The WWE superstar draft to kick off the brand extension is more than a month away but the seeds have been planted on who will take control of Monday Night Raw and SmackDown. According to the latest rumors, Stephanie McMahon may be put in charge of SmackDown when the show starts to air live on July 19.
The "New Era" of the WWE has seen Stephanie and Shane McMahon working together on Raw. However, it may eventually lead to tension between the siblings with one McMahon controlling Raw and the other in charge of SmackDown.
In the latest episode of Raw, Stephanie teased that she wants to run SmackDown. She had Teddy Long, who was campaigning to be named the new general manager of the show, removed from the building. WWE's chief brand officer also told Long that she will be taking control of SmackDown.
According to Cageside Seats, the segment was not an official announcement as the real plans for the brand extension is not yet final. However, it should be noted that Stephanie once served as the on-screen SmackDown GM from 2002 to 2003.
The tension between the McMahon siblings is expected to increase in the weeks leading to the WWE draft, Daily Wrestling News reported. There is no confirmation on what will cause the conflict but it may likely be Triple H or Vince McMahon.
The Authority has not returned to television since Triple H lost the WWE World Heavyweight championship to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania. The WWE is in need heels at the moment and The Authority was the company's top heel for the past couple of years.
The WWE is taking the new brand extension seriously since the USA Network wanted them to boost the ratings of SmackDown. The show has not been treated kindly by the creative writers and has fallen off its peak of being must-see TV from 2002 to 2004.
Nonetheless, the WWE has the biggest roster it has in history and there more to be called up to the main roster. Both brands will need a top on-screen authority figure and it will likely be Stephanie and Shane McMahon.
Check out the video below for the official announcement of the brand split and SmackDown going live every Tuesday starting on July 19.