Does the Draft this Monday really matter?

[GameOver]

IMO on the first Draft was any use, since then it is badly timed. Specially when it happens prior to Backlash which is more or less rematches from WrestleMania.

If they were gonna do a draft they should do it mid yr that way you still have 6 months to reorganize storylines. I know Mania is the last show of the WWE yr but obviously the storylines don't just end there and then. or have it once every 2 yrs or something. I dunno. In theory the draft makes things fresh but in reality it achieves very little

In the case of the latest one. b4 the draft the GM's have changed shows and people who are on opposite shows are gearing to match up at the next PPV, well der it's a no brainer less they pull a huge swerve...

Triple H and JR go back to Raw
Michael Cole/JBL back to Smackdown
Todd Grisham is only temporary til JBL gets back
Cena to Smackdown
Rey to Smackdown
CM Punk maybe to Smackdown

Hopes Vickie Guerrero gets outted permanently (please rescue us from her obnoxious suckiness) and if they want Raw to be the definitive A grade show, she won't help.


The other issue is when they swap titles close to the draft it becomes almost obvious who's going where or at the least that a team in this case is probably gonna be split.

And now they have a show where anyone from any show can compete against each other like the good ole days of a unified WWF/E but they also do it on every Smackdown/Raw?ECW anyway. makes no sense to say thins guy is this brand if they compete on every other show anyway.

 

[makeitvab]

Yes it matters, because it tells you where to catch your favorite wrestlers on a weekly basis.

True everyone goes everywhere so the brands aren't truely exclusive but at the same time WWE acts like all these crossover matches so they promote them and let people know ahead of time via the shows themself or even WWE.com.

So unless they let me know otherwise, I really have no incentive to tune into Smackdown because though Edge is one of my top 3, I'm sick of his character and am o.k with only seeing him on PPV. Knowing that on raw there is a 90% or so chance I'll see Punk and Randy I tune in. If either gets drafted to smackdown, I'll watch smackdown on a weekly basis.

 

[Chadmw]

As I mentioned in another thread I created last week about this (and it got erased for some reason) what the WWE has to do to make the draft meaningful again is go back to when the brands were first separated,


Make it seem like they are two different brands (I'm not counting ECW because I think it should be folded or maybe use it as a "training centre" for the two big brands) and have the GM's compete with each other like they used to in the Mcmahon-Flair days or Step Mcmahon and Bischoff days. Originally you would never see Smakcdown advertising or promo's on Raw and vice versa

 

[Black Snow]

The draft COULD matter. At this point, I understand all the interpromotional stuff leading into 'Mania. Most of the big matches on the card were interpromotional. Vickie was the GM of both shows. It's natural for the lines to be blurred.

But after Monday they need to make the brand lines stick. Isn't the whole selling point of the new Superstars show that anyone from any brand can wrestle anyone else? If they allow it on every show then there is nothing special about Superstars.

I can even still understand interpromotional matches for the tag titles. Treat them like you did the Undisputed and Women's title when the brands first started. ONLY the champions can regularly appear on every show.

The WWE desperately needs to make the draft lines mean something again and it can easily happen following Monday's show. It's all a question of if they'll do it.

 

[triplehsgrl]

I really thunk it only matters for a few superstars. Example, Rey Mysterio. Ever since he's come on Raw, either he's been hurt and has been in crappy ass matches. Not to mention, the spanish demographic has gone way down on Smackdown! So I think he needs to go back to Smackdown and stay there. And I'm assuming Triple H is coming back to Raw cause he hasn't been on Smackdown in weeks and Vince wants to make Raw the "A" show again so he'll probably keep/put all the big name wrestlers on Raw. But I really don't see the draft being that bif a deal anymore. Only way I can see it shaking WWE up is if they decide to move Cena to Smackdown. Which I think they need to. He's like the only top star that hasn't been switched in the draft. Wanna shake things up? Move Cena to Smackdown.

 

[JETER123]

I don't care what happens as long as we get to see Jericho vs. Taker.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

Does the Draft matter? We'll see after the ratings come out for that show. As far as the suspense is concerned, then no. Because it's been done too much. The original brand split was a novel idea, and the second time around, it was STILL interesting because you could still see people you've never seen on the show on a regular basis.

Now, this is probably the fifth or sixth incarnation of this draft and frankly, the suspense isn't that much. I think we can call most of the moves that will happen, but the WWE usually throws a few swerves toward us.

Expect Orton to go to Smackdown! or Taker to Raw. Or both. That will be a homerun. Anything else will be disappointing.

I do like the concept of wrestling for Draft picks. It actually gives the matches some meaning if they're two even wrestlers. So overall, the draft matters, but not in the way we want it to.

 

[Tim_Seraphim]

The Draft creates interesting new matchups never before seen when superstars from different brands compete for the first time. Oh, wait, they've been doing that the entire build up to Wrestlemania. The Draft isn't a bad idea, its timing is. Raw & Smackdown both built up the same angles towards Wrestlemania. I agree with Jericho vs. Undertaker, but I disagree with ending the roster split. There's just too many people now. I think they should move the main event/upper card guys to Raw, unify the World and WWE titles, send the midcard guys and tag teams to Smackdown, unify the US and IC titles, and ECW, well, who the hell watches ECW? No matter what anyone says, Smackdown is the "B" show, so might as well treat it as such. It's the show with more wrestling usually, so use it to develop your midcard while using Raw to further storylines and angles. Just my take.

 

[Pimpin]

The draft isn't a bad concept at all, it's just the timing always sucks. Anyways draft shows always produce for some great television. I don't think they should end the roster split seeing as how there are just too many people that are being employed. The only title (besides the tag titles) that should be unified is the WWE/World Heavyweight Championship that way they can concentrate more on the mid card for one of the brands & it allows only the world champion to be the only one that should be able to compete on all of the shows. That's just my take on all this.

 

[pjsdoughboy]

Here is what I think, Raw should start with a 3 champion (whc,wwe champ & Ecw champ) triple threat match and treat it like a school yard picking. The winner's Gm gets the first pick, the person Not pinned their Gm gets the 2nd & the person who got pinned their Gm gets the 3rd pick and they can pick anyone off any roster untill EVERYONE has been picked. Nobody can be pick anyone who had already been picked. So all 3 of the rosters will have a even amount of wrestlers.

Lets make this a true full roster draft.

 

[JETER123]

Predictions:

Going to RAW
MVP
Matt Hardy
Edge
Michelle McCool
Evan Bourne

Going to Smackdown!
Rey Mysterio
Kofi Kingston
Candice Michelle
Chris Jericho
Kane

ECW
Vladimir Kozlov
Goldust

 

[thelcon21]

I love the draft it gives the two big shows a fresh start and makes ECW even worse each year. Honestly how many times can you put Orton vs. Cena or Jericho vs. Cena or Shawn Michaels vs. Jericho or Undertaker vs. Big Show.

What I would like to see is:

Going to Raw
Edge - Since Vicky is on Raw makes sense
Triple H - He is basically on Raw anyway
Undertaker - Never been a Raw Superstar
Michele McCool
Matt Hardy - Separate the two Hardy's and Jeff will be better on Smackdown so Triple H can't hurt his build up.
Miz
Christian - so he can work with Edge again.

Going to Smackdown
Jericho - New feuds and with Orton and Edge and Triple H on Raw he wont be looked at like he should.
John Cena - I'll do anything not to see him every Monday night.
Mickey James.
Batista - He was better on Smackdown
Morrison

Going to ECW
Does it really matter may the Great Khali or Victor Kozlov

Finally WWE needs to get Michael Cole off Raw I don't care if there is complete silence anything is better then Cole announcing. My ears have been tortured for a year. Isn't that enough?

 

[TheGreenEagle]

I've actually gotten to the point, and its been like this for a long time 2 years at least Where, I feel they should end the whole separate brands and just have everyone on both Raw and Smackdown and leave ECW as a televised version of a developmental brand (since it will never be like old ECW ever again). It was fine years ago because they actually had a lot of talent and they needed two separate shows for more story lines and angles, it worked. But its gotten to the point where in order to boost ratings they need to have everyone on both shows. It makes since and its smart. In order to find out whats going to happen next you have to watch the other show. I guarntee you if they didn't have split brands after the Triple H/Orton angle when Triple H threw Orton threw the window, Smackdown's ratings would have went threw the roof. And as people pointed out, anyone can show up on any given show whenever they feel like it so whats the point of keeping it separate. They've already unified the tag titles. and I've read on Wrestlezone that they're looking to unify the World Title/WWE title at next years Mania so what's the point of keeping them separate. Unifiy the Diva and Women's title, keep the IC and the U.S. and the only thing you keep separate is ECW. Hopefully Monday's draft will bring this motion closer!

 

[RH23]

As it has been said, the draft is just for ratings. i agree that the brand spit is stupid. It made sense when they did it because they had to much talent but now they don't. Unfortunately i doubt the brand split will end because WWE makes more money with the brands split then when they weren't

 

[RawIsRamsey]

Victor Kozlov

That's VLADMIR Kozlov, and I'm only pickin' that out because it's an insult to wrestlers named Victor (I wrestle under the name Victor Darkchild).

As for the draft, I dunno, I get excited for it every year...yes, some of the moves are sort of spoiled before hand, but a surprise or two happens every year (Cena jumping to RAW as the first draft pick in '05 was big, for instance).

However, with the WWE losing faith in Smackdown! (mostly due to the network) and reportedly wanting to stack RAW, this year's might be the most tight-lipped show ever...is Orton going to Smackdown! or Triple H to RAW? Is Edge coming to RAW for Vickie or is Big Show? Will Taker FINALLY get drafted, and will it NOT be to RAW (c'mon...admit it...Taker in ECW is ALMOST a passable idea...)? Will the Supplemental Draft still not matter except for minorities (not a racial comment, but a statement of fact...check out the results of the last draft and tell me who REALLY came out looking the best)?

Personally, I wanna see Bryan Danielson drafted from Ring Of Honor to ECW, Kurt Angle draft from iMPACT! to Smackdown!, and Cena drafted from RAW to the unemployment line...or doing Dwayne Johnson's laundry...

 

[thelcon21]

Cena drafted from RAW to the unemployment line...or doing Dwayne Johnson's laundry...

I think Cena getting drafted to ECW would be the best scenerio tonight. That is close to the unemployment line and probably worse then doing the Rocks laundry. Hey we can always dream!!!

I forgot to mention that they probably should switch MVP and Rey Mysterio. Rey did pretty much nothing on raw this past year beside beat JBL about 100 times.

The WWE is not going to combine the two major shows. I don't think the brand split will ever end unless one of the shows gets canceled. Too many wrestlers and so little TV time. If they made Raw and Smackdown from 8-11 each each week will be the only possible way this can happen.

I don't think they should unify to WHC and WWE Championships. What are they going to have Triple H, Edge, Cena, Orton, Big Show, Jericho, Undertaker, Batista, Jeff Hardy, CM Punk and Shawn Michaels fight for 1 title? I would hate to see this we would have Triple H vs. Cena all the time. At least with two titles they add two other wrestlers into the equation. How would they develop any other main eventer with 10 guys going for 1 belt?

 

[truk24]

Especially since there is that new show "Superstarz" coming on WGN network on Thursdays. Apparently it will be a different show every week, meaning that all the stars of the WWE will be featured. A show for interpromotional matches I guess, as well as a show to build feuds off of. In other words why do they even have a draft, and better yet a brand split?