WWE Draft 2019: RAW vs SmackDown – which brand won on Day 1?

Conclusion: RAW vs SmackDown

The end of Wild Card Rule might prove to be better for WWE Superstars

As forced as the boardroom scenes may have appeared, it was exciting to see both FOX and USA Network involved in the WWE Draft this year. The executives making a major call instead of general managers of respective brands came like a breath of fresh air.

With SmackDown’s move to FOX, both channels want the best names for their roster. Among the 20 picks made on the night, only eight were for SmackDown as opposed to 12 for RAW.

Despite that, SmackDown managed to construct a promising roster on Day 1 itself. They may have fewer names but all of them can be utilized to the best of their potential given that SmackDown shows are shorter than RAW.

Moreover, with the likes of The Fiend, Sasha Banks, and Braun Strowman moving to the blue brand, the Friday nights are bound to be action-packed. They still have Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar who are massive draws.

RAW has a plethora of talent and sometimes, they go unnoticed for weeks. SmackDown’s shorter duration will benefit WWE Superstars who have struggled to find themselves in promising feuds. The red brand has Superstars such as Becky Lynch and Kevin Owens but they still need to ensure that the rest of the roster boasts of enough credible names for the aforementioned duo to work with.

Hence, SmackDown appears to be in the lead after the conclusion of the first part of WWE Draft 2019. But will they continue to add more exciting names or will the tides turn in the favor of RAW on Monday night? Only time will tell.