Draft Thoughts!

What fun the WWE Draft is! Not quite as intriguing as say, the NBA Draft, which happens just a few days later, but still one of the bigger events in the wrestling world. It gives us an opportunity to see fresh match ups each year, an opportunity to speculate who will move where. Vince McMahon said 'It's time to shake things up around here' a few weeks ago when it was made official there would be another WWE Draft, an event which is now occurring annually, and he was right. One question I ask myself however, is this: "Do we really need it?" Don't get me wrong, I love the event, there's not a lot I love more than drafts(unless you mean military...those suck), but I don't think we need it every year. I think it should definitely be kept around and utilized, but I think that if things were done more in my personal liking, it wouldn't be necessary to do every year, more likely every two years. Personally, I like more long, drawn out feuds, they build up more heat for heels, and help people connect more with faces. If you see a face feuding with someone  new every month, you're going to get confused. I was glad when they dragged out Triple H and Randy Orton to last more than one Pay Per View. The Jericho-HBK-Batista triangle was good, but I think it could have been better. I personally would have preferred the first pay per view to have been just Batista and HBK, then maybe have the second with just those two, THEN work Jericho into it. That would kill a couple pay per views, and perhaps further relationships between HBK and Batista. While I haven't watched SmackDown! in awhile, I know that on RAW, not a lot has happened with Batista and HBK, so it's hard to tell where they stand. If feuds started to last a few months, instead of just one each, then it wouldn't be as pressing to change things up every year. The Draft could be a bi-annual thing, boosting it's importance and prestige.

There are a number of people who you just know already won't move at this year's draft. While they keep saying 'anyone can be moved', even announcers, or injured people like Rey Mysterio and Randy Orton, there are some select people who I wouldn't expect to move. The Undertaker, for one, is a guy I don't think will move. This is a bit of an interesting pick to stay on SD! since lots of people want to see him on RAW again, myself included. However, he likes to make sure things look good on TV, and if he uses a taped show, then if something doesn't go right, they can retape it. On RAW, though, if he slips up or something, then there are no do-overs. Plus I think he fits better on SmackDown! with Triple H being the big dog on RAW. The next guy with little chance of moving is HBK. I think he's best on RAW anyway, so it's better that he stays in my opinion, but the reason here is that I read he goes to church on Wednesdays, the days that SD! tapes. Triple H is of course very unlikely to move as he is champion and has lots of sway backstage and you just know prefers RAW. John Cena is the same sort of deal, he's too big to go back to SD!

There are also a number of people around 50/50. MVP is one, in my book. He's about Mr. Kennedy's level, though probably a little less, in terms of the card. He could easily stay on SD! and be a productive fighter and build up for another year, and start getting into the main event scene, but he could just as well move to RAW and start boosting himself there. RAW gets rather crowded though, and if he gets TV time, it probably won't be on RAW, at least not as much. Rey Mysterio seems like he's about 60/40 with 60 being staying. On one hand, it'd be great to see him move to RAW and have some feuds with guys like Jeff Hardy, not to mention he's getting stale on SD!, but on the other hand, I can't think of any way for those two to feud, and he also could be the same deal as the Undertaker where he maybe needs a few takes to nail stuff perfectly, not necessarily here because of age, but with his high flying moves and his body, which has been through a few surgeries, he could benefit from a taped show. Chris Jericho is a 50/50 type guy, though in recent weeks seems to be leaning himself toward staying on RAW. It cracks me up that he isn't fighting at Night of Champions even though he said he'd try to defend his belt as much as possible. A Michaels/Jericho IC Belt match, perhaps a ladder match, could be huge. But Jericho is getting more involved now on RAW, and doesn't move. The biggest reason to move him would be to help SD! out, and though I think SD! could use him a lot, it can go either way. I wouldn't be surprised to see him drafted, I think in the long run it may even be a better move, but it's questionable. 

The next guy to talk about is a big time wild card in the WWE right now. He picked up some big momentum at Wrestlemania 24, then lost it shortly after. It's hard to lose momentum after winning Money In The Bank, but somehow, CM Punk has lost it. Perhaps it's the backstage heat that he has, perhaps it's because he just doesn't seem to fit the WWE style that the big dogs like for Heavyweight Champs. For awhile, CM Punk was the #1 guy on ECW, loved by the fans, and was just the next big thing. Then he won the ECW Championship, and things started to slow down for him. CM Punk to me is the next Jeff Hardy. A guy that has lots of potential, though doesn't have the style that the WWE particularly likes, but is very popular with the fans, but gets screwed over by backstage antics, or in Hardy's case, drug use, and gets held back.  As I said I haven't watched SD! or ECW in awhile, so I don't know if he's been appearing on SD!, but the Draft could make it official, and he could start a push for the WHC.

Umaga is another one who cracks me up. I just laugh everytime I see on RAW someone say, 'Well then, you'll have to face..... UMAGA!' as if it's some big task.  It's just interesting to see how they keep trying to act like Umaga is some tough force to beat, yet nobody can remember the last time he won a match. Umaga has a pretty solid frame to be a monster heel, and is fairly athletic, and deserves to be a higher up heel. At this point, it'd actually be a bad thing to have him jump right into SD! and start dominating, because that would pretty much prove SD! is an inferior brand, since he can't win on RAW but can dominate SD! right away. It'd be good to have him step back a couple months, maybe lose a few pounds, then step back in and say he used the time to train or something, then he gets a little momentum, has a reason to dominate, and they can move forward with a push.

Carlito is a probable move. He has been unhappy for awhile with his role, and has good matches, but doesn't get pushed. He should go back to SD! and spend some more time as US Champ, and maybe move up to WHC contender at some point. A change would do him well. Matt Hardy is another one who is flying under the radar who could probably benefit from moving to RAW. He and Jeff could both be pushed as singles wrestlers, and do some Hardy Boyz reunions along the way. I think Carlito would look good back on SD! for awhile, and look good with the US Belt, and take MVP's place.

WWE.com proposed a number of interesting questions pertaining to the draft. One being how will the choices be decided, through random lottery, or will there be matches where brands win themselves a pick? Another interesting point made was pertaining to the NOC PPV. If Batista were moved to RAW, what would happen at NOC? It would make the match a lot more boring, since it'd be unlikely he would win, but it's always interesting to see what will happen with belts. WWE.com also mentions that MVP has voiced displeasure with his current SmackDown! status, so perhaps he could be nudged onto the RAW brand.

Whatever happens this Monday, it's sure to shake things up and hopefully provide numerous bumps to the WWE product. We should be able to see some fresh new matchups, and hopefully some talent will move away from RAW and make SmackDown! worth watching again.

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