From July 19 onwards WWE Smackdown will be moving to a live broadcast on Tuesdays. For the last few years Raw has been the flagship show for WWE and has seen the bulk of storyline progression. But Smackdown, regularly referred to as 'the second brand' has made for solid programming of late and has furthered many of the promotion's main storylines.
The show has improved massively largely because of announcer Mauro Ranallo and what he brings to the commentary table. Ranallo has a background in combat sports and a captivating voice for describing the action in the ring - he will no doubt be thrilled with the opportunity to commentate live on Tuesday nights.
BREAKING NEWS: @WWE #SmackDown is going LIVE on Tuesday nights on @SkySports, starting July 19! More info to follow.
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Furthermore, Smackdown will feature a distinct pool of talent and storylines separate from Monday Night Raw as well as a unique writing team - giving the show a fresh feel. It's possible that WWE will have titles exclusive to each brand, much like in 2011 which was when the initial brand split came to an end. It is already rumoured that a second world title will be brought in to accommodate the split, much like there was in 2002 when WWE Champion Brock Lesnar was signed exclusively to the blue brand, leading then Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff to introduce the World Heavyweight Championship, which would remain until 2013, when it was unified with the WWE Title by Randy Orton.
Congratulations to @RandyOrton the #ChampionOfChampions and New WWE World Heavyweight Champion
"WWE's flagship programs will both leverage the incredible depth of our talent roster, distinct storylines and the unpredictable nature of live TV," said WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon. "This move will undoubtedly build more excitement and deepen engagement with our fans around the world."
WWE fans in the UK currently have to wait until Thursday to see the taped Smackdown show, but that will all change from 19 July as Sky Sports will be showing Smackdown live each week at 1am.
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WORDS BY @JoshLawlessMCFC
Topics: Smackdown, Raw, Wrestling, WWE