WWE Latest News: Company Reportedly Considering Brand Split After Shane McMahon Return; RAW Numbers See Big Jump
The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as a company is reportedly considering a brand split after head honcho Vince McMahon's son Shane made a return on Monday and demanded control of RAW.
In a report by Mike Johnson for PW Insider, the younger McMahon's return on RAW is believed to be a prelude for another brand split, the same one that the company put in place from 2002-2011. This means that the old set-up of having a split of talents for RAW and SmackDown may once again come into play.
This means that there could be another in-house competition between the two brands in terms of ratings and storylines. The said set-up was only dropped n 2011.
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"Shane McMahon gaining control, either at Wrestlemania or another storyline point, would set the company up for Raw to have a "fresh start" - and one where a new, credible "leader", in the form of Shane, would be "calling the shots" on camera," an excerpt of Johnson's report reads.
Johnson also talked about the future of the NXT superstars, particularly because the said brand has been associated with the company's Vice President for Live Events, Creative, and Talent, Triple H.
Shane McMahon's demand was heeded by his father Vince, but on one condition: he has to take on the Undertaker at WrestleMania 32, in a Hell in a Cell match.
Meanwhile, the viewer numbers for the most recent Monday Night RAW episode have been released. It is the same episode the featured Shane McMahon's return, as well as the episode after the Fastlane 2016 event that took place on Sunday, the night prior.
In a report by Geno Mrosko for Cageside Seats, the numbers saw a jump from the previous week's episode, from 3.47 million viewers to 3.88 million.
In the first hour, the viewers went up to the four million mark at 4.20 million viewers. The second hour saw a slight drop with 4.05 million, while the third hour dropped to 3.39 million viewers.
