Powell Editorials WWE executive says Raw is the premier brand, shows such as "24," "Lost," and "Heroes" are WWE's true competition Aug 20, 2008 - 10:35 AM CLICK FOR BIO Email This Article | Printer Friendly Page Send Us News & Results | Back to Main Listing WWE vice president Ed Wells spoke at length about the WWE Japan office he runs in an interview with JapanToday.com. "We are positioned in both the sports and entertainment realms," Wells said. "Our fans don’t consider us sports. They know we are entertainment and tune in to see a drama. All of our programming is storyline based with wrestling at the heart of it. I would say our competition around the world is not other pro wrestling leagues. Rather it is Hollywood dramas such '24,' 'Lost,' and 'Heroes.' Wells also noted that Raw is the company's top brand. "Raw is the premier brand right now," he said. Smackdown and ECW each have very popular stars and there is a draft once a year which moves some of our biggest stars. Every four or five weeks, we have a special pay-per-view event. So fans watch our programming regularly, following the story and then the story climaxes at a pay-per-view event. And at those events, you’ll see all the stars coming together from the three brands." To read the full interview, visit JapanToday.com. [Thanks to Dot Net reader Jason Packman] Powell's POV: The story notes that there is a delay in WWE programming airing in Japan due to subtitling issues. For instance, the SummerSlam viewing party is scheduled for Sept. 7. In other words, it's possible that Wells hasn't been able to watch the current shows to pick up on how inferior Raw is to Smackdown these days. All lame attempts at humor aside, it is interesting to know that WWE still positions Raw as the top brand. BOOKMARK DOT NET AND ADD US TO YOUR RSS • HELP DOT NET: TAKE OUR ADVERTISER DEMO SURVEY CLICK TO RETURN TO MAIN LISTING OR SELECT A LINK BELOW FROM THIS CATEGORY Powell Editorials Latest Twelve Articles TNA Impact Hitlist: TNA announces the most ridiculous title match in company history, bringing back the briefcase fiasco match and the Turkey Bowl, four on-air authority figures WWE Raw Hitlist: John Morrison and The Miz pull off a big upset over Shawn Michaels and Rey Mysterio, Stephanie McMahon takes wrestler questions, C.M. Punk, Randy Orton, Manu, Cryme Tyme TNA Impact Hitlist: Main Event Mafia attacks Christian Cage, Mick Foley's speech, Motor City Machine Guns, Samoa Joe and A.J. Styles vs. Beer Money, Sting vs. Jay Lethal ECW Hitlist: Matt Hardy defends the ECW Title against Finlay, Jack Swagger and John Morrison and The Miz vs. Cryme Tyme and Tommy Dreamer, Matt Striker talks politics WWE Raw Hitlist: Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho, Stephanie McMahon delivers bad news to Batista, the end of the Honk-A-Meter, William Regal wins the Intercontinental Title TNA Turning Point Hitlist: Main Event Mafia clean sweep, Kurt Angle and Abyss, Scott Hall shows up, Beer Money vs. Motor City Machine Guns, Sting keeps the TNA Title, Kevin Nash vs. Samoa Joe