Remember when you use to care and actually watch WWE Smackdown? Yeah, I also had to think about that one for a bit. Created back in 1999 during the height of The Attitude Era, The Rock’s “show” (named after one of The Great One’s catchphrases) has become an afterthought for fans (and sadly WWE execs), lost behind Monday Night Raw and NXT. The program has been in a rut for years, but the WWE has finally decided to take a defibrillator to its “B” show and spark it back to life.

Last week, Stephanie and Shane McMahon announced that on July 19, Smackdown will be going Live and moving to Tuesdays (currently Thursdays) on the USA Network. There will also be a brand split where talent will be drafted to either Raw or Smackdown.

“About time!” is what the WWE Universe is thinking. Wrestling fans being displeased with the WWE product isn’t anything new, but vocal internet fans have been pleading for changes for some time. With declining ratings and an overall stale feel to the product, the WWE has to bring relevance back to a key part of its brand.

What would I do improve Smackdown? Well, I’m glad you asked. Why wait till July, when here’s a blueprint of changes that will have fans coming back!

The No’s!

Learning from past brand splits, here’s what should be avoided at all costs:

• No brand General Mangers (I’m looking at you Anonymous Raw General Manager).
• No brand specific PPV’s.
• No cross brand rivalries. Can’t have Raw Superstars appearing on Smackdown—and vice versa—on a regular basis.

Give It a Facelift!

If I’ve learned anything from watching HGTV, it's that when renovating a property, the more visually appealing, the easier the sell. Tear down some walls and slap on some paint, as Smackdown needs a new set.

For years Smackdown has been using the same RAW setup with the ramp and tron screen, which is cost efficient but gives the show a hand me down feel. Smackdown originally had the “ovaltron” set, followed by the silver giant fist (not a sex toy). This is an opportunity to play around with production design, helping give the show its own identity.

Change the Beat

Game of Thrones has an amazing opening intro. You have that epic song playing over the impressive Westeros ultimate game-board, immediately setting the table for what’s to come.

Now, Smackdown won’t be on that level but they gotta mix it up. Get rid of the generic graphics and music. Go retro with an '80s style opening or go in-your-face with a more mature, intense approach. Just make it memorable.

Reorganize the Championship Titles

With the rosters being split there’s talk about where the titles will go and if new ones will be created. First things first, have only ONE World Heavyweight Champion, ONE Women’s Championship and ONE World Tag Team Championship. You don’t want to water down their value. These champions are the only exceptions for appearing on both shows in order to compete and defend their titles. A brand split also bolsters other titles. Make the Intercontinental Championship exclusive to RAW, while the United States Championship stays on Smackdown. With the Cruiserweight Classic tournament currently taking place, it’s not a stretch to assume that a new title will be created soon. If that’s the case, make that brand exclusive as well. Fans of cruiserweight style will tune in just to watch that action.

If that’s a returning “new” title, you have to balance things out and create another title for the other show. The women’s division is the deepest it’s ever been and more new talent is on the way from NXT. So why is there only one championship for the ladies? We talked about this before, but let’s create a Women’s Tag Team Championship or an additional singles title—the equivalent of the Intercontinental. This will give the ladies better storylines and allow more opportunities for them to shine.

I Need a Little More Show with My Talk

If you’re gonna interview a wrestler, might as well do it on a gimmicky, party-store designed set. One of the best things about retro Saturday Morning wrestling shows were the talk shows like Piper’s Pit, The Heartbreak Hotel, The Barber Shop and The Funeral Parlor. If Raw wants to conduct interviews in the ring with bland setups—like the Highlight Reel or Miz TV—let them. Smackdown will pattern theirs after old school classics, carving out a space next to the crowd. Imagine interview segments like Booty-O’s Cereal Bar, Mother Abigail’s Story Time or The Kevin Owens Show (ala The Kevin Steen Show).

If those don’t work for you, maybe we should bring back Brother Love!

Mouthpieces For the Promo Impaired

Wrestling managers are basically extinct. Paul Heyman, Lana and Maryse are the only ones on the current roster, and Heyman is part-time. The manager art-form is almost forgotten. If a wrestler lacked charisma, was too green or bad on the microphone, they would need a manager to sell the talent and help them grow.

Bobby "The Brain" Heenan or Jimmy Hart won’t be walking down the aisle but getting three or four new managers would help young stars and the overall Smackdown product. Legends like JBL, Lita, Mick Foley and Shawn Michaels would make great managers. You can also make an argument that current stars like Heath Slater and Enzo Amore are better suited as non-wrestling talent. An even more interesting twist would be for Sister Abigail to finally take form, leading the wild pack known as The Wyatt Family. I’d tune in for that.

Where’s Sean Mooney When You Need Him?!

Call me lazy or nostalgic, but could we allot a few minutes of the show to report upcoming live events and interviews?!  I know I could pull up that info online, but there’s nothing like wrestling events being treated like real news. Even NFL star Rob "The Gronk" Gronkowski wants it back!