I know wrestling is staged combat. With that said, I like it when they go "real."
I love drafts. I don't write that often but whenever there is a PBA Draft, I use a pen instead of a laptop because sometimes analog is better than digital.
I like how the champions are protected. The draft is staged to improve the rosters, but unlike the other wrestling sites, I don't like the idea of blowing up a roster for a new one. I like the idea of Night One where they kept their stars and accepted the consequences of their actions.
Smackdown had to sacrifice Bron Breakker to keep Randy Orton.
That's a good story.
With that said, there are other things that I did not like.
Raw was able to get 54 personalities as compared to Smackdown's 41. There are about 20 undrafted main roster stars including Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, The Rock, Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, Uncle Howdy, and Alexa Bliss. I know Raw is three hours, but it feels like Smackdown is going to spam The Bloodline storyline and the ascension of Cody Rhodes as THE champion. I am not hating on these two main points, but they need strength in their secondary feuds and I think a team like The New Day could help.
I don't hate gutting NXT because, after all, it is doing its main purpose. With that said, the storyline behind Roxanne Perez is making me wonder that all Performance Center athletes must at least have that similar mindset. NXT needs to have a draft combine (like Stand and Deliver) where their main focus is to impress the higher-ups.
Because here's the thing - instead of them clapping at Blair Davenport, long-time mainstays like Andre Chase, Duke Hudson, Jacy Jayne, Gigi Dolin, Joe Gacy, Wes Lee, and Tony D'Angelo must be pissed as to why they have yet to get main roster action.
Anyway, here are the picks.
RAW
NIGHT 1
NIGHT 2
KEPT | ACQUIRED |
|---|---|
#1 IMPERIUM (Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser) | #3 DAMAGE CTRL (Iyo Sky, Dakota Kai, Asuka, and Kairi Sane) (SMACKDOWN) |
#5 CM PUNK | #9 LATINO WORLD ORDER (Rey Mysterio, Dragon Lee, Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro, Zelina Vega, and Carlito) (SMACKDOWN) |
#7 BRAUN STROWMAN | #15 ILJA DRAGUNOV (NXT) |
#11 DREW MCINTYRE | #19 LYRA VALKYRIA (NXT) |
#13 THE JUDGMENT DAY (Finn Balor, Dirty Dominik Mysterio, JD McDonagh) | #21 THE FINAL TESTAMENT (Karrion Kross, Akam, Rezar, Scarlett, and Paul Ellering) (SMACKDOWN) |
#17 THE NEW DAY (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) | #27 DIJAK (NXT) |
#23 BRONSON REED | #31 NEW CATCH REPUBLIC (Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate) |
#26 DIAMOND MINE (Brutus Creed, Julius Creed, and Ivy Nile) | |
#29 KAYDEN CARTER AND KATANA CHANCE | |
#30 NATALYA | |
#32 ODYSSEY JONES |
SMACKDOWN
NIGHT 1
KEPT | ACQUIRED |
|---|---|
#1 BIANCA BELAIR | #3 CARMELO HAYES (NXT) |
#5 RANDY ORTON | #7 NIA JAX (RAW) |
#10 LA KNIGHT | #15 ANDRADE (RAW) |
#11 THE BLOODLINE (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Paul Heyman) | #18 BARON CORBIN (NXT) |
#13 AJ STYLES | |
#19 CEDRIC ALEXANDER AND ASHANTE "THEE" ADONIS | |
#22 THE OC (Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, and Michin) |
NIGHT 2
KEPT | ACQUIRED |
|---|---|
#2 JADE CARGILL | #12 SHINSUKE NAKAMURA (RAW) |
#4 KEVIN OWENS | #16 CHELSEA GREEN AND PIPER NIVEN (RAW) |
#6 THE PRIDE (Bobby Lashley, Angelo Dawkins, Montez Ford, and B-Fab) | #20 THE WAY (Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell) (RAW) |
#8 TIFFANY STRATTON | #22 DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) (RAW) |
#10 LEGADO DEL FANTASMA (Santos Escobar, Angel, Berto, and Elektra Lopez) | #24 BLAIR DAVENPORT (NXT) |
#14 NAOMI | #25 APOLLO CREWS (RAW) |
#18 PRETTY DEADLY (Kit Wilson and Elton Prince) | #28 GIOVANNI VINCI (RAW) |
#33 TEGAN NOX (RAW) |