TheOneBigWill
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W.W.E. Report Card: Draft Review: by TheOneBigWill
So, after this week's overall W.W.E. Draft its time to take a look at the winners and losers of the W.W.E.'s version of winning "lottery." I'm going to run down each Superstar that was moved, as well as a brief opinion on how I feel it'll help (or hurt) them with the move.
Rey Mysterio: (Raw) The first major announcement in the Draft, was Rey Mysterio coming over from Smackdown, and joining the Raw brand. While I'm sure since hes a major player and a big name he won't get lost by any means.. I just don't see this move as being beneficial for Rey. Raw has and will always be the "Heavyweight" Brand, and Mysterio isn't a Heavyweight by any means.
He might go toe to toe with them, and it might be exciting to see, but the fact is each time Mysterio defeats someone like a Randy Orton, Edge, Triple H. or Shawn Michaels.. its viewed with a certain type of shading. In other words, people see how completely scripted wrestling is, when a guy thats barely topping the minimum height requirement for most carnival rides, is defeating other guys who haven't missed a regular meal since they were a child.
I don't foresee Rey Mysterio becoming a World Champion on Raw by any means, and the only saving grace I can see for him is the fact that he can compete with roughly anyone, including Chris Jericho, Shawn Michaels & even J.B.L. (all of which are still on Raw) Another strong possibility is he'll defect to the E.C.W. brand when they begin traveling with Raw. On E.C.W., Mysterio could become the Brand's major identity and he'd be a great choice to even carry their World Championship.
Jeff Hardy: (Smackdown) This in all honesty was the best thing that could've happened to Jeff Hardy. Not only can he become a Main Event player on the B-Brand, but since Smackdown is a taped event, if Hardy makes any major mistakes they could simply be edited out of his matches to make him look even better on television.
Hardy, regardless of where he ended up, would've always had a major fan ovation following him. To this day I still don't and can not understand why. Perhaps people relate to Hardy in the aspects of his personal issues? Perhaps they relate to Hardy because he appears like most of them. Hell, maybe they even take to him because he does what noone else is willing to do on a nightly basis and thats risk life and limb just to impress everyone viewing with a major bump off something high, who really knows.
What I do know, is as I've said. Smackdown will be the best brand for Jeff Hardy, because he can train better and without the pressure of live television, he doesn't have to worry half as much about making costly mistakes, which might help him focus better. Hardy has all the tools to become a World Heavyweight Champion on Smackdown, the only thing stopping him from accomplishing that goal, is Hardy himself.
C.M. Punk: (Raw) This was (in my opinion) the first biggest mistake of the Draft. C.M. Punk is not half as good as people see him to be. Punk is average at best, and his style is that of a cruiserweight, not even a great one on top of it. Punk deserves to either stay on E.C.W., and be the face of that brand, or he should've been moved to Smackdown to become a midcard Champion.
The only reason I foresee in having Punk move to Raw, is to continue pushing him in a position that was never his to begin with. Hes holding onto a Championship contract that never belonged to him, and he more or less fell into. The best logical thing he could do right now is cash it in on either the E.C.W. Championship, or the World Heavyweight Championship. But one thing is for sure, to me, if Punk stays on Monday Night Raw.. he'll become a thing of the past and turn into an even bigger jobber than he already is.
Matt Hardy: (E.C.W.) I'd assume this to be the biggest
moment of the Draft. Matt Hardy might not be a great Superstar, but hes definately not second rate talent that deserves to just be flushed away. Call it my personal view of the Brand itself, but I just don't see Matt Hardy as anything of a decent fit on the Extreme Brand. The only beneficial thing for the entire brand that I can see as it stands, is Hardy will be bringing over the United States Championship, which will finally give the entire brand of midcarders something to fight for.
As far as Hardy's status will go. I doubt he'll become a World Champion anywhere, including the E.C.W. Brand, but at least on Smackdown he could've teamed with his brother from time to time and in turn they could've had some decent feuds as well. Hardy on E.C.W. just throws up complete question marks in my eyes as to what they're fully planning for him, if anything at all.
Jim Ross: (Smackdown) While I could've told you ahead of time announcers would be moved, I would've never in a million tries told you Jim Ross would be involved in the switch. This draft move literally made me yell out "Holy Shit!" And Jim Ross' expression more or less explained it all. "Anything Can Happen, in the W.W.E."
While this is perhaps one of the best moves the W.W.E. could've made to make Smackdown a truly great rival Brand to Raw, the fact is it'll never work if Jim Ross has immature fits over the situation. J.R. is by far the best announcer in Professional Wrestling today, and I'm quite sure even he knows that. So while its completely understandable on why they'd want him leading the commentary on Smackdown, to make it worth watching again.. the question truly turns into.. will J.R. want to lower himself into being responsible for trying to rebuild Smackdown?
Michael Cole: (Raw) As a result of the blockbuster J.R. move, Cole is smiling all the way to his new comfy chair on Raw. Someone else (I believe Shocky) said it best, Mr. McMahon decided to pull the trigger on the next generation, and allowing Michael Cole to take over the lead announcing spot on Raw was the first move in firing the major shot in that direction.
Cole is by far nothing great, and he doesn't even have a passion for the industry, especially not the likes of a Jim Ross, or even Jerry Lawler and Tazz. Cole is merely sitting and talking, trying his hardest to show through his words that he might actually give a damn. In recent interviews, I've heard Cole even express how much he isn't a truly big fan of the sport of Professional Wrestling. So why take this big of a risk on him? Simple.. because there isn't anyone else.
Jim Ross could have his spot back before Wrestlemania rolls around next year. Or, Smackdown could become the flagship of the company. Either way, Michael Cole's career is definately in the fast lane, so hes either gonna have to pick up the passion and the pace, or get left for dead.
Batista: (Raw) Either Batista's career is headed for a midcard demotion, or they're bringing him back to find his 'roots' within a classic heel stable. I say its one or the other, because I doubt highly Batista is going to get the chance to Main Event Raw as a top face, not while John Cena is alive and on that brand at any rate.
Its been building since Ric Flair's retirement, and its finally coming to ahead. I completely see this move being a way to rebuild a top named heel faction. Randy Orton, Batista & Chris Jericho (possibly with Lance Cade) are all in line to become a great faction, with the ties that bind them being an argument that the top named Superstars, or even the older Superstars (H.B.K., H.H.H., Taker, Flair, etc) won't step down/over and allow them their time to shine.
This is a great decision, as it no longer puts pressure on Batista to be the top name on a Brand. He was drowning on Smackdown in the top spot, and people were coming to hate him anytime his name was mentioned around World Championship matches. Batista was involved in every World Heavyweight Championship match on a Smackdown p.p.v. from November of 06 all the way through until December of 07. Batista remained in the Main Event match-up for the Smackdown World Heavyweight Championship for a solid year, and he lost most of the matches yet continued to gain rematches.
His move to Raw is long overdue, and should help him become powerful once again, as long as hes able to do it in a stable.
Umaga: (Smackdown) Umaga needed a change of scenery and I believe he could've gone to either Smackdown or E.C.W. I do believe Smackdown was the better option, as Umaga is arguably the best Super Heavyweight in the business today, so it only makes sense for him to be one of the top heels in the company on a brand they're taking a lot of time and effort into rebuilding.
While I don't feel Umaga is ever going to be the type of Superstar to hold Championship gold, least of all World Heavyweight gold, I do believe that on the brand that holds the Undertaker he has the perfect fit to go up against Taker and pose a threat. Umaga at one time was very dominate and destroyed anyone from D-X to John Cena. Since those days, however, hes turned to dropping matches to the likes of Jeff Hardy and barely even wrestling on television without being in the role of jobber. Hopefully Smackdown will give new life into the monster that deserves another top notch heel push.
Kane: (Raw) I really don't understand the purpose of this move, other than to demote Kane from his push. Raw already has plenty of top named talent, and doesn't really need anymore. Kane's position on Raw could turn into the new 'Umaga' in which they could turn him heel, then let him become their "monster" however I wouldn't see a great deal of reasoning in that, since they took the time they did to push Kane as a World Champion face.
Kane brought the E.C.W. Championship with him to Raw, which stands to reason that he would most likely be dropping it soon so it can return to its rightful brand. I doubt Raw would hold two World Championships, as it would then make the E.C.W. title look even worse than its already been viewed recently.
My final opinion on this is that Kane is merely being placed on Raw, to possibly fill out a dominate midcard field. Of course I'd hate to see that, as Kane was majorly floating in the midcard ranks on Smackdown for the longest time without a purpose, and returning him to that position doesn't seem to have reason.
Mr. Kennedy: (Smackdown) Without a doubt the best thing that could've happened to Mr. Kennedy, was a move back to the Blue Brand. Arguable the greatest moments of his career came when he was trying to become something worth anything on Smackdown. Since coming over to Raw from Smackdown in the past, Kennedy has amounted to less than anything worth watching, and only recently gained any type of push again.
While hes had issues in his past, it stands to reason that they haven't given up on him, because Mr. Kennedy is a major player and great name for them in the future of this industry. I strongly believe Mr. Kennedy could become World Heavyweight Champion within the year, at least a major player for the title by Wrestlemania.
The only thing that'll continue to hold Mr. Kennedy back on Smackdown, is the unforseeable move that happened moments after he was drafted, and that was the move that brought Triple H. over with him. Kennedy might be a big name for the future, but we're still living in the present, which means the current top names still reign at the top. None the less, Smackdown has a new mouth piece.. and his name is MISTER KENNEDY.. KENNEDY!
Triple H.: (Smackdown) While most would say this is the biggest shocking development in the Draft next to Jim Ross, I would say it isn't exactly unbelievable. Triple H. has been the top name, or one of the top names on Monday Night Raw since the brands split way back in 2002 to begin with. He originally started on Smackdown, but somehow found his way over to Raw when Eric Bischoff came into power.
He was at one time traded to Smackdown, but before their first show to showcase him, it was revealed that he was traded back to Raw for Booker T. and the Dudley Boys. I think its safe to say Triple H. won't be finding anymore loop-holes back onto Raw, as this is the best thing for him at this stage in his career. A new brand, new rivalries, a different setting all together.
Triple H. will serve greatly on Smackdown, and help them to become a very good, if not superior brand to Raw. At one point in time, Smackdown wasn't even viewed as having 5 major Main Event players, now with Triple H. along side the likes of The Undertaker, Edge, Jeff Hardy, Mr. Kennedy and others.. they have more than enough to start building great shows.
Supplemental Draft Review:
E.C.W.'s Draft Picks: Mark Henry, Super Crazy, Finlay & Hornswoggle: Out of this collective group of talent, Mark Henry is about the only one who in theory would be considered worth it. Super Crazy won't amount ot anything on the E.C.W. brand, and if anything hes only finally being moved back "home" due to not knowing how else to use him, yet not fully being ready to release him.
Meanwhile, Finlay & Hornswoggle are still attached as the loveable yet annoying Comedy act, which will forever hold Finlay down. If Finlay would've moved to E.C.W. alone, he could've been viewed as a great threat and top contender for the Championship. He'll of course never be World Heavyweight Championship material, but alone he'd be viewed as worth a shot. However with Hornswoggle, all he is is nothing more than a comedy act thats here to entertain the children while we wait for the real action to begin.
Mark Henry could become E.C.W. Heavyweight Champion as early as Sunday at Night of Champions, albeit I doubt it. While Mark Henry continues to get undeserved pushes for no good reason, the guy just doesn't sell. He doesn't have any great amount of talent that makes me, as well as your average wrestling fan, even care to see him. I'd boldly go out and say the only thing keeping him on the roster to this day is the fact that hes a fat guy, who was once in the Olympics.
Raw's Draft Picks: Jamie Noble, Deuce, Chuck Palumbo, Matt Striker, Layla & Kofi Kingston: The biggest move here that I still claim was a mistake would have to be Kofi Kingston. While its been said that the move was unjust due to him not yet earning his spot, I don't see that as it. Kofi has indeed become a well known Superstar from the E.C.W. brand, and if anything he'll do fine in taking a push that was once considered Carlito's back in 2004-05.
However if anything, my reasoning for this being a bad move is a result of his match against J.B.L. on Raw. Kofi on E.C.W. was undefeated and a major challenger to the United States or Intercontinental Championship. (more so the U.S. title) However, moving a guy of Kofi's size over to the Heavyweight division is only going to turn him into a jobber more than a winner. Kofi (I don't believe) has what it takes to drive himself anywhere on Raw.
As far as the rest of the choices go, its basically a who's who of jobbers that'll just file in and randomly lose from time to time. Chuck Palumbo could stand reason to stand out, depending on if they'd be willing to group him in a faction with Lance Cade and Chris Jericho. However Palumbo won't survive as a Single's wrestler on Raw.
Matt Striker, Jamie Noble and even Deuce are all going nowhere fast. Noble is a Road Agent, and it would stand reason to believe he'll be traveling with Raw because of some type of behind the scenes job he might of had with E.C.W. Striker could become a mouth piece for someone, but wouldn't make it as a wrestler of any kind on Raw. Deuce is a bit of a question mark for me in general, I don't get which one of the former DnD they're trying to push. I can't see Deuce doing anything major on Raw, short of finding another Tag Team partner. Finally, Layla won't do anything more than fill in for Maria.
Smackdown's Draft Picks: Trevor Murdoch, Big Daddy V, D.H. Smith, Brain Kendrick, Maria, Shelton Benjamin & Carlito: If there's one thing that could be said, its that Smackdown didn't stop with the impressive Draft list even after Raw's show.
Smackdown hit the jackpot with Big Daddy V, Shelton Benjamin and even Carlito. All three of those names are worth using in major angles and storylines. Carlito & Benjamin have the talent to put on great wrestling matches, and with Jeff Hardy, M.V.P. & Mr. Kennedy all on the show as well, you're definately in store for some high quality wrestling.
Big Daddy V. is the second best Super Heavyweight in the W.W.E., arguably behind Umaga, and a feud with the Undertaker has been in the works for a while. Just like my strange obsession to wanna see Chuck Palumbo, I feel the exact same way about Big Daddy V. I have no clue why, but the guy just has an 'it' factor that makes me want to watch him.
Maria will honestly fit in rather nicely on Smackdown with a newly made Diva's Championship. While I'm still holding out hope that the Diva's title will be nothing more than another regular Women's Championship, only for the opposite brand.. somehow the term 'Diva's Champion' and Maria seem to fit. Scary when you think about it.
Trevor Murdoch's career more or less in my opinion hangs in the balance of how well Lance Cade gets over as a Single's star on Raw. If Cade is successful, then Murdoch will likely be released by the end of the year. If not, expect the team to reunite on Smackdown. Brian Kendrick is hanging in the very same limbo spot as Murdoch. The only difference is Paul London remains over on Raw just as useless without Kendrick, as Kendrick is, now on Smackdown, without London. The move made no sense and they destroyed a perfectly good (still intact) Tag Team.
D.H. Smith is likely getting sent to Smackdown as a last chance of sorts. Short of him being the mystery partner of Ted Dibiase and then both of them jumping to Smackdown, I doubt D.H.'s career on television will last much longer. They need to revamp him and repackage him with a gimmick that isn't a ripoff of his Father, because I'm not buying it thus far.. and it'll only continue pissing me off if they try to continue selling me a late 80's early 90's gimmick.
Overall Draft Grades:
Raw = B: While going into the Draft Raw really didn't even need to play a major role, they still came out with 11 new Superstars. I'd give Raw's grade a B, simply because the did a nice job of filling holes in spaces they needed. (minus the Tag Team division)
While the major names they did pick up in Rey Mysterio, Kane, C.M. Punk and Batista might not come to mean half as much as the losses they gave up in Triple H., Jim Ross, Mr. Kennedy and Jeff Hardy. I'd still come to say that Mysterio could build some great feuds with Jericho, while Batista will finally be able to return to a minor role, instead of that of a leader. Kane's move will continue to bewilder me until its explained more, and Punk is likely going to either get a huge push thats undeserved, or fade away.
I wish they would've capitalized more of rebuilding their Tag Team division instead of slightly crippling it by spliting up London and Kendrick, however I suppose all will be seen soon enough, and the Draft has brought together unlikely teams in the past thats made it.
The final thing I'll say about Raw's Draft is it didn't do anything to improve their Main Event standing, as Kane, Batista & Mysterio are all faces. Punk shouldn't be anywhere near the Main Event, and noone from the Supplemental Draft should be anywhere near it either. Batista & Kane, if they turn heels, could become a force. Outside of that, the only thing Raw did was give a deeper depth to the Intercontinental (or midcard) Championship division.
Smackdown = A: If any one Brand hit the jackpot, I've said it before and I'll say it again, it was Smackdown. 12 Superstars found a new home on the so-called B-Brand, but I have a feeling in the weeks and monthes to come it won't be considered the second-rate show for long.
Smackdown landed a top notch announcer in Jim Ross, a World Heavyweight Champion in Triple H., and a huge set of fan favorites in Jeff Hardy & Mr. Kennedy. If that wasn't enough, even their supplemental Draft brought over some good talent in Big Daddy V, Shelton Benjamin and Carlito. I'd say Smackdown will quickly become my new favorite show to watch.
All of this doesn't shock me, as Smackdown will be moving to a new channel in the fall I believe, and it'll also be the lone-brand traveling alone, as E.C.W. will team up with Raw. With those two things alone, it means Smackdown will need to become a powerful show and worth wanting to watch not just on television but live as well. I believe whole-heartedly that they've accomplished their mission, at least on paper.
While time will tell exactly whats in store, I'll end by saying I'm very excited to see the feuds Smackdown will be building within the next few weeks, as with all the talent they have.. there shouldn't be any reason why their two hour weekly show shouldn't be packed with action from beginning to end.
E.C.W. = D: Every high must have a low. Every top needs a bottom, and unfortunately E.C.W. went bust on their chance with the lottery. 5 Superstars! FIVE, counting a midget.. thats exactly what they received in this Draft.
While the other two brands hit it big with 11 & 12 Superstars each, E.C.W. barely found it within them to get one decent Superstar. The only plus that came from their draft is Matt Hardy brought the United States Championship over from Smackdown with him, so the entire brand of midcarders could finally have something to fight for. (as said before)
Mark Henry was the top named Heavyweight that came over, and even that happened on the Supplemental Draft, which really wasn't meant to do anything more than fill in gaps and holes. Well, I hate to say it, but E.C.W. has more holes than swish cheese. They didn't gain any top notch players, outside of a good midcarder in an already over populated midcard roster.. and they lost their two biggest Superstars in C.M. Punk and Kane. Not to mention their Heavyweight Championship, which needs to find its way back home, without being brought back by a talentless fatass. (my opinion)
In closing, the Draft brought surprises and disappointment. Smackdown's success was clearly E.C.W.'s failure apparently, and somehow Raw who should've if anything gave half their picks to E.C.W. just to level out, still seemed overly powerful in the draft.
When the Draft was announced, it was brought with the saying "A Change is Coming." Well, change has happened and whether that is a good thing or a bad thing will shine through within the coming weeks and monthes. I eagerly await seeing exactly what happens, and I'm especially curious to see if E.C.W. will even be a Brand to have Draft picks the next time around after this year's disaster for them.
So, after this week's overall W.W.E. Draft its time to take a look at the winners and losers of the W.W.E.'s version of winning "lottery." I'm going to run down each Superstar that was moved, as well as a brief opinion on how I feel it'll help (or hurt) them with the move.
Rey Mysterio: (Raw) The first major announcement in the Draft, was Rey Mysterio coming over from Smackdown, and joining the Raw brand. While I'm sure since hes a major player and a big name he won't get lost by any means.. I just don't see this move as being beneficial for Rey. Raw has and will always be the "Heavyweight" Brand, and Mysterio isn't a Heavyweight by any means.
He might go toe to toe with them, and it might be exciting to see, but the fact is each time Mysterio defeats someone like a Randy Orton, Edge, Triple H. or Shawn Michaels.. its viewed with a certain type of shading. In other words, people see how completely scripted wrestling is, when a guy thats barely topping the minimum height requirement for most carnival rides, is defeating other guys who haven't missed a regular meal since they were a child.
I don't foresee Rey Mysterio becoming a World Champion on Raw by any means, and the only saving grace I can see for him is the fact that he can compete with roughly anyone, including Chris Jericho, Shawn Michaels & even J.B.L. (all of which are still on Raw) Another strong possibility is he'll defect to the E.C.W. brand when they begin traveling with Raw. On E.C.W., Mysterio could become the Brand's major identity and he'd be a great choice to even carry their World Championship.
Jeff Hardy: (Smackdown) This in all honesty was the best thing that could've happened to Jeff Hardy. Not only can he become a Main Event player on the B-Brand, but since Smackdown is a taped event, if Hardy makes any major mistakes they could simply be edited out of his matches to make him look even better on television.
Hardy, regardless of where he ended up, would've always had a major fan ovation following him. To this day I still don't and can not understand why. Perhaps people relate to Hardy in the aspects of his personal issues? Perhaps they relate to Hardy because he appears like most of them. Hell, maybe they even take to him because he does what noone else is willing to do on a nightly basis and thats risk life and limb just to impress everyone viewing with a major bump off something high, who really knows.
What I do know, is as I've said. Smackdown will be the best brand for Jeff Hardy, because he can train better and without the pressure of live television, he doesn't have to worry half as much about making costly mistakes, which might help him focus better. Hardy has all the tools to become a World Heavyweight Champion on Smackdown, the only thing stopping him from accomplishing that goal, is Hardy himself.
C.M. Punk: (Raw) This was (in my opinion) the first biggest mistake of the Draft. C.M. Punk is not half as good as people see him to be. Punk is average at best, and his style is that of a cruiserweight, not even a great one on top of it. Punk deserves to either stay on E.C.W., and be the face of that brand, or he should've been moved to Smackdown to become a midcard Champion.
The only reason I foresee in having Punk move to Raw, is to continue pushing him in a position that was never his to begin with. Hes holding onto a Championship contract that never belonged to him, and he more or less fell into. The best logical thing he could do right now is cash it in on either the E.C.W. Championship, or the World Heavyweight Championship. But one thing is for sure, to me, if Punk stays on Monday Night Raw.. he'll become a thing of the past and turn into an even bigger jobber than he already is.
Matt Hardy: (E.C.W.) I'd assume this to be the biggest
moment of the Draft. Matt Hardy might not be a great Superstar, but hes definately not second rate talent that deserves to just be flushed away. Call it my personal view of the Brand itself, but I just don't see Matt Hardy as anything of a decent fit on the Extreme Brand. The only beneficial thing for the entire brand that I can see as it stands, is Hardy will be bringing over the United States Championship, which will finally give the entire brand of midcarders something to fight for.As far as Hardy's status will go. I doubt he'll become a World Champion anywhere, including the E.C.W. Brand, but at least on Smackdown he could've teamed with his brother from time to time and in turn they could've had some decent feuds as well. Hardy on E.C.W. just throws up complete question marks in my eyes as to what they're fully planning for him, if anything at all.
Jim Ross: (Smackdown) While I could've told you ahead of time announcers would be moved, I would've never in a million tries told you Jim Ross would be involved in the switch. This draft move literally made me yell out "Holy Shit!" And Jim Ross' expression more or less explained it all. "Anything Can Happen, in the W.W.E."
While this is perhaps one of the best moves the W.W.E. could've made to make Smackdown a truly great rival Brand to Raw, the fact is it'll never work if Jim Ross has immature fits over the situation. J.R. is by far the best announcer in Professional Wrestling today, and I'm quite sure even he knows that. So while its completely understandable on why they'd want him leading the commentary on Smackdown, to make it worth watching again.. the question truly turns into.. will J.R. want to lower himself into being responsible for trying to rebuild Smackdown?
Michael Cole: (Raw) As a result of the blockbuster J.R. move, Cole is smiling all the way to his new comfy chair on Raw. Someone else (I believe Shocky) said it best, Mr. McMahon decided to pull the trigger on the next generation, and allowing Michael Cole to take over the lead announcing spot on Raw was the first move in firing the major shot in that direction.
Cole is by far nothing great, and he doesn't even have a passion for the industry, especially not the likes of a Jim Ross, or even Jerry Lawler and Tazz. Cole is merely sitting and talking, trying his hardest to show through his words that he might actually give a damn. In recent interviews, I've heard Cole even express how much he isn't a truly big fan of the sport of Professional Wrestling. So why take this big of a risk on him? Simple.. because there isn't anyone else.
Jim Ross could have his spot back before Wrestlemania rolls around next year. Or, Smackdown could become the flagship of the company. Either way, Michael Cole's career is definately in the fast lane, so hes either gonna have to pick up the passion and the pace, or get left for dead.
Batista: (Raw) Either Batista's career is headed for a midcard demotion, or they're bringing him back to find his 'roots' within a classic heel stable. I say its one or the other, because I doubt highly Batista is going to get the chance to Main Event Raw as a top face, not while John Cena is alive and on that brand at any rate.
Its been building since Ric Flair's retirement, and its finally coming to ahead. I completely see this move being a way to rebuild a top named heel faction. Randy Orton, Batista & Chris Jericho (possibly with Lance Cade) are all in line to become a great faction, with the ties that bind them being an argument that the top named Superstars, or even the older Superstars (H.B.K., H.H.H., Taker, Flair, etc) won't step down/over and allow them their time to shine.
This is a great decision, as it no longer puts pressure on Batista to be the top name on a Brand. He was drowning on Smackdown in the top spot, and people were coming to hate him anytime his name was mentioned around World Championship matches. Batista was involved in every World Heavyweight Championship match on a Smackdown p.p.v. from November of 06 all the way through until December of 07. Batista remained in the Main Event match-up for the Smackdown World Heavyweight Championship for a solid year, and he lost most of the matches yet continued to gain rematches.
His move to Raw is long overdue, and should help him become powerful once again, as long as hes able to do it in a stable.
Umaga: (Smackdown) Umaga needed a change of scenery and I believe he could've gone to either Smackdown or E.C.W. I do believe Smackdown was the better option, as Umaga is arguably the best Super Heavyweight in the business today, so it only makes sense for him to be one of the top heels in the company on a brand they're taking a lot of time and effort into rebuilding.
While I don't feel Umaga is ever going to be the type of Superstar to hold Championship gold, least of all World Heavyweight gold, I do believe that on the brand that holds the Undertaker he has the perfect fit to go up against Taker and pose a threat. Umaga at one time was very dominate and destroyed anyone from D-X to John Cena. Since those days, however, hes turned to dropping matches to the likes of Jeff Hardy and barely even wrestling on television without being in the role of jobber. Hopefully Smackdown will give new life into the monster that deserves another top notch heel push.
Kane: (Raw) I really don't understand the purpose of this move, other than to demote Kane from his push. Raw already has plenty of top named talent, and doesn't really need anymore. Kane's position on Raw could turn into the new 'Umaga' in which they could turn him heel, then let him become their "monster" however I wouldn't see a great deal of reasoning in that, since they took the time they did to push Kane as a World Champion face.
Kane brought the E.C.W. Championship with him to Raw, which stands to reason that he would most likely be dropping it soon so it can return to its rightful brand. I doubt Raw would hold two World Championships, as it would then make the E.C.W. title look even worse than its already been viewed recently.
My final opinion on this is that Kane is merely being placed on Raw, to possibly fill out a dominate midcard field. Of course I'd hate to see that, as Kane was majorly floating in the midcard ranks on Smackdown for the longest time without a purpose, and returning him to that position doesn't seem to have reason.
Mr. Kennedy: (Smackdown) Without a doubt the best thing that could've happened to Mr. Kennedy, was a move back to the Blue Brand. Arguable the greatest moments of his career came when he was trying to become something worth anything on Smackdown. Since coming over to Raw from Smackdown in the past, Kennedy has amounted to less than anything worth watching, and only recently gained any type of push again.
While hes had issues in his past, it stands to reason that they haven't given up on him, because Mr. Kennedy is a major player and great name for them in the future of this industry. I strongly believe Mr. Kennedy could become World Heavyweight Champion within the year, at least a major player for the title by Wrestlemania.
The only thing that'll continue to hold Mr. Kennedy back on Smackdown, is the unforseeable move that happened moments after he was drafted, and that was the move that brought Triple H. over with him. Kennedy might be a big name for the future, but we're still living in the present, which means the current top names still reign at the top. None the less, Smackdown has a new mouth piece.. and his name is MISTER KENNEDY.. KENNEDY!
Triple H.: (Smackdown) While most would say this is the biggest shocking development in the Draft next to Jim Ross, I would say it isn't exactly unbelievable. Triple H. has been the top name, or one of the top names on Monday Night Raw since the brands split way back in 2002 to begin with. He originally started on Smackdown, but somehow found his way over to Raw when Eric Bischoff came into power.
He was at one time traded to Smackdown, but before their first show to showcase him, it was revealed that he was traded back to Raw for Booker T. and the Dudley Boys. I think its safe to say Triple H. won't be finding anymore loop-holes back onto Raw, as this is the best thing for him at this stage in his career. A new brand, new rivalries, a different setting all together.
Triple H. will serve greatly on Smackdown, and help them to become a very good, if not superior brand to Raw. At one point in time, Smackdown wasn't even viewed as having 5 major Main Event players, now with Triple H. along side the likes of The Undertaker, Edge, Jeff Hardy, Mr. Kennedy and others.. they have more than enough to start building great shows.
Supplemental Draft Review:
E.C.W.'s Draft Picks: Mark Henry, Super Crazy, Finlay & Hornswoggle: Out of this collective group of talent, Mark Henry is about the only one who in theory would be considered worth it. Super Crazy won't amount ot anything on the E.C.W. brand, and if anything hes only finally being moved back "home" due to not knowing how else to use him, yet not fully being ready to release him.
Meanwhile, Finlay & Hornswoggle are still attached as the loveable yet annoying Comedy act, which will forever hold Finlay down. If Finlay would've moved to E.C.W. alone, he could've been viewed as a great threat and top contender for the Championship. He'll of course never be World Heavyweight Championship material, but alone he'd be viewed as worth a shot. However with Hornswoggle, all he is is nothing more than a comedy act thats here to entertain the children while we wait for the real action to begin.
Mark Henry could become E.C.W. Heavyweight Champion as early as Sunday at Night of Champions, albeit I doubt it. While Mark Henry continues to get undeserved pushes for no good reason, the guy just doesn't sell. He doesn't have any great amount of talent that makes me, as well as your average wrestling fan, even care to see him. I'd boldly go out and say the only thing keeping him on the roster to this day is the fact that hes a fat guy, who was once in the Olympics.
Raw's Draft Picks: Jamie Noble, Deuce, Chuck Palumbo, Matt Striker, Layla & Kofi Kingston: The biggest move here that I still claim was a mistake would have to be Kofi Kingston. While its been said that the move was unjust due to him not yet earning his spot, I don't see that as it. Kofi has indeed become a well known Superstar from the E.C.W. brand, and if anything he'll do fine in taking a push that was once considered Carlito's back in 2004-05.
However if anything, my reasoning for this being a bad move is a result of his match against J.B.L. on Raw. Kofi on E.C.W. was undefeated and a major challenger to the United States or Intercontinental Championship. (more so the U.S. title) However, moving a guy of Kofi's size over to the Heavyweight division is only going to turn him into a jobber more than a winner. Kofi (I don't believe) has what it takes to drive himself anywhere on Raw.
As far as the rest of the choices go, its basically a who's who of jobbers that'll just file in and randomly lose from time to time. Chuck Palumbo could stand reason to stand out, depending on if they'd be willing to group him in a faction with Lance Cade and Chris Jericho. However Palumbo won't survive as a Single's wrestler on Raw.
Matt Striker, Jamie Noble and even Deuce are all going nowhere fast. Noble is a Road Agent, and it would stand reason to believe he'll be traveling with Raw because of some type of behind the scenes job he might of had with E.C.W. Striker could become a mouth piece for someone, but wouldn't make it as a wrestler of any kind on Raw. Deuce is a bit of a question mark for me in general, I don't get which one of the former DnD they're trying to push. I can't see Deuce doing anything major on Raw, short of finding another Tag Team partner. Finally, Layla won't do anything more than fill in for Maria.
Smackdown's Draft Picks: Trevor Murdoch, Big Daddy V, D.H. Smith, Brain Kendrick, Maria, Shelton Benjamin & Carlito: If there's one thing that could be said, its that Smackdown didn't stop with the impressive Draft list even after Raw's show.
Smackdown hit the jackpot with Big Daddy V, Shelton Benjamin and even Carlito. All three of those names are worth using in major angles and storylines. Carlito & Benjamin have the talent to put on great wrestling matches, and with Jeff Hardy, M.V.P. & Mr. Kennedy all on the show as well, you're definately in store for some high quality wrestling.
Big Daddy V. is the second best Super Heavyweight in the W.W.E., arguably behind Umaga, and a feud with the Undertaker has been in the works for a while. Just like my strange obsession to wanna see Chuck Palumbo, I feel the exact same way about Big Daddy V. I have no clue why, but the guy just has an 'it' factor that makes me want to watch him.
Maria will honestly fit in rather nicely on Smackdown with a newly made Diva's Championship. While I'm still holding out hope that the Diva's title will be nothing more than another regular Women's Championship, only for the opposite brand.. somehow the term 'Diva's Champion' and Maria seem to fit. Scary when you think about it.
Trevor Murdoch's career more or less in my opinion hangs in the balance of how well Lance Cade gets over as a Single's star on Raw. If Cade is successful, then Murdoch will likely be released by the end of the year. If not, expect the team to reunite on Smackdown. Brian Kendrick is hanging in the very same limbo spot as Murdoch. The only difference is Paul London remains over on Raw just as useless without Kendrick, as Kendrick is, now on Smackdown, without London. The move made no sense and they destroyed a perfectly good (still intact) Tag Team.
D.H. Smith is likely getting sent to Smackdown as a last chance of sorts. Short of him being the mystery partner of Ted Dibiase and then both of them jumping to Smackdown, I doubt D.H.'s career on television will last much longer. They need to revamp him and repackage him with a gimmick that isn't a ripoff of his Father, because I'm not buying it thus far.. and it'll only continue pissing me off if they try to continue selling me a late 80's early 90's gimmick.
Overall Draft Grades:
Raw = B: While going into the Draft Raw really didn't even need to play a major role, they still came out with 11 new Superstars. I'd give Raw's grade a B, simply because the did a nice job of filling holes in spaces they needed. (minus the Tag Team division)
While the major names they did pick up in Rey Mysterio, Kane, C.M. Punk and Batista might not come to mean half as much as the losses they gave up in Triple H., Jim Ross, Mr. Kennedy and Jeff Hardy. I'd still come to say that Mysterio could build some great feuds with Jericho, while Batista will finally be able to return to a minor role, instead of that of a leader. Kane's move will continue to bewilder me until its explained more, and Punk is likely going to either get a huge push thats undeserved, or fade away.
I wish they would've capitalized more of rebuilding their Tag Team division instead of slightly crippling it by spliting up London and Kendrick, however I suppose all will be seen soon enough, and the Draft has brought together unlikely teams in the past thats made it.
The final thing I'll say about Raw's Draft is it didn't do anything to improve their Main Event standing, as Kane, Batista & Mysterio are all faces. Punk shouldn't be anywhere near the Main Event, and noone from the Supplemental Draft should be anywhere near it either. Batista & Kane, if they turn heels, could become a force. Outside of that, the only thing Raw did was give a deeper depth to the Intercontinental (or midcard) Championship division.
Smackdown = A: If any one Brand hit the jackpot, I've said it before and I'll say it again, it was Smackdown. 12 Superstars found a new home on the so-called B-Brand, but I have a feeling in the weeks and monthes to come it won't be considered the second-rate show for long.
Smackdown landed a top notch announcer in Jim Ross, a World Heavyweight Champion in Triple H., and a huge set of fan favorites in Jeff Hardy & Mr. Kennedy. If that wasn't enough, even their supplemental Draft brought over some good talent in Big Daddy V, Shelton Benjamin and Carlito. I'd say Smackdown will quickly become my new favorite show to watch.
All of this doesn't shock me, as Smackdown will be moving to a new channel in the fall I believe, and it'll also be the lone-brand traveling alone, as E.C.W. will team up with Raw. With those two things alone, it means Smackdown will need to become a powerful show and worth wanting to watch not just on television but live as well. I believe whole-heartedly that they've accomplished their mission, at least on paper.
While time will tell exactly whats in store, I'll end by saying I'm very excited to see the feuds Smackdown will be building within the next few weeks, as with all the talent they have.. there shouldn't be any reason why their two hour weekly show shouldn't be packed with action from beginning to end.
E.C.W. = D: Every high must have a low. Every top needs a bottom, and unfortunately E.C.W. went bust on their chance with the lottery. 5 Superstars! FIVE, counting a midget.. thats exactly what they received in this Draft.
While the other two brands hit it big with 11 & 12 Superstars each, E.C.W. barely found it within them to get one decent Superstar. The only plus that came from their draft is Matt Hardy brought the United States Championship over from Smackdown with him, so the entire brand of midcarders could finally have something to fight for. (as said before)
Mark Henry was the top named Heavyweight that came over, and even that happened on the Supplemental Draft, which really wasn't meant to do anything more than fill in gaps and holes. Well, I hate to say it, but E.C.W. has more holes than swish cheese. They didn't gain any top notch players, outside of a good midcarder in an already over populated midcard roster.. and they lost their two biggest Superstars in C.M. Punk and Kane. Not to mention their Heavyweight Championship, which needs to find its way back home, without being brought back by a talentless fatass. (my opinion)
In closing, the Draft brought surprises and disappointment. Smackdown's success was clearly E.C.W.'s failure apparently, and somehow Raw who should've if anything gave half their picks to E.C.W. just to level out, still seemed overly powerful in the draft.
When the Draft was announced, it was brought with the saying "A Change is Coming." Well, change has happened and whether that is a good thing or a bad thing will shine through within the coming weeks and monthes. I eagerly await seeing exactly what happens, and I'm especially curious to see if E.C.W. will even be a Brand to have Draft picks the next time around after this year's disaster for them.