Let's discuss the Draft

[Mr. Nerfect]

I haven't seen too much discussion about the upcoming draft taking place, and while I guess it could be because nothing is really known about it, I think it is safe to talk about how we want to see it go.

How should the WWE do it? Should it be like the original draft they did with Vince and Ric Flair, where both got to make ten picks, with the rest being randomly assigned? The other option is to go with the random names out of a barrel thing. I think that is more likely, although a draft where Jonathan Coachman, Mick Foley (representing ECW) and Theodore Long picked the people they want would have been a lot of fun.

Personally, I'd love to see the draft combine elements of both. Each brand gets to choose ten names to form a core, and from there the authority figures each pick out five names from each other brand. For example, Theodore Long would get to pick ten guys, and then he would reach into a barrel with all the RAW wrestlers in it, and pick out five. Then he would pick five out from the ECW barrel.

I'd also like to see an online draft take place, where the authority figures draft their broadcasting team, etc. So we see something like:

* Jonathan Coachman picks Hall Of Famer and legendary commentator, Jim Ross.
* Theodore Long chooses his new favourite interviewer, Kristal Marshall.
* Mick Foley uses this opportunity to snatch up SmackDown! play-by-play commentator, Michael Cole
* Jonathan Coachman completes the RAW team by selecting Jerry Lawler
* Theodore Long realises that he needs to get a commentary team together, so he chooses to pick up the voice of ECW, Joey Styles.
* Mick Foley chooses to keep Tazz, and reunite the former SmackDown! commentary team of Michael Cole and Tazz.
* Jonathan Coachman realises that former WWE Champion, John Bradshaw Layfield has not been drafted yet, so he picks up SmackDown!'s colour commentator.
* Vickie Guerrero takes over, because Theodore Long is not thinking clearly, and she chooses to draft Brad Armstrong to SmackDown!, so they have someone to potentially sit in the commentary booth with Joey Styles, in-case trades fall through.
* Mick Foley decides to bring Maria over to ECW as an interviewer.
* Jonathan Coachman manages to retain's RAW's backstage interviewer, and Heat's lead commentator, Todd Grisham.
* Vickie Guerrero and Theodore Long both agree that Josh Mathews would make a great signing to SmackDown!.
* Mick Foley chooses to bring Paul Heyman back to ECW, as a reserve commentator/manager.
* Jonathan Coachman digs deep into the WWE's payroll, and realises they have this guy named Jack Korpela on the roster, who has done commentary for Heat in the past. Coach assigns him a spot on the RAW roster.
* Vickie picks up SmackDown!'s final pick of Max Bretos.
* ECW finalises things up for good, by stealing Mike Mizanin from SmackDown!, and slapping a microphone in his hand and calling him a "host".

Just an article explaining these moves on WWE.com would be a great way to change the rosters around, and deepen things up. Michael Cole and Tazz work really well together, and it can be seen as a promotion for Cole, as he gets to be on a live show. In his place on SmackDown! is Joey Styles, and seeing as SmackDown! is a wrestling show, they should really put the wrestling commentator in there. You could have JBL traded back to SmackDown!, but you have Brad Armstrong and Josh Mathews who can both sit in with Styles.

JBL could actually be a pretty damn entertaining part of RAW. It would be fun to hear him suddenly start wearing RAW colours proudly, after years of claiming SmackDown! to be the premier brand. It seems like an odd move, but I'd put him on Heat with Todd Grisham. Jonathan Coachman should focus on being an authority figure, and JBL could actually get people to listen to Heat, and help the guys working there get over. It would probably lead to him sitting in on RAW with Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler, trying to get The King booted so he can take over.

But yeah, just a draft that goes to those lengths would be good. How do you want to see the WWE do it, and what changes do you want to see them make?

[The Optimist]

Tag teams should be drafted as such. I never understood why that wasn't the standard from the first place. There's very little drama in a team breaking up besides the initial second of heartbreak like the first draft and the Dudleys. Then usually the two partners drift apart and loose focus and either get stuck in shitty gimmicks or get fired or both.

[mrslackalack]

But for some reason in the first WWE Draft back in 02 the NWO as a whole got drafted to RAW!

[Kane Knight]

BDC is right, you all suck (http://tpww.net/forums/showthread.php?t=63587)

[James Steele]

I think that was just a stipulation Vince McMahon made so he could inject a lethal dose of poison into his creation, but The Naitcha' Boy beat him to the punch.

The original draft was really exciting up until they drafted Maven.

[Pepsi Man]

BDC is right, you all suck (http://tpww.net/forums/showthread.php?t=63587)

[James Steele]

Kane Knight loves the cock.

[FourFifty]

BDC is right, you all suck (http://tpww.net/forums/showthread.php?t=63587)

[Evil Vito]

<font color=goldenrod>I'm in the process of doing a huge write-up of how I want the draft to go down out of boredom. It'll be up sometime later tonight.</font>

[IC Champion]

And.....

*post*

[Kane Knight]

BDC's right, Kane Knight loves the cock. (http://tpww.net/forums/showthread.php?t=63587)

[Xero]

No way Kennedy isn't coming to RAW.

[Innovator]

Send Lashley back to Smackdown, give Edge another hoss to feud with

[Evil Vito]

<font color=goldenrod>OK, so here it is. I like Alienoid’s idea of combining elements of the previous drafts. It more than likely won’t happen (because on WWE.com they mention the possibility that all three champions could land on the same show). But you never know.

To start the show, we see all the locker rooms, with guys wearing their respective brands’ shirts. We kick it off to the ring, where they have the red carpet in the ring. A tumbler is in the ring, with three envelopes. Shane comes out (cause Vince is still acting weird from the previous week), followed by Coachman, Long, and whoever the hell is gonna be drafting for ECW (maybe have Heyman return on this night as a representative? Terry Funk? Mick Foley? I dunno). The three champions (Cena, Edge, and Lashley) come out as well.

Shane explains the rules, EVERYONE is eligible for draft, and the champions keep their titles even if drafted. There will be 7 rounds of drafting by the GMs (where they themselves select the picks), and then after there will be three lottery picks in which the GMs pull from a barrel containing the names of all the talent from the other two brands. Inside the tumbler are three envelopes, each containing a logo. This will determine draft order (and basically where the champions go as they are the obvious top 3 picks).

Shane pulls from the tumbler (which is never zoomed in on so you can’t tell that the envelopes probably are marked or bent so Shane’ll know which is which), and it is determined that Raw picks first, Smackdown second, and ECW third. Coachman ponders the decision, and decides that, as much as he may not like him, there is a score that needs to be settled with John Cena, and so he is Raw’s first pick. Long then takes Bobby Lashley, stating that it’s good to get back a guy he wishes he never lost. The ECW rep then takes Edge third (who is pissed that he fell to #3). Not sure what to do about the fact that the ECW title is on Smackdown, though.

Anyways, at various points during the night, picks continue to be announced (from either the podium on stage or backstage). Coachman, desperate to get Cena to lose the belt, drafts Batista to Raw at #2. Long decides to take Umaga with his #2 pick, while ECW makes a major splash by drafting Randy Orton, setting up a possible Rated RKO matchup.

Backstage, we see Cade, Murdoch, Deuce, and Domino backstage talking to Vince. They desperately try to get Vince to allow the champions to stay together during the draft. Vince then sets up a 4 vs. 2 Handicap Match: Cade, Murdoch, Deuce, and Domino vs. Cena and Lashley. Vince gives them one simple instruction: beat them down, and you can stay together.
The match goes down, and, not surprisingly, Cena/Lashley overcome the odds. However, a huge beatdown occurs afterwards, with chairs, steel steps, the tag belts, all that good stuff. As such, Vince announces that both sets of tag champs can stay together.

This sets off a huge section of picks, Coach announces that his #3 pick is the team of Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch. Long then retains his champs, drafting Deuce and Domino. ECW decides to add some gold, drafting Intercontinental Champion Santino Marella. Coach takes MVP at #4, while Long takes Chavo. ECW decides to take an ECW Original, Chris Benoit, with his #4 pick.

Just gonna rattle off some more picks here: 5th round: Women’s champ Melina returns to Raw, Henry returns to Smackdown, The Great Khali goes to ECW. 6th round: CM Punk to Raw, Carlito to Smackdown, Elijah Burke returns to ECW. Before the 7th round occurs, there’s a battle royal or something involving a bunch of undrafted talent. Snitsky ends up winning the match, and an impressed Coach selects him with his #7 pick as a result.
Carlito, meanwhile, already has managed to piss off his new boss, and so Teddy decides to spite him by drafting Ric Flair. However, it would be the last draft pick he’d make. The ECW rep realizes it needs a full-time authority figure and that EVERYONE is eligible, and so it takes Teddy Long with the #7 pick, leaving Vickie Guerrero as the new Smackdown GM.

Chris Masters challenges Santino Marella to one more match for the title before Santino goes off to ECW. Masters ends up pulling off a victory this time, so Masters is the new Intecontinental Champion and ECW is without a title. Marella can be used in a team with Little Guido or something, because ECW seems to be trying to build a tag division.

Here’s the lottery in a nutshell:

-Raw gets: Jillian Hall, Marcus Cor Von, William Regal
-Smackdown gets: Jeff Hardy, Kevin Thorn, Chris Masters (IC Title moves to Smackdown, Hardyz feud with DnD)
-ECW gets: Finlay, Daivari, Eugene (once again to be with Khali. As long as he wrestles. Eugene could possibly turn heel and join the New Breed, maybe have him rant about how he’s pissed that people are calling him the “Mr. Irrelevant” of the draft.)

There will also be a trade window after the draft, so more changes can be made as the writers see fit. The only trade I can think off off-hand would be ECW GM Teddy trading one of (or all) of the Extreme Expose to Smackdown to get Kristal with him. I also see Heyman coming back and managing the New Breed.

I’m omitting DX, Rey Mysterio, Undertaker, and Rob Van Dam from this draft. I assume they just outright won’t mention them during the show. Hopefully, the night will end like the first draft lottery: with a huge clusterfuck brawl involving everyone looking like an episode of Wild and Crazy Kids.

<b><u>Complete Draft Results</u></b></font>

<font color=red><b>RAW</b>
1 – John Cena
2 – Batista
3 – Cade & Murdoch
4 – MVP
5 – Melina
6 – CM Punk
7 – Snitsky
8 – Jillian Hall
9 – Marcus Cor Von
10 – William Regal

<font color=blue><b>SmackDown!</b>
1 – Bobby Lashley
2 – Umaga
3 – Deuce & Domino
4 – Chavo Guerrero
5 – Mark Henry
6 – Carlito
7 – Ric Flair
8 – Jeff Hardy
9 – Kevin Thorn
10 – Chris Masters</font>

<font color=purple><b>ECW</b>
1 – Edge
2 – Randy Orton
3 – Santino Marella
4 – Chris Benoit
5 – The Great Khali
6 – Elijah Burke
7 – Theodore R. Long
8 – Finlay
9 – Daivari
10 – Eugene</font>

[Mr. Nerfect]

I love you, Vito. I really do. I didn't see Somebody's Gotta Die's thread, to be honest. Where the fuck was it? Anyways, keep posting here if you like, or go there, whichever.

[DarKCentaur]

I still say they make it more like a real sports draft, where they draft a few developmental guys before switching around the main roster.

[Pepsi Man]

Why would it matter which envelope he pulls out, when we can't see the names on the papers anyway?

[Evil Vito]

Why would it matter which envelope he pulls out, when we can't see the names on the papers anyway?

<font color=goldenrod>They'll zoom in on the logo when he pulls it out of the envelope. They just won't show the envelope itself cause it'll be marked</font>

[Mr. Nerfect]

I still say they make it more like a real sports draft, where they draft a few developmental guys before switching around the main roster.

I think that would be really good. The WWE has Paul Burchill, Beth Phoenix, Mike Mondo, Nick Nemeth, Johnny Jeter, Sylvain Grenier and Rene Dupree all under contract without an actual brand assigned to them yet. That is just the guys who have appeared on WWE TV in an active role before. There are also guys like Dan Rodman, Chuck Palumbo and Harry Smith, who no one has a clue with what the WWE plans on doing with them. They also have Shantelle Taylor, TJ Wilson, Ray Gordy, Colt Cabana and Ace Steel all waiting to be (re)assigned in development, when really, they don't need it. If all those people were involved in the draft, I would be happy.

[apokalypse7]

You have a great point, I'd like to see some young guns get a shot. I'd like to see..... Johnny Nitro and Kenny repackaged, and sent to SD. Let them run into DnD. CHuck Palumbo would be a better big man than, than that piece of shit Khali. Or he could be fed to the IC division. I'd love a good stable.

[Somebody's Gotta Die]

If the draft is literally selecting superstars by a GM like it was in the initial draft, then I would do it like this.

RAW would get the first pick, followed by SMACKDOWN!, followed by ECW...

The following wrestlers can be excluded from being drafted due to possible long-term injury: Triple H, Shawn Michaels, The UnderTaker, Rob Van Dam, Ric Flair

RAW drafts:

1. John Cena - saves their WWE champion
2. Batista - one of the bigger stars out, potential for a Cena feud
3. Santino Marella - saves the I.C. champion
4. Deuce & Domino - steals the tag champions from SD!
5. Mr. Kennedy - steals one of SD!'s biggest up and coming heels
6. Chavo Guerrero - steals the the CW champion from SD!
7. King Booker - steals one of SD!'s veteran superstars
8. Mark Henry - RAW grabs one of SD!'s big men that's been on a huge role
9. Marcus Cor Von - RAW snipes one of ECW's biggest up and comers
10. William Regal - RAW grabs Regal from SD! in an interesting move

SMACKDOWN! drafts:

1. Edge - saves their World Heavyweight Champion
2. Randy Orton - tries to counter the Batista loss and sets up a Rated RKO feud
3. MVP - saves the U.S. champion
4. Melina - steals the Women's champion from RAW
5. CM Punk - steals one of ECW's biggest up and coming faces
6. Jeff Hardy - grabs one of RAW's bigger midcarders to reform the Hardys
7. Kane - making sure not to lose one of their most over stars
8. Finlay - retains one of their most technically sound heels after losing Henry
9. Snitsky - following RAW's lead, they select an ECW superstar in Snitsky
10. Kevin Thorn - SD! grabs another ECW star in the up and comer New Breeder Thorn

ECW drafts:

1. Lashley - saves their ECW champion
2. Cade & Murdoch - grabs a set of tag titles to create ECW tag-team titles
3. Rey Mysterio - one of the biggest superstars returning, an original, big potential
4. Umaga - steals one of RAW's biggest heel superstars
5. Chris Benoit - while SD! and RAW fight to keep titles, ECW steals Benoit
6. The Great Khali - ECW grabs Khali after RAW grabs yet another title
7. Elijah Burke - ECW makes sure to retain one of its bigger up and comers
8. Carlito - ECW grabs Carlito from RAW in a pretty big move
9. The Sandman - after losing Snitsky, and Cor Von, they make sure to retain an original
10. Super Crazy - after losing Thorn, ECW regain an original in Super Crazy

- With only one set of tag champions between RAW and SD! and the swap of the women's and cruiserweight titles, McMahon announces that the CW champion, Women's champion and Tag-Team champions would defend the titles on both shows against challengers from both brands. ECW should remain as a separate entity and with a new roster, they might be able to regain the potential to succeed as a separate brand, not even included on WWE PPV's.

- I personally believe this would be more effective and would set up some pretty refreshing rosters with much room for growth...

[Somebody's Gotta Die]

This draft above would also leave some pretty well balanced rosters...

On RAW...

MAIN EVENT FACES:

Triple H - INJURED
Shawn Michaels - INJURED
John Cena
Batista

MAIN EVENT HEELS:

Mr. Kennedy
King Booker
Mark Henry
Marcus Cor Von

TAG-TEAM DIVISION:

Deuce & Domino
World's Greatest Tag-Team
Highlanders
Cryme Tyme

On SMACKDOWN!...

MAIN EVENT FACES:

The UnderTaker - INJURED
Randy Orton - can be repackaged and pushed as a face to feud with Edge
CM Punk
Kane

MAIN EVENT HEELS:

Edge
MVP
Finlay
Snitsky

TAG-TEAM DIVISION:

Hardys
Kendrick & London
Dave Taylor & Paul Burchill?
Boogeyman & Kane or Kevin Thorn & Kane?

On ECW...

MAIN EVENT FACES:

Lashley
Rey Mysterio
Chirs Benoit
The Sandman (or Rob Van Dam if he sticks around)

MAIN EVENT HEELS:

Umaga
Great Khali
Elijah Burke
Carlito

TAG-TEAM DIVISION:

Cade & Murdoch
Major Brothers

There is obviously a lot of room to bring new tag teams into the equation... Bringing Chavo to RAW might simply leave more opportunities open for him in the long run while there are few cruiserweights on RAW, the title would be defended more frequently on SD! by whoever is the champion...

At the same time, I believe this would open a lot of room for an ECW tag-team championship and especially with the WWE tag champions appearing on both shows, it rejuvinates the tag scene...

After this kind of draft, ECW would also be strong enough to hold up a TV title to be defended between guys like Sandman, Burke, Super Crazy, Little Guido, Carlito, etc...

The main feuds that would come out this draft would be:

Lashley - Umaga for ECW title followed by a possible feud with Lashley or Umaga against Khali with Burke eventually getting the title...

Orton - Edge for the World title followed by a possible feud with Edge or Orton against CM Punk with MVP eventually getting a title push as well...

Cena - Batista for the WWE title followed by a possible feud with Cena against Mr. Kennedy or King Booker, whichever is healthy...