The newly announced WWE brand split may have already paved the way for the WrestleMania 33 main event, with Roman Reigns and John Cena heavily touted to be the heavyweight champions of RAW and SmackDown respectively, which will likely lead to a confrontation at WrestleMania 33.
Though nothing is set in stone as far as the brand split is concerned, wrestling insiders Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio report that the stars of both shows will be Reigns for RAW and Cena for SmackDown. While this doesn’t necessarily mean that the pair will remain the world champions of their respective brands, it does fall in line with the previously held belief that the pair, who have yet to have a televised singles match with one another, would eventually face off at either the next SummerSlam or WrestleMania. If Cena is to move to SmackDown, then the summer would be too soon for the two brands’ top stars to collide with one another, meaning that it is highly suggestible they will lock horns on the Grandest Stage of Them All instead.
Also See: WWE Brand Split Official as SmackDown Becomes Live Show
With the WWE having refrained from producing a Cena and Reigns match during the process of molding the ex-Shield member as the next face of the company, it’s an inevitability that the two will square off at some point. While many want to see a Triple Threat match featuring Reigns’ former Shield teammates Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose, that Rollins and Reigns are finally set to have a match at Money in the Bank will lessen the impact of that encounter while keeping Reigns and Cena on separate brands ensures that they will head into a fresh rivalry come the end of this WWE season. Though many Reigns and Cena detractors may have preferred Rollins and Ambrose to be in the main event picture, considering that WWE continues to push Reigns to the moon, it seems that a high-profile victory against Cena on their biggest show of the year will be more the more likely option.
During their discussion regarding the brand split, Alvarez also notes that WWE and Vince McMahon have no definite timeline in regards to how long the split will last, with it instead predicted to continue into the foreseeable future unless the company’s ratings decline significantly as a result of its roster being divided. WWE previously executed a brand extension in 2002 which lasted until 2011, when the diluted talent pools of both shows and a dwindling interest in the product resulted in a declining viewership.
This brand split will take place after SmackDown officially makes the transition to a live weekly show for the first time in its history, with it set to air on USA Network on Tuesday evenings. You can read more about it right here.
