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The 2019 edition of WWE Draft is less than 24 hours away from us, as the second episode of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX would see the first night of the draft. We already have a blockbuster match set for the show, as the Universal Champion Seth Rollins will take on his former Shield brother Roman Reign,s with the winner of the match deciding which brand gets the first pick of the draft.
The internet has been buzzing with fans discussing all the possible permutations and combinations that could happen at the Draft, leading to two completely new rosters for both RAW and SmackDown. It would also be interesting to see whether the two Executive Directors of RAW and SmackDown, Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff, get involved in the process, embracing their on-screen personas as well.
So without further ado, let's take a look at the five last-minute predictions for the first day of the draft on Friday Night SmackDown tomorrow. I invite you all to share your thoughts and opinions in the comment box below. Who do you think will be the #1 pick?
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#5 The Fiend costs Rollins the match, is drafted to RAW as the overall #1 Pick
In what should probably be the opening match of the show, the two top babyfaces of the company and former Shield brothers Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns would face-off to determine which brand gets to choose the first pick.
With Seth being the Universal Champion, it's tough to imagine him taking a clean loss until the plan is to tease his heel turn. Following the disastrous ending of the Hell in a Cell match between him and Bray Wyatt, fans are yet to see any proper conclusion to the story - with the biggest question being whether the feud is over or not.
If we know one thing about The Fiend, it's that he does not forget, and ending the storyline without any conclusion might not go down very well with the fans. An attack from The Fiend on Rollins could give him a disqualification victory, allowing RAW to choose the first pick.
This is where WWE could make things interesting by having Bray Wyatt as the overall #1 pick and drafting him to RAW. That would surely show the confidence Vince and the company has in Wyatt and his new gimmick.
#4 Brock Lesnar becomes the #1 pick for SmackDown
Talking about the #2 overall pick and the #1 pick for the SmackDown brand, the blue brand could go ahead with none other than the WWE Champion, Brock Lesnar. Last week on the debut episode of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX, Lesnar defeated the former WWE Champion, Kofi Kingston for the title in just 8 seconds.
What followed that wasn't necessarily a good moment for the Beast Incarnate as the former UFC Champion Cain Velasquez made his way to the ring and straight-away took the fight to Lesnar. Cain famously defeated Lesnar for the UFC World Heavyweight Title in 2010 in a first-round TKO.
SmackDown on FOX is set to have a more sports-like feel around it, and Brock Lesnar seems to be the perfect fit for the show. Two former top UFC stars appearing on SmackDown and feuding for the WWE Championship is exactly what FOX needs to turn more eyes towards the product and increase the ratings.
With Lesnar as the WWE Champion on SmackDown, Seth Rollins can be then drafted to RAW - continuing his rivalry with "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt. As per the reports, FOX is keen on having Roman Reigns as a part of SmackDown, hence The Big Dog could be then drafted to the blue brand.
#3 New Day splits, Big E and Xavier Woods move to RAW
The previous editions of WWE Draft have seen multiple Tag Teams and factions splitting, like the Wyatt Family, The Bar, and many more. The story could be the same this year as many teams might face the same fate in the upcoming draft, with the biggest one being the New Day.
The trio of Kofi Kingston, Big E, and Xavier Woods came together in 2014 as a heel trio but soon turned into a massive babyface faction, spreading the "Power of Positivity" to the entire WWE Universe. Throughout their five-year-long history, New Day has won six different Tag Team Championships in the company and is considered as one of the best factions in the business today.
Sadly, every good thing has to come to an end, and with New Day seemingly running its course, it might be a "Best for Business" decision to split the trio at the 2019 Draft. While Kofi Kingston still has some unfinished business with Lesnar following his embarrassing 8-second defeat, drafting Big E and Xavier Woods to RAW might be a way to strengthen the Tag Team division of the red brand.
The two can later be given individual pushes as well, while Kofi can have a decent run in the upper-mid-card division of SmackDown.
#2 Daniel Bryan heads to Monday Nights
One Superstar who has constantly been with the blue brand ever since the original Draft in 2016 has been the former WWE Champion Daniel Bryan. Initially, he was a part of SmackDown as its General Manager, but then last year he came out of retirement to become a full-time member of the blue roster.
Since then, Bryan had a decent reign as the WWE Champion, turning heel in the process. After his brief stint with Erick Rowan by his side, he is supposedly turning back into a babyface again. While he might prove to be an important player in establishing SmackDown as a major show on the FOX network, one has to keep in mind that RAW needs some much-deserved star power as well since it is one hour longer.
With Seth Rollins facing a lot of heat as a babyface recently, Bryan's move to Monday Nights could lead to him becoming one of the top babyfaces on the red brand, and it could lead to a reign as the Universal Champion. With a freshened-up roster, we may also see many new matchups for Bryan, who has proven time and again that he can have a great match with almost anyone.
Would you like to see the Yes Movement return to RAW?
#1 Sasha Banks moves to the blue brand
After a hiatus following WrestleMania, Sasha Banks returned to WWE on the night after SummerSlam. While many fans were expecting her to straightaway go after her best-friend Bayley's SmackDown Women's title, WWE decided to put her up against the RAW Women's Champion Becky Lynch instead.
The two women went at each other inside Hell in a Cell last week, with Becky Lynch coming out on top. While it could be argued that Banks should have gone over in that match since she hasn't had a major victory following her return, WWE now has the task to rebuild her somewhat-lost momentum.
The best way to do that would be to draft her to the blue brand - and there are many reasons to do that other than the fact that her hair color has SmackDown written all over it. Even though she lost her feud with Becky, fans were very impressed with her heel work as well as the amazing matches that she put on - with many even calling her the best bumper that the Women's division has ever seen.
A move to Friday Night SmackDown could open up multiple possibilities for the future of the Boss including an old revisited rivalry against the current SmackDown Women's Champion, Charlotte, but with the roles reversed this time. Will it be Boss Time on Friday Nights?
What are your predictions for the coming WWE Draft? Let us know in the comments section below.
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