Backstage Details On WWE Relaxing Brand Split

For folks wondering about the supposed WWE brand split — or, more specifically, the "Brand to Brand Invitational" — Fightful Select is reporting that it is "effectively dead." Additionally, USA Network and FOX, which air "Raw" and "SmackDown" respectively, have relaxed their previous vision of "Raw" and "SmackDown" being noticeably different from one another. In fact, according to one source close to creative, the aforementioned rule hasn't even come up since Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque assumed control of creative.

Early on, the "Brand to Brand Invitational" was one of several ideas put into effect in an attempt to boost ratings. Other ideas included a "Wild Card" rule, as well as having no commercials during matches — something we've seen from time to time during the first hour of "Raw." However, all of these proposed changes were dropped relatively quickly, including any instance of a specific superstar appearing on another brand being referred to as a "Brand to Brand Invitational."

When this rule originally went into effect, it would've allowed stars from one show to appear on the other only once per quarter. As it happens, a lot of people didn't much care for that, according to Fightful. One person on the creative team even told them that they've yet to hear the term at all while backstage and that they only see that changing in order to help "jog someone's memory."

In the months leading up to WrestleMania 39, we've seen plenty of WWE stars appearing on both brands, including but not limited to the likes of Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Rhea Ripley, Cody Rhodes, and The Bloodline. If this report is any indication, it appears as though USA Network and FOX are more than happy to allow it to continue.