The Draft

[XL]

Starts tonight on SmackDown, concludes on Raw.

Who’s excited? Any predictions?

Too many people will move. Instead of moving a few key pieces to create fresh matchups, they’ll move far too many people and it’ll feel more like a palette swap than a refresh.

Kevin Owens will move. Again.

Drew will lose to Big E on Raw and move to Smackdown.

NXT talent will be called up with no specific plan for them, and will be “lost in the shuffle” before years end.

[screech]

Too many people will move. Instead of moving a few key pieces to create fresh matchups, they’ll move far too many people and it’ll feel more like a palette swap than a refresh.

I have a hard time getting excited about any of their drafts because of this. They claim they want to "shake things up" but when too much gets shuffled, it's just messy.

[Evil Vito]

I tried to be optimistic about the draft two years ago with the Fox move, figuring they’d put the effort into making both shows feel different and actually not have people crossing over left and right.

Made a topic with a long post about who I’d draft where and basically every response to the thread was “lol, can’t imagine putting this much thought into the draft”

Oh yeah and of course within like two weeks they were starting the Survivor Series build and everyone showed up everywhere anyway. Fighting for “brand pride” on a show they only just went to.

Pointless.

[xrodmuc316]

Yeah there is literally no point to the draft anymore. They need brand exclusive PPVs to truly make the brand split matter. NXT being involved does nothing but add more people they won't use to the mix.

Furthermore, they haven't anybody left that hasn't already workd both brands. Drew goes to Smackdown and what, fueds with Roman, Seth, and Corbin again?

[GD]

Shinsuke Nakamura and Carmella are one of the few who haven't been drafted since the 2016 roster split. I'm looking forward to the reactions in the war rooms when Natalya gets drafted to RAW.

[slik]

I think WWE is a mess so I am not excited and I do not plan to watch SD or RAW

[slik]

But if I were guessing who they'd move, I would assume the following

SD - AJ, Omos, Orton, Riddle, Drew, Lashley, Asuka, Damian Priest

RAW - Balor, KO, Sami, Corbin, Ziggler, Sasha, Bianca, Nakamura

[Emperor Smeat]

Oh yeah and of course within like two weeks they were starting the Survivor Series build and everyone showed up everywhere anyway. Fighting for “brand pride” on a show they only just went to.

Pointless.

Yeah, this is the biggest flaw with how they've been doing drafts recently.

They really should be having their annual Draft much earlier in the year so enough time can pass where those newly drafted people can build up their pride for their new brand.

If Mania is meant to be the end of a storyline year in WWE, then the week after the following PPV would be the best time to do it since that PPV is usually meant to tie up any loose ends from Mania.

[Mr. Nerfect]

“Shocking” NXT call-ups: Rex Steiner, Von Wagner and The Creed Brothers.

[slik]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WWE Draft Rules:<br><br>- Half of the roster eligible tonight, half on Raw. Who is eligible was not specified.<br><br>- Undrafted Superstars become free agents<br><br>- Changes take effect October 22, the night after Crown Jewel. <a href="https://t.co/hyl4NZwp44">pic.twitter.com/hyl4NZwp44</a></p>&mdash; Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) <a href="https://twitter.com/SeanRossSapp/status/1444041392515391490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Emperor Smeat]

That's weird, why not just hold the Draft after Crown Jewel if the actual swaps won't matter until then.

There was a few other things Fightful reported about this year's Draft stuff that makes it sound like a bigger mess than usual.

[Mr. Nerfect]

That's weird, why not just hold the Draft after Crown Jewel if the actual swaps won't matter until then.

There was a few other things Fightful reported about this year's Draft stuff that makes it sound like a bigger mess than usual.

Because now they get to put guys on both shows for a bit.

[screech]

Haven't they always (or often, at least) done the draft right before a PPV and said "well okay, the changes will be after this" making the whole spectacle pointless?

[XL]

Oh yeah and of course within like two weeks they were starting the Survivor Series build and everyone showed up everywhere anyway. Fighting for “brand pride” on a show they only just went to.

Pointless.

Yep. Probably my #1 issue with the draft.

[Emperor Smeat]

Haven't they always (or often, at least) done the draft right before a PPV and said "well okay, the changes will be after this" making the whole spectacle pointless?

Usually only for certain feuds if they were already booked for an upcoming PPV and as a way to hype up if a belt that wasn't drafted will be changing brands but not at this level where everyone stays frozen for a few weeks.

Giving Vince that many weeks before it goes into effect seems like a really bad idea considering his infamous habit of constantly changing plans.

[Gerard]

Starts tonight on SmackDown, concludes on Raw.

Who’s excited?

I'd honestly be more excited thinking about my next Bowel movement. :$

[erickman]

will fox have the robot this year?

[slik]

they will prob do that weird thing where they draft people to shows they are already on

'FOX has drafted Roman Reigns to SD' etc

[Destor]

if everyone undrafted goes into "free agency" then drafting people on your show is pretty imortant isnt it? or am i missing something? i only follow the product in passing

[Evil Vito]

if everyone undrafted goes into "free agency" then drafting people on your show is pretty imortant isnt it? or am i missing something? i only follow the product in passing

Haven’t been watching but if it’s anything like the last couple of years...everyone is already assigned to a show and they basically re-draft the rosters every year.

It leads to half the roster being drafted to the show they were already on but I think the idea is October or so is the new “league year” for the company, coinciding with when they first went to Fox.

I’d imagine they’d make a few big names like Brock, Cena, Edge etc “undraftable” which in theory would be a big deal as it allows them to show up wherever they need to. But the truth is they already have people showing up on the other brand all the time without explanation.

[Emperor Smeat]

if everyone undrafted goes into "free agency" then drafting people on your show is pretty imortant isnt it? or am i missing something? i only follow the product in passing

Sort of since its meant to symbolize who WWE considers as important stars to get the tv picks treatment but a good chunk of those picks get quickly forgotten once the intital luster wears off or stay on their brand anyways making their draft picks moot.

Only reason WWE does supplemental picks and free agency is because they don't use up a whole SD and RAW show just for draft picks and coverage like a normal sports draft show does.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Hope Droford is enjoying this show live from Baltimore, Maryland.

[erickman]

they moved my smackdown for highschool football guess i will just dvr it.

[xrodmuc316]

LOL I love when they just draft people already on their show.

Smackdown picks ROMAN REIGNS!

[xrodmuc316]

Oh are Becky and Charlotte just gonna trade belts like New Day and Street Profits did last year?? Lol

[Supreme Olajuwon]

LOL I love when they just draft people already on their show.

Smackdown picks ROMAN REIGNS!

I like this better than other drafts. It means everyone is in a pool and they have to be picked. Not just people who aren’t picked stay on their old brand.

[Destor]

plus if they dont draft their top guys wouldnt the other brand just draft them? is there anyway around drafting current roster mainstays?


...maybe something like each brand gets 3 guys to exempt from the draft but that kills as much excitement as wasting draft spots to secure current roster...


not seeing a solution to this. bit of an unavoidable evil to having a draft the effects current roster unlike actual sports drafts

[Sepholio]

The Suplexorcist

[Emperor Smeat]

plus if they dont draft their top guys wouldnt the other brand just draft them? is there anyway around drafting current roster mainstays?


...maybe something like each brand gets 3 guys to exempt from the draft but that kills as much excitement as wasting draft spots to secure current roster...


not seeing a solution to this. bit of an unavoidable evil to having a draft the effects current roster unlike actual sports drafts

Even if it kills some of the excitement, locking a few guys per brand would resolve the problem of top picks being wasted on just keeping the same guys on a brand.

3 as the limit sounds right but I'd add the rule of only 1 champ being allowed to be locked in. Would give some storyline incentives for pre-draft deals to be made so an extra champ or big name star could be locked in at the expense of fewer draft picks. Could also do deals during the show itself so brands could get some of their big stars back at the expenses of other big stars and draft picks.

[xrodmuc316]

plus if they dont draft their top guys wouldnt the other brand just draft them? is there anyway around drafting current roster mainstays?


...maybe something like each brand gets 3 guys to exempt from the draft but that kills as much excitement as wasting draft spots to secure current roster...


not seeing a solution to this. bit of an unavoidable evil to having a draft the effects current roster unlike actual sports drafts

Yeah I like that, like a franchise tag

[Lock Jaw]

HUMBERTO CARILLO HAS BEEN DRAFTED TO SMACKDOWN!! OH MY!!! THE LANDSCAPE IS ABOUT TO CHANGE!!!

[Destor]

Yeah I like that, like a franchise tagthats a marketable way to sell it right there

[Destor]

you could have a lot of drama around both the announcement of who is going to get franchised and maybe have a match for the 3rd slot in some cases. kinda writes itself

[Destor]

and all that airtime just works to further advertise the sweeps event. its a win win

[xrodmuc316]

Anybody else feel like Owens already told WWE he is leaving? They haven't done much of anything with him lately.

[xrodmuc316]

you could have a lot of drama around both the announcement of who is going to get franchised and maybe have a match for the 3rd slot in some cases. kinda writes itself

I like the idea of guys jockeying to get a franchise tag.

[Destor]

ANGLE: commedy jobber challenges arrogant franchisee and wins. names himself the franchise player. becomes insufferable arrogant heel he once defeated. possibly ends with dark realization and suicide.


...im not married to that blowoff but i dont hate it :lol:

[Sepholio]

LMAO Kofi and Xavier to Smackdown, splitting them from Big E again. AHAHAHAHAHA

[Sepholio]

Edge looks so much healthier than he did when he came back. Face not nearly as sunken as before.

[xrodmuc316]

LMAO Kofi and Xavier to Smackdown, splitting them from Big E again. AHAHAHAHAHA

God WWE is so stupid

[xrodmuc316]

Edge's house looks cool.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Don’t refrigerate apples

Cmon Edge

[Evil Vito]

LOL I just watched a clip of the draft on Twitter, crowd rightfully booing the shit out of New Day being split again.

[Sepholio]

Edge's house looks cool.

Seriously in love with that house.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

What am I supposed to boo about Gable and Otis? Extremely likable and natural baby faces. I do not get it.

[xrodmuc316]

What am I supposed to boo about Gable and Otis? Extremely likable and natural baby faces. I do not get it.

Because Otis shaved and got a haircut, so he is clearly a heel :rofl:

[xrodmuc316]

LOL come on, Naomi wouldn't get picked in the 4th round

[xrodmuc316]

Ok, Naomi REALLY wouldn't get picked before Jeff Fucking Hardy lol

[xrodmuc316]

LOL what? Austin Theory was already on Raw, first with Andrade and Garza, then Rollins and Murphy. That wasn't a long time ago, do they think we just forgot?

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Oh ok. Becky is just doing a McGregor impression. I get it.

[Mr. Nerfect]

WWE should be ashamed and disgusted with themselves after tonight. Pure garbage company.

I legitimately meant to be post that Charlotte Flair would be drafted to SmackDown as Raw Women’s Champion then didn’t. Just knew that would happen. Austin Theory being called up doesn’t surprise me. Nor does Hit Row. Kind of felt Bianca and Street Profits going to Raw. SmackDown will be the Four Horsewomen show, Raw will be for the “next wave,” women’s teams and possibly some joshi action (predict Io Shirai will go up to work with Asuka). I think Toni Storm and Liv Morgan will end up over there too. At least Toni.

I think WALTER and Timothy Thatcher end up on Raw. I think they’ll put some technicians there. Cesaro to get into that mix.

Kind of pissed I didn’t say that I think Rey & Dominik would end up on Raw, because I did. Damian Priest and Nakamura & Boogz will trade spots. Priest is a good candidate to win the Rumble. It’ll be between him and McIntyre.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Jeff Hardy to SmackDown was obvious. Edge going to Raw were my first thoughts, but I backed off from that because he and Jeff could do fun stuff. Also thought Rex Steiner might end up an Edge ally.

It all makes sense. Weirdest move to me so far is New Day to SmackDown, which I didn’t call. But I thought New Day on Raw together helps them all. I guess they want Big E to stand on his own. Big E is too weird to be champion. I would book Karrion Kross as the next WWE Champion immediately.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Not sure if AJ and Finn are Raw or SmackDown, but I think they end up on the same brand. I would like to see Balor get a full-time supernatural gimmick.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Keith Lee is someone I thought might go to SmackDown, but he fits what I think they’ll do to Raw. And Mia fits Raw’s Women’s Division better than SmackDown’s. The Bearcat name is dumb though. He should really be Wildcat Keith Lee.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Have Alpha Academy been drafted? I think/hope they go to Raw.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Owens & Zayn to Raw too. Probably Ziggler & Roode. I think Sheamus stays on Raw.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Santos Escobar and his crew will end up on Raw. They’ll put together a lucha thing with them, Rey & Son, Lucha House Party and The Garzas. Damian Priest will fill the Rey slot for a Hispanic star on SmackDown.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Raw will also have a “technical division” I think. Not an official one, at least I hope not, but Raw is the place you’ll go to see Cesaro and WALTER beat the shit out of each other, Timothy Thatcher wrestle Drew Gulak, etc. Maybe a guy like Tyler Bate. It will be somewhere between NXT UK, the guys with amateur backgrounds (Gable, Otis, Ziggler, etc.) and heavy hitters with European backgrounds (Cesaro, Sheamus, WALTER).

Orton, Big E, Lashley, Riddle, Edge and maybe AJ and Finn will hold down the main event side.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Possible Becky and Seth change sides too, but I had them figured in for SmackDown.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Had this idea ages back that Charlotte would be drafted, and she’d kind of spit on Raw for letting her go. She’d threaten to throw the Raw Women’s Title down but Bianca would challenge her as a “last shot for Raw.” Bianca would win the belt and then be all “Look, I love it here, love being Raw Champ, but I gotta get at Becky.” She enters the Women’s Rumble to win as Raw Champ to go against Becky for “Two Belts” at Mania. She kicks ass in the Rumble (they usually use her well in it), but Rhea eliminates her in the end: “You’re looking past me.” Becky, Sasha and Charlotte have a Triple Threat like they did at Mania 32 now years on. Bianca and Rhea fight.

[Lock Jaw]

WWE should be ashamed and disgusted with themselves after tonight. Pure garbage company.


*proceeds with nine more posts speculating about draft*

[Mr. Nerfect]

Women’s Tag is a new gimmick that is four corners elimination, but after the first fall, the champions enter. Ends up being Asuka & Io (w/ surprise return Kairi) vs. Toni & Liv. I had Nia and Shayna in there getting eliminated first when Shayna turns face, but I guess that isn’t happening now. Oh, and Nattie would team up with Beth. They’d eliminate Shayna & Nia. They’d go next. Dakota & Raquel (the favorites) would go next by Kabuki 2.0. That would leave you to believe Toni & Liv (the champs) would be retaining, but Kabukis take it. Champs are protected when Nia loses her shit on Shayna’s betrayal and attacks Toni & Liv on their way down. After Shayna saunters past them on their entrance and remarks “Nice ass” to Toni.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Uhhh, what? I’m optimistic about this draft. I think Vince is just annoyed enough about the bullshit optics that people present that he will actually try to make both shows good. They probably won’t play out that way, but the potential is definitely there.

The thing I’m angry about is that he doesn’t have to. AEW is no threat. He can literally do whatever he wants.

[Mr. Nerfect]

By the way, this draft totally has Paul Herman’s fingerprints all over it. I can totally see Vince calling Heyman, Prichard, Hayes, Triple H and Stephanie into a room and asking them how they can be different to shut up this AEW talk. Heyman would speak loudest and lay out a vision for each show:

Raw does AEW stuff as good or better than AEW can. They’ve got the Lucha Bros and The Young Bucks? We’ve got REY MYSTERIO, the legendary Gran Metalik, the prodigies in Angel Garza & Humberto Carrillo.

They have an emerging Women’s Division? They like joshi? We’ve got Asuka vs. Io Shirai. We’ve got Rhea Ripley, Toni Storm and Bianca Belair.

They like tag teams? Say hello to those lucha teams. Owens & Zayn, Ziggler & Roode, The Bar, Street Profits, Imperium, Edge & Rex Steiner.

Oh, what can’t they do? Technical wrestling. They’ve got Bryan Danielson? Here comes Timothy Thatcher, Drew Gulak, Cesaro, Matt Riddle, Dolph Ziggler, Chad Gable, WALTER.

Raw isn’t going to necessarily have the Match of the Year every week. But it can be set up to have Match of the Week every week.

[Mr. Nerfect]

SmackDown gets the stars and the ready-made acts.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Gable Steveson is coming through. Set up a roster that can work with him for him. Amateur guys, technical guys, experienced workers you have burnt through with Reigns on Raw.

Nothing “stupid” about this draft...so far.

[Mr. Nerfect]

My big “wild” prediction is that Raw becomes the “wrestling show.” Way more wrestling than we’re used to. It’s three hours. You’ve got time. There will be the silly 24/7 stuff sprinkled through, but you can change perception by simply letting Thatcher and Gulak go out there and wrestle for a quarter. How can WOR talk shit about that? Hmm?

That’s what I’d be pitching anyway. I can imagine Heyman doing the same. A three hour variety show doesn’t work. It’s too long for anything to register. You need to limit it in the way that it goes three hours, but the three hours count like they could be abridged to two, or even one.

I’m doubtful this happens in execution, but the plan is the best thing for Raw, and also SmackDown. Load SmackDown up with stars that can hold your attention for two hours, while Raw thrives as a hub for guys to actually go out and do shit that online commentators have to pay respect to.

[Destor]

i like seeing noids imagination on fire

[Mr. Nerfect]

i like seeing noids imagination on fire

Thanks, man. I act like an ass because fuck people’s uninformed opinions, but at the core of it is a wrestling fan. I love this shit so much. I see it go haywire and know it’s going down the tubes. It makes me sad, but I have trouble placing it in a here and now sense. I guess. I think (I think I know), I see past the “everyone has jobs, they get to do what they want” point, and I see the “no one gives a shit and in a few years this won’t have a platform at all” point people get called a troll for.

Wrestling, at its best, is a perfectly digestible form of light entertainment to break up the week for the layman. At its worst...it’s as dead as the circus for mistreating animals. It’s what the person you wouldn’t sit next to on the bus watches and still has faith in. I hate that. And there are enough smart people involved in it to change it, but will they? Who knows? They seem happy taking their fictional wins.

[Noid]

Thanks, man. I act like an ass because fuck people’s uninformed opinions, but at the core of it is a wrestling fan. I love this shit so much. I see it go haywire and know it’s going down the tubes. It makes me sad, but I have trouble placing it in a here and now sense. I guess. I think (I think I know), I see past the “everyone has jobs, they get to do what they want” point, and I see the “no one gives a shit and in a few years this won’t have a platform at all” point people get called a troll for.

Wrestling, at its best, is a perfectly digestible form of light entertainment to break up the week for the layman. At its worst...it’s as dead as the circus for mistreating animals. It’s what the person you wouldn’t sit next to on the bus watches and still has faith in. I hate that. And there are enough smart people involved in it to change it, but will they? Who knows? They seem happy taking their fictional wins.

It's cool that you care. But it's counterproductive to lash out at people who you believe to have uninformed takes. There's so much wrestling out there at the moment, I love to pick and choose what I watch. It's suppose to be entertaining, not something that causes such stress. Like everything in life, wrestling's going to evolve and change. Whether we like it or not. Personally, I love the idea of RAW housing the best technicians. I don't care if people tune out and the ratings tank. I couldn't care less as long as it is compelling stuff.

[Bad News Gertner]

Why wouldn't you just post that as Skeletor

[Mr. Nerfect]

It's cool that you care. But it's counterproductive to lash out at people who you believe to have uninformed takes. There's so much wrestling out there at the moment, I love to pick and choose what I watch. It's suppose to be entertaining, not something that causes such stress. Like everything in life, wrestling's going to evolve and change. Whether we like it or not. Personally, I love the idea of RAW housing the best technicians. I don't care if people tune out and the ratings tank. I couldn't care less as long as it is compelling stuff.

It doesn’t cause me stress at all. That’s why I’m annoyed. Because I should care way more. And being uninformed is fine. But when you’re a prick and uninformed? I’ll call a spade a spade on that one.

[XL]

Apparently they did further drafts during Talking Smack.


Raw

* Nia Jax
* Doudrop
* Zelina Vega (brand change)
* John Morrison
* WWE 24/7 champion Reggie
* R-Truth
* Drake Maverick
* T-Bar
* Akira Tozawa
* Alpha Academy (brand change)
* Apollo Crews and Commander Azeez (brand change)

SmackDown

* Toni Storm
* Aliyah (NXT call-up)
* Mace (brand change)
* Drew Gulak (brand change)
* Mustafa Ali and Mansoor (brand change)

No idea why Raw got twice as many picks as SmackDown. No idea why Mace & T-Bar are the only team to not be drafted together (so far). I was hoping they’d just moved Dijakovic to SmackDown and start again. Aliyah is truely awful.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Boo to Gulak on SmackDown.

[XL]

Positive could be it removes him from the 24/7 bullshit.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Positive could be it removes him from the 24/7 bullshit.

Yeah, I guess that’s true.

Raw should have just had a Gulak vs. Thatcher match next week to wash that away.

[Noid]

It doesn’t cause me stress at all. That’s why I’m annoyed. Because I should care way more. And being uninformed is fine. But when you’re a prick and uninformed? I’ll call a spade a spade on that one.

I don't think that's healthy. It's like faking it?

Not everyone is combative here. Simply not true. I don't adhere to scoops and all popular trends. Still civil and friendly.

[Lock Jaw]

Aliyah finally making it to the big time!!!!

[Lock Jaw]

NOOPH IS POOPH

[Evil Vito]

Maybe T-Bar can go back to being Dijakovic (he won’t be Dominik with Mysterio there), that guy is really good and deserved better than being in that terrible ass RETRIBUTION stable

[Bad News Gertner]

He's such a "Vince guy". Why they saddled him with that gimmick is beyond me

[Lock Jaw]

What possible better gimmick is there than T-BAR? Who are you to besmirch the name of T-BAR?!

[DaveWadding]

NOOPH IS POOPH

Still true after like 8 years.

[XL]

I was really hoping they’d just quietly leave T-Bar undrafted and then have him return as Dijakovic. I’m not even into him as a talent really but at least give the guy a fighting chance.

[DAMN iNATOR]

Possible Becky and Seth change sides too, but I had them figured in for SmackDown.

With Charlotte being on SD! as the for-now RAW Women's Champion and Becky and Seth as an off-screen couple, it's clear that the latter two will be drafted to RAW and Becky and Charlotte will just swap their belts.

[DAMN iNATOR]

What possible better gimmick is there than T-BAR? Who are you to besmirch the name of T-BAR?!

Rename him Crossbar and have a segment where some random superstar kicks him in the nuts every week. #RATINGS

[Mr. Nerfect]

With Charlotte being on SD! as the for-now RAW Women's Champion and Becky and Seth as an off-screen couple, it's clear that the latter two will be drafted to RAW and Becky and Charlotte will just swap their belts.

Eh, I know they did that with the tag titles, but I don’t think they do that to the women. If they change show, I can see them just appearing on both until they lose their respective belts. But I think Becky and Seth are staying on SmackDown.

[Mr. Nerfect]

WWE should just rename T-Bar “Pete.” I bet Vince would love to have a wrestler named “Pete.”

[Mr. Nerfect]

Terrence Barr, Esq. incoming.

[Mr. Nerfect]

TJ Barr.

Tyson James

They’ll do something with his name. Mace will be “Mace” someone. Maybe just Mace Maddin to play off his run as Dio Maddin. I don’t know if Mace Maddin and Madcap Moss can exist in the same universe though.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I’m not a major fan of either, but Keith Lee vs. Dijak every couple of weeks on Raw seems like a pretty digestible suggestion.

Dijak, to me anyway, seems like the sort of guy Vince would prefer to see with a Scarlett Bordeaux. Fun fact: Dijak is younger than Kross.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Alright, here are some predictions, we’ll see how much sense I’ve really made of it.

-Damian Priest and Nakamura/Boogs swap places. Nakamura has been on SmackDown since 2017, and SmackDown will need a Latino star.

-Seth and Becky stay on SmackDown. Talking about married couples, Carmella goes to Raw. Mia Yim to Raw. The Usos on Smackers. Would be kind of interesting if Jey got drafted to Raw, so when The Usos lost the belts, that was it for them as a team. Hmm. Not calling that.

-Cesaro, Owens & Zayn to Raw. I can see Cesaro and Sheamus putting their team back together in a pinch. I can see Owens & Zayn as a tag team.

-AJ Styles and Omos to SmackDown. I think Styles can plug in with virtually anybody. Wouldn’t surprise me to see him feuding with Finn Balor or even helping him out as a face.

-Ziggler & Roode could be anywhere. I think they would fit the developing Raw style more than SmackDown, but you could potentially have quite the loaded division already there, and you’ll need heel teams for faces to beat on SmackDown. Hmm.

-Raw gets Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez and MAYBE Kacy Catanzaro, Kayden Karter and Franky Monet, but they might stay in NXT for a while longer.

-SmackDown gets Io Shirai (and maybe Zoey Starks). I wish it were to Raw to have matches with Asuka, but I think the WWE will want a Japanese star to smooth over Nakamura being moved. Is there a Japanese guy in NXT that Vince would like? Maybe it is time to give Tajiri a call?

-I was being quite bold with my picks of Rex Steiner and The Creed Brothers earlier. I do think that Timothy Thatcher getting a spot is not out of the question though. I don’t know if that will work better on Raw or SmackDown now though. Hmm. I’ll still go Raw, maybe with an affiliation with The Hurt Business.

* Santos Escobar and his crew to Raw. I can actually see MSK fitting that division too. I think LA Knight is likely to be called up if he is ever going to be given a shot.

* I’m going to stick with my bold prediction of WALTER to Raw.

* Could see one or two Chinese personalities called up. Boa and Xia Li to Raw?

* Harry Smith to Raw too.

[XL]

I like the idea of drafting Smith because it would actually feel like a draft pick rather than a roster reshufffle.

[XL]

I’d say “too many picks from NXT” for them to handle well but I’m not sure they really worry about that.

[Wehttam]

Rename him Crossbar and have a segment where some random superstar kicks him in the nuts every week. #RATINGS

who kicks the crossbar?

[Mr. Nerfect]

I’d say “too many picks from NXT” for them to handle well but I’m not sure they really worry about that.

In many cases it’s just young bodies for the roster.

[xrodmuc316]

HOLY SHIT THEY ARE ACTUALLY DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN, and AMAZINGLY WITH THE SAME FUCKING GUY????

How does Jeff Hardy have a title match for a Raw title when he got drafted to Smackdown? At least this time it wasn't booked by the Raw GM, but still for fuck's sake.

[Sepholio]

Hardy gonna win the belt here. Nakamura going to get drafted to RAW with the IC title.

[Sepholio]

Sheamus prob gonna cost Damian the title in this match.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

This is very dumb. But it’s a sloppy excuse to put two good workers in a match with “stakes”

Let the boys work.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

I really love the dynamic of grizzled wiley veteran 44 year old Jeff Hardy pulling the old veteran tricks against new, inexperienced 39 year old Damien Priest

[Sepholio]

Well damn didn't see that coming, especially that quick.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Grizzled veteran Jeff Hardy didn’t see the most obvious swerve in WWE history

Welcome Austin Theory

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Oh no piped in crowd noises on Raw now too

[slik]

lol @ fake pop for Dana Brooke

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Ok. Why did they have Shayna and Dana make their entrances, then they cut to a draft segment while the two just stand in the ring, then cut back to the match? That makes zero sense.

[slik]

This seems 'not good' overall....ziggler/roode/drew/big e segment so bad...

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Holy poop long term storytelling in 2021 WWE

I think I’m having a stroke

[Sepholio]

This show is turrible.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I was way more wrong about these picks than I was the other night. Nothing that is a “head scratcher” but just not stuff I would necessarily do. And none of the moves are “exciting.” The thing I think I am most interested in is AJ and Seth on the same show. They’ve probably worked before, but they always seem to be in analogue spots. I wouldn’t mind seeing a program between the two. All the other moves are just guys going places.

Actually, most interesting thing is probably Heyman getting The Usos drafted to SmackDown first. It probably won’t “mean” anything, but it does make them look important in a certain context. And it makes Heyman look effective at his job. Protect the money players.

I guess Goldberg exists outside the lines of being drafted. And Brock too. None of that *surprises* me, and I guess Brock mentioned something about Heyman setting that up for him, but I dunno. It just makes things feel cheaper when your two special attractions just show up wherever too.

No Finn yet? I feel like that might just be oversight, but it feels wonky in a draft to have this guy who was just in a Universal Title match being drafted after Sheamus, Kevin Owens and Xia Li. Called Xia getting called up. They obviously want to sell SmackDown to China, lol. Think that Boa still has a chance of being called up.

SmackDown without any Hispanic male talent now, yeah? And they even drafted Zelina and Seth away (not sure if Seth counts as Hispanic, but his surname is “Lopez”). Wouldn’t surprise me to see Lucha House Party, The Garzas and/or Santos Escobar on SmackDown. Probably Lucha House Party and Santos’ group, because then you can have Elektra Lopez making up for Zelina. I can see The Garzas staying on Raw, because they’re young and I think Angel did alright with younger viewers for a while. I can see Zelina managing them.

I want Cesaro and Zayn on Raw. Just feel they would liven the show up with some in-ring content and Zayn with promo work too.

I feel like Raw needs a “hot thing.” Like, obviously it has for a while. But I think they really could have used a WALTER to bring a stiff style, or brought in a bunch of UK guys, really focused on lucha and cruiserweights and/or bring in a bunch of guys with amateur backgrounds. It feels like things still need to be “set up” on Raw.

I think Raw could use a heel faction of rising stars. Austin Theory, The Garzas and...fuck it, maybe either Sami Zayn or Harry Smith? Maybe both? Then you can have a bunch of multi-man tags with guys like Damian Priest, Rey Mysterio, Dominik, Kevin Owens & Cesaro, which would certainly liven Raw up each week.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Glad that Balor is on the same show as Styles. I feel like that is a feud they haven’t really done that has an appeal to *that* sort of fan.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Actually, make Seth the heel faction leader. Turn Zayn babyface and have him team with Owens.

[Mr. Nerfect]

No Alexa Bliss drafted? Lol, Cesaro not in there again either.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Did they just call Goldberg “the Icon”?

That’s adorable. No.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Well, Garza & Carrillo on Smackers. They’re not a bad fit there actually. That tag division as a whole is a little heel heavy though.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Bobby is so bad on the mic. And it’s so frustrating. He has a mouthpiece! MVP is wonderful! Just let MVP do the talking.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Still find the most interesting move Gulak to SmackDown. It’s like there’s a plan for him. Vince obviously knows he’s good, as he’s allegedly the guy asked to work with the giants and polish them up. It wouldn’t shock me if this goes absolutely nowhere though. But it’s just so left-field there must be at least SOME working idea.

I’d be down for Gulak IC Champ.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Still warms my heart that Shelton Benjamin still has a job in WWE. And he’s back with Lashley now, isn’t he? Good for him.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Every time I see Shelton in modern WWE he looks like a monster now, lol.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Not sure if I’d keep Alpha Academy heels or switch them face. Gable selling then making the hot tag to a serious Otis could be lots of fun.

[RP]

This Draft is so fucking retarded.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Don’t know if I want them to be a full-time heel team or have Otis more as Gable’s heavy. Kind of want to see prick Gable as US Champion.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Alpha Academy is the perfect face tag team

[RP]

I love that all these jobbers got drafted before Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch. I also love that Brock didnt get drafted because they know that we know he's just cashing a paycheck from the Saudi's and then he's gonna go chop wood and roast pigs.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Gable is the perfect struggling babyface. Otis is the perfect hot tag muscle to go ham. Why are they not doing this.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Cesaro still SmackDown. Not sure how I feel about that. At least he could do some good work with Gulak there. Wrong guy babyface and heel now in that one.

Wonder if The Bar does get back together, or if WWE have completely forgotten about that. Don’t really want to see it on SmackDown, but it feels like a natural thing when they’re both there. They probably won’t even acknowledge they were ever four-time tag champs or whatever, lol.

[RP]

Hey where did Bobby Lashley go in the 1st round?

[Mr. Nerfect]

Alpha Academy is the perfect face tag team

Chad Gable might end up being the shining spot on Raw. I hope they just give him something to do where Vince notices how fucking good he is.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Oh wait, Gulak wasn’t an important move. Still seems “weird” to move him away from the 24/7 Division to a smaller show on FOX if there is absolutely no on-air plan for him though.

[RP]

Finn Balor must have went 1st round right?

[Sepholio]

Someone needs to to deliver a huge surprise, like Johnny Curtis to SD!

[RP]

Why was Finn Balor good enough to challenge Roman Reigns at a PPV for the title, but not a 1st round pick?

[Mr. Nerfect]

SmackDown’s tag division looks really quite...eh. Are Hit Row babyfaces? They’re pretty green though.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Just occurred to me that Mustafa Ali and Mansoor might win the SmackDown Tag Titles in Saudi Arabia.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Would be totally fine with the WWE hiring back Johnny Curtis & Tyler Breeze to be a babyface team. Just have them hit the ring and beat up The Usos one week. Mega-star Johnny Curtis to the rescue.

If you want them on Raw, have Curtis go after Orton for that comment he made in that promo once. Have Curtis do a Chris Kanyon thing where he keeps hitting Orton with his own version of the RKO.

Don’t do funny. Not yet. Let them be wry in promos later. But they’re back because they’re two extremely talented guys that are taking their destinies into their own hands. They’re not here to dance or dress-up. They’re here because they were money left on the table. “You’re on notice.”

Could be so good. Johnny Curtis looks like a god and can work. Breeze is small, but talented and valuable in that underdog babyface that can also kind of coach guys.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Would love to see WWE hire back guys who can really contribute. I’m a big advocate for things moving forward. But it could be a morale builder and really liven stuff up.

Johnny Curtis
Tyler Breeze
Heath Slater (And you know what? Maybe Rhyno if he wants to come back)

I’m sure there are some very obvious guys I am missing.

Actually, what sort of shape is Chris Hero in these days? If he came back to team with Cesaro on SmackDown, even if just for a little while, it could be a nice weird little thing.

[slik]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Nothing connects with our young audience like a Gilligan's Island reference <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWERaw?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWERaw</a></p>&mdash; WWE Creative Humor (@WWECreative_ish) <a href="https://twitter.com/WWECreative_ish/status/1445214343243706369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[RP]

Would love to see WWE hire back guys who can really contribute. I’m a big advocate for things moving forward. But it could be a morale builder and really liven stuff up.

Johnny Curtis
Tyler Breeze
Heath Slater (And you know what? Maybe Rhyno if he wants to come back)

I’m sure there are some very obvious guys I am missing.

Actually, what sort of shape is Chris Hero in these days? If he came back to team with Cesaro on SmackDown, even if just for a little while, it could be a nice weird little thing.


:lol::lol::lol:

[Mr. Nerfect]

Remember when Ken Doane & Mike Mondo came back for a couple of matches in the early days of this split? And The Headbangers were there too. Odd times.

[RP]

Remember when Ken Doane & Mike Mondo came back for a couple of matches in the early days of this split? And The Headbangers were there too. Odd times.

I dont

[Mr. Nerfect]

Are there any more picks? Zayn seems like the “shafted” guy this night. I guess it works for his conspiracy nut gimmick.

Have Zayn & Owens ever been on different shows since being called up? I want to say no.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Imagine tuning in one night and seeing The Spirit Squad versus the Headbangers.

[RP]

Imagine if Owen Hart could fly

[Mr. Nerfect]

Wow, Gable Steveson straight to Raw (if they remember that). Has he started training yet? Either they feel very good about him, or they’re just going all-in. But I kind of like it.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Ridge Holland next IC Champ.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I can see Sami and Ridge together in some way.

[RP]

I cant wait until WWE turns Gable Stevenson into the son of The Godfather.

[Mr. Nerfect]

None of the supplementary draft moves shock me in the slightest. Maybe that Slapjack, Reckoning and Titus even got drafted.

Their intentions with Gable Steveson is interesting. Do they even remember they drafted him come May? I wonder if they have any indicators as to whether or not he’ll be able to handle this spot, because drafting him before he’s had his first match should be pretty “big.”

You’d THINK they’d know he’s going to get it, right?

[Sepholio]

Probably assuming he will just naturally be great like Kurt Angle due to his background. He will obviously be a bit green in the ring at first, but I think he will pick it up quickly. My concern is whether or not he will be able to cut a promo. They got lucky with Angle being so charismatic and good on the stick.

[xrodmuc316]

None of the supplementary draft moves shock me in the slightest. Maybe that Slapjack, Reckoning and Titus even got drafted.

Their intentions with Gable Steveson is interesting. Do they even remember they drafted him come May? I wonder if they have any indicators as to whether or not he’ll be able to handle this spot, because drafting him before he’s had his first match should be pretty “big.”

You’d THINK they’d know he’s going to get it, right?


Im surprised they left one of Jinders henchman on Raw for no reason lol

[slik]

Drew/Roman the only main-eventers on SD

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The SmackDown roster following the Draft <a href="https://t.co/kOhU0HGKDQ">pic.twitter.com/kOhU0HGKDQ</a></p>&mdash; WrestlingINC.com (@WrestlingInc) <a href="https://twitter.com/WrestlingInc/status/1445245677269704704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[GD]

Don't hinder the Jinder, Slik :o

[Mr. Nerfect]

Probably assuming he will just naturally be great like Kurt Angle due to his background. He will obviously be a bit green in the ring at first, but I think he will pick it up quickly. My concern is whether or not he will be able to cut a promo. They got lucky with Angle being so charismatic and good on the stick.

I think you’re right. Apparently he is a huge fan, and Brock is a mentor. I ASSUME that means that there’s inside into his mind and what he gets and doesn’t. Amateurs often pick up the physicality side of things, but I think there are some people that are more “geared” towards the other side. I ASSUME the WWE are way more in on him than they even were Kurt Angle because they know or have heard something that assures them.

But the promo stuff and just natural charisma are things you can’t teach. But this push seems so...certain. I dunno. I’m fascinated by it all.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Im surprised they left one of Jinders henchman on Raw for no reason lol

I know this is WWE, but I THINK the reason Veer has been drafted separately is because they see something in him. Apparently he’s not horrid? I can see them giving him a bit of a singles push. And if they really value their Indian TV deals or whatever, it might make business sense to put an Indian act on each show.

Looks like Jinder might be a heel with a heavy on Smackers. Veer might even get a face turn or something.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I totally misread the Wikipedia page and got ahead of myself, lol. I thought the free agents were signed to the brands that were allocated, so I assumed a lot of the talent was staying put that is changing.

[Mr. Nerfect]

None really surprising. I guess Shotzi and Tegan are getting their own runs. Glad Ziggler & Roode are on Raw. I want those more technical guys there.

Still got no clue why Drew Gulak is on SmackDown. That’s interesting.

I actually don’t think SmackDown not having that many main eventers is not a bad thing. Clears things up (hypothetically). Gives other guys more emphasis. Jeff Hardy is now a star on a less loaded roster. Angel Garza & Humberto Carrillo might get pushed etc. Could be a load of shit, but it looks like they’re trying for fresh on Smackers.

Oh, and I have a feeling Ridge Holland is going to get a huge push. I have a feeling if they’re calling him up so soon after NXT 2.0 starts, Vince is seeing stars. Either that or they’re about to cut bait with the guy and it’s sink or swim. But he’s right next to Gable Steveson in the draft. It might not seem important, but I think they want him to be something. It would not surprise me if he’s pushed as a guy that, all things going well, could even be on a shortlist to win the Rumble. I’m not predicting that he will, but I’m not feeling Drew right now. I think it will be interesting to see how they use Holland. I could see him being a babyface who tears through guys. Or maybe a heel IC Champion.

Could actually still see the US and IC belts changing brands. Nakamura and Priest could both lose and the other guys come over to the other show as the new champions. Not calling it, but that could be “cute” in a way.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I had the thought that they might turn either Kofi or Xavier on the other. There are people who don’t want to see the New Day split. But it might just be the most exciting use for each guy. If they did it on Raw, you’ve kind of got this awkward two face/one heel New Day dilemma around the WWE Title. But if you wanted to do it on SmackDown, you can have a real deep personal feud around Kofi being an egotistical prick or whatever.

I think they would turn Xavier, but I think it might actually be better long-term and short to turn Kofi. He wouldn’t be a main eventer, per se, but I think he would get more life, and Woods can begin to prove something as a singles face. It seems more interesting to me to put Babyface Woods against Roman for a short-term deal than Babyface Kofi. Plus, if Woods turns heel, he should win the feud. That leaves Kofi lower than Roman and Woods is a heel. But if Kofi turns, he can get more interesting and Woods can move up (hypothetically).

[Evil Vito]

The makeshift team of Shotzi and Tegan Nox debuted on the July 9th episode of Smackdown, beating the makeshift team of Women’s Tag champs Natalya and Tamina in a non-title match. They did the same thing the next week on July 16th SmackDown. Then they disappeared a month and beat them yet again on the August 20th SmackDown. Three wins against the champions and no title match given to them.

They haven’t wrestled on TV since, never got a title match and now both Shotzi/Nox and Natalya/Tamina have been broken up by the draft, leaving just the current champions Rhea and Nikki which is, you guessed it, a makeshift team.

Such a pointless “division”.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Women’s tag has always been pointless. It was a bad idea from the start. It does allow a couple of women not being used in major singles programs a chance to get a spot and float over. It’s a placeholding thing that tosses a few people a ring.

[drave]

Coulda told you about Gable Stevenson months ago. WWE Fan Council shit gets sent out where they ask about upcoming ideas / trends and one of them HEAVILY focused on Olympic athletes and had a short list of names. Lots of them are sent out after PPV's to "rate" them, but they seem to send 1-2 per quarter that have to do with generating new content.



Next time I get one of these, I'll have to screencap some shit and post it here to see what actually comes to fruition.

[erickman]

so now brock is the free agent will he come out with a heath slater free agent shirt.

[XL]

Reports saying they planned to split the Street Profits with Montez going to Raw and Dawkins staying on SmackDown. Montez has “star potential” so that could have been interesting.

Instead they split every women’s tag team.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Coulda told you about Gable Stevenson months ago. WWE Fan Council shit gets sent out where they ask about upcoming ideas / trends and one of them HEAVILY focused on Olympic athletes and had a short list of names. Lots of them are sent out after PPV's to "rate" them, but they seem to send 1-2 per quarter that have to do with generating new content.



Next time I get one of these, I'll have to screencap some shit and post it here to see what actually comes to fruition.

That would be cool. :y:

For the record, I knew that they were obviously behind Steveson. Sent a personal training van to his college and have already announced a TV debut date. It’s just surreal. I can’t remember them ever being so transparent about a guy. I hope he’s more Brock Lesnar/Kurt Angle than Tom Magee.

Reports saying they planned to split the Street Profits with Montez going to Raw and Dawkins staying on SmackDown. Montez has “star potential” so that could have been interesting.

Instead they split every women’s tag team.

Eh, I’m fine with splitting the Street Profits, honestly. But I wouldn’t have them on separate shows.

I had this idea for early next year where Cameron Grimes would get called up and start fucking with people with his money. He would pay the Street Profits to try and take out Rey Mysterio & Son for the Tag Titles. Montez would want nothing to do with it. Angelo starts acting heelish behind Ford’s back. They end up hurting the knee of Dominik. Ford is disgusted. Angelo ends up turning on Ford in a tag match against Dolph & Roode. The Dirty Raw Dawgz are with Cameron Grimes.

Ford and Dawkins would feud through the Rumble. The whole program would be to put Ford over. He wins at the Rumble and at No Way Out (or Elimination Chamber or whatever the fuck). Ford feels betrayed by his partner and friend, of course. Dawkins hopefully shows something as a guy who has worked too hard to play it nice and safe. He remembers what “Street Profits” was about. He’s more a “reluctant” heel than most. He’s “bad” because of external factors. Which Ford finds morally weak.

At Mania, Ford has moved on to Baron Corbin, now working for Grimes too. Grimes is working Mysterio one-on-one. Ford beats Corbin. Not a classic match or anything, but my thinking was that Corbin just seems like a higher priority WWE star than most. Plus, if Ford shows something there, he can show it against more dynamic performers up the card.

After the match, Ziggler, Roode and Corbin beat the piss out of Ford. Angelo Dawkins hits the ring and helps Ford clear it out. The Street Profits aren’t back together, but Dawkins has cleared his conscience. Ford gets a big rub and begins a singles push, which would have seen him as a front-runner to win the 2023 Rumble.

The funny thing is, that was before Baron Corbin actually started doing the rich gimmick himself.

Now, on Raw, if they want to split them up, I’d just have Angelo Dawkins join The Hurt Business. I think he fits the mould of the group way more than Cedric Alexander, for example. He’s got that amateur background that Lashley and Shelton both have. Sets up Ford to do some stuff against Lashley.