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The 2020 WWE Draft is set to shake things up once again. In a year that has seen many changes due to an unprecedented pandemic, the rosters of both RAW, SmackDown and NXT are set to change as well.
WWE Superstars like Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins have traditionally been a part of RAW since the brand split back in 2016. On the flip side, Carmella and Daniel Bryan have been members of the Blue brand during the same period.
While some WWE performers have remained on one brand or another, there are some that have changed brands quite a bit. Dolph Ziggler, The Miz, and AJ Styles have had multiple stints on both brands. The same goes for Natalya.
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The moves that shore up divisional depth aren't usually the moves that make noise. Last year's big reveal was that Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman joined the Blue brand. In turn, Styles joined the action on RAW. Of course, the excitement also comes with potential returns and call-ups from NXT.
With that being said, there are many stars that would be better served by staying on Monday Night RAW. It may be because of opportunity or current storylines. Here are five acts - one being a faction of four stars - that should remain on RAW in the WWE Draft.
#5 Seth Rollins should remain on WWE RAW
If Seth Rollins was still the babyface that defeated Brock Lesnar twice last year, then this would be a completely different story. Roman Reigns is now a heel and a babyface Rollins chasing the Big Dog would be a good program despite the two having fought each other numerous times.
But as things currently sit, he's among the top heels on the Red brand. There's also Randy Orton, The Hurt Business, and now RETRIBUTION. Should one of those leave Monday nights, it would mean that someone from SmackDown should come back in return.
Since WWE is continuing the storyline around Rollins, the Mysterios, and Murphy, someone from that angle needs to stay on RAW. Dominik and Humberto Carrillo could be an exciting new tag team, but the duo haven't had the best luck in WWE in 2020. Murphy might be separated from Rollins so that he can move to SmackDown.
Whatever happens in the next week during the Draft, Rollins should stay on RAW due to his current character. He's called the Monday Night Messiah for a reason and moving to Fridays would hurt that.
#4 Bianca Belair should remain on WWE RAW
The EST of WWE should stay on RAW for three simple reasons. The first is that Bianca Belair debuted on the brand immediately following WrestleMania 36. She's married to Montez Ford and WWE tries to keep married couples together on the same brand.
The second reason why she should stay on RAW is because she is an untapped challenger for current RAW Women's Champion Asuka. Asuka will need new challengers because she can't fight Natalya, Zelina Vega and Nia Jax every week. Belair is a new challenge and a new star on the WWE main roster. For that reason, someone believable needs to challenge the Empress of Tomorrow once the Royal Rumble comes around.
Another reason for Belair remaining on RAW is because they just started airing vignettes for her return over the last month or so. She had been on and off of WWE TV during the summer but had not been in a match for the last couple of months. While the promos could be to hype her up before the Draft, they've only been shown on RAW just like Carmella's promos have only been on SmackDown.
To put all of that effort into time on Monday nights would be weird if she turns up drafted by the Blue brand. If both she and the Street Profits are drafted to SmackDown, then the move would make sense, but Belair is still new to RAW and should stay.
#3 Shayna Baszler should remain on WWE RAW
Just like Belair, Shayna Baszler joined Monday Night RAW earlier this year. She had dominated NXT and had a strong showing at last year's Survivor Series. That strong run continued in the Royal Rumble and then the ensuing WrestleMania feud with Becky Lynch. She is currently one-half of WWE Women's Tag Team Champions with Nia Jax. While she could feasibly clean up on SmackDown, that's a big reason why WWE needs to keep her on RAW.
Baszler also fits into the RAW Underground scene as a former MMA fighter. She can support her friends, Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke, if and when they compete on future episodes. Being a WWE Women's Tag Team Champ means that she and Nia Jax can jump brands as the feuds suit them. Asuka still needs to have a showdown with Baszler as they were the last two women in the Chamber match.
SmackDown is called the "Land of Opportunity" in WWE and although it might sound a bit corny, it's true in some capacities. Which current Champions in WWE are more likely to have long title runs? Asuka (RAW) and Roman Reigns (SmackDown) are the two most likely names as Bayley should drop her title to Sasha Banks within the next month and McIntyre may drop his title to Orton.
If Baszler moves to SmackDown, it essentially means that the rest of the women will be her food. The Queen of Spades easily dispatched of most of the women once she showed up on RAW. In order to give the women of SmackDown a chance until another big name returns, Baszler should stick on RAW.
#4 The Hurt Business should remain on WWE RAW
The Hurt Business was formed on RAW and only involved MVP and Bobby Lashley in the beginning. MVP's presence back in the WWE helped revitalize Lashley and along the way, they added Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander.
The group has been a focal point of Monday Night RAW, and with the collapse of the Monday Night Messiah's group, The Hurt Business is the top faction on RAW. It can also be argued that they're the top group on WWE's main roster with the New Day still not at full strength.
That's also not forgetting that they are headed for a showdown with RETRIBUTION. The two groups have been at each other's throats for the last month or so, but the latest RAW added some clarity to the feud.
Ricochet and Apollo Crews rebuffed MVP's offer to join the Business for the night. And in the best part of the angle so far, Mustafa Ali was revealed to be in charge of the chaotic group that has been causing so much havoc in WWE and on RAW, RETRIBUTION.
Pardon the pun, but there is just too much unfinished business left for MVP and his associates on RAW. Switching them to SmackDown or taking away Lashley or Alexander would hurt the group. Ali is headed towards a feud with Lashley over the United States Championship. For that reason alone, WWE needs to keep those two on RAW.
The Hurt Business has been one of the bright spots on RAW over the last few months, so they need to continue anchoring the brand.
#1 Drew McIntyre should remain on WWE RAW
Drew McIntyre has had a hard job in WWE at the moment, but it's a job that he has taken to wonderfully. Not many people could carry the torch through a global pandemic and without audiences, but the current WWE Champion has done just that. He was solidified as a main-eventer by dethroning Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 36. He's pushed back challenges from Dolph Ziggler, Bobby Lashley, Seth Rollins, and Randy Orton. While he may drop the title to Orton at Hell in a Cell, McIntyre just seems like a RAW guy through and through.
If WWE moves him to SmackDown, it could give him a new direction but only if he drops the title. But that isn't happening before the Draft. If he moved to the Blue brand, then Roman Reigns would have to move to RAW and that's unlikely to happen. Last year's draft also had to be huge because it was on FOX and it helped set the tone for the first year on a major TV network.
It is likely that most of the top Champions will be staying on their current brands, including Bayley, Asuka, Reigns, and McIntyre. There are just too many storylines that aren't over yet and they suggest that those WWE Superstars are staying put. It's not like the angle with Murphy and Rollins breaking up. One of them will likely go to SmackDown or they'll both stay on RAW so that they can have their big singles bout. But when it comes to the top dog on Monday Nights at the moment, he's done great work carrying RAW in 2020 and that should continue.
