WWE Draft: Bring Back the Suspense

Who is going to be picked? Who is going to change brands? Will there be a trade?

These are all questions that remained open when speaking of the WWE Draft. Back when WWE had 2 exciting brand extensions, the list of questions and intrigue leading up to the draft were endless for wrestling fans all around the world. Raw always has been and will continue to be the No. 1 show on WWE programming, while SmackDown, which currently and traditionally draws lower ratings than Raw, is the “land of opportunity”.

Post-WrestleMania is usually the beginning of a new fiscal calendar in WWE, where many things start fresh. A few years back it was the grand return of Brock Lesnar, which again was leaked online prior to the event. This seems to be the perfect time to add fresh faces and implement new ideas being on WWE programming.

In spring 2002, the WWE created the brand extension and held the very first WWE Draft. This essentially divided every WWE Superstar, Diva and personality into two separate rosters. Drafting half of the roster to each show was a way to produce unpredictability, along with providing some very exciting entertainment as well. While this was a work in progress, it marked the end of the Attitude Era and introduced the WWE Universe to the Ruthless Aggression Era.

Some may not find this believable, but at one point, SmackDown was just as popular as Raw. Both shows competed against one another for bragging rights and superiority. On the March 25 edition of Monday Night Raw, history would take place as the process of the first draft was explained. The wrestlers were shown sitting around in the locker room waiting to hear their name called and prepared to come out to the fans for a crowd reaction. Just for some memories, I looked up the following list of draft picks below.

SmackDown Selections

1)     The Rock

2)     Kurt Angle

3)     Chris Benoit

4)     Hulk Hogan

5)     Billy and Chuck (Tag Team Champions)

6)     Edge

7)     Rikishi

8)     D-Von Dudley

9)     Mark Henry

10)   Maven (Hardcore Champion)

11)   Billy Kidman

12)   Tajiri (Cruiserweight Champion)

13)   Chris Jericho

14)   Ivory

15)   Albert (Tensai)

16)   The Hurricane

17)   Al Snow

18)   Lance Storm

19)   Diamond Dallas Page

20)   Torrie Wilson

21)   Scotty 2 Hotty

22)   Stacy Keibler

23)   Christian

24)   Test

25)   Farooq

26)   Tazz

27)   Hardcore Holly

28)   Perry Saturn

29)   Val Venis

 

Raw Selections

1)    The Undertaker

2)    The nWo (Kevin Nash, Scott Hall & X-Pac)

3)    Kane

4)    Rob Van Dam (Intercontinental Champion)

5)    Booker T

6)    The Big Show

7)    Bubba Ray Dudley

8)    Brock Lesnar (Along with Paul Heyman)

9)    William Regal (European Champion)

10)   Lita

11)   Bradshaw (JBL)

12)   Steven Richards

13)   Matt Hardy

14)   Raven

15)   Jeff Hardy

16)   Mr. Perfect

17)   Spike Dudley

18)   D-Lo Brown

19)   Shawn Stasiak

20)   Terri Runnels

21)   Jacqueline

22)   Goldust

23)   Trish Stratus

24)   Justin Credible

25)   Big Boss Man

26)   Tommy Dreamer

27)   Crash Holly

28)   Mighty Molly (Molly Holly)

29)   Eddie Guerrero (not chosen, but attacked RVD on the first episode of Raw after the brand extension)

 

We all know that the current storylines are stagnant and boring. We live in an internet world where everything is predictable and spoilers are leaked online all the time. How can we add a little more suspense to the shows? I say bring back the draft in 2015 and separate the two brands. The draft would serve as a focal point after everyone is force-fed the One-Time Return for an over-aged superstar at WrestleMania and the predictable results of the Royal Rumble. On top of that, NXT could serve as even more of a focal point for younger talent, as they would be drafted as well. The intrigue for me as a fan is dwindling from week to week and I think this could really bring the suspense back. Thoughts?

Reported By:

Tony Cutillo (@TCutillo23)

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