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JR's Blog: JR's Friday Blog is Here! WWE Brand Separation Is A Good Idea & Read Why, The Ross Report Podcast Awaits, CBS Sports Network Boxing News

Posted: May 29th 2016 By: Jim Ross

Greetings all and welcome to our site. The Ross Report is up and running this week and I hope that you wil check out our weekly podcast on www.podcastone.com, iTunes and right here on the home page of our site. Former WWE creative team member Andrew Goldstein joins me to discuss WWE booking, TNA's future, the ROH brand, Cody Rhodes departure from WWE and some classic stories about Cody's late father, The American Dream Dusty Rhodes. Cool show that you can download for FREE. Thanks for supporting our podcast efforts in a crowded and competitive arena.

The WWE brand separation should be perceived by logical, non knee jerk, pro wrestling fans as a good thing IMO. For those who build their arguments against this matter by saying that "WWE always screws thins up, etc" I suggest that those individuals retreat to their room and engage in more social media.

The separation should be a clean split and feature no random intermingling and therefore making the opportunities for when both RAW and Smackdown rosters are together be special occasions. Both brands need tag teams, women, cruisers (placeholder name) a nice nucleolus of main event names and both brands need some new call up's.

WWE has the number of talents necessary to pull this off especially after they hire a few more bodies to factor into their three brands.

I'd prefer to see only one, primary champion in the company, the WWE World Heavyweight Champion however that's unlikely I'm hearing. Certainly not a deal breaker but I can see the advantage of having one WWE World's Champion, the female equivalent of that and the Tag Team Champions appear in a timely manner on both shows. None of the champions need to be on all shows weekly or even be on TV every week.

The US and IC Titles can be brand specific and by doing so they should both be revitalized.

No one is likely to be 100% pleased with the final, final roster selections and I'd surmise that also includes many within WWE who has a dog in the hunt specially the two writing teams. Personally, I have no issues seeing how this matter plays out but I sincerely feel it wil be great for all fans if WWE has learned from their past attempt to separate RAW and Smackdown.

The game has changed drastically so that Smackdown doesn't have to be considered the "red headed step child' as it often times was in the past. Going LIVE the USA Network is a hugely positive move for all involved. The less than positive perception won't change overnight but it should change in time to a much more equitable comparison of WWE's two primary television vehicles.

I think having separate referees, announce teams, ring announcers, interviewers, etc are all smart alternatives for WWE to consider. I'd compare the brand separation akin to having two different companies under one ownership that can be strategically, creatively manipulated to produced compelling TV for all fans to enjoy while building viewership on the WWE Network.

Perhaps think of WWE as the NFL and they govern both the NFC and the AFC but limit inter league play and feature it only on special, marketable occasions like the Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania.

NXT also figures in to this matter prominently and I don't see WWE disabling their third brand whatsoever but NXT also doesn't need as many viable bodies to make it successful. That's not a knock but merely a fact as I'm a big, NXT fan.

At the end of the day, there are multiple, 'right' ways to accomplish this big picture, far reaching matter.

My suggestion to TNA is to tweak their Tuesday start time to avoid wrestling fan's having ot make a decision of which wrestling show to watch, a live, Smackdown or a taped Impact Wrestling. For TNA to go head to head against WWE on Tuesday nights is ill advised.

I'm trying to raise much needed funds for my favorite charity Headlock on Hunger and we are selling limited edition, GOOD GAWD ALMIGHTY! tees for two weeks only at www.represent.com/jimross. Please help us if you can. Thanks.

We have some terrific The Ross Report Podcasts coming up soon and our guest list and drop dates are listed on the homepage of the site. Check them out.

Looks like i might be doing a new, CBS Sport Network boxing event as soon as Saturday June 4 in Cancun, Mexico. Details are being finalized for me to join Boxing Hall of Famer Al Bernstein on the broadcast. Stay tuned.

We will definitely be back in Las Vegas at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center on Friday June 10 for another Knockout Night at the D also on @CBSSportsNet.

Thanks for the visit and bookmark us and come back again.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R. @JRsBBQ