This wrestling entertainment show was originally called WWF Smackdown! and was launched in 1999 in the US.
But in 2002 the WWF had a brand extension which made their two TV shows (RAW and SmackDown!) competition for each other. This came about after the WWF purchased their biggest competitor, WCW, and they decided to bring in talent from the then out-of-business ECW.
The brand extension was publicly announced during a broadcast of WWF RAW on March 25, 2002, and became official the next day.
The brand extension would bring about change like nothing the WWF had seen before. Wrestlers would become "show-exclusive", wrestling for their specific show only.
At the time this excluded the Undisputed Champion and Women's Champion as originally those titles were defended on both shows. However, later in 2002, Brock Lesnar, then the WWE Champion, refused to defend the title on RAW, causing the title to become SmackDown!-exclusive.
Following that, both shows then got their own exclusive championships.
Smackdown! was branded Friday Night Smackdown! in the United States when Star Trek: Enterprise was cancelled in September 2005.
Superstars featured each week include World Heavyweight Champion Batista, The Undertaker, Rey Mysterio, Chris Benoit, Christian, Booker T, Randy Orton and JBL, amongst many others. |
