On Tuesday, July 19, the wait will be over. During the live broadcast of Smackdown, WWE will hold its highly anticipated Draft to split the Raw and Smackdown brands to create new rivalries and better competition with two different rosters.
There is growing speculation the split will mean two world champions and new titles being added to each promotion. There is also talk of there being more pay-per-view events, enhancing the importance of each show.
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I’m probably not as excited as other fans who have seen this before, but I am interested in seeing who is “drafted” to each program and what new rivalries will be created. As for now, the same old shtick gets a little tiring. With the new “era” being promoted, I wonder how the McMahons will play on the current rivalry between Shane and Stephanie McMahon and who make their “surprise” appearance on television.
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It’s not something that keeps me up at night, but I have thought about it a time or two while working with the laptop.
If all things are considered equal (and they’re not in the wrestling business) then this should be an even split of talent, bringing fans back to television and packing arenas for never before seen events. Of course, everything has been done to death, so the need for shock value is a definite must.
Since this is a Top-5 type of story, these are the five things that need to happen on the night of the WWE Draft.
#5 ROMAN REIGNS MOVES TO SMACKDOWN
In the event the company wants to continue the push with Reigns as the top performer in WWE, he needs a completely fresh start. The move to Smackdown does this and allows him to also become the top heel.
There is still going to be fallout from Reigns violating the company’s Wellness Policy, but should he have a metamorphosis of sorts, it could mean he becomes a favorite among the masses.
This could ultimately lead to a Reigns vs. John Cena confrontation.
#4 HELLO FINN BALOR
This could happen before the Draft, but Balor needs to make his presence known in a huge way soon.
I’m not completely sold on the idea of Balor as a member of The Club like others are. There is a place for him in this storyline – especially with his connection to AJ Styles, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson.
WWE fans are waiting in anticipation. When will the mystery man make his move? Somehow, he has to become part of the fray that attempts to take down the might Cena.
And once he comes on board, does it mean others from NXT will follow?
#3 ANOTHER CHAPTER FOR OWENS AND ZAYN?
We learned more about these two in one five-minute segment on the Highlight reel than we have learned about many superstars on the current roster. Will the Draft unite these two after Battleground, or will it forever immortalize them as each other’s Kryptonite.
With Owens and Zayn, you get the traditional backstory of friends then enemies – but it goes further than that. Chemistry is so important in wrestling. These two have it. Sadly it will end and they may be on opposites programs in less than a month.
#2 IT’S A NEW DAY
And one of the cosmic trio could be on the way out. My guess is it will be Xavier Woods. There was something in the segment in Raw after the confrontation with The Wyatt Family that struck me as odd and believe the run these three – along with Kofi Kingston and Big E – may have run its course.
Woods could be gearing up for a solo run in the mid card.
WWE’s tag team division is phenomenal right now. This would be a big blow to the ranks, however, these types of events have a way of breaking up partnerships.
#1 TRIPLE H RETURNS
He has been absent since dropping the WWE World Title at WrestleMania 32. Now, it’s time for The Game to return. I suspect he will be a huge part of the brand split – in more ways than one. Look for Triple H to re-emerge with a few things to say and a vicious feud with Shane McMahon.
The family in-fighting between Stephanie and Shane has been kid-like at best. Now, it’s time to show that true McMahon fighting spirit. Does the brand split lead to a Triple H- Shane match at SummerSlam? I hope not, but it would sell seats and it would boost ratings.
