Vince McMahon’s company is about to look dramatically different.
WWE will host a draft Tuesday night in which the company’s talent will be divided among the Raw and SmackDown brands. This will give WWE a fresh look with “SmackDown Live” becoming a live broadcast on Tuesday nights, as each member of its roster will be designated to a specific show.
There have been several WWE drafts in the past, with the first one coming as part of the 2002 brand extension. The format has varied, but we’re going to keep things very simple here at NESN.com.
Ricky Doyle and Mike Cole decided to play the roles of Stephanie McMahon (Raw commissioner) and Shane McMahon (SmackDown commissioner), respectively, and take turns picking superstars from WWE’s talent pool. They took into account the overall presentation of their respective shows, meaning they considered superstar potential, possible feuds and even heel-to-face ratio in their selections.
Ricky had the first overall pick based on a coin flip — everyone’s favorite decision-making method — and the two alternated selections from there. Below is the result of NESN.com’s WWE mock draft.
1. Ricky (Raw 1) — Seth Rollins
We’re building our roster around The Architect. Rollins has the athleticism, the look and the personality to be a brand cornerstone for many years. The WWE Universe really responds to his work, which is exactly what we’re looking for in a superstar.
2. Mike (SmackDown 1) — John Cena
Is this a reach? Maybe. But it’s like drafting a tackle at the top of the NFL draft. It’s not a sexy pick, but it’s a safe one. Cena is still wildly popular, especially to children, and making him the face of SmackDown will ensure we get a lot of eyes on the show for the relaunch.
3. Ricky (Raw 2) — A.J. Styles
Styles has been an absolute stud since finally joining WWE at this year’s Royal Rumble. Perhaps viewed as a potential mid-card star at the beginning, Styles now is a legitimate main eventer for reasons similar to Rollins’. Watching those two work together would be fun.
4. Mike (SmackDown 2) — Roman Reigns
Again, I’m not the biggest Roman Reigns fan by any stretch of the imagination, but there are a lot of possibilities here. You can keep Reigns as a babyface and profit off of that. Or, especially on the heels of his suspension, you turn him heel and let him feud with Cena to begin SmackDown’s new era.
5. Ricky (Raw 3) — Dean Ambrose
We need to add a little craziness to our brand, and few are crazier than The Lunatic Fringe.
6. Mike (SmackDown 3) — Kevin Owens
He’s the next big thing in the WWE, if he isn’t there already. This is a guy who’s good now and is only going to continue to improve.
7. Ricky (Raw 4) — Brock Lesnar
The only reason Lesnar wasn’t selected higher is because he works a part-time schedule, and we needed a few guys we could count on weekly. But Lesnar is the most popular athlete WWE has to offer given his impressive in-ring presence and cross-sport appeal. When The Beast arrives, business picks up.
8. Mike (SmackDown 4) — Finn Balor
We’re going off the board and grabbing our first NXT guy. Grabbing Finn with the eighth overall pick sends the message that this is the future of the brand, and with a proper build, he’ll be a star in no time.
9. Ricky (Raw 5) — Cesaro
When will Cesaro finally receive his big push? It’s a question hardcore wrestling fans have been asking for a while. Well, now seems like a pretty good time. We fully expect The Swiss Superman to take the opportunity and run with it.
10. Mike (SmackDown 5) — Randy Orton
We want versatility on SmackDown, and Orton’s one of the best in the business when healthy. We love getting him at this spot coming off the injury and ready to come back fresh.
11. Ricky (Raw 6) — The Wyatt Family
Bray Wyatt should be in the main event picture. Plain and simple. Between his mic work and his mystique, he’s such a captivating character. And when you toss in his partners in crime (Luke Harper, Erick Rowan and Braun Stowman), you’re talking about a huge asset to the brand.
12. Mike (SmackDown 6) — The New Day
What. A. Steal. Ricky kind of forced our hand by taking the Wyatts, and that’s a nice pick, as he gets Bray, who has unlimited potential. But in the New Day, SmackDown gets the top comedy act in the company and also some major potential for branching off in the future. Big E has star written all over him.
13. Ricky (Raw 7) — Sasha Banks
It’s time to start building our women’s division. And we’re going to do it like a boss by adding The Boss. Banks has all the potential in the world and is a crowd favorite wherever she goes. We have no problem picking her this high with the expectation she’ll continue to revolutionize women’s wrestling.
14. Mike (SmackDown 7) — Rusev
Sasha was going to be our pick here, so kudos to Ricky. That being said, we’ll go with value by grabbing Rusev (and presumably Lana), a money-making heel who hasn’t reached his prime.
15. Ricky (Raw 8) — Enzo Amore and Big Cass
These guys are on fire right now. Between Enzo’s insane personality and Big Cass’ jaw-dropping physicality, the sky is the limit. They work off each other so well, and we fully expect that to continue with the Raw brand.
16. Mike (SmackDown 8) — Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows
This is reactionary. We need a top tag team after Enzo and Cass are grabbed, so Anderson and Gallows it is. And if we’re actually competing with Raw, this splits up The Club (Styles, Anderson and Gallows), so that’s fun.
17. Ricky (Raw 9) — Sami Zayn
Zayn has the potential to be Daniel Bryan 2.0: an underdog who keeps getting beaten down to the point where you can’t help but rally behind him.
18. Mike (SmackDown 9) — Charlotte
If we can’t get Sasha, we’ll take the next best thing: the current women’s champion, Charlotte. She’s one of the company’s best heels — male or female.
19. Ricky (Raw 10) — Chris Jericho
We’ll take Jericho’s veteran presence as we continue to usher in the new era of superstars. The rest of the roster can learn from his in-ring work and skills on the mic. Plus, he still can go.
20. Mike (SmackDown 10) — The Undertaker
The lights go down, the gong is rung, and SmackDown goes with the surprise Undertaker pick. We’re not entirely sure he’ll even work another match, but it’s worth the risk in our eyes — the same eyes that are filled with dollar signs at the idea of an Undertaker-Finn Balor match at WrestleMania.
21. Ricky (Raw 11) — Sheamus
Sheamus is polarizing. But he’s also a useful piece capable of playing either a face or a heel on the mid card, and we’ll take that at this stage of the game.
22. Mike (SmackDown 11) — Samoa Joe
When the WWE split the brands the first time around, SmackDown was considered the wrestling fan’s show. We’re trying to do the same thing this time around by really dipping into the NXT pool and hope some of NXT’s cool factor transfers to Tuesday nights.
23. Ricky (Raw 12) — Dolph Ziggler
It’s time to realize that Ziggler will never be “the guy” despite his popularity soaring at various points throughout his career. He’s still one heck of a mid-card performer, though. We’ll gladly let The Showoff show off every Monday night.
24. Mike (SmackDown 12) — The Usos
We need another tag team, so here we are. And if we’re going to turn Reigns heel, why not make it a family thing and put him with the Usos as a new heel faction?
25. Ricky (Raw 13) — Paige
It’s time to put another high-ceiling piece alongside Sasha Banks in the women’s division. Paige has been around for a bit, but she still is young with a world of talent and charisma.
26. Mike (SmackDown 13) — The Miz
This might be the steal of the draft. It’s not like The Miz is a world title contender, but he serves a number of roles, and he’s arguably the company’s most disliked heel … which is a good thing.
27. Ricky (Raw 14) — Kalisto
Everyone loves to see some high-flying tactics every now and then, and few today — if any — do it better than Kalisto. He has the ability to leave fans in awe.
28. Mike (SmackDown 14) — Neville
The 28th pick is the perfect time to take a risk on an injured mid-carder with high upside, which is exactly what Neville is. He also gives SmackDown its own high-flying star.
29. Ricky (Raw 15) — The Dudley Boyz
The Dudley Boyz have been around forever. But they still can perform, and we like the idea of them working alongside Enzo and Cass. We’ll be sure to order more tables.
30. Mike (SmackDown 15) — Becky Lynch
She has the potential to be a star in the women’s division. She just needs a little more attention and direction, which she’ll get after the brand split.
31. Ricky (Raw 16) — Alberto Del Rio
Much like Sheamus, Del Rio is a nice piece, even if he’s not necessarily someone who puts butts in seats. Seems like a good value pick here.
32. Mike (SmackDown 16) — Apollo Crews
Crews has the physical skills to be a higher draft pick, but he hasn’t put it together on the microphone just yet. With split rosters, however, he’ll get plenty of chances to make an impact.
33. Ricky (Raw 17) — Fandango
A reach? Maybe. But there was a time when Fandango started getting over with fans based on his catchy theme and over-the-top character. Let’s give it another whirl.
34. Mike (SmackDown 17) — Big Show
Show brings veteran leadership, and considering no one’s been turned more than this guy, he also possesses plenty of versatility.
35. Ricky (Raw 18) — Kane
With Big Show off the board, we’re going to take a superstar who serves a similar purpose. And don’t worry, we’ll keep him with his demon character rather than expose the world to the awfulness of Corporate Kane.
36. Mike (SmackDown 18) — Zack Ryder
If nothing else, the WWE proved at WrestleMania that Ryder’s capable of carrying a big moment. He’s another performer who only stands to benefit from an increased role.
37. Ricky (Raw 19) — Baron Corbin
Corbin’s win in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32 looks like a waste in hindsight. It’s not time to give up on the former NXT standout, though, even if he never advances past the mid card.
38. Mike (SmackDown 19) — Titus O’Neil
The SmackDown roster is pretty heel-heavy, especially if we follow through with the aforementioned heels, so this is a great spot to grab Titus in an attempt to balance things out a bit.
39. Ricky (Raw 20) — Natalya
Let’s round out our women’s division with an experienced superstar who has a championship pedigree. Natalya can show Sasha Banks and Paige the ropes on the Raw brand while also contributing her in-ring expertise.
40. Mike (SmackDown 20) —Â Bayley
Honestly, Bayley likely is going much higher than this. But she’s the perfect pick for SmackDown here, as she can be billed as the ultimate underdog against Charlotte in the women’s division.
Here are the full results from the NESN.com WWE mock draft.
Note: This mock draft was done before WWE announced its draft rules, which state six NXT wrestlers will be selected in Tuesday night’s draft. The mock draft also happened before Brock Lesnar was informed of a possible anti-doping violation from his UFC 200 appearance.
Thumbnail photo via YouTube screenshot
