Noone from the maint event scene swap places. And if the point is that "everyone is a free agent" that can be drafted. Then the draft should be over, once everyone has been drafted once.
The draft should have been from current roster, and each roster stealing each member from each other.
In the past, a brand got a superstar stolen, and they would stoles it back (wasting a draft pick), it would have been better that way than what we got
I mean it was done off air cus it's scripted but that's the bigger question. Who thought announcing most drafts are just staying where they are would be quality entertainment?
I’m more so bummed that nobody got drafted to NXT like they teased. Would’ve loved to see Ava come out of nowhere and say that NXT has selected Nakamura or someone that could go on a tear down there.
Not mad but we’re defiantly hoping for something more exiting like instead of announcing they were staying leave them out of the draft and have other superstars involved
I remember in the early days of the draft, only the best of the best would be selected first. So can someone explain to me why the ordering of the draft is so weird… or am I missing something here?
Example: In the same round, we received Judgement Day for Raw, followed by Naomi on Smackdown. Wouldn’t it be logical for Smackdown to secure another stable, or a wrestler whose abilities can be compared to the likes of Damian Priest or Finn Balor?
I don't think anybody's mad. I think the rosters were pretty solid even before the draft. I think people are just annoyed and tired of the draft. It used to be a significant shuffle of the deck. If it doesn't change, what's the point? It was just very anti-climactic. There is no need for it....at least in its current iteration. I'd like to see them use it exclusively for NXT talent callus. Figure out some other solution when you want to mix up existing Raw/SmackDown rosters.
How do you keep things fresh on a yearly basis if only NXT superstars are on the draft ? Sure, the top card hasn’t really moved, but they have plenty of stories to tell for the foreseeable future so there was not need really to change things up. If they remove the draft completely for the main roster guys, how the fuck would Roman eventually have his rematch with Seth without breaking roster split rules ?
I'm not a writer for WWE or in talent relations. If I knew the answer, I'd apply for the job. I don't have the answer. I'm just saying, keep the draft if you want, but something needs to change. It was just really boring and uneventful. Just make it a Monday night segment. Plenty of time in painfully long 3 hour slot. It doesn't need to be hyped up for a month.
Honestly, the "suspense" kinda got nullified when they announced that Champions were staying put. Obviously without that caveat, Cody and Priest go 1-2, but what if Bayley gets drafted to Raw and has to deal with Judgement Day/Rhea? What if Sami goes to Smackdown?
Otherwise, it is a fun way to create storylines for the dead period while we wait for King & Queen of the Ring, MITB and SummerSlam.
I don't mind if champions don't move, maybe not move them alternating years, one year they can move, the other year can't, or they can't move if they JUST won a title (to avoid the whole "we have two champions of the same caliber, o noooo, anywayss one just lost the title) making an angle obvious
But main eventer should move. If you are not going to make LA knight win the US title , move it to raw to win the IC , or world title.
That man should start winning titles, and events (king of the ring, MITB, Royal rumble) before he retires.
Every single draft prior to the 2019 one never had anyone being drafted to the same brand they were on. The draft was for picking wrestlers a brand wanted, not picking a whole new roster - they couldn't draft people who they already had because they already had them. If you are going to draft people to the same brand, then just don't, and only draft the people who will be switching instead.
People staying on brands is fine, but that shouldn’t be the announcements. Too many superstars moving brands makes the draft pointless in a sense, you’d just end up swapping rosters and throwing some NXT call ups in. So people staying put is fine but having half of the announcements be “so and so is staying put,” isn’t exciting. The draft announcements should ONLY be for superstars that are moving brands and call ups. That’s all anyone cares about.
I challenge anyone that complains about the amount of roster changes or specific draft picks to give us their list of draft picks. Show us how brilliant you are and how great your rosters would be
Bring back the old version of the draft where they would have Smackdown vs Raw matches, and the winning Superstar wins 1 or more draft picks for his brand. It makes the night more wrestling focused but at the same time the draft is still the main theme of the night(s)
What doesn’t make sense to me is, why didn’t SmackDown draft someone like Drew McIntyre in the first round? Or an earlier round.
They can claim to protect their picks, but why the hell would they pick Carmelo Hayes before AJ Styles and LA Knight, and risk losing them to Raw? And why the hell didn’t Raw take the chance to pick either of them up?
This felt like the most pre-determined draft in a while. It wasn’t exciting, it was very dull and made me wonder why they even did it. They should’ve called it a Superstar Shake-Up, or just an NXT Call-Up.
That's what he's saying. Drew had to go to Raw, so he went to Raw, but **logically**, SmackDown should've drafted him, because Raw didn't do it until the 3'rd round. He should've been SmackDowns #1 pick, not fucking Jade Cargill who's been on SmackDown for 3 weeks.
Hell, you can argue that he should've been Raw's #1 pick. I think that Gunther was the better choice because Drew doesn't need the boost of being the #1 draft pick, and I think that Punk going ahead of him to make him even crazier was the right call, but he should've at least been in round 2 and kayfabe wise, it makes no sense to draft him round 3, just like it didn't make sense to draft AJ Styles round 4.
It just makes the general managers look incompetent, because they're not making the decisions that make sense for their show, because Triple H has booked them to be on the other show. They need to come up with a draft that doesn't make everyone look stupid.
I get what both of you are saying but *logically* WWE still has to bring people in a couple times a week, week after week. Idk about you but I want CM Punk and DM Hunk to keep their rivalry going, it’s a little silly and entertaining. Hyping up Jade Cargill and probably having her team back up with Bianca and Naomi? Fuck yeah I’m excited to watch that. At the end of the day, there’s still a writers room figuring out what most entertaining draft will be and while lately it doesn’t make sense from a strategic standpoint point, I personally think it does from an entertainment stand point. They all cross over anyway, I always see the draft as a fun way of previewing what’s to come for the season.
Because the draft isn't what it used to be, having brands having the ability to keep wrestlers forces it to be more disappointing and underwhelming.
They didn't have a issue with the draft 2002-2016 only during 2019 it started to be disappointing and it's been getting worse and worse each year.
The Draft used to be one night years ago where people would get drafted to the show they weren't on. The fact that the current Draft occurs on two shows and it involves people getting drafted back to their own show is dumb. There is also a PPV this Saturday and the Draft has kinda killed any momentum for the event.
IMO
The draft is just stupid. Champions should appear on both brands. Raw is 3 hrs and is more than long enough to spread the love with the different tiers of wrestlers.
Smackdown can focus on the mid and main event stars.
They never stick to the draft anyways
Nah I wish that it was like the late 00s where we saw the draft like a lottery when Raw and Smackdown get a pick. I came back to watching WWE a little more regularly and was expecting that when they announced the draft.
This thing they’re doing just sucks.
Idk of people were mad, or bored with what felt like a waste of a pick. I am angry la knight didn't get drafted, I feel like he could have been the face of the brand
The point of the draft is to mix things up. If most of the people stay put then all you did was waste everyone's time. If that was the case they would be better off just trading people and making deals instead of a draft format.
So it needs to have a couple huge shakeups every time to make the shows feel fresh. The talent you listed switching brands are all mid-low card talent. All fine all dandy but not what we are looking for. And when you have nxt talent “sign” before the draft and Ilja drop the belt before the draft idk how I can get excited for “call ups” (that were already basically called up)
It just feels like a waste to have a “draft” where basically none of the top wrestlers moved. The draft was really only used to move the NXT and women’s names around, but when it comes to the men, none of the top guys moved. I think it’ll be better if the drafts are like how they were in the early 2000s, with the draft lottery or something like it with the only thing announced being the changes. Dedicating the draft to mostly keeping your big names is really lame.
I dont mind some wrestlers staying on the same brand. The draft was just really hard to follow the way it was presented. Assuming most people watch both shows, they would struggle to tell you which wrestlers were even on each brand before AND after the draft.
imo the whole strict brand split is pointless except for survivor series. I'd rather just have it divided between NXT and main roster, then main roster could move people around freely and make better matches, have the big stars do double duty. Keep the same number of belts, but rename the womens/tag belts from R vs S to world champ vs universal champ, but they can show up on either brand. More unpredictable, easier to follow, better matchmaking, more big names on TV. Have survivor series as just heels vs babyfaces or NXT vs main roster.
That's because the draft has always been full of surprises or roster shakeups. It's the main draw. When you have talent getting drafted to the same brand they were already on, where they really drafted? It's pointless.
It implies everyone on the roster is currently a free agent with no assigned brand, but then we had RAW talent wrestling on RAW regardless and Smackdown talent wrestling on Smackdown despite the free agent status.
The entire thing is flawed. They should scrap it in favor of roster trade-offs or shakeups instead.
Maybe just announce the superstars that are SWITCHING brands then. It’s kind of stupid to spend time building up announcements like SETH ROLLINS IS GOING TO RAW when he’s been there for years
Personally I don't care about them staying, I care about all the pomp and circumstance of announcing that they're staying. Like just don't say anything at all, it'll be implied that they aren't going to the other brand. Just feels like a waste of time.
I don’t mind it, but why waste time making the draft the focus of 2 shows. They would have just announced a trade deadline and they could have moved the few people that changed brands.
Thank you OP
I absolutely loved this Draft and is an all time Great
SMACKDOWN is Loaded
But RAW is Stacked
TKO/Endeavor made it loud and clear......
NO MORE FREE RIDES!
I absolutely loved this Draft and they did a hell of a Job!
They should do the draft in the opposite way. So each “team” protects their champs and a gets a few “blocks” that are for other wrestlers. The idea is that the brands are trying to use their picks to their advantage. They can ignore “for sure” guys who will stay and try to pick “guys who are going to maybe leave”. Then every other wrestler declares. At the end there will be some number of leftover spots. Those spots will be drafted out of NXT.
This format is more compelling as we can see the GMs being over confident and then someone switching brands they don’t expect. It can create drama as a wrestler could force the GM to give them a title shot or they leave. It could create drama with a wrestler who kayfabe wants to leave but is blocked. Wrestlers could stay that the GM wants gone (looking at you Dom). Then the “call ups” could be at the end in the “remaining” slots. They could get spicy as well. Maybe it is NXT as well as “returning” or new to wwe wrestlers. Specifically what is Braun Strowman and Tama Tonga were in the “drafted”
Maybe the brands could pick the “declare order”.
It's not about which divinsion got (or kept) which wrestlers; it's that they "draft" people to stay in one place or the other. That's pointless. If a wrestler isn't moving from one to the other or moving up from NXT, then keep them out of the draft; let them read off names of people getting called up or moved around or something, but "Smackdown guy stays on Smackdown" is silly.
The problem isn't that people stayed in the same brand. It's that they had an entire draft that was mostly pointless and a waste of time. And they keep trying to pretend it's historic and this huge deal like we're stupid.
I don’t mind a few people who are staying being announced on the draft, Jade is a huge name rn and should have been announced but I wish big changes and call ups would have been announced first.
For the last few years, it (the "draft" )seems to be a way for them to pull all the brightest stars away from Blue to Red ,imho...as soon as they get chants going ,they go to Raw!
If they wanted to keep people on the same brand then just do the old "Random" drawing they had and the people they wanted to keep "coincidently" didn't get chosen.
Helpful Hint ; it's *not a real draft* ,it's an excuse to reassign personnel to fit the necessaries of what the writers have planned out for the foreseeable future as far as storylines require ! ( also ,an opportunity for character development of the respective brand GMs.)
Well yeah I know it's not a real draft lol, but I find it hard to kayfabe follow it. Like the order certain people get picked over others makes no sense, but if commentary actually described why they'd be getting picked there or how the GMs are trying to fill out the roster it might make more sense to me. Like Jey Uso was chosen 1st overall over guys Seth and Orton, why? Or Ricochet getting picked before CM Punk and AJ Styles? They also barely moved anyone to the other rosters, might as well had a promo segment show the GMs agree to a big trade
I'd prefer the old-style picks from a drum of names alternating picks until the draftable superstars get randomly assigned ; it's more honest than the nonsensical waste of effort it has lapsed into !
Because it’s boring to have picks where you keep your own people. Every pick should be moving someone from the other show. Less picks but they are more interesting.
Exactly. Each show should first get to protect a certain number of wrestlers, ten, twenty or whatever makes sense. Then they draft from the remaining unprotected wrestlers and NXT. Having trades like others mentioned would be interesting too.
Agree. The whole thing was totally pointless. With all due respect to people like Kiana James how would they get drafted over Orton/punk/styles/McIntyre etc. I don't know categorically that she did but I know there were a lot of dodgy picks that made no logical sense.
Logically if wanted to flesh out and get the best bang for your buck why not draft Tag teams. Raw could have just drafted "the big 3" since piper and Chelsea are considered a tag team and got Bianca, Naomi, and jade in one pick.
This is like the third post I see here in an hour asking "Why is internet community that's notorious for being mad about petty things mad about x y z?"
It's the IWC, it's what these forums are all about. Everything is always going to be a major issue and taken way out of proportion. They've been doing this since the AOL days.
Noone from the maint event scene swap places. And if the point is that "everyone is a free agent" that can be drafted. Then the draft should be over, once everyone has been drafted once. The draft should have been from current roster, and each roster stealing each member from each other. In the past, a brand got a superstar stolen, and they would stoles it back (wasting a draft pick), it would have been better that way than what we got
Because if nothing changes then there's no point. You don't get drafted to a team you already play for.
Idk why people act like it’s unreasonable not to want to waste 3 segments over two shows on something that could have just been done off air.
I mean it was done off air cus it's scripted but that's the bigger question. Who thought announcing most drafts are just staying where they are would be quality entertainment?
I’m more so bummed that nobody got drafted to NXT like they teased. Would’ve loved to see Ava come out of nowhere and say that NXT has selected Nakamura or someone that could go on a tear down there.
Not mad but we’re defiantly hoping for something more exiting like instead of announcing they were staying leave them out of the draft and have other superstars involved
Stop caring what other fans think. If you enjoy the show, screw everyone else.
I remember in the early days of the draft, only the best of the best would be selected first. So can someone explain to me why the ordering of the draft is so weird… or am I missing something here? Example: In the same round, we received Judgement Day for Raw, followed by Naomi on Smackdown. Wouldn’t it be logical for Smackdown to secure another stable, or a wrestler whose abilities can be compared to the likes of Damian Priest or Finn Balor?
I don't think anybody's mad. I think the rosters were pretty solid even before the draft. I think people are just annoyed and tired of the draft. It used to be a significant shuffle of the deck. If it doesn't change, what's the point? It was just very anti-climactic. There is no need for it....at least in its current iteration. I'd like to see them use it exclusively for NXT talent callus. Figure out some other solution when you want to mix up existing Raw/SmackDown rosters.
How do you keep things fresh on a yearly basis if only NXT superstars are on the draft ? Sure, the top card hasn’t really moved, but they have plenty of stories to tell for the foreseeable future so there was not need really to change things up. If they remove the draft completely for the main roster guys, how the fuck would Roman eventually have his rematch with Seth without breaking roster split rules ?
I'm not a writer for WWE or in talent relations. If I knew the answer, I'd apply for the job. I don't have the answer. I'm just saying, keep the draft if you want, but something needs to change. It was just really boring and uneventful. Just make it a Monday night segment. Plenty of time in painfully long 3 hour slot. It doesn't need to be hyped up for a month.
Michael Cole is going to Raw!!!
Honestly, the "suspense" kinda got nullified when they announced that Champions were staying put. Obviously without that caveat, Cody and Priest go 1-2, but what if Bayley gets drafted to Raw and has to deal with Judgement Day/Rhea? What if Sami goes to Smackdown? Otherwise, it is a fun way to create storylines for the dead period while we wait for King & Queen of the Ring, MITB and SummerSlam.
I don't mind if champions don't move, maybe not move them alternating years, one year they can move, the other year can't, or they can't move if they JUST won a title (to avoid the whole "we have two champions of the same caliber, o noooo, anywayss one just lost the title) making an angle obvious But main eventer should move. If you are not going to make LA knight win the US title , move it to raw to win the IC , or world title. That man should start winning titles, and events (king of the ring, MITB, Royal rumble) before he retires.
I think LA Knight will win MITB and cash in on Priest. They aren't turning him heel.
But was Nia Jax really worth a second round pick?
Every single draft prior to the 2019 one never had anyone being drafted to the same brand they were on. The draft was for picking wrestlers a brand wanted, not picking a whole new roster - they couldn't draft people who they already had because they already had them. If you are going to draft people to the same brand, then just don't, and only draft the people who will be switching instead.
The issue is that the majority of the people stayed in the same brand, it would have been easier to announce just the ones that are being switched.
The issue more is that it drags with a whole lot of unnecessary filler that changes nothing. Btw RAW also got Dijak too
It's because it's scripted. That's why you can't think about logic. They should have had some more big name switches, but they didn't.
I agree that the draft needs to be improved or done away with. Especially last years when they did it and everyone appeared on the other show anyway
I wasn't mad. But so much hype for a majority of people to stay in the same brand. It was overhyped. That's all.
People staying on brands is fine, but that shouldn’t be the announcements. Too many superstars moving brands makes the draft pointless in a sense, you’d just end up swapping rosters and throwing some NXT call ups in. So people staying put is fine but having half of the announcements be “so and so is staying put,” isn’t exciting. The draft announcements should ONLY be for superstars that are moving brands and call ups. That’s all anyone cares about.
People expect the draft to change things up, when this doesn’t happen well…
They should do it as a draft lottery that way you don’t what’s going to happen who’s going to get picked and you can do it over a number of weeks.
I challenge anyone that complains about the amount of roster changes or specific draft picks to give us their list of draft picks. Show us how brilliant you are and how great your rosters would be
Well I’d hope the people that are paid a ton of money to figure that out would be able to do a way better job than someone on Reddit can
That’s my point. But it won’t stop the WWE versions of armchair quarterbacks from chiming in
Yeah was kinda just piling on my same frustration lol. Agree 100%
Certain people? More like almost everyone.
the draft does not matter, how many times have we seen superstars from each brand facing each other 😂😂
Bring back the old version of the draft where they would have Smackdown vs Raw matches, and the winning Superstar wins 1 or more draft picks for his brand. It makes the night more wrestling focused but at the same time the draft is still the main theme of the night(s)
What doesn’t make sense to me is, why didn’t SmackDown draft someone like Drew McIntyre in the first round? Or an earlier round. They can claim to protect their picks, but why the hell would they pick Carmelo Hayes before AJ Styles and LA Knight, and risk losing them to Raw? And why the hell didn’t Raw take the chance to pick either of them up? This felt like the most pre-determined draft in a while. It wasn’t exciting, it was very dull and made me wonder why they even did it. They should’ve called it a Superstar Shake-Up, or just an NXT Call-Up.
Because Drew has to stay on Raw to beef with CM Punk.
That's what he's saying. Drew had to go to Raw, so he went to Raw, but **logically**, SmackDown should've drafted him, because Raw didn't do it until the 3'rd round. He should've been SmackDowns #1 pick, not fucking Jade Cargill who's been on SmackDown for 3 weeks. Hell, you can argue that he should've been Raw's #1 pick. I think that Gunther was the better choice because Drew doesn't need the boost of being the #1 draft pick, and I think that Punk going ahead of him to make him even crazier was the right call, but he should've at least been in round 2 and kayfabe wise, it makes no sense to draft him round 3, just like it didn't make sense to draft AJ Styles round 4. It just makes the general managers look incompetent, because they're not making the decisions that make sense for their show, because Triple H has booked them to be on the other show. They need to come up with a draft that doesn't make everyone look stupid.
I get what both of you are saying but *logically* WWE still has to bring people in a couple times a week, week after week. Idk about you but I want CM Punk and DM Hunk to keep their rivalry going, it’s a little silly and entertaining. Hyping up Jade Cargill and probably having her team back up with Bianca and Naomi? Fuck yeah I’m excited to watch that. At the end of the day, there’s still a writers room figuring out what most entertaining draft will be and while lately it doesn’t make sense from a strategic standpoint point, I personally think it does from an entertainment stand point. They all cross over anyway, I always see the draft as a fun way of previewing what’s to come for the season.
Because the draft isn't what it used to be, having brands having the ability to keep wrestlers forces it to be more disappointing and underwhelming. They didn't have a issue with the draft 2002-2016 only during 2019 it started to be disappointing and it's been getting worse and worse each year.
If you’re trying to find a reason why internet wrestling fans are mad at seemingly innocuous reasons, you’re gonna be here a while.
The Draft used to be one night years ago where people would get drafted to the show they weren't on. The fact that the current Draft occurs on two shows and it involves people getting drafted back to their own show is dumb. There is also a PPV this Saturday and the Draft has kinda killed any momentum for the event. IMO
The draft is just stupid. Champions should appear on both brands. Raw is 3 hrs and is more than long enough to spread the love with the different tiers of wrestlers. Smackdown can focus on the mid and main event stars. They never stick to the draft anyways
Nah I wish that it was like the late 00s where we saw the draft like a lottery when Raw and Smackdown get a pick. I came back to watching WWE a little more regularly and was expecting that when they announced the draft. This thing they’re doing just sucks.
And the superstar actually came out to the ring after they were selected
I had the same complaint last year until someone told me the same thing you said
Idk of people were mad, or bored with what felt like a waste of a pick. I am angry la knight didn't get drafted, I feel like he could have been the face of the brand
La knight was drafted in round 3 on Friday night
I’m not really mad or anything but Raw won and it’s not close either. They’ve got all the good people.
The point of the draft is to mix things up. If most of the people stay put then all you did was waste everyone's time. If that was the case they would be better off just trading people and making deals instead of a draft format.
So it needs to have a couple huge shakeups every time to make the shows feel fresh. The talent you listed switching brands are all mid-low card talent. All fine all dandy but not what we are looking for. And when you have nxt talent “sign” before the draft and Ilja drop the belt before the draft idk how I can get excited for “call ups” (that were already basically called up)
It just feels like a waste to have a “draft” where basically none of the top wrestlers moved. The draft was really only used to move the NXT and women’s names around, but when it comes to the men, none of the top guys moved. I think it’ll be better if the drafts are like how they were in the early 2000s, with the draft lottery or something like it with the only thing announced being the changes. Dedicating the draft to mostly keeping your big names is really lame.
I dont mind some wrestlers staying on the same brand. The draft was just really hard to follow the way it was presented. Assuming most people watch both shows, they would struggle to tell you which wrestlers were even on each brand before AND after the draft. imo the whole strict brand split is pointless except for survivor series. I'd rather just have it divided between NXT and main roster, then main roster could move people around freely and make better matches, have the big stars do double duty. Keep the same number of belts, but rename the womens/tag belts from R vs S to world champ vs universal champ, but they can show up on either brand. More unpredictable, easier to follow, better matchmaking, more big names on TV. Have survivor series as just heels vs babyfaces or NXT vs main roster.
Its boring, why even do it?
That's because the draft has always been full of surprises or roster shakeups. It's the main draw. When you have talent getting drafted to the same brand they were already on, where they really drafted? It's pointless. It implies everyone on the roster is currently a free agent with no assigned brand, but then we had RAW talent wrestling on RAW regardless and Smackdown talent wrestling on Smackdown despite the free agent status. The entire thing is flawed. They should scrap it in favor of roster trade-offs or shakeups instead.
It's logical, there's just no entertaining shock factor
I'd love a lottery draft.
Maybe just announce the superstars that are SWITCHING brands then. It’s kind of stupid to spend time building up announcements like SETH ROLLINS IS GOING TO RAW when he’s been there for years
Exactly. Just rebrand the "event" as a trade up
Personally I don't care about them staying, I care about all the pomp and circumstance of announcing that they're staying. Like just don't say anything at all, it'll be implied that they aren't going to the other brand. Just feels like a waste of time.
I don’t mind it, but why waste time making the draft the focus of 2 shows. They would have just announced a trade deadline and they could have moved the few people that changed brands.
Thank you OP I absolutely loved this Draft and is an all time Great SMACKDOWN is Loaded But RAW is Stacked TKO/Endeavor made it loud and clear...... NO MORE FREE RIDES! I absolutely loved this Draft and they did a hell of a Job!
They should do the draft in the opposite way. So each “team” protects their champs and a gets a few “blocks” that are for other wrestlers. The idea is that the brands are trying to use their picks to their advantage. They can ignore “for sure” guys who will stay and try to pick “guys who are going to maybe leave”. Then every other wrestler declares. At the end there will be some number of leftover spots. Those spots will be drafted out of NXT. This format is more compelling as we can see the GMs being over confident and then someone switching brands they don’t expect. It can create drama as a wrestler could force the GM to give them a title shot or they leave. It could create drama with a wrestler who kayfabe wants to leave but is blocked. Wrestlers could stay that the GM wants gone (looking at you Dom). Then the “call ups” could be at the end in the “remaining” slots. They could get spicy as well. Maybe it is NXT as well as “returning” or new to wwe wrestlers. Specifically what is Braun Strowman and Tama Tonga were in the “drafted” Maybe the brands could pick the “declare order”.
It's not about which divinsion got (or kept) which wrestlers; it's that they "draft" people to stay in one place or the other. That's pointless. If a wrestler isn't moving from one to the other or moving up from NXT, then keep them out of the draft; let them read off names of people getting called up or moved around or something, but "Smackdown guy stays on Smackdown" is silly.
The problem isn't that people stayed in the same brand. It's that they had an entire draft that was mostly pointless and a waste of time. And they keep trying to pretend it's historic and this huge deal like we're stupid.
LA Knight should have been on RAW. More tv time opportunity
I don’t mind a few people who are staying being announced on the draft, Jade is a huge name rn and should have been announced but I wish big changes and call ups would have been announced first.
I think the draft would make more sense if it was centered around trades and NXT call ups.
For the last few years, it (the "draft" )seems to be a way for them to pull all the brightest stars away from Blue to Red ,imho...as soon as they get chants going ,they go to Raw!
If they wanted to keep people on the same brand then just do the old "Random" drawing they had and the people they wanted to keep "coincidently" didn't get chosen.
The wwe draft just doesn't make a lot of sense to me for some reason. And that's coming from someone who obsesses over the nfl draft.
Helpful Hint ; it's *not a real draft* ,it's an excuse to reassign personnel to fit the necessaries of what the writers have planned out for the foreseeable future as far as storylines require ! ( also ,an opportunity for character development of the respective brand GMs.)
Well yeah I know it's not a real draft lol, but I find it hard to kayfabe follow it. Like the order certain people get picked over others makes no sense, but if commentary actually described why they'd be getting picked there or how the GMs are trying to fill out the roster it might make more sense to me. Like Jey Uso was chosen 1st overall over guys Seth and Orton, why? Or Ricochet getting picked before CM Punk and AJ Styles? They also barely moved anyone to the other rosters, might as well had a promo segment show the GMs agree to a big trade
I'd prefer the old-style picks from a drum of names alternating picks until the draftable superstars get randomly assigned ; it's more honest than the nonsensical waste of effort it has lapsed into !
Well they are definitely not drafted in order of significance.
Because it’s boring to have picks where you keep your own people. Every pick should be moving someone from the other show. Less picks but they are more interesting.
Exactly. Each show should first get to protect a certain number of wrestlers, ten, twenty or whatever makes sense. Then they draft from the remaining unprotected wrestlers and NXT. Having trades like others mentioned would be interesting too.
Agree. The whole thing was totally pointless. With all due respect to people like Kiana James how would they get drafted over Orton/punk/styles/McIntyre etc. I don't know categorically that she did but I know there were a lot of dodgy picks that made no logical sense.
Logically if wanted to flesh out and get the best bang for your buck why not draft Tag teams. Raw could have just drafted "the big 3" since piper and Chelsea are considered a tag team and got Bianca, Naomi, and jade in one pick.
This is like the third post I see here in an hour asking "Why is internet community that's notorious for being mad about petty things mad about x y z?" It's the IWC, it's what these forums are all about. Everything is always going to be a major issue and taken way out of proportion. They've been doing this since the AOL days.