On the surface level, WWE draft was a huge success. The shows after the draft suggested the same, but thanks to some unwanted decisions that WWE pulled off during the draft, there are some ticking bombs waiting to blow off on both the brands. While these might not have a bad effect on the immediate timeline of either Raw or SmackDown, down the lane, they are bound to make the fans scratch their heads.
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The initial editions of Raw and SmackDown during the brand split period were successful in filling the plot holes of the draft with papers. But that is not going to stop us from taking a look into these ticking bombs. With that said, here are some of the post-draft disasters waiting to happen.
Green Carmella
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The call-up of Carmella was something that surprised the WWE Universe. It was not the actual call-up that caused the confusion; it was the way in which she was called up. To get the facts straight, she is not a performer that excels due to in-ring ability. She is good on the microphone and is someone who could get the crowd fired up.
But in a division where everyone wants to be the top performer, the only thing that Carmella could do to climb the ladder is to work good matches. This is where her greenness will be exposed. Carmella could’ve spent some more time in NXT to improve her wrestling skill but now, the pressure will be on her to deliver.
Stereotyped giant
Braun Strawman was split up from both Bray Wyatt and Erick Rowan after the WWE draft. This means that WWE is going to give him a singles push which could only end in him being stereotyped like all the other giant men in the current roster. On Raw, we saw Strawman being booked in a squash match. Building him as an unstoppable force through such matches and then having him get involved in a major feud is probably the path WWE is going to choose
But then again, we know how such pushes end as we’ve seen a list of superstars like Gene Snitsky, Matt Morgan, Nathan Jones, and many others getting ruined by such a push. Strowman is likely to be no different.
Jobber Kalisto
The SmackDown roster is not deep. This was evident from the first show that they had after the WWE draft. But that does not mean Kalisto is going to get a booking that he deserves. Kalisto is someone that has enough talent to be the next ‘Lucha’ face of WWE, a throne that Rey Mysterio decorated for a long time. Being in the Cruiserweight division would’ve helped him get there fast.
But unfortunately, Kalisto was drafted to SmackDown when the Cruiserweight division was exclusive to Raw. With no storyline or tag team to back him up, Kalisto is bound to be restricted to the mid card jobber status which is an insult to the talent he has.
A shepherd without a flock
Bray Wyatt, from the start itself, was portrayed as a cult leader. Before we realized that Bray was good in the ring as a single competitor, we excelled as a leader and it was something that made his different from other WWE stars. Whenever he was booked into a feud, he came in with his creepy family, which was an add-on to the entire storyline.
And now, WWE is going to give Bray a singles run for the first time. Make no doubt about it: Bray is talented enough to be a successful singles star, but then again, it would take time for the fans to digest the fact that he is no longer a stable leader.
Lesnar without Heyman
This cannot be pointed out as a direct impact of the WWE draft, but as it is set to happen in the post-draft period, it was good enough to include on the list. Rusev was drafted to Raw alongside Lana and Miz were drafted to SmackDown alongside Maryse. As Maryse and Lana act as the valet/manager of the respective superstars, it made sense.
When Brock Lesnar was drafted to Raw, Paul Heyman was left out. Later, the explanation came out suggesting that Heyman’s contract with WWE was coming up and both parties were yet to reach an agreement on the same.
If WWE does fail to tie Heyman to a new contract, it could be disastrous for Lesnar. No matter how much star power Lesnar has, without Heyman, the layers of storylines get flattened and it’s not something that WWE would want with one of their top draws.
