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It came down to economics. The brand-split PPVs that were featuring only one brand weren't doing as well as the PPVs that featured talent from both brands. So, WWE killed the idea.
On the RAW prior to TLC, JBL said, "Take a look because that is the last time you'll ever see those two championships together again on RAW", yet Randy Orton still carries both championships, why? Shouldn't he just be carrying around the WWE Championship & not the World Heavyweight Championship?
The original plan was to just use the WWE title after the PPV, but WWE changed their minds and opted to have Orton carry both title belts. I suspect that over time, they'll just use the one belt.
I have a mind-boggling question about TNA. How are they always in the 1.0 ratings? I'm surprised they can't build past that. I remember a few episodes of live Impacts use to draw 1.5's even on time a 1.6 (I believe the main event was Kurt Angle Vs. Abyss), meaning the audience is there. What exactly is wrong with the company. Why can't in today's world get nowhere near 1.5?
The company has never been able to get any true awareness among the general public. If I had the answers as to why, I'd be sitting on a mountain of money as the best paid consultant in pro wrestling. I think what's happened is that an entire generation of fans gave up on wrestling and the next generation became MMA fans - and the majority of the current generation is more than sated by what WWE produces every week. So, that leaves a much smaller piece of the pie for everyone else.
If you were putting together the Royal Rumble, now that Jeff Jarrett is a free agent, would you book him as a one off appearance in the Rumble match? My scenario would have him enter guitar in hand, smashing it over Heath Slater (or other member of 3MB if Slater isn't back by then) and then being eliminated a short while after. You thoughts?
I don't think WWE will book Jarrett but he'd make a hell of a surprise - not for the Rumble, but for the Old School Raw, doing his old Double J gimmick.
I know you take static from some people for never "giving up on ECW" but I also see you get a lot of questions about those letters. What do you say to people who are critical towards you for being a ECW fan?
I don't have anything to say to them. Their minds about me are already made up. The reality is this - I started as a fan of ECW and was lucky enough to do something more for the company with my work on their website, DVD releases, etc. The plan was never to use that time as a springboard into writing full-time. Circumstances (some of which were well beyond my control) and luck of being in the right place at the right time ended up with me writing for PWInsider.com and the pieces fell into place. However, I've never denied how I've felt about those letters and that time period and I was will always be appreciative to them, because without them, there's no PWInsider.com and there's no Mike Johnson or any of the other writers here. The ripple effect started with ECW and I remain aware of that. If someone feels that makes me biased, well, every writer has always had biases towards what they like personally, and nothing I say or argue is going to change someone's mind if it's already made up. In my mind, I've always seen myself as someone who had direct knowledge of a very unique promotion and time period, nothing more. After all, it's I'm not championing that JT Smith should have been WWE champion because he worked for ECW or anything ridiculous like that. People are going to say what they want and chances are, it's often not rooted in fact, so I don't worry about it - and neither should you.
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