The readers came out in force to let us know how they thought the 2007 Draft Lottery should pan out. So prepare for a long one, because it's time to you to have your say!
Dan: Hello, loyal readers, and welcome to another edition of The Fink's Payload, the only column that depends on your ideas to keep going. Tonight on Raw, we'll see this years' WWE Draft where Superstars from Raw, SmackDown, and ECW will gather, and anyone of them could be sent to a different show. Last week, we asked you to send in your thoughts on who should be sent where and we received an overwhelming response. We'll get to those ideas in a minute but first, introductions! I'm Daniel Wilcox – I screw people over on a regular basis and I'm also your Live Raw Reporter! Joining me this week is…
Rob: Rob Halden, King Of The Idiots!
and…
Ryan: It's good to be here, Dan. This column seems like the Missy Hyat of 411. . . everybody gets a turn. I'm glad to finally have mine. I just hope to not be labelled the Simon Cowell of Fink's Payload.
Dan: Unfortunately Matt could not be with us this week as he is away all weekend, but we'd like to thank Ryan for filling in. Thanks Ryan.
And now onto your ideas. Being that the rules for this year's Draft are a little sketchy (how many people get moved, who makes the picks, are they random? Etc…) we got a ton of variety as to how the draft is laid out, so this should all be very interesting. First up is regular Payloader Angelo Velotta who goes a little further than just stating who goes where.
Once again it's draft time in the WWE, and in my eyes this is very much needed. The big questions surrounding the draft are who goes where, and how many people actually will get drafted elsewhere? I think the only fair way for each of the three brands, and for the only way to keep it in control is two picks for each draft. Raw will receive one ECW pick, and one Smackdown pick. ECW will receive one Raw pick and one Smackdown pick, and Smackdown will receive one ECW pick and one Raw pick. With that all explained here are my picks for the draft lottery:
Raw
From ECW-CM Punk
From Smackdown-Chris Benoit
ECW
From Raw-Carlito
From Smackdown-Rey Mysterio
Smackdown
From Raw-Chris Masters
From ECW-RVD
From the draft I would then send Benoit into the Main Event scene and feud with Orton for a while. In the meantime, Punk would be immediately interjected into the IC picture. Have Punk get in a little competition styled feud with Marella, leading to Punk taking the IC title strap. As for Benoit, after a nice couple month feud with Orton, have Cena come into the picture with an intriguing match of Cena/Benoit. HHH returns to feud with Orton. From that point have Benoit eventually win the title from Cena ending his long title reign. In the meantime keep Punk strong with a few IC feuds as he holds the title. Michaels returns shortly after that and get in an injury return feud with Orton. This leads Cena and HHH to rekindle their feud, and eventually build-up the World Title vs. IC Title match in Punk vs. Benoit. In the Punk vs. Benoit feud I would have Punk go up to Benoit backstage and say that he has a great deal of respect for Benoit and his World Title. But the one he things he says he is more about then respect is his addiction to competition. He challenges Benoit title vs. title. Benoit accepts and tells Punk he admires the kid's love for this sport, but he's in for a war not a competition. The first time these two lock up they fight in a singles match with Benoit getting Punk in the Crossface but Punk refusing to tap. Benoit ends up winning via ref stoppage around 24 minutes in. The next time the two fight Punk gets Benoit in the Anaconda Vice but Benoit refuses to tap. Right when the ref is going to issue ref stoppage Benoit rolls out and immediately locks on the Crossface again getting Punk to tap out at about 24 minutes in again. Punk then claims he is fighting such an experienced warrior and says he is going to train for Benoit harder then anything before. Months then go by before the next match and this time we see the return of the Lion's Den Match. This is a sheer classic with Punk hitting Benoit with three Go To Sleep's in a row getting the victory over Benoit and winning the world title. From here we would see a classic long-term feud with Punk and Cena, as Punk goes heel after the title win.
As for ECW, have Carlito join the new breed as Burke hails him as the next breakout star. To prove himself, Carlito takes out Striker. So Carlito, Cor Von, and Burke remain dominant first feuding off with the remaining ECW originals and completely wiping them out of ECW. From that point have a pissed off Striker turn good and team up with The Majors Brothers, and ensue a feud with the New Breed. In the meantime, Rey Mysterio is interjected right into the Main Event Scene and gets in a feud with Snitsky for awhile. Rey becomes the first person in ECW to finally overtake Snitsky after a little feud, and then gets into things with Lashley. Going in they are both faces, but after Rey finally beats Lashley for the title, Lashley snaps and turns heel. They then continue their feud for a while but now it is more meaningful. Eventually, the New Breed become a dominant faction in ECW taking out people left and right. The only problem becomes they all want title shots. Burke kicks out Carlito, fearing he is going to ruin their group altogether and brainwash Cor Von. A feud is set then between Burke and Carlito with Cor Von taking Carlito's side only for Carlito not to care. A nice three way feud is developed with each of them picking up essential wins. Cor Von turns face, while Burke and Carlito remain heels. Cor Von ends up winning a number 1 contender match, as heel Lashley has won the title back. Cor Von and Lashley can then feud over the title, leaving Burke, Rey and Carlito to evoke some good matches in the meantime.
And last but not least is Smackdown. Masters starts off the same way dominating people with his Masterlock Challenge. Finally on open challenge everyone is shocked when "The World's Strongest Man" Mark Henry answers the call. The fans really are out of it considering they don't like either man. Masters defeats Henry in the challenge but Henry gets up and starts destroying Masters with multiple slams and chair shots. The next week Masters who is bruised and battered said he has never encountered such a monster, and that he needs the fans support in his upcoming battle against Henry. Henry and Masters continue their feud for a while with Henry just destroying Masters for a while as Masters slowly gains the fans support and eventually defeats Henry and becomes a full fledged face. In the meantime RVD debuts in the middle of an Edge vs. Matt Hardy match. (By the way Batista is the champ) RVD attacks Matt Hardy and they lay him out. Edge announces the unlikely alliance between RVD and himself before Jeff Hardy comes out trying to make the save only to get beat down. This is the beginning of a long tag team feud between The Hardys and Edge/Van Dam. The two fight for months, in singles matches, tag matches, and hardcore matches before London and Kendrick get involved complaining they have been trying to get to the titles but this feud has gotten in the way. So you know what we get? a TLC dream match. Londrick actually win the match, as the tag feud continues between the two other teams for a while. Eventually Rvd/Edge break up, and those two feud. Edge gets the upperhand and wins the title back from Batista. Kennedy is back now and he causes all sorts of hell for Edge and those two feud over the title. Taker returns and feuds with Batista. Meanwhile, RVD surprises the world and enters the Cruiserweight division. RVD wins the title and goes onto reshape the whole division.
Dan: I'd prefer to see Punk on SmackDown (I have a feeling I'll be saying that a few times today) although Benoit to Raw is a good move. You made some good choices for the moves to ECW – Carlito in the New Breed would be cool (pardon the pun) and Rey Rey brings some star quality as well as in-ring quality. I'd actually be interested in seeing Mysterio vs. Lashley but it might get a little sloppy at times. However your idea kind of goes to hell when you start talking about SmackDown. Building Masters back up by beating guys with the Masterlock is a simple and fine idea, and you could easily hide his weaknesses with the great workers on the show and make him a believable US title contender in just a few months, but then you book him in a feud with Henry and try to turn him face. Disastrous. Edge and Rob Van Dam teaming up would have worked in 2002, but not now. Why do this anyway? Edge is the top heel in the business and you want to put him in a tag team. You get points for your ECW and half of Raw ideas, but the SmackDown end was poor. Sorry, dude.
Rob: I'm so sick of TLC it makes me want to hurl. And there's no need to actively keep Edge away from the World Title by sticking him in YET ANOTHER tag team. Let the dude shine. ECW doesn't have the roster depth to have any kind of faction or group still, and Mysterio/Lashley would be horrible. Truly horrible. Raw looks really cool and interesting though. Those kinds of concepts like World/IC title matches and the return of a Lion's Den would be awesome, if only the E had that kind of imagination.
Ryan: Unfortunately, we can eliminate the entire Rob Van Dam scenario right now because, by all reports, he's done with the company. The Punk/Benoit scenario sounds fairly intriguing, but, it's a little too similar to the feud that we just saw between MVP and Benoit for my tastes. Personally, I think what Benoit needs to do after the draft is turn heel as opposed to engaging in another "respect" sort of feud. It'd be great if he came to Raw, lost to somebody like Cena in his first match, and then snap due to his frustration with being unable to beat younger stars. After that, he could win a couple of feuds against youngsters and then move on to put over a couple of other relatively fresh faces in IC or World Title feuds. Carlito to ECW is actually a pretty good pick, as to this day I don't think that he has what it takes to make it as a top guy on Raw or Smackdown. ECW is clearly the least important of the three shows, so putting somebody like Carlito there as a top guy is great since he doesn't need to be nearly as good to be the focus of the program.
Dan: Next up we have Corey McCann;
Hey, my name is Corey, and this is my first of hopefully many entries to The Fink's Payload.
Anyways, seeing as we have the draft lottery coming up, I figured that I would share my thoughts on who
should go where, and hopefully, it'll make sense.
At the start of Raw on June 11th, I would have Shane McMahon come out and announce that each brand will get 5 picks each during the course of the night. McMahon will also announce that the remaining superstars not picked will be subject to trades, with the trading deadline being around midnight on Friday. Announcing Raw's picks will be Jonathan Coachman, picking for SmackDown! will be Teddy Long and picking for ECW will be "The Voice of ECW" Joey Styles (as the result of a poll on WWE.com). It is also announced that tag teams
can NOT be split up in the draft, due to last minute lobbying by Cade and Murdoch (in a play on Murdoch's draft views on WWE.com).
Seeing as ECW has the smallest roster, I would have them pick first, followed by SmackDown! followed by Raw. Styles will come out to make the first pick for ECW, which will be former World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio! SmackDown!'s first pick is none other than the former 16 time champ Ric Flair! Finally, Raw takes CM Punk!
ECW's next pick is Chris Masters. SmackDown's next pick is a member of ECW's "New Breed", Marcus Cor Von (I would love to see him be a bodyguard of sorts for MVP or something like that). Raw is next with their pick being Chris Benoit.
Round three of the draft is up next, as ECW picks Umaga (along with Armando Estrada). SmackDown will take, as a unit, Cryme Tyme. And Raw will pick up Matt Hardy (to ensure that he and Jeff stay together).
Round Four will see ECW pick Finlay (along with Hornswoggle), Smackdown take Kevin Thorn and Raw take King Booker.
Round Five will be ECW taking Chavo Guerrero (I'd have him drop the Cruiserweight title to Jimmy Wang Yang on Friday), Smackdown goes with ECW's Major Brothers and Raw picks up The Undertaker to wrap up the broadcast part of the draft.
After that, you could have any number of trades during the rest of the week. But I would definitely shy away from getting the Originals taken off of ECW, and would definitely keep the world champs right where they are.
Dan: I'm not sure if these are random picks or not by the way you've written it but I have to assume they are. And most of them are solid selections, particularly Undertaker to Raw (it's about time he had a change of scenery) and The Major Brothers to SmackDown (bulster the tag division). As I've already mentioned, I'd rather Punk went to SmackDown, but Rey to ECW is a cool idea and leaves loads of possibilities. Solid booking all round here.
Rob: There's some bizarre Chris Masters love this week. Master as ECW's second pick? Really? They pick him over Cena, Undertaker, HBK, HHH…seriously? Okay. Finlay and ECW go together like sex and remorse for me, a great fit. My only problem here is that you seem to have the same Raw bias that McMahon has. Raw gets CM Punk, Chris Benoit, King Booker and the Undertaker. Along with the fact that Cena, HHH, Orton and HBK weren't drafted away from Raw you've sucked all star power from other brands and deposited on Raw. Which is roughly what we'll see tonight anyway, so…well done I guess.
Ryan: You're right, the champs definitely shouldn't be moved this time around. With the double switch of Cena and Batista taking place in the last draft, the gimmick of a guy with a belt moving to a different show has been a bit overdone. Also, this is the second straight e-mail in which somebody has suggested moving Rey Mysterio to ECW. I'm sorry, but I don't see that one happening, nor do I think it should happen. Mysterio has a ready-made feud with Vince McMahon when he comes back from his injury, due to McMahon and Umaga laying him out during his last appearance in San Diego. For that to take place, Rey needs to be on Raw or SD. Yeah, Vinnie Mac has done spots on ECW in the recent past, but he'll want the bulk of the feud to be on a bigger show, as was the case with Lashley. For that reason, if Mysterio is moved anywhere, it needs to be to Raw.
Dan: Next is Aaron;
First, I'm changing the format. Since two of the three shows do not have GM's (I know, Coachman is a Administrative Assistant. Whatever) What we have is the wrestlers going to the ping-pong-ball tumbler and drawing balls colored Red for Raw, Blue for SmackDown and Black for ECW.
Beniot, Mysterio, Hardy Boys and Shane McMahon to ECW- ECW needs another title, the Hardy's ARE "Team Extreme" and we need more originals now that Sabu and RVD are gone... and Shane can friggin' bump for a non-wrestler and seems a natural for the GM role. This is also the token "non-wrestler" move. I think I would have Marella loose the belt and go to ECW as well. He's too good to go back to the minors but he's not ready for Raw yet.
Thorn and Snitsky to Raw to create a stable with Umaga and Viscera. Thorn seemed to do an excellent job of being team leader on SNME. If it wasn't for the fact that the whole idea of the match was to put Kane over, I think that would have been a great three-fourths of a stable. And when was the last Monster Stable???
Cor Von, CM Punk, and Kali to SmackDown. Cor Von is ready for the promotion and CM Punk's only believable chance at a belt is the Cruiserweight. I would also create a monster stable in Smackdown: Kane, Undertaker, Boogeyman and Kali and have a Survivor Series match between the Raw and SmackDown Monster Stables and call it the "Monster Mash"
I don't care how, but Extreme Expose needs to be split up also.
Dan: Two monster stables? No thank you. I don't think I'd be able to handle one, let alone two. Bad idea. CM Punk, cruiserweight champion? Dude, are you crazy? And exactly why do Extreme Expose need to be split up? They are three very hot chicks who lack any sort of charisma and even less wrestling ability, so it only makes sense to keep them together where all the crap can stay in one place and not spread. Besides…
Rob: First of all, an all-monster stable is quite possibly the greatest concept ever, so well freakin' done. I would love that. The Monster Mash should main event Summerslam. Fuck those Jackass losers. CM Punk should not be, frankly, insulted with the Cruiserweight Title, but Smackdown is a place he can raise up without getting squashed by the egos on Raw. Benoit and Mysterio to ECW work well as does Marella. BUT only if he goes back to being Boris Alexiev and fucking people up in a Commie fashion. The guy is actually a good wrestler if not pretending to be a guy who's never wrestled before. What a great concept that is for a gimmick. "Pretend to be shit at your job!" Well done Steph, another stroke of genius.
Ryan: I like the "Monster Stable" idea, mainly because it's been a while since we've had a solid lower card stable in professional wrestling. In recent years they've only really been used at the top of the card, but they can be a fine way to get some midcarders over as well. For example, even though I don't personally care for him, having Kevin Thorn act as the breakout star of the Raw group that you put together would be a nice way to elevate him from ECW nobody to an IC Title contender. However, I think that doing the identical stables on two separate shows is taking things a little too far. I've always believed that a big part of the roster split should be giving fans distinct shows to tune in to so that they can appreciate different styles of wrestling. If you're doing the same angle on two programs, that gets even harder to pull off.
Dan: Another regular in Matt Ayers shares his ideas;
Hi im Matt Ayers
Raw opens up with Vince McMahon coming out alongside teddy long.
"tonight as you all know is the draft lottery, each brand gets 3 superstars chosen at random. Because im the boss I will go first."
McMahon picks a ball out of the ball holder, he opens it and smiles. " and the first man to be drafted to raw is……..Finlay!"
Teddy long looks pissed as he just lost one of his best wrestlers " that's ok because now its SmackDowns turn, can ya feel that playa" teddy takes a ball and opens it "SmackDowns first pick is….Kenny Dykstra. Vince takes the mic "well since ecw doesn't exactly have any representation I guess I will pick for it and ECW's first pick is "Vince takes a ball "Paul London" and as a sample for that right now im making a match between London and ECW's own matt striker"
London vs. striker
7 minute match that ends when London gets a roll up out of nowhere.
Later in the show Vince and teddy come back out
Teddy grabs the mic "now smackdown will go first" teddy picks a ball and opens it " and the latest draft is Carlito!"
Now it is ecw's pick vince says but before he can pick a ball the new breed comes out and takes the mic away " vince if you don't mind the new breed will take care of the picks for ecw" Burke picks a ball and opens it. " and we now welcome to ecw….Umaga!
Vince looks pissed "well that's ok because raws next pick is" vince takes a ball and opens it "Jamie Noble" vince is mad with his pick but Noble comes out "vince thank you for this opportunity and if you just give me a chance I promise that I will not let you down. Vince takes the mic" that's good because on your first night on raw your opponent is Chris Masters
Noble vs. Masters
Masters goes for the Masterlock right away but Noble escapes and trips Masters down to the mat Noble locks in the guillotine choke and masters taps out! Vince looks impressed on the stage.
Later on the show the new breed teddy and vince all come out again
The new breed pick first " the pick a ball and open it " the last pick for ecw is Crime time?" Crime time comes out " yo yo yo vince you shoulda checked our contracts cause it specifically states that we cant be split up. Ah ha! Crime time pick pockets teddy and leaves.
Teddy picks a ball and grabs the mic " SmackDowns last pick is…..Marcus Cor Von!" Burke is furious
Vince grabs the mic and picks a ball " and raws last pic is" vince opens the ball and suddenly a huge smile spreads across his face
" CM Punk!" the crowd goes insane. Punk comes out and stares down Burke then Punk turns to Vince. " Punk you have something that I like, you have ruthless agression so tonight im going to give you a huge opportunity to win some gold. Your going to face santito marella for the intercontinental Championship
Marella vs Punk
Marella tries to strike but Punk completely dominates him in that category Punk pick Marella up and connects with the Go to Sleep for the pin and the title. Raw goes off the air with punk standing in the ring with the Intercontinental Title.
This draft works because ecw gets a sorely needed tag team in crime time, a challenger in Umaga and a underutilized high flyer in Paul London.
Smackdown gets a powerhouse in Cor Von, they get Carlito for a fresh Fued with MVP and a young superstar in Burke
Raw gets Finlay so he can work with some of the young talent. Noble who can Join forces with the worlds greatest tag team for an awesome faction.and of course CM Punk who can restore some prestige to the intercontinental Title and by survivor series could be a serious contender to Cena.
Dan: Urgh. First of all, why do ECW need a tag team when they have no tag titles. SmackDown have tag titles, yet you've split up what is by far their best team and not replaced them. Carlito to SmackDown isn't the best of ideas at this point as he would just be treading water as he has been doing for the last year – a feud with MVP wouldn't work as it's heel vs. heel. All the other picks are solid and would work as long as they are built right.
Rob: So no one's picking stars? No ones swapping champions and main eventers around? Okay. Cor Von to Smackdown is a great pick and CM Punk going to Raw and winning the IC title straight off is just good booking.
Ryan: London was a good choice for ECW, because, if you're going to get him a singles push, that's the only show where it has a realistic chance of happening. He just won't be taken seriously on Raw or Smackdown as a single because of his size. On ECW, everybody (except for Lashley) is a little bit smaller than the WWE norm, so you could get away with pushing him. With that said, Noble would probably also be a better fit for ECW than for Raw, because I sincerely doubt that Vince McMahon is going to get behind a man of Noble's size enough to put him over a Chris Masters. Also, I think that saying CM Punk could be a World Title contender by the Surivor Series is a little generous to him. The fact of the matter is, he's decent at the WWE style of wrestling, but not great at it yet. He needs time to work with more guys who are adept at that style and adapt to it before heading out on a main event run. Besides, you're going to have Triple H returning from injury this summer and Shawn Michaels most likely coming back in the fall, both of which will be massive angles for the Raw side. Given those two events, there's just not room at the tip top of the Raw card for a new main eventer to be created this year.
Dan: Dan from Brooklyn is back;
Hey fantasy bookers:
I will not book the whole draft but here are some highlights. Batista should go back to Raw. My reasoning: Cena has BEATEN EVERYONE!!! I would've said Kennedy, but since Kennedy has the issue with Edge, he should go back to Smackdown. So Batista goes to Raw which sets up a Fatal 4-way, Cena vs. Khali vs. Orton vs. Batista at Vengeance, and then the main event of Summerslam: Cena vs. Batista: One on One for the WWE Title!
With Batista gone, that leaves a main event slot open on Smackdown and who better to fill it than DX. I know this would mean Triple H leaves the A-Show but c'mon this is the world of fantasy booking! Trips and Shawn arrive on Smackdown healed up in a month and can feud with MVP over the US Title, Deuce and Domino over the Tag Titles and when Edge finishes a feud with Kennedy, they can each get cracks at the World Champ.
So the Main Event slots are filled, now the mid cards. Remember when Kurt Angle went to ECW to become the wrestling machine? Well insert Chris Benoit, a true ECW original and have him go into a respect feud with CM Punk which is "ALL ABOUT WRESTLING." Also for ECW, give them some push and some history by throwing Santino Marella onto the ECW brand. This is only to get the IC belt there so he can drop it to Punk, Burke, Stryker, Cor Von or anyone other up and coming ECW wrestling to restore some credibility to the belt. Johnny Nitro and Jeff Hardy are also ECW possibilities.
In summary, the big movers and shakers are...
Raw Gets: Batista
ECW Gets: Benoit, Santino Marella (IC Champion), Nitro & Jeff Hardy
Smackdown Gets: DX (Triple H and Shawn Michaels)
Summerslam Card: Cena vs. Batista for the WWE Title, Fatal 4-way: Edge vs. Kennedy vs. HBK vs. HHH for the World Heavyweight Title, CM Punk vs. Chris Benoit for the IC Title.
Dan from Brooklyn
Dan: I'm not going to lie, I hate the fact that you have taken Raw's entire mid-card (which is lacking as it is) and sent them all to other shows. I don't like the idea of CM Punk feuding with Benoit yet as it just seems the feud is being rushed and the whole fighting for respect thing is getting old in a hurry. Batista to Raw is a good move because if he stays on SmackDown much longer a feud with Cena later down the road would not draw squat. DX to SmackDown is a little unnecessary at this point as I feel it's Raw that is lacking main eventers right now whereas SmackDown already has a bunch of potential feuds in the main event scene. ECW don't have enough guys on it's roster to support a second tier title and besides, they've hardly got anyone challenging for the ECW title so there's no point in bringing in another belt just yet.
Rob: Trip needs to go to Smackdown, that's a good call. But the thought that he'd do anything other than own the main event is just the crazy-juice talking. You been on the crazy-juice Dan? You sure? I'm gonna need a urine sample. As much as it's a cool idea to send the IC title to ECW…they don't have the roster depth to support a second tier title. Maybe if you extending the number of workers they got in this draft, it'd work. Also…how come Raw only gets one guy?
Ryan: I think that Batista to Raw is actually pretty likely since he's lost so many matches to Edge over the last couple of weeks and could use a change of scenerey to remind everybody that he's a superstar. Plus a feud with Cena could be good if they played off of Wrestlemania 21, the night that both men won titles. Cena has been incredibly dominant since that time, while Dave has had some trouble hanging on to his gold, doing extended chases against the likes of King Booker, getting injured a couple of times, and most recently going on a big losing streak against Edge. The entire feud could center around Batista turning heel due to his jealousy about the fact that Cena has been much more successful than he has in the years since WM 21. However, I don't think that DX should be going anywhere just yet. If you move them to Smackdown and have them feud with Edge, that basically means the SD main event scene is exactly what the Raw main event scene was six months ago, though Randy Orton will be MIA. Smackdown needs to focus on new, fresh angles as opposed to simply doing Raw retreads.
Dan: Adam Radomske keeps it short and to the point;
I am going to go with each brand acquiring four wrestlers.
To Raw: Monty Brown, Bobby Lashley, Chris Benoit, Ken Kennedy
To ECW: Kane, Paul London, Kenny Dykstra, Randy Orton
To Smackdown: Chris Masters, Carlito, Hardcore Holly, Mike Knox
Thanks
Dan: SmackDown really got screwed on that one, huh? Hardcore Holly is miles past his prime and has little left to offer. Mike Knox never had and never will have a prime plus I doubt anyone would remember who the hell he is if he showed up on Raw tonight. I still don't like splitting up London and Kendrick, put you're other ECW selections I'll agree with. It's good to see that you've added some solid mid –carders to Raw and also a couple of guys who could easily be pushed straight to the main event if necessary.
Rob: Damn, it's still all mid-card guys. Okay well Bobby is practically on Raw already and I'd love to see Marcus Cor Von break out. Mike Knox, however, should not receive anymore attention.
Ryan: Wow, what did Smackdown ever do to you? Why should they be saddled with one guy who's past his prime and three guys who don't have futures as anything more than midcarders? If anything, that should be the lineup going to ECW.
Dan: Next up is Chris Jacobs;
Some are draft picks, and some are just people that should be added.
Smackdown should get:
Highlanders
Umaga (continue with Kane since Umaga is done with Cena and Lashley, and possibly start pushing Kane)
Kevin Thorn (start a feud or faction with Boogeyman, and please bring back ariel)
Chris Masters*
Samoa Joe
Jimmy Jacobs*
Josh Abercrombie*
JT Zorin from the Michigan Indy's*
Maria (she's hot, but not a women's wrestler, she can be a interviewer or whatever while here)
Raw Should Get:
Booker T
Chris Jerhico needs to come back
They need to pick up Eddie Venom from the michigan indipendent circuit
Triple H really needs to come back and help save the main event here
Kane (possibly start Umage feud here, since he lost a banishment match, I don't think that rules out being drafted again)
Jillian Hall (women's division)
Michelle McCool (Women's Division)
Ashley Massaro (Women's Division)
Ecw should get:
Nick Dinsmore
Val Venis
Mabel(yeah bring him back please, lol)
Super Crazy(when he comes back)
Chris Masters*
Vader
Insane Clown Posse
Abyss
Jimmy Jacobs*
Josh Abercrombie*
Game Boy from the Michigan indy's
JT Zorin from the Michigan Indy's*
That's all I have, it's hard to make a draft without bringing in people from outside the company, because as sad as it is, there is NO DEPTH whatsoever to the WWE's lineup on any show, they cant afford to lose really anyone on ANY show, there needs to either be more people hired, OR bring the brands together again. We have ECW and Heat, and Velocity and OVW to train up and comers and let the big guys get our ratings back now, and maybe in a year or more when the youngens are ready to go we can start working them into storylines, and when you bring them in you can actually get them in main events or good mid-card storylines and not worry about them dropping the ball because they spent all that time in the minor leagues getting better. It never took so long to make someone a good wrestler before, and I think it is because they are thrust into the spotlight too damn quick. Let the veterans tear it up for a year or more, and let's bring back the split brand when we have people that can carry on the show. Less house shows wont be so bad so we don't kill the main eventers. Let the house shows be more of a training ground. I have been at house shows with better matches than most Raw and Smackdowns, and even some PPV's because face it, some PPV's have been real shitty. It's nice to have a good show for the house shows, but cant we have the main event be a real damn fine match with big names, and a few high popularity mid carders here and there, and let the rest be people trying to make themselves into something big. Let them run the house shows for a change.
Dan: Yes, Samoa Joe to SmackDown is a great idea. I don't know much about the indy guys but I wouldn't mind seeing some of the guys from WWE's developmental territories being brought up providing they are not given terrible gimmicks eg Spirit Squad and Santino Marella. Ah, forget it.
Rob: See, what you've done here, is ignored the rules. This was a WWE Draft Lottery game. Abyss? Eddie Venom? We're pretty busy this week, so I'm moving on to the next one. Maybe he'd paid attention.
Ryan: There's no need to end the brand split, nor are the rosters on the three brands too shallow at this point. It is true that they have a bit of a rough patch ahead of them due to the recent patch of injuries, but the fact of the matter is that WWE has more than enough talented performers to at least get them through next year's WrestleMania. As I mentioned previously, you've got Triple H coming back from his injury sometime this summer and Shawn Michaels most likely coming back in the fall. Both of those comebacks will be huge, and the title programs that they're bound to get upon their returns will do fine business. On the Smackdown side of things, Edge could use somebody new until Ken Kennedy comes back and re-establishes himself as a main eventer, though that could be done by moving over one or two names from SD . . . it's not a reason to reunify the rosters. ECW probably has the least depth of the three brands, but the fact of the matter is that the show is basically a joke. It's a one hour program that's been getting one match at most on the tri-branded PPVs. It's not a priority, nor should it be.
Dan: Next we have Greg Waite;
Hey guys, I've been an off and on reader of your column and I thought I'd
chime my thoughts on the WWE Draft:
Raw picks with the first pick: CM Punk who then asks for a title shot
against Santino Marella or United States champion, MVP. Masters then comes
out and demands 1 last shot against Marella. This brings out Carlito who
wants the shot as well which brings out Flair who starts brawling with
Carlito. Vince says: Enough! All 4 of you guys want the IC title? Fine but
tonight it'll be a tag team match: Masters/Punk vs Carlito/Flair with the
winning team gets the shot against Santino in a Triple Threat at the next
pay-per-view.
Smackdown picks with their first pick: Bobby Lashley who defends his ECW
title against Umaga 1 last time. If Umaga wins, he goes to ECW. If Bobby
retains, he vacates the ECW title and gets the next title shot against Edge.
ECW picks with their first pick: Randy Orton who vows to kill the Legends in
ECW and make it his own. He even vows to destroy them all in Extreme Rule
matches.
Raw's next pick: Chris Benoit. He then asks to team up with Eugene if Eugene
stays on Raw that is. If Eugene doesn't stay on Raw then, I'll do what I do
best, Benoit says.
Smackdown's next pick: Kevin Thorn who then demands a match later that night
against Kane.
ECW's next pick: Finlay
Raw's next pick: Teddy Long who then becomes Raw's new GM. All Teddy asks
that Kristal becomes the GM of Smackdown.
Smackdown picks: Coach who demands to stay on Raw and be co-GM. Vince says
sorry, Coach but everyone is eligible. However you can become the co-GM of
Smackdown though.
ECW picks: Chris Masters who is livid. Vince tells him, your match is still
on but if your team wins, you'll represent ECW.
Raw picks: U S Champion MVP! His next title defense will be against
Smackdown's next pick.
Smackdown picks: Jeff Hardy
ECW picks: Eugene who then gets a chair shot by Randy Orton that rocks
Eugene's head so bad that he's out for a month. (Then when Eugene returns,
he becomes Nick Dinsmore. WWE has to pull the trigger sometime on that)
Raw's last pick: Whoever it is receives a WWE Championship match against
John Cena next week on Raw. The Animal, Batista!
Smackdown's last pick: Ric Flair, who gets the World title match match
against Edge next week on Smackdown.
ECW's last pick: This man will receive a ECW championship against either
Bobby Lashley or Umaga inside a Steel Cage: Kane!
Dan: First off, what's with all the draftees calling the shots to get matches and stuff? MVP to Raw is a good idea and I wouldn't at all mind seeing the Intercontinental and US straps switching shows. Flair to SmackDown sounds like a cool idea in theory but I don't know how well he'd keep up the pace there. What the hell is with Benoit wanting to team with Eugene? That's the most pointless thing I've ever heard. And while I hate Eugene, becoming Nick Dinsmore would pretty much be the end of his career.
Rob: Phew! Plenty to work with there. Why would Benoit ask to be Eugene's partner? I don't get it. I like Kane and Orton on ECW, I like MVP taking his title to Raw, I don't like the Krystal/Coach/Teddy thing. Batista/Cena should draw money for Summerslam.
Ryan: I like Finlay to ECW the most on that list, even though it's the one that you gave the least amount of detail to. There are a lot of inexperienced guys on the ECW roster like Monty Brown, Matt Striker, Elijah Burke, CM Punk, and the Major Brothers who could ALL benefit from working with a highly talented veteran like Fit Finlay week in and week out. He did a great job of turning Lashley from a complete greenhorn to somebody who doesn't look lost in the ring, and I'm sure that he could take the current crop of ECW "stars" to the next level as well. The only thing that really rubs me the wrong way on that list is the Eugene/Nick Dinsmore turn. People have been calling for that since the Eugene character first debuted, and I don't know why. It's the worst possible thing that could happen to Nick Dinsmore's career. As Eugene, he's a comedy character who will always get a decent pop as the first or second thing on a card, which is exactly the kind of shtick that kept Scotty II Hotty employed for a decade. Without the Eugene gimmick, he has NOTHING that WWE looks for in a professional wrestler . . . not the body, not the interviews, nothing. He'd be fired within a year. So, if you want Nick Dinsmore to remain employed, please stop calling for the Eugene gimmick to end.
Dan: More thoughts from David;
This is a hard one guys. I figure since there really isn't a split anymore I will think outside the box and go off the wall with my response, be prepared though cause this is a long one.
Raw kicks off with Vince McMahon walking to the ring, on the entrance way you see three podiums set up for each brand. He says welcome to Vince McMahon appreciation of night. As you know tonight is the draft where any superstar can change brands, any belt can switch shows. Now before we get into the draft let me clarify exactly how this is going to take place. Each brand will have a representative to make there picks for them, each said person will have ten picks for there individual brand. Any superstar who is not drafted will remain on the show that they currently are employed buy. I know all you McMahon lovers out there are saying Vince really is great I'm glad we get to appreciate him tonight, but I'm not done yet oh know far from it. People want to know who will be making these picks for the brands and that is a good question. Teddy Long has appreciated me giving him the GM job on Smackdown on to show this he bought me this brand new Rolex. So he will draft for smackdown. The must appreciative employee I have had Mr. Jonathon Coachman will be drafting for RAW. He has done a great job as my executive assistant and he has earned this right. As for ECW I had to think of a person who I can really trust someone who really appreciates everything I have done for him, and the only person that came to mind was my son Shane McMahon. Out comes Shane with a oversized bag on his arm that looks like it has something inside. Shane comes in the ring and he promises his father he will make Bobby Lashley's life a living hell now that he is the new Gm of ECW. Vince says I know you will my son, and as the new GM you have a surprise right. As a matter of fact I do dad and that surprise is right here in this bag and after the draft I will reveal it to everyone. So then without further a due lets get the 2007 Draft started. Shane meets the rest of the Gm's at the podiums and we find out Raw won the first pick, then smackdown then ECW.
Draft
Raw
1. John Cena
2. Batista
3. HHH
4. Michaels
5. Undertaker
6. Orton
7. Flair
8. Jeff Hardy
9. Matt Hardy
10. Shelton
Smackdown
1. Edge
2. MVP
3. Benoit
4. Kennedy
5. King Booker
6. Cm Punk
7. Burke
8. Carlito
9. Nitro
10. Kenny D.
ECW
1. Lashley
2. Rey
3. Umaga
4. Cor Von
5. Kane
6. Finley
7. Khali
8. Henry
9. Thorn
10. Boogeyman
After the draft they interview the three Gm's one at a time. Coach is interviewed first and he is overwhelmed with joy. I my god can you believe the roster I have drafted. There is a more charismatic bunch in all of wrestling. The other Gm's have no clue what they were doing just look at this Cena, HHH, Undertaker, Batista on so on. Raw is definitely the #1 brand in sports entertainment. Next comes in long: Holla Holla Holla. I heard jabbing about how he has the charismatic group in sports entertainment and so on But smackdown has the goods playa. There isn't another company in the world with better actual wrestlers on a wrestling show. If you like to see good wrestling matches then come Holla at ya boy in Friday night Smackdown. Then you have Shane who says Teddy thinks he has great wrestling, coach thinks he drafted The most charismatic group on T.v. but neither one of those to shows can stop the pure carnage of ECW. We are the biggest baddest Brand ever. I dare Raw or smackdown to try and even step in the ring with this monstrous line-up. and best of all with me being the Gm I can choose any of these guys I want on any week to destroy Booby Lashley. and now that I know what my great roster looks like I can reveal my surprise and that surprise Is at Vengeance night of Champions, every ECW outside of whoever I picked to take the belt off of Bobby Lashley will compete in a Battle Royal for the New ECW T.V. title.
Ok reasoning behind my madness. This will give each show there own true identity. Raw will be where the older more charismatic guys will be. Smackdown will be the place for pure wrestling, and ECW will be a training ground or a place for people who like really stiff matches between monsters. I know ECW got the shaft here but the other two shows really are more important. The reason that not a lot of tag team women or cruiser guys didn't get drafted isn't because I don't like them or view them as irrelevant but just the opposite. See I wanted to keep the tag teams together, the women on raw and the cruisers on smackdown. That's the true reason. anyway I said it was long and odd but this is something that I do think could work.
Dan: I don't quite see why each brand needs its own "identity" any more than they already do. Even though SmackDown is still viewed as having the better wrestling, and Raw is viewed more as the Sports Entertainment brand, and ECW is where all the up and comers are, I think it's better if each brand has the right balance and at the moment I think the brands are OK in that respect. So I don't like the idea of each brand being completely different from the others. And as I mentioned earlier, ECW has no need for a second tier title. And you've continued the McMahons vs. Lashley feud, so I cannot approve this plan.
Rob: Well clearly you put a lot of thought into this. My biggest gripe is that Raw and Smackdown pretty much stayed the same. If I was sitting through a show where Raw and Smackdown kept drafting guys they already have, I'd be pissed. No excitement or surprise or shock. I do see what you're doing though, creating clear brand identities, and whilst I'm not sure it's quite the right mix, it's exactly what the E needs to do.
Ryan: There's not a heck of a lot to comment on here since the majortiy of the "picks" were really just guys staying on the brand that they're currently on. If anything, the most intriguing idea is turning ECW in to an environment in which everybody is gunning for Bobby Lashley. Personally, I don't think that Lashley is quite ready to compete at the level he's been competing at, so turning an entire brand in to the "Bobby Lashley Show" irks me to a certain degree. Besides, if you're going to make him in to a top name, the place to do it isn't on the show that does a 1.4 rating every week . . . it's on Raw or Smackdown, where far more eyes are on him.
Dan: Mike shares his ideas;
Mike Hauglid returns to the Payload with his booking of the WWE Draft (cue music)
All right here is how I would book the draft:
I'm going to have 5 picks for each brand and yes the numbers are not even (I think I only picked 2 or 3 ECW guys to be traded), but that makes the draft unpredictable. Here we go:
Drafted to RAW
1. MVP- This one will be the first pick and will cause the SmackDown! Roster to groan, not because of the MVP loss (a lot might be happy about that) but they lost a title. MVP says something smart to Benoit about how he won't face him again. Then Raw's next pick is…
2. Chris Benoit- Benoit then comes up to MVP and says it isn't over yet. This sets up one or two more Benoit-MVP matches and changes the upper mid-card a bit for RAW. Maybe one more run for Benoit at the top before he calls it quits.
3. The Undertaker – Fans may be shocked at this one because the Undertaker is injured. I think that the Undertaker is finally feeling the wear and tear from over 15 years in the WWE. I think he needs one last run on the WWE's flagship program before he goes into semi-retirement. And yes I know he was in that kind of part-time thing but I'm talkind Mick Foley like retirement. Undertaker doesn't even need to appear. Maybe just a gong and his music.
4. CM Punk – I think it's time for Punk to join the big leagues (come on ECW is nothing…well until my plans for them, but I digress.) Punk could have great matches with MVP, Benoit, and hell maybe even a match with John Cena could be in the books. Punk will be able to hold some kind of gold on RAW than he could on ECW.
5. Mark Henry – Here come the groans. I know there are not a lot of Mark Henry fans out there, but I was kind of interested in his gimmick last year. I think maybe a feud with Cena and maybe even a run with the title (maybe).
Drafted to SmackDown
1. Umaga (w/ Armando Estrada) – I think that the blue brand needs another huge heel (besides Edge) and Umaga can do that. A feud with Batista could be good for both of them. Also, Umaga could rise better here than on RAW. Another plus is when Rey Mysterio returns. Remember it was Umaga who attacked him a few weeks before WrestleMania. I see a good summer/fall feud between those two.
2. Ric Flair – Come on! Who would not mark out to see Flair with the big gold belt again. It doesn't even have to be a long reign just so Flair can prove even with his old age he still has it. I remember Edge and Flair's feud back in late 2005/early 2006. This could be a good feud and prepare Flair for one last good run and his apparently planned retirement next year.
3. Santino Marella – This would be mostly to fill the void the U.S. Title left. Now the stars that were upset about the loss of the United States belt will be joyous because Santino could possibly be an easy opponent. Santino can continue his rookie run because people will underestimate him.
4. Kevin Thorn – The other ECW guy that I think should be drafted. I think he can have a better run on SmackDown! instead of ECW. A strong run in the mid-card can happen with this guy.
5. Torrie Wilson – I think Wilson is more eye-candy than a wrestler and putting her on SmackDown will change their women's "division" around so we don't see Jillian vs. Michelle every week.
Drafted to ECW
1. Shawn Michaels – I bet your thinking "why would Michaels be a good pick for ECW?" I think that this could be played well. Michaels could come back in a commissioner/GM type role like he had after his first retirement back in 1998. ECW needs someone to run things so a new sheriff can be brought into town. That leads me to my other choice.
2. Randy Orton – Orton can be the top heel in ECW. He thinks Michaels was a waste and could never do anything in ECW. Well, then Michaels could be appointed the new GM of ECW and prevent Orton from getting the ECW Title. After attacks from Orton, Michaels could fight back and then when Shawn is ready to get in the ring, Mr. McMahon could fire him as GM and Michaels could have a long feud with Orton, possibly culminating at WrestleMania 24.
3. Jeff Hardy – To me, Hardy belongs in ECW. I know "Team Extreme" sounds like ECW, but Matt isn't along for the ride. Jeff could get his chance to be main-event level talent in ECW than he could on RAW or SmackDown!
4. Kenny Dykstra – I think Kenny has no chance on the RAW roster currently, so send him to ECW. He could even fill the void as the fourth member of the New Breed and have good mid-card matches with veterans like Dreamer and Sandman. He could even feud with the next pick…
5. Finlay – Now here is my favorite pick in the draft. Finlay has been doing great on SmackDown, but does anybody think Finlay could become world champion on SmackDown! or for that matter on RAW? Finlay and Lashley's feud last year was awesome and it can be renewed on ECW and could lead to Finaly getting a World Title. Dan: Wow, another person who wants to see SmackDown screwed over! Raw had some good picks with Taker, Kennedy, Benoit and MVP all being good moves but you've taken all the star power from SmackDown and replaced it with Kevin Thorn and Umaga. ECW also had some good selections in Orton, Hardy and Finlay, but Michaels is too big a name to be on ECW. Michaels would be miles better on SmackDown. In fact, switch Umaga and Michaels and you have a damn good draft. Rob: Your ECW picks rock. Except for Little Girl Jeff Hardy And Her Amazing Ability To Fall Off Things. Orton and HBK provide the star power (although Shawn should be wrestling still) and as I've said before, Finlay belongs in ECW. Henry to Raw WILL happen for real. Seriously, put money on that. He's one of the few monsters Cena hasn't faced and McMahon has been involved in him recently, plus he's been put over on Smackdown but kept away from the title. Seriously, Henry to Raw is a lock. Also what you said about Undertaker "Undertaker doesn't even need to appear. Maybe just a gong and his music" could easily apply to his career. It'll still sell tickets and the fans will still mark out. And we'll be spared Old Man Taker matches. Yay! Ryan: I do like the idea of putting Santino Marella on one of the taped shows as opposed to the live Raw. The guy still has a lot to learn about professional wrestling, and his matches thus far have been nothing to write home about. The editing that takes place on SD could help hide his weaknesses for the time being. Dan: Next is Andrew Clark (not 411's, I assume) Hello,
I am submitting to the Fink's Payload for the first time, but I've read a lot of interesting ideas lately and it got me thinking. I've been watching wrestling for a while and I've got an opinion on where things could go, so maybe my ideas will be good enough. Here goes:
We have to make a lot of assumptions about this draft, since the details have been spotty. The preview for RAW next week says that drafted superstar's names will be called from a podium, so let's go with the idea that each brand (RAW, ECW, SD) will have a general manager who will make "picks" for that brand. Like the last draft, these picks will be made randomly from a tumbler. Each general manager will get five draft picks and I'm thinking the draft picks should be spread out throughout the show 1-3-1, with a big segment in the middle of the show where all three GMs are together to give it a feel more like the NFL draft, or something like that. It will all make sense later. For the record, I think this draft should ignore the injured superstars (Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Rey Mysterio, Booker T, Undertaker and Mr. Kennedy) for the purpose of making their returns into really big deals separate from the draft itself. Plus, there's really no telling when they will pop the cork on most of these comebacks, so I just didn't speculate at all. Only active superstars in this draft.
Now let's get under way...
The show opens with an announcement from Jonathan Coachman that "McMahon Appreciation Day" is officially underway and that Mr. McMahon has appointed himself as the General Manager of ECW for one day only so that he can officially oversee the draft picks for that show. The Chairman is convinced that his "random" picks will be enough to make Bobby Lashley's life a nightmare, and all that. Through some series of events, though, I think that the draft order should be ECW, RAW, and SD.
Vince's first selection is made from the podium on the stage where the RAW announcer's desk used to be. He comes out with Shane, and they pronounce that their selection will bring ECW to a new level. When it comes time to make the pick, I expect some kind of early-draft screwjob, since he's Vince and he's been acting kind of crazy. The lights go out, the crowd gasps, and the next thing anyone sees is Vince with a lottery ball in his hand. The newest superstar to join Extreme Championship Wrestling and the first draft pick in the 2007 WWE Draft Lottery is... UMAGA! The McMahons celebrate while their pet joins them to stomp around and drool all over the podium.
The second pick is for RAW. Coachman very un-passionately states that he has drafted... MATT HARDY! He doesn't come to the stage, but instead we get to see a backstage shot of Matt and Jeff as they celebrate being on the same show again despite the fact that it doesn't god damn matter. Touching.
The third pick belongs to Smackdown, and Teddy Long comes out to the podium. He's no nonsense. He grabs the ball, opens it up, and announces that the newest Smackdown superstar is... CM PUNK! The crowd goes wild for Punk's entrance. He shakes hands with Long.
The middle segment will be fun because the draft is at it's best when it is fast-paced and unpredictable. Plus, not all five draft picks can be monumental, so here we go...
Pick #4: ECW: The Boogeyman. Vince groans. He says something to Shane under his breath about how they should have cheated on all of the picks.
Pick #5: RAW: MVP. Coachman nods his head, and the US Title now belongs to RAW.
Pick #6: SD: Johnny Nitro.
Pick #7: ECW: Chris Masters.
Pick #8: RAW: Marcus Cor Von.
Pick #9: SD: Santino Morella. The Intercontinental Championship has moved to Smackdown. This completes the switch we've been hearing about, and maybe the midcard on Smackdown can give the same rub to the IC title that it did to the US title.
Pick #10: ECW: The Miz. McMahon is furious. He stomps off the stage in anger. He can't believe he drafted the freakin' Miz.
Pick #11: RAW: Michelle McCool. Bogus.
Pick #12: SD: The Great Khali. You better believe it.
After this segment, obviously, we get some buildup for the final pick from each brand. Vince and Shane deliberate on how to end their streak of bad luck and finally make their way to the stage to make the final choice. I'd love to see McMahon actually look scared when he plucked the last ball and maybe throw in one of the famous "gulps of fear" that he is known for. But, in my opinion, the final pick for ECW should be... CHRIS BENOIT! It would be great to hear his music hit and watch him walk out on the stage, give Vince a quick stare down, make us all remember what a bad ass he can be, and then leave without saying a word. His character would play great on Tuesday night.
Coachman, of course, promises backstage that his final pick will bring action and excitement back to Monday nights. He rolls up his sleeves, reaches into the tumbler, and picks a bombshell. We've heard the rumors. We know that RAW is getting set up for success, as usual. So, the final pick for RAW in the draft should be... BATISTA! The Animal bursts on stage and the crowd goes nuts. We have our Wrestlemania main event any time they want to give it to us.
It would make sense for the theme of the night to be "McMahon vs. Lashley" with a cool twist at the end. Smackdown gets the last pick and they really haven't had a bombshell yet, but Teddy Long knows that streak is about to change. The draft affects everyone, including champions, as we have seen tonight with Morella and MVP changing brands. But what about a world champion? That's what we'll find out when BOBBY LASHLEY is the final random lottery pick, chosen to become the newest member of the Smackdown brand. Vince's picks were supposed to challenge Lashley and now he isn't even on their brand! It's crazy irony. He meets Teddy Long and then walks to the ring, holding the ECW Championship high in the air. That's the end of your show.
As an analysis, I think this helps all the brands in different ways. Here's how:
ECW gains what it needs the most, which is a halfway-legitimate main event. Chris Benoit, Umaga, and a less-annoying (read: repackaged) Chris Masters can join Snitsky, Kevin Thorn, Elijah Burke (who should receive a decent push in the post-New Breed era), Tommy Dreamer, and the Sandman to create an entertaining hour every week. The Boogeyman would provide his type of creepy entertainment, and maybe Miz would benefit from having jobbers like Richards, Nunzio, and Hardcore Holly to make him look decent. On top of that, what about Rey Mysterio making his return to ECW? It would immediately give the brand a push based on the hype alone, and Rey has ready-made programs with Umaga, Benoit, and he definitely fits into the "extreme" mold. I can see McMahon stripping Lashley of the ECW Championship since he is Smackdown superstar, and either Benoit (based on his ECW background) or Umaga would look way more extreme holding that belt than Vince or Bobby ever did.
SD gains a few things from this draft. CM Punk is a world champion waiting to happen, but not immediately. Imagine a cocky, arrogant CM Punk showing up on Smackdown next week and talking about how the straightedge superstar is now the number one draft pick on Friday nights and he is not afraid to show it. Imagine "better-than-you" CM Punk, and this is our chance. Santino Morella, Intercontinental Champion? Not for long, I would say, if a heel Punk is prowling Smackdown. Johnny Nitro is a solid superstar who got lost on RAW and could play a heel or a face, depending on the spin. Hollywood Nitro versus Straightedge Punk for the Intercontinental Championship? This is our chance. And what about main eventers? The Great Khali and Bobby Lashley. These two are a breath of fresh air for a show that gave Batista six consecutive title shots just because there wasn't anybody else who seemed feasible. Edge vs. Lashley, Khali vs. Lashley, Finlay vs. Lashley, Finlay vs. Edge, Edge vs. Punk, Lashley vs. Punk, Punk vs. Finlay... and so many others. Smackdown looks exciting.
As if I had to tell you, RAW is bound to get set up by this draft. It always does. The Matt Hardy pick only makes sense. They can keep the Hardy Boyz as a team or tear them up, but at least have them on the same show for a minute so that you can be honest about it. The IC-US Title switch has been predicted by a couple online sites and I think its reasonable only because MVP is a heel and Morella is a face. RAW could use a solid midcard heel and MVP can play that role for a while. His challengers? Matt, Jeff, Cor Von, Carlito, Shelton, or even Randy Orton could work. And, uh, did I mention that Batista is getting drafted to RAW? The same show where John Cena currently dominat... I mean, resides? Besides Cena vs. Batista, though, we also get the opportunity for Orton vs. Batista (the post-Evolution feud that hasn't happened for three years), Orton vs. Cena, and all the joy that comes with Triple H's return to RAW.
When it comes to the E, I think they trust the fearsome foursome of John Cena, Batista, Triple H, and Randy Orton to carry the RAW flag until Michaels is ready to return in November. On Friday night, we can enjoy Edge, Lashley, CM Punk, Finlay, along with Mr. Kennedy and King Booker (mid-summer?) and the Great (Mistake) Khali for a while. And in ECW, I think Benoit can hold the torch of extremism against Umaga, Snitsky, and even his old friend Rey Mysterio.
Sound good? Let me know what you think.
Drew Clark
Dan: I'm OK with all of these moves with the exception of Matt Hardy. If they can continue teaming while on separate shows as they have been doing for the last 9 months, you might as well keep ‘em on separate shows. Plus, Hardy wouldn't stand a chance of fulfilling his destiny and becoming a World champ on Raw.
Rob: Everyone seems to go with Punk/Marella and a US/IC switch. I understand company policy will keep them together, but godamn they Hardy's need to split up and let Matt go alone again. This was extremely well laid out, extremely well paced and all of the booking decisions seemed logical and something the E would do. Can't really see them switching Lashley back to Smackdown so soon, but it tied up the narrative quite nicely.
