Separating the titles must be the priority after WrestleMania 39
WWE needs to go back to separate titles on Raw and SmackDown, so this must be the priority after WrestleMania.
WrestleMania is weeks away, with plenty of time to build to a two-night showcase of all things WWE. Roman Reigns is set to face Cody Rhodes for the WWE Undisputed Championship in what should be an amazing match and moment. Expectations are that Rhodes will come out on top as the champion, ready to usher in the next era of WWE content. The priority should be to split the two championships across both brands as an immediate need to elevate both shows.
WrestleMania 38 closed out with Reigns holding up both championships after defeating Brock Lesnar. It was a moment that made sense for where the promotion was at the time. Vince McMahon had zero interest in elevating any other man on the roster, and this visual represented that fact. Yes, Reigns has served as a powerful champion, enjoying a generational run. But combining the titles under one individual for so long has hindered the growth of much of the roster, especially that of WWE Raw.
Cody Rhodes’s ambition should cost him one of the titles
Putting the Undisputed Championship on Rhodes builds the opportunity to correct this mistake. The story is simple and right there to be told. Rhodes, the carny professional wrestler that he is, believes that both championships should be defended to create “opportunity” for the rest of the roster. To elevate the Rhodes name, he goes on a vision quest to defend both belts, eventually losing either championship to someone on SmackDown or Raw. Imagine that title change happening on a weekly edition of either show, making these episodes more important along the way.
Names like GUNTHER, Seth Rollins, LA Knight, Drew McIntyre, and more are all right there – ready to carry either brand as the main champion. This is just one scenario that can be used to separate the titles without damaging their status along the way.
Post-WrestleMania will be an important time for the WWE under Triple H’s creative leadership. It’s expected that the main chapter of The Bloodline’s story arc will be complete. The roster rebuild will continue, with the returns and potential NXT callups ready to jump into roles on the main roster that were outside their grasp under previous leadership. Separating the championships will boost interest in both shows and should be the first thing at the top of the to-do list once WrestleMania 39 is over.