Two is Greater Than Four
You read this and wonder what the hell am I talking about, right? This past Monday on RAW, Vince McMahon announced that Stephanie McMahon will be the Commissioner of RAW, while Shane is the Commissioner of Smackdown. Okay, we thought this was it. But, now Vince tells them that they need a General Manager for each show, which basically means they are the “owners” and they are hiring “head coaches” to run the weekly operations.
Does this work? In a world where General Manager roles seem to have run its course, we will now have four authority figures to worry about. I think it is obvious that RAW remains with Stephanie and Triple H, while Smackdown could be in for a surprise. With the rumors swirling of Daniel Bryan becoming the new General Manager of Smackdown, I wonder why. I love Bryan, but his wife is no longer in the WWE and he does not need to be this authority figure. Daniel Bryan’s best ability is in the ring and that was taken away from him. There are better options and better fits to run Smackdown as the General Manager.
I would throw two BIG names out there immediately. First, WWE never really capitalized on Sting. Yes, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, competed at WrestleMania and competed against Seth Rollins. He still felt like a part time guy who should have had a longer run in the company. His career was cut, not short by any means, and he continues to be under contract. If WWE wants to be able to promote a new “Smackdown Live,” Sting would be a great option. He appeals to the general masses while helping out younger talents that will ultimately get a chance to shine on Smackdown.
The other option for me would be Edge. Edge and Smackdown go hand in hand like peanut butter and jelly, bacon and eggs. He carried that show for so many years with excellent stories, feuds and moments. We know Edge is working with the WWE Network more and he has been away for just enough time where fans love to see him return. With Edge running Smackdown, he can get into great vocal arguments with guys like Kevin Owens, The Miz and other great heels. Edge is a guy that can work heel or face, be the voice of a new generation. He was a guy that transitioned his career from a simple tag team star to one of the most decorated superstars in WWE history. He has won it all, done it all.
When you look at what WWE is doing, basically having four “figures” in control of the two shows, you realize what is the underlying meaning. Stephanie and Shane might not be there every single week on television. Is it too congested to add ANOTHER figure? Maybe, but I do think there is a chance for WWE to mess this up. I am not sold on having four people be in control of two shows. If Shane and Stephanie are not there weekly, what is the point of them being a “Commissioner?” Isn’t that somewhat Vince’s role now, coming back when things fall apart? So, you will end up having five total people in a sense of control? As much as I love seeing Stephanie and Shane on television, it might be time for them to just step away and see what else WWE can come up with. I hate saying it, I really do. Shane is the best face, while Stephanie might be the best heel the company has. Can you grow and become fresh and exciting with two people from the Attitude Era in control?
