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411 Roundtable Review: The 2008 WWE Draft

June 25, 2008 | Posted by Larry Csonka

~WELCOME~
Welcome 411 readers! It is time again for another 411 Roundtable, but this time it is a review! With the 2008 draft Monday night, the 411 staff immediately got together and got some thoughts down on what was a very newsworthy show. Who came out looking great? Who got the shaft? What were the big surprises? Let’s meet the staff and find out!

~THE STAFF~

  • The man behind the Monday news, Stephen Randle!
  • Ring of Honor expert Ari Berenstein!
  • Staff contributor and Diva Expert Andy Critchell!
  • From the Movie Zone Shawn S. Lealos!
  • Former Music Zone GURU Michael Melchor!
  • Movie reviewer Jeremy Thomas!
  • Truth B Told’s Bayani Domingo!
  • Video reviewer Mike Campbell!
  • The man that scripts sin, Jarrod Westerfeld!
  • Smackdown Dope head Michael O!
  • All around good guy JT!
  • Have some Sunday brunch with Chris Lansdell!
  • ECW reporter Michael Bauer!
  • From the games section, Theo Fraser!
  • And freshly out of the hospital, I am Larry Csonka!

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This roundtable was complied as soon as Monday’s draft ended, and before any announcement of a supplemental draft was announced.


    What was this year’s most surprising draft pick?

    Stephen Randle – A lot of people are going to say Triple H here, I’m sure, since it was assumed that he’s never leaving Raw, but my choice goes to the odd move of switching Jim Ross and Michael Cole. I figured after bumping Joey Styles, they’d finally given up on pushing JR out of his seat on Raw, but I guess we’re getting one more try. I’m actually in favor of this move, as it might freshen up both JR and Jerry Lawler, who finally gets to be the color commentator that makes fun of Michael Cole.

    Ari Berenstein: Kane to Raw: I’m not picking Triple H here simply because I’m not sure it’s going to stick (again), especially since there is an “out” for him to stay on Raw due to Vince’s injury (although it would require they expose their true-life connections). Kane’s selection to Raw came as a very big shock to me, considering he was fitting in quite amiably as the top star of ECW and as its champion. Kane in ECW was new and fresh for a character that has been around for quite a while, and unless there is a trade back to ECW, its back to the same old, same old for the Big Red Machine.

    Andy Critchell: You gotta go with Triple H to Smackdown here. Sure, people were talking about the possibility before the draft but no one was really serious about it. Raw has been the Triple H show for years now and yet he gets moved. This is a big deal, a very big deal.

    Andy Clark: Some will say Triple H because he’s, well, Triple H, but either him or Cena needed to be moved to balance out the Raw and SmackDown face rosters. Some will say JR but Vince always loves to torment poor JR. That being said, I’ve got to go with Kane. Raw didn’t need any more faces, Kane is the ECW Champion, and he was doing quite nicely where he was. I was downright stupefied when Kane was announced as coming to Raw.

    Shawn S. Lealos: Jim Ross moving to Smackdown. Hell, it surprised even him.

    Michael Melchor: Jim Ross, without a doubt. Hell, even he didn’t know about it! They’d already tried to take him off of Raw – multiple times – and none of those efforts worked. So, instead of all the “fired” storylines and rigmarole, they just went ahead and moved his ass without even warning him. Once it happened, he looked like somebody shot his dog. Then raped his prized steer. Then took a piss on the 50-yard line in Oklahoma U’s football stadium (no, I don’t know what it’s called nor do I care). Than asked him if his face looked funny because he once had a stroke.

    Jeremy Thomas: Jim Ross & Michael Cole. I mean, there’s no doubt that the RAW announcing team has gotten a little stale. This has been a problem for years, although I do believe that after JR was taken off last time in the horrible “Dr. McMahon” bit, the two picked it up some. However, when the staff draft picks were announced, I thought they’d be moving Foley and Lawler. JR is the voice of RAW. He always has been, and he always will be. Joey Styles didn’t suck, he just wasn’t JR, and that’s why it failed. Michael Cole…well, he’s not too good. But no one can fill Ross’s shoes on RAW. No one. So this one absolutely stunned me…and JR, obviously, and everyone else. I think Ross will work amazingly with Foley, and I Lawler might help Cole pick up his game some, but it’s still a shocker.

    Bayani Domingo: I’m assuming since HHH was probably the biggest surprise people are not going with HHH to be “cool and hip”. Me? I’m “tepid and cankle” so I’ll go with the H’s. I really didn’t expect him to move and I’d be even more surprised if they kept him on Smackdown, however it makes sense if they decide to let him retain and keep the belt on SD as a sort of consolation for moving. I think JR was probably the bigger surprise than HHH, but at this point…I could kind of give two shits about the guy. Sure I’ll get crap for saying it, but I’m just not a JR fan at this point in his career and considering I wasn’t expecting anything out of him then his move hasn’t even phased me in the slightest.

    Mike Campbell – Jim Ross and Michael Cole without a doubt. Every year they run a draft show, we’re always informed of two things: 1. That everyone is able to be drafted, and 2. Nobody is told ahead of time. It’s been reported many times that the WWE has wanted to split up Ross and Lawler, and that they’re both against it. I just never thought they’d actually do it. Although, we’ll see how long it lasts.

    Jarrod Westerfeld: Well, we sure as hell have a couple of choices to choose from here. Some will go with Triple H, others may even go Jeff Hardy considering his role on Raw was starting to blossom. Of course, then you have the switch of Cole and JR which just spices things up, but for me the most shocking would be Jim Ross as his presence might be more than enough to give SmackDown a boost in attention from the fans. Triple H’s move certainly had me shocked, and it would’ve been the perfect way to end the show, but like many others are stating, it probably won’t last long – though I’m of the opposite opinion at the moment.

    Michael O: I’d have to say the swapping of Cole & Ross. Triple H was certainly a shocker, but I’ve been kind of expecting him to switch eventually after the sledgehammer tease from the very first draft in ’04. While naturally a lot of people are expecting this move to not stick, I’m going to go ahead and say that he actually hangs around this time. At least until he wins the Rumble and goes home to get his win back from Cena. On the other hand, J.R. is the voice of RAW, and while we’ve heard for years “The E” has actively pursued replacement for the sauce maven, I never thought it would come in the form of Michael Cole. This is the move that I most expect to be undone in the near future and the one that had me most surprised when I watched the show.

    JT: Hands down I think it has to be the Ross/Cole switch. To say that we will need an “adjustment period” for getting used to Michael Cole on RAW is a understatement. I can kind of understand why they did this though. They are about to switch to MyNetwork in a few months, and they have to give people a reason to find out if they even get that channel (and most do). So they send the most established announcer, one of the most established superstars (assuming that sticks), and throw in some young bloods with momentum (Kennedy) in an attempt to not go under when their contract with the CW expires. Time will only tell if the formula works.

    Chris Lansdell: I have to go with Matt Hardy to ECW. Buh? I mean, it’s obvious that Show will now beat Kane, and likely that either Cena or Batista will win (probably Batista…), and although HHH going to Smackdown is a surprise, it’s hardly the first time he’s been moved. It likely won’t stick. But Hardy, who is holding gold and VERY unlikely to lose to Chavo, to ECW, to give them a second belt? Where’s Smackdown’s other belt? Even if Matt loses to Chavo, he’s on ECW as well! Confusion all around.

    Michael Bauer: For me it has to be Triple H to Smackdown. Everyone knew Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy would move in some fashion. Everyone knew Umaga was going to Smackdown to join the big people. And everyone pretty much knew CM Punk was going to Raw. Yet everyone also knew (except for me) that Batista and John Cena would switch off. So what did the WWE do? They threw us a curveball and took Triple H off Raw, sending him to the blue team instead of Cena. I almost fell out of my bed when I saw that one. I would have said Mysterio, but I actually called that one.

    Theo Fraser: Matt Hardy to ECW. Didn’t see that one coming. I saw him sticking with Smackdown for a good while, building his stock with the US title until finally being granted a World Title run. He’s perpetually over with the fans (hence I guess why it’s OK for him to be drafted to Tuesday nights) and it seemed like he could be a major player on one of the flagship shows. JR’s move to Smackdown was a total shocker, but it was Matt Hardy’s move to ECW that has some significant ramifications, both good and bad.

    Larry Csonka: While Good Old JR would say that it was him, I have to go with HHH. We have joked for years ever since Heyman made the joke that “HHH doesn’t work Tuesday’s” that Hunter would never let himself go to the “B-SHOW” and THAT is why I was so surprised. The reason is actually because it will make his schedule easier for he, Steph and the kids, and that’s good for them. It may also be a sign that he really wants to do what is the best for the business. Raw will by nature always be the “A-SHOW” because of its longevity and due to it being live. With HHH now making the move to Smackdown, maybe they are really going to put the juice behind the blue show now, which will be a nice thing to see.

    Which star will benefit the most from his move to a new show?

    Stephen Randle – Well, I was going to pick Jeff Hardy, because he was moving to a show where he could have a shot at top face without Cena and Triple H ahead of him, but then they screwed that up. Overall, I think Batista ends up benefiting the most, as he’d completely run out of things to do on Smackdown after feuding with both Edge and Undertaker ad nausea for most of the last two years. Now he’s got fresh feuds and, hey, can you smell the seeds of Cena-Batista for WrestleMania 25?

    Ari Berenstein: Rey Mysterio and Batista come to Raw with tons of potentially interesting matches. John Cena, Chris Jericho, CM Punk and Randy Orton are just a few of the new opponents for either wrestler. Some of them are new, some of them haven’t been done in a while. Batista vs. Cena in particular could be the next big attraction match. Both have been a part of Smackdown for so long that a new address will completely revitalize their usage in the company. Hopefully both will stay healthy enough to keep their momentum going on the new brand.

    Andy Critchell: Without question, Kennedy. Simply put, he has much more of an opportunity to become a big star on SD than he does on Raw. SD’s main event scene is less cluttered than Raw’s plus the SD writing team did a much better job with his character than Raw’s ever did.

    Andy Clark: I would have easily said either Jeff Hardy or Mr. Kennedy until Triple H came to SmackDown. I suppose I’ll go with Matt Hardy because right now he pretty much has a show all to himself.

    Shawn S. Lealos: IF (and that is a BIG IF) CM Punk turns evil and cashes his Money in the Bank in as a bad guy, he is set to be huge on RAW. But that is a big if. Jeff Hardy looked to be in a great spot until Triple H moved as well. Batista might benefit the most from the move, if he beats Edge on Sunday and brings the World Title to RAW for a nice title feud with either Y2J, HBK or John Cena, all of which have been set up nicely already.

    Michael Melchor: Follow me here for a second…Edge tricked Kennedy out of his Money In The Bank shot and then injured him (as the story goes; we all know Kennedy was actually suspended for being a colossal tool in the press and then getting busted as a hypocrite). As soon as Kennedy was announced last night, he came out, pointed at Edge and told him, “I’m coming for YOU.” He’s not only waited almost a year for his revenge…but Edge is now the World Champion. And Kennedy’s a face. And he’s also past the point of being punished for his remarks (and Wellness violation) and, more than likely, ready to claim the Title many have predicted he’d have for some time now.

    Jeremy Thomas: Everything’s in such a flux right now as far as what title is where, I don’t know how far of a question this is. I mean, think about it. At Night of Champions, we have a SmackDown! wrestler defending the RAW top belt against a RAW guy. We have a SmackDown! wrestler defending the SmackDown! top belt against a RAW guy. We have a RAW guy defending the ECW Title against a SmackDown! Guy. Does the US Title stay on ECW? Where do the Tag Titles go? The only thing we know for sure is that Raw keeps the Women’s belt, and SD! keeps the new Diva’s belt. If Big Show really IS a SmackDown! guy, then Matt Hardy will benefit the most. But if the winner of the ECW Title match moves back to ECW, then Matt’s screwed. All in all, I’m gonna have to go with CM Punk or Kane. RAW is really short on top-level heels. Orton’s still out for a while, leaving just JBL, Jericho, and…um. Cade? So one of these two will turn, and it will mean an upper-midcard to main event level heel spot. For a while, at least.

    Bayani Domingo: Michael Cole. Oh right, you said STAR. Well if we’re going with “wrestler” here then I’d probably say CM Punk, but that is predicated on what happens this weekend. If he does cash in his title shot against either Edge or HHH and WIN the match and thereby keeping a World Title on RAW then this was clearly the biggest coup for him in the draft. Being a champion on RAW has to be considered the pinnacle at this point regardless of which World Title and Punk might just be the savior of that brand. If that doesn’t happen however then I’m going with Jeff hardy as this might be his one last and only chance at a world title…albeit on the “B” show.

    Mike Campbell – Matt Hardy. He’s talented, he’s over, and he’s good with promos. The only thing holding him back from being a top guy was the other top guys. Now he’s got a great chance to prove he can actually be a top-level guy. Granted, it’d be nicer to see Matt climb the ladder of success on one of the bigger shows. But it’s nice to see he’s at least getting the chance.

    Jarrod Westerfeld: Kennedy, hands down, has the most to benefit from this move as he was always lost in the shuffle on Raw, and though they unloaded some major stars, the roster on SmackDown is still pale in comparison to what Raw has. Though Punk won’t have to deal directly with Triple H on Raw, which could open up doors for him there, the fact of the matter is it’s still his show and his presence will still be felt as Punk is lost in the shuffle of big stars on Raw, just the way Triple H loved it. But for Kennedy? Smackdown was the show that made him into a star in the first place, and it’s only fitting he return there to give his career a major boost to look like a series main event talent once more. So he loses out on his program with Burchill, is anyone really going to care considering that was just the back-up plan thrown together when Regal failed his test? I know I’m not going to miss it.

    Michael O: This is a tough one, but I think Jeff Hardy might gain the most from his move. “The E” is obviously keen on having him continue his ascension to the main event rankings, and with the dearth of challengers to Edge’s title, Jeff stands a better chance than ever of becoming the next grand slam champion.

    JT: I’m going to have to say Batista. The E has been hinting at a lengthy Batista/Cena feud for a while, and I cannot see any reason why moving to a show and feuding with the face of the company is a bad thing. If we can get either of them to heel it up a little, then I say even better.

    Chris Lansdell: Well, that depends. The CM Punk mark in me says that he will, especially if the plug on his heel turn is finally pulled. But something tells me that this isn’t quite the time yet. Jeff Hardy and Kennedy would have been shoe-ins for this, but they are now behind HHH, Edge, AND Taker in pecking order. I think, then, that Batista is going to benefit the most, as he will get some fresh opponents in the main event and a probable Cena matchup at Mania.

    Michael Bauer: This is tough, because you can make the argument for CM Punk or almost anyone going to Smackdown. CM Punk gets mention because he finally gets off the burial ground of ECW. In the end, I go with Mr. Kennedy… Kennedy!! I think Double M hit it right on the head with how he talks about Kennedy coming out and declaring that he wants a piece of Edge. That was perfect and there is no other way to describe it. Jeff Hardy would be a close 2nd.

    Theo Fraser: Matt Hardy. This is what I was kinda alluding to earlier. It’s a very debatable pick, as he’s technically on the C-brand of WWE, which is often a mere after thought when it comes to booking. However, finally Matt stands a very good chance of attaining World Championship gold. Whilst in my opinion he was being groomed for a top spot at some point, he was always going to be overlooked in favor of another Undertaker or Edge title run on Smackdown; on ECW, no one stands in his way. Plus, moving away from on-screen happenings, the move means that Hardy will be present to help the young guys. ECW is often referred to as WWE’s televised developmental brand, and Hardy can easily slip into the Finlay/Regal/Venis role of teaching the younger guys a thing or two. You may ask, how does this benefit Hardy himself? Being in that role pretty much assures us that he’ll be kept around for a good while.

    Larry Csonka: This one is a hard one for me to answer, because when I think about it, no one really jumps out at me. Right now I will say Batista, mainly for the fact that they will try to go to WM with Cena vs. Batista, and that will mean BIG MONEY for those guys as a payoff. Big Dave gets a fresh scene and then collects the cash, that looks pretty good to me.

    What show now looks to benefit the most from the draft?

    Stephen Randle – Let’s see, Raw got Batista, Kane, CM Punk, Rey Mysterio…yeah, I’m going to say Raw wins. Perception is everything and although Smackdown got the almighty Triple H, Raw got 4 guys who could be in a legitimate World title match on PPV tomorrow (and, in fact, 2 of them will be this Sunday). The fact that three of the five guys representing Raw in the main event battle royal weren’t even on Raw when the night began should underline that fact.

    Ari Berenstein: Raw. As usual, the draft proved to be a major success for the one brand that ultimately always gets the benefit of the process–Monday Night Raw. Unless the move of Triple H to Smackdown sticks, then Raw got four major players and Smackdown and ECW significantly less. That’s not to say Hardy, Umaga and Kennedy won’t have an impact on their new homes, but as always the center of attention will be on what happens to the guys in the red shirts.

    Andy Critchell: Smackdown. Do you think Triple H is going to be satisfied being on the “B-show?” No way. His presence and star power will assure that more attention will be paid to the blue brand and could even spark a genuine brand rivalry which could be fun for everyone.

    Andy Clark: SmackDown by far, and that’s only if you count the commentary team. You’re adding Triple H, Jeff Hardy, Mr. Kennedy and Umaga to a roster that has Edge, MVP, Big Show, and (eventually) Undertaker. That’s a damn impressive roster, and SmackDown is also home to the new best commentary team in the business.

    Shawn S. Lealos: Smackdown initially gets the big push this Friday at least. They have both the World Champion Edge and the WWE Champion Triple H. Raw gets the ECW Champion. But Smackdown also lost the US Title and might lose their Tag Team titles once ECW jumps to RAW. I think it will straighten itself out and with the addition of The Game, Jeff Hardy, Mr. Kennedy, Umaga and Jim Ross, Smackdown looks to be huge. RAW only got an oft-injured Rey Mysterio, the ECW Champion and Big Dave. Only Dave will bring anything interesting to the proceedings.

    Michael Melchor: Apparently, one of the goals of the draft was to push SmackDown. To wit, from JR’s own blog: It has been explained to me that the WWE’s Smackdown tenure on My Network is a high priority within the corporation. They got the voice of WWE in Jim Ross…they got a uber-over Jeff Hardy…and they got Triple-H, arguably the company’s most recognizable face (yes, I’m aware of John Cena’s existence – hence, “arguably”). They also got a fresh face in Kennedy and Umaga, who has yet to wreck most of the Friday roster.

    Jeremy Thomas: SmackDown!, without a doubt. Even IF Triple H goes back to RAW (which I doubt he will), JR, Kennedy, Jeff, and Umaga are all going to enormously freshen up a hideously stale show. If he doesn’t go back to RAW, then we have a Triple H/Edge program to look forward to…which should be a lot of fun, since the parallels between Edge’s current on-screen persona and Triple H during the McMahon-Helmsley Era are interesting, and should make for some really good television. Once that’s done, you have a lot waiting in the wings. Whoa, I’ll be damned…SmackDown! is interesting again.

    Bayani Domingo: RAW. When in doubt the answer is always RAW. At the very least it freshens up the show and considering they get the former ECW champion, the most over face left on Smackdown, ECW’s ONLY real success story, as well as a returning Rey Mysterio who will take over for Carlito in the “spanish speaking” department once he’s traded to ECW or SD then they really did well for themselves. Kennedy was on a treadmill, Hardy is a headcase, and losing HHH can only help everyone else on that roster. If HHH does stay on SD then you have to think the morale at the very least will be hurt. The only way I could see H’s lose his stranglehold on a championship once he got it is if Vicky did the unthinkable and reinstated ‘taker. Twisted genius?

    Mike Campbell – RAW. The four guys drafted to RAW can easily slide into upper midcard roles and it creates plenty of potentially fresh programs and main events.

    Jarrod Westerfeld: While SmackDown got some good picks that make up for constantly being raped every year in the draft, they still walked away from this one with a slight limp and some blood trickling down the back of their leg. Raw made out, once again, like a bandit snatching up Punk, Batista, Mysterio and Kane, but SmackDown didn’t do too badly for itself and with its new lineup of big stars on it, it’s sure to get a ratings boost now, and when they move into their new television deal with My Network. So perhaps they’ll benefit the most, despite the fact that Raw will still be seen as being the more relevant show the company has to offer.

    Michael O: Hmmm. I’m tempted to cop out and say both RAW and Smackdown, since I feel that Hunter’s move alone will really freshen up both sides, but I’ll go with Smackdown. With Helmsley at the helm we are at least assured that for the first time in over 5 years, Smackdown has a shot of being portrayed as RAW’s equal, or at least something close to it, instead of the second stringer showcase we have grown to barely accept.

    JT: This is a tough one for me. RAW clearly gained the most, but I don’t think SmackDown is left in as bad shape as we might think. HHH/Edge is a fresh program, you have more “wrestling” on that show, and Kennedy is likely about to take off depending on the booking, Jeff Hardy is uber-over, and Umaga now faces plenty of new opponents. At the end of the day though, it has to be RAW. CM Punk is loved no matter how they book him, Rey is one of their more popular stars on any roster, and Big Dave presents several fresh feuds. Thus is the case every year though, as RAW always does what it can to remain the A-show.

    Chris Lansdell: Smackdown. Are you kidding me? 2 top-level faces (HHH and Jeff), one just below the top (Kennedy), and no real losses. Numerous Purchases~!

    Michael Bauer: Believe it or not, I say Smackdown made out like a bandit as compared to Raw. And it’s not like Raw did bad, as we now can FINALLY make closure to Batista vs. Orton when he comes back, plus get a Cena vs. Batista deal thanks to Cena’s reaction. Kane is nice, but he will just be lost there. But Smackdown got so many fresh matchups for Edge with Triple H, Kennedy, and Jeff Hardy coming over. Not to mention Umaga becomes a defacto 2nd level heel, which is something Smackdown was sorely needing. (Sorry, but Mark Henry does not cut it, even if Triple H sold his match with Mizzark perfectly.) Remember, One Night Stand has just ONE pure Smackdown match and they needed something else to help build up another program for Pay Per View. Jim Ross also should be counted as an upgrade from Michael Cole, but frankly I was getting sick of JR on Raw. It was like pressure from Adamle was wearing on him with some of the mistakes he has been making.

    Theo Fraser: Raw. Batista has been on the cusp of a massive heel turn for some time now, and a feud with John Cena would likely do some mega business. Likewise, there’s the potential for some really great stuff with CM Punk, who can finally get into a legitimate, top-tier feud with some of the company’s biggest names. And Rey Mysterio should be able to freshen up the pace and add a different quality to the show, PLUS he’ll pull in the Latino crowd, who have often favored Smackdown purely for Mysterio’s presence on it. Raw, as usual, has gained the most from the Draft this year.

    Larry Csonka: Well we all know that ECW was fucked, and while I will agree with the people that said Raw came out well, I will go with Smackdown. I say this mainly because Smackdown is traditionally raped in the draft, and it has become the thing that people joke about. “Hey, it’s time for the 2008 WWE Pillaging of Smackdown!” But with HHH making the move, the voice of the WWE JR moving over, Jeff Hardy who is mad over as always now over there, it really freshens things up. I also look forward to seeing these guys all-interacting with Taker and Edge. Raw may have done better overall, but Smackdown seems exciting to me right now.

    What was this year’s least surprising draft pick?

    Stephen Randle – Umaga by a landslide, because we all knew it was coming. Really nothing else to say here.

    Ari Berenstein: Matt Hardy and Batista were selected in some of the most unbelievably predictable manners this past Raw. Hardy being moved right after he lost and Edge causing Batista to move–saw those selections coming a mile away. Oh and the computerized selection process once again ensured that these picks had the appearance of being the most “fake” and “fixed” selections ever–even for a pro wrestling show.

    Andy Critchell: Umaga to Smackdown. That rumor has been all over the interweb for weeks and even if it wasn’t it seems pretty clear that barring a face turn there really wasn’t much left for Umaga to do on Raw.

    Andy Clark: Umaga. Not sure how you can argue otherwise. It’s been rumored for months and Vince McMahon himself wasn’t even trying to keep it a secret. Not exactly sure how he’s going to work on a show that already has The Great Khali and Mark Henry though.

    Shawn S. Lealos: Umaga. It had been announced months in advance. Matt Hardy is a close second.

    Michael Melchor: CM Punk to Raw really didn’t come as a surprise (although I have to say that was the one that made me happiest). There’s nothing left for him on ECW and the company seems semi-serious about ultimately making him a top guy. In order to accomplish that, he has to be removed from WCW Worldwide ECW and moved to a bigger show to see if he can sink or swim.

    Jeremy Thomas: Umaga. We knew about this one since before WrestleMania.

    Bayani Domingo: CM Punk. Who didn’t know he wasn’t leaving ECW to become someone else’s bitch boy on the bigger stage. If he doesn’t cash in his shot and WIN a title then he’s a total wash. Then again I could actually see him pulling a Kennedy and losing his shot somehow…yeah, his character is just that stupid.

    Mike Campbell – Umaga. It’d been rumored since before WrestleMania.

    Jarrod Westerfeld: Well, to be honest, there were two that you could just see a mile away – the first being Umaga going to SmackDown as that seemed to be a plan the company has had since Wrestlemania, but the other being the dreaded move for CM Punk as he’s now recruited over to Raw.

    Michael O: Since the majority of us have been hip to the news of Umaga’s switch since before Wrestlemania, it seems downright silly to have any other name answer this one.

    JT: Gotta go with Umaga. Everyone saw it coming, and even if they didn’t see it coming it was pretty clear that Umaga had exhausted just about all his options on RAW. He feuded with just about everyone, and had done everything from be a monster heel to a JTTS.

    Chris Lansdell: Umaga to Smackdown. Everyone and his dog picked this. Mainly because Vince said it was happening.

    Michael Bauer: Take your pick of the following: Umaga or CM Punk. Umaga was so painfully obvious, as was CM Punk. I think we all knew Umaga was jumping ships around March, so that’s not a surprise. And Punk… well, he just had nothing left to prove on ECW and was their biggest star by a wide margin.

    Theo Fraser: CM Punk to Raw. With his Money in the Bank briefcase in tow, I think everyone realizes he was being groomed to be a future champion. He’s already been at the top of the ECW roost, so it was clear he was moving somewhere. His merchandise sales are very high and he’s a hit with the kids, so it makes sense to move him to the A-show.

    Larry Csonka: I have to go with Umaga as well. Who the hell came up with these questions?

    Which star will benefit the least from his move to a new show?

    Stephen Randle – Again, public opinion is probably (and probably correctly) going to lean towards Mr. Kennedy, who now loses the feud with Burchill that was actually gaining heat and momentum, but I’ll go a different route and say Kane, if only because he goes from being the big fish in ECW to (likely) the same role he’s been playing for years, monster midcard guy who jobs on PPV a lot, plodding along every day until they decide to make him a “crazy monster” again, which is definitely getting hit with diminishing returns at this point.

    Ari Berenstein: Ken Kennedy inexplicably moves back to Smackdown just when it seemed like he could really make some headway in his new face role on Raw. He loses out on feuds with Paul Burchill and William Regal once he returned from suspension. Now Kennedy will have to start over again on a brand he just left one year ago.

    Andy Critchell: Kane to Raw. Now that he’s back on Raw he will just assume his old role a jobber to the stars/”punishment” from an authority figure. At least on ECW he was a champion.

    Andy Clark: CM Punk. If Raw wasn’t so damn crowded with main event faces this probably would have been a good move for Punk, but right now he’s sitting behind John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Batista, Rey Mysterio, and Kane in the face department on Raw. I’m sure all the ROHbots are itching for him to turn heel, but I’m just not sure it will fly with a WWE audience.

    Shawn S. Lealos: Matt Hardy. I think he will lose the title to Chavo, who will then get drafted to Smackdown. Unless Matt wins the ECW World Title, bringing it back home, he gets nothing out of this. Jim Ross got screwed too. If you talk about people who did not get drafted, I think Edge will be hurt the most because he now has Triple H on his show. I do want to see a Jeff Hardy vs. Edge Ladder match for the World Championship first, though.

    Michael Melchor: Other than having a slew of new (and many of them much smaller, making for bigger impact) dudes to kill, I don’t see what else can be done with Umaga on SmackDown that they haven’t already done on Raw. Besides, Triple-H followed him there so they can continue the obligatory series of “Triple-H-looks-to-be-in-trouble-facing-the-Samoan-Bulldozer-but-we-all-know-he’ll-kick-Umaga’s-ass-eight-ways-to-Sunday” matches.

    Jeremy Thomas: Again, this is a tough one to answer because of the title confusion. If Big Show wins the belt and ends up on ECW, then Matt’s pretty much guaranteed to be his whipping boy. Otherwise, I gotta say Rey. Why? Because the pressure of being on a live show means either he’ll have to tone down his offense to the point of being beyond bland, or he’ll crank it up so high that he’s going to blow his knee out again, and his career will pretty much be finite.

    Bayani Domingo: Hard to say but I’ll go with Matt Hardy. Sure he’ll get a shot at the ECW title, but at this point that’s going to be the best he gets. Look at Kane and Chavo as examples of guys who were wasted champions, they got one “World” title reign, but on the “C” show that is nothing to blog about. At this point being an IC champion on the “A” show or the US champion on the “B” show has to be better than the “C” show champ and make no mistake about it, Chavo is walking out of NoC as the new US Champ. Hope you like eating chokeslams Matty.

    Mike Campbell – Mr. Kennedy, his draft comes in the middle of a feud that was actually picking up steam and now cannot be concluded properly. Usually getting drafted to RAW means that they’ve got big plans, but Kennedy’s RAW run was only highlighted by the Michaels and Burchill feuds, other than that it was pretty lackluster. And provided he’s kept as a babyface, who does he have to work with on SD?

    Jarrod Westerfeld: This is a tossup. You have Rey Mysterio being so out of place on Raw as he’s a high end main eventer, but his size is going to be too big a factor considering Raw is the bigger show with the bigger stars, which means he’ll have to settle for a mid card position rather than be the upper mid card guy that he actually is. Then you have Kane moving back to Raw despite just now getting some attention from the writing staff while on ECW – he was lost in the shuffle of Raw once before, odds are he’ll be lost a second time around. Then you have CM Punk who just isn’t a big enough star to warrant his position on Raw, much in the way that Kennedy and Carlito were when they were moved to the superior brand of Raw. So given that Punk is the one who is on the cusp of being a solid upper mid card guy, but isn’t a big enough star to warrant living off of his name value, alone, then he’s probably the one that’ll have the least to benefit from this move.

    Michael O: Kane, who goes from ECW champ right back to upper mid-card RAWglodyte. Though a strong case could be made that the former isn’t any better than the latter.

    JT: I’m going to say C.M. Punk. In terms of getting to work with certain stars, the move may actually benefit him as a wrestler/worker; he will also obviously get more exposure now, but Vince loves the big men. With names like Cena, Batista, Orton and Kane on the roster, I don’t see C.M. Punk elevating himself to anything beyond the Intercontinental title.

    Chris Lansdell: Mr. Kennedy. Lost in the face shuffle on Raw, a move to SmackDown would have been great…had they not moved two uber-faces over with him.

    Michael Bauer: Like I said before, it has to be Kane. Being the ECW Champion on Raw means that he has to drop the belt to Big Show, so we can have continuity with Mark Henry. Hopefully the writers remember this. Without that belt, Kane is just a midcarder stuck behind people who just simply more over than him.

    Theo Fraser: CM Punk? Again, very debatable, and it all depends upon where the booking of our resident Straight Edge Superstar goes. In ECW, he developed into a star and became a big fish in a small pond, as evident by WWE’s constant showcases of him on Raw and Smackdown. Now on Raw, the flagship show, with the likes of Cena, Batista, HBK, Chris Jericho, etc, he is somewhat of an insignificant shrimp in a massive lake (again, depending on how he is booked from the start). My worry is that he will be lost in the shuffle, not given a chance to take the spotlight, resulting in creative giving up on him. This would leave us with another Ken Kennedy situation, where he showed so much potential before being drafted to Raw, upon which nothing was done with him. As a huge Punk mark, I pray that they’ll capitalize on his soaring popularity, but Punk certainly has the most to lose if the WWE decide to take a different direction with him.

    Larry Csonka: There are actually a few guys that won’t benefit that much from there moves. Kane, Jeff Hardy and Kennedy all scream out as going nowhere from their moves. Kane was the top guy on ECW, and will likely just go back to being the IC Title monster/JTTS he has been for years. Jeff Hardy will always be over, and I thought he was about to have the best move, until HHH got moved to the same show. But when I thought about it, poor Ken Kennedy. He got drafted to raw last year, got hurt, lost his lunchbox, came back, got busted for roids, lied, got shit on and then FINALLY was getting out of the shit and looking to go somewhere. And now he is off to Smackdown, where he has to deal with Edge, Taker, HHH and Jeff Hardy all above him. I think he’ll be spinning his wheels for another year.

    What show now looks to benefit the least from the draft?

    Stephen Randle – Without a single doubt, ECW, which shouldn’t shock anyone. Not only did they lose their champion (in essence, I’m sure Show will win the title Sunday) AND the biggest star the show has created in CM Punk, they lost almost every single match they were involved in on Raw convincingly and entirely looked like a bunch of jobbers masquerading as a brand. The clean loss of rising star Kofi Kingston to the heatless and directionless JBL underlined that fact. Tazz’s frustration with the treatment of ECW during the battle royal may not entirely have been acting, and it mirrors my own.

    Ari Berenstein: ECW lost CM Punk and its OWN CHAMPION in Kane. Even in gaining Matt Hardy and the U.S. title belt, that’s just plain bad business and bad news for that promotion. Even if Big Show unseats Kane at Night of Champions, that still means someone else NOT officially on the ECW brand will be its champion.

    Andy Critchell: ECW by a mile. They get ONE pick and it is Matt Hardy?!? That right there should eliminate any doubt that WWE regards ECW as the “C-show” despite the fact that it has been the most entertaining show for weeks now. If they want to make a star out of someone by having them be the big fish in the smaller pond, why not Jeff Hardy, Kennedy, or MVP? If they want to have a solid vet to help train the next generation of stars on ECW then why not Finlay or Regal? Instead we get Matt Hardy, who has an inexplicable fan base even though he does NOTHING particularly well, as the possible “new face of extreme.” Would this inspire confidence in you? I didn’t think so.

    Andy Clark: Raw. There commentary team is now second best, there are only three main event level heels (and one of them is JBL for Christ’s sake), and I guarantee you that they will rush any potential Cena-Batista interactions.

    Shawn S. Lealos: ECW. They got the U.S. Title and momentarily lost their World Title. They lost their champion (Kane) and most popular superstar (Punk) and got Matt Hardy and the U.S. Title in exchange. Morrison is the only ECW guy to pick up a win Monday night. That is all that needs be said.

    Michael Melchor: ECW already took it up the ass during the draft, much less now that it’s over. Did anyone else notice that the show got one draft pick – and that was due to their guys cheating to win the match? ECW, for 2 years running now, has been confirmed to be bastard stepchild of the WWE brands, and based on how the show was done dirty this year, that trend doesn’t look to end anytime soon.

    Jeremy Thomas: ECW. I love Matt Hardy, but Matt for Kane & Punk? Seriously, ‘E. This isn’t funny.

    Bayani Domingo: ECW. Constantly raped by the other shows and to be honest that’s just the business model. ECW is a televised Developmental Territory for the other shows and once a guy gets popular enough, or gains his popularity back he’s gone. This time they traded Kane and Punk for Matt Hardy and presumably Big Show, but at this point Punk was the guy who was the most marketable and had the most potential. Even worse they look like the biggest losers around for getting killed during the battle royal. Actually all show long they looked like p*ssies and losing every match but Miz n’ Morrison’s was just pathetic. I understand the idea of keeping the “important” shows strong but you have to start wondering how happy Sci Fi is going to be once ECW starts failing to garner even 1.0 on a regular basis. Then again, maybe this leaves the ECW Title open for Evan Bourne?

    Mike Campbell – ECW. Either way it looks like they’re losing their title, and they’ve also lost the one guy who they actually were actually able to make fans genuinely care about. I’ll be real surprised if ECW is even around in another six months.

    Jarrod Westerfeld: There isn’t even a need to talk about this, as it’s clearly ECW. But then again, should we really have expected more for this brand considering their future is up in the air and will probably have to fade from existence by year’s end?

    Michael O: Oh, C’mon. ECW. Though really, one could argue that any gains RAW made will benefit ECW soon enough as that show is slated to paint it’s little blue wagon red in the near future.

    JT: ECW, but I’m fine with that. ECW is essentially the same, and all the things that have made ECW a good show lately are still there. Matt Hardy instantly makes up for the loss of C.M. Punk in terms of over-ness and at the end of the day, ECW is televised developmental and therefore I have no issues with any effect the draft had on ECW.

    Chris Lansdell: Amazingly, Raw. I can’t see Rey doing anything noteworthy. Kane is past it. I am not a Batista fan. ECW gained by losing Kane.

    Michael Bauer: Raise your hands if you think it is anyone other than ECW. Didn’t think anyone would. When you lose Punk and Kane and all you get back is Matt Hardy (no offense to Matt), there cannot be a question that your brand got totally screwed. I will assume Big Show gets back the ECW Title, which at least gives ECW two titles for now. I figure by the time the talent exchange ends, the US Title will be back with Smackdown and maybe with Kennedy. It could also give Matt Hardy the title reign he deserves, kinda like how Kane got his now.

    Theo Fraser: ECW. They lost arguably their top superstar in CM Punk AND their frickin’ World Champion! Sure, Big Show is more than likely going to win the title on Sunday (in which case, thanks for spoiling THAT match, WWE!), but the ECW landscape has been stripped a little bare in Punk and Kane’s absence. Having said that, from a non-kayfabe point of view, having Matt Hardy around to work with the young guys is an excellent move, and Hardy has the star power and recognition to keep fans tuning in each week. Nevertheless, Raw and Smackdown were completely re-invigorated thanks to the Draft, but ECW, the bastard stepchild, once again received the cold shoulder.

    Larry Csonka: All you had to do was listen to Tazz’s commentary Monday night to realize that ECW was getting prison raped. Tazz has been a company man with his work in the new ECW. He has never complained, never bitched about the old ECW; he just did his job. But last night it was like he was kicked in the balls as he watched his brand’s champion and their top face taken from them and then saw them jobbed to hell in that battle royal. He sounded so defeated on commentary and that told the story so well, unfortunately.

    Was the 2008 draft a success in your opinion?

    Stephen Randle – As a single show, probably not. The show suffered from being paired with the final Million Dollar Mania, and having interbrand matches has really lost its luster this year as brand lines have all but disappeared over the last six months. In terms of re-shuffling the deck, the draft succeeded admirably. I don’t think they could have re-arranged things more completely if they’d tried. Whether these were the correct changes remains to be seen.

    Ari Berenstein: In terms of freshening up rosters and changing the looks of things in the company, then yes, this draft absolutely did what it was supposed to do. In terms of the show, even though most of the changes were different, this felt like a big repeat of last year’s concept and execution–and that’s not necessarily a good thing in my book.

    Andy Critchell: By definition it was a success as the majority of the brands came out better because of it. Raw and SD will surely improve or at least seem “fresher” because of the draft. Whether or not this will translate into ratings and more importantly, PPV buys, that remains to be seen.

    Aside from the announcer swap I’d say yes. Raw is way too overloaded on the face side and SmackDown has too many monsters, but for the most part the talent switches are at least interesting.

    Shawn S. Lealos: I enjoyed the draft. The matches were good and the switches were pretty much surprises to me (except Umaga and Matt Hardy). But everything is a mess right now. ECW has no World Champion and its title is being contested on Sunday between a RAW superstar and a Smackdown superstar. The U.S. Title looks to be moving to ECW since it is being contested between two ECW stars. The World Championship and WWE Championship are both held by Smackdown guys making the ECW Championship the number one title on RAW. This is a mess. A supplemental draft or something strange needs to happen this Sunday, and I don’t know what they can do to straighten it all out. Maybe have Kane win and still appear on ECW, Triple H retain, Edge lose his title to Batista, switching the two again, and have Chavo win and then get drafted in a supplemental pick or traded to Smackdown. It gives me a headache to think about the logistics. Don’t even get me started on the Smackdown Tag Team Titles.

    Michael Melchor: Success can be defined in many ways to many people. In my mind, it already is a success; we’ve talked about nothing BUT the draft since it happened (shitty ending aside). It’s stirred up several hornets’ nests on the 2 biggest wrestling shows in the world and the buzz is still marching on. Yeah, I’d call that successful. As long as JR and Triple-H don’t pull a coup d’etat to go back to Raw, it should stay that way.

    Jeremy Thomas: The show was horrible. Absolutely horrible. I mean, pairing up Kofi Kingston against JBL? Gee, I wonder who the fuck’s going to win that one. ECW was made out to look like the bunch of little bitches we all know the ‘E thinks they are, I hate the “randomized” picks thing because it just looks so fake, and the money giveaway segments were too much paired with the draft. The draft itself did what it needed to, generally. It moved people onto fresh feuds, new shows, and shook things up. However, I cannot call it a success, because it did so in a way that made no sense. What they should have done, if they wanted to hold the draft before Night of Champions (which I still think was a retarded idea) is stripped all the champions and have the feuds fit the titles. That way we at least know the ECW Title is staying on EC-fucking-W! Mind you, I’m thinking of this like a writer, and in terms of storylines…and in that sense, there’s no logical flow of where to go from here. It’s all “surprising” for the sake of being a surprise, and that’s anything but a success in my book. Financially…probably. But overall, hell no.

    Bayani Domingo: Yes. That really comes out of a knee jerk reaction as the drafting itself was all pretty meaningful and surprising, but that all depends on what happens after Sunday because the “Draft” results are rarely the final results when things shake out in a month or two. If HHH’s stays on SD then this would have to be considered probably the biggest draft yet.

    Mike Campbell – Yes and No. Some of the drafts picks were predictable in bad ways, like Batista’s. But at the same time, who saw HHH going to SD? I find it sad that ECW got raked over the coals so badly, but I also find myself looking forward to the PPV to see what happens as far as fallout.

    Jarrod Westerfeld: The draft? Certainly, as it got some good moves in that were necessary to keep things fresh and help out certain rosters that were growing dull and redundant. Unfortunately, the episode was a bomb thanks to poor decisions to keep things moving around the Million Dollar Giveaway. Then you add to the fact that some of the moves were somewhat horrible. Nothing was done to relieve the issues on the non-existent tag team divisions, and you still have the threat of another woman’s title for a division that doesn’t require it. At this point, it’s easily safe to say that the brands mean nothing anymore and that if the WWE isn’t going to take advantage of its huge roster, it’s probably best they start cutting the fat and focus all of its energy on the big stars they do care about.

    Michael O: Unequivocally and emphatically, yes. Smackdown has been hemorrhaging talent at a steady clip for years and RAW has gotten pretty stale lately. Both shows needed a major shake-up, more so than in draft seasons past, and I think Vince & co. delivered this time around. We have a whole slew of fresh match ups on both sides and, if the stars continue to align as I’d like them to, enormous potential for slow burning, long running storylines, which in my opinion is what “The E” really needs to get back to above all else. Edge can sink his teeth into Hunter, Hardy & Kennedy, all of whom he has solid history with, or even a freshly-faced Umaga, should they decide to go that route. Cena can maybe fuck around with Batista ’til Orton gets back and both Punk and Mysterio can help liven up Monday nights. And they might finally pull the trigger on The Great Khali/Triple H feud I’ve been eagerly anticipating for two years now, so thumbs up all around!

    JT: It wasn’t the greatest show exactly, but I do believe the draft itself was a success. Barring any Triple H shenanigans, I feel that him, Edge, Jeff Hardy, Kennedy and the rest of the roster can really elevate the B-Show as we head into the second half of the year. Same thing with RAW, fresh faces = fresh feuds = the potential for an improved product (problem of course being no writers were drafted so we’re still dealing with the same creative team on both shows).

    Chris Lansdell: Obviously it’s a bit early to say, but I think it has the potential to be.

    Michael Bauer: I think it is too early to decide that. Did the draft gives us fresh, intriguing matchups? Absolutely on the Smackdown end. Kinda on the Raw end. Not really for ECW. And that is the main purpose of the draft. Now, give me a month or two and I can give you a more definitive answer. It really depends on the following: Can RAW keep Cena and Batista separate for now and which one of them win this weekend? Who gets the first crack on Smackdown at the champion and who is the champion after this weekend? If the WWE can figure those out the right way, it will be a success. Otherwise, it might not

    Theo Fraser: Yes. For once, I’m well and truly excited about the prospect of new matches and feuds that can occur thanks to the draft. Vince’s idea behind the original Draft was to “shake things up” in the WWE, and after a period of stagnant booking, things finally feel fresh again. Exciting times lie ahead of us as WWE fans.

    Larry Csonka: I don’t know is success is the right word, but Monday’s RAW was surely one of the more news worthy episodes due to the draft in a very long time. JR and HHH moving were really huge and unexpected. They did shake things up, but as always, the follow up booking is what is important. I have decent hopes coming out of Raw, I will say that.

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