slate for him, and thanks to the brand split, it's a new day for Darren Young. He's never had a better time to succeed, and with any luck, he will do just that.

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here.