Official WWE Draft on RAW Thread for 4/13/09

Smackdown looks like the fresh show now while Raw is the stacked stale show with the same guys on top.

I'm excited for Smackdown

Alright, here we go...

After the god awful Wrestlemania main event, and last week's Raw, I had to do some serious evaluation as to whether or not I wanted to take another break from WWE. After watching ECW and Smackdown, I decided that it may be best to simply take a break from Raw. After last night, I haven't fully decided whether or not I'm right.

Batista's promo was hideous. The guy can't cut a promo to save his life. The thing is, I used to be a Batista fan, but during his injuries over the last couple of years, I came to realize I couple of things. He brings absolutely nothing to the table. His mic skills are mediocre on a good day, he's no more than decent in the ring, and sure, he gets a decent pop when he's around, but people hardly remember him when he's gone. Batista's been out of action since just after Survivor Series and quite frankly I forgot all about him. He never once crossed my mind during Royal Rumble season, Wrestlemania season, I never thought of him, once. He is entirely unnecessary to the product and the only thing he really does when he is around is take away time from other guys who are far more deserving.

The whole segment just made the Triple H/Orton feud even more ridiculous. Talk about total role reversal. I couldn't be any less interested in this feud right now. Prior to Wrestlemania, this was the best storyline in the WWE and had all the momentum in the world. Mania killed all of that and now its just pulling teeth. The "I want to face Orton" bit was absolutely ridiculous. Its like they're not even trying to write anything decent.

Rey/Bourne was a fun match for what it was. I really thought these guys should have been given more a chance to go at it, especially given the length of some of the other matches, but regardless, fun match with some cool spots.

Kane and Brian Kendrick was a total squash as to be expected. I wish the Cruiserweight division were still around so Kendrick would have something constructive to do.

Divas match was more or less pointless. Obviously it just solidified another draft pick, but the match itself was pretty sloppy. The finish was very cool, though. I honestly thought Mickie might have been hurt.

I was pleasantly surprised by Cena/Swagger. I don't know why WWE has soured so much on Swagger. This guy held his own backstage with Cena (though the promo had me and everyone else hoping for a Kennedy appearance), and certainly held his own in the ring. I was very much entertained by the match. Swagger came out looking great despite the loss, the announcers did a great job of building him as a serious threat. I think WWE should rethink his de-push.

Khali/Santino served no purpose other than a draft pick, obviously. I don't particularly care for this angle, but as long as Santino keeps talking, I'm fine with it.

Kingston & Miz was a solid match, albeit a little bit long. I don't think Miz quite has the singles experience to be working lengthy matches like that, but it was entertaining nonetheless. Didn't like the finish at all, although I understood it based on the end result.

Not sure how I feel about Miz becoming a singles competitor and getting the brunt of the push. Morrison is far more talented, and while I think they both have bright futures, the focus should be placed on him.

The battle royal was fun. Edge proved, yet again, to be the number one guy you love to hate in the WWE. His antics and methods of winning a match by any means necessary never get old. Very glad he got the win here, in an otherwise forgettable match. I was a little upset at the lack of Cena/Edge involvement, though, especially after their incredible promo last week.

Christian and Shelton had a solid match. I think this would have benefited from having a bit more time, but when you put these two guys together, you're bound to get a solid match. I really hope that Shelton doesn't get lost in the shuffle after losing the U.S. Title, because he certainly deserves to be a featured star.

CM Punk/Matt Hardy was quite entertaining as well, albeit, again, a little bit rushed for time. I was a little disappointed with the ending, but at the end of the night, the show was all about draft picks and nothing more, so its understandable. Not too keen on the Jeff/Matt feud continuing. They're on separate shows now and the right man came out on top of the feud. Time for them to go their separate ways.

Jericho/Dreamer was short and sweet, and served its purpose of making Dreamer seem desperate and continuing Jericho on his quest of supremacy. Cool finishing spot as well, Jericho's codebreaker is becoming a move that is almost as spontaneous as the RKO.

Main event was atrocious, as expected. Its a shame that the draft was cast aside and sandwiched between two horrible segments. Just a total mess, much like Wrestlemania. I was so uninterested in the Shane/H/Batista bickering that I nearly fast forwarded through it and just called it a night. Orton's stare down did nothing to add to the feud that is totally dead in the water.

Overall, wrestling wise, we saw several matches that were far better than the main event at Wrestlemania, which is saying something. WWE seemed very focused on giving us draft matches that we wanted to see - most of them were very entertaining and catered to the internet crowd, so to speak. Unfortunately, the number of draft picks rushed most of those matches, but I couldn't have asked for much more.

Now, moving onto the draft...I'll take a look at each draftee individually and share my comments...

MVP to Raw: I think this is a smart move overall. I wasn't sure how I felt about the U.S. title going to Raw until I remembered that Rey was a lock to go to Smackdown. I think MVP definitely has a bright future in the WWE, and he's more or less run his course on Smackdown. Looking forward to seeing what they have planned for him on Raw.

Big Show to Raw: Its quite clear to me that WWE had no direction to in with Show after Wrestlemania. He was pinned in the triple threat and not even considered as a contender again. I don't really view Show as a serious main event player, and so I think his impact is going to be minimal. I'm more or less indifferent about this one.

Melina to Smackdown: Not sure how I feel about the Women's Titles swapping. I don't think the Divas belt has any meaning to be honest, and I think the talent pool is far bigger on Raw. I suppose it will be nice to switch things up a bit, but I wouldn't say I'm exactly excited about this one.

Matt Hardy to Raw: This one is big. Matt got the better of Jeff in their feud and if he were to stay on the same show, there is no doubt he'd be lost in Jeff's shadow again. Getting him away from his brother is a great move and hopefully this means his push is going to continue. Matt is a great talent and I'd hate for him to get lost in the shuffle now that he's on Raw.

Triple H to Raw: As if we weren't all expecting this. I can hardly comment because it was a guarantee since the draft was first announced. I'm not Triple H's biggest fan right now after the Wrestlemania fiasco, but I don't particularly care about him moving. As long as the Orton feud ends soon, then so be it.

CM Punk to Smackdown: Punk has does more or less everything there is to do on Raw, so heading over the Smackdown is probably a good move. I believe Punk will be in the top three babyfaces on Friday Nights, which is great for him. Looking forward to seeing him in a fresh environment with some new competition and perhaps a main event push. A feud with Edge, maybe?

The Miz to Raw: I sort of felt the Miz/Morrison break up coming, but i was hoping Morrison would be on the better end of the stick. Don't get me wrong, I think Miz is talented, but I much prefer Morrison. At the end of the day, this may be good for Morrison. I can see him thriving on ECW for a while before making the transition. I think Miz is going to get lost in the shuffle on Raw, though.

Kane to Smackdown: To be honest, I think Kane is among the most stale characters in the WWE. There is no saving him, regardless of what is done with him at this point. Smackdown is a fresh environment for him, but I doubt its going to lead to anything significant.

Chris Jericho to Smackdown: At first, I was against this. When I saw it on screen I cringed. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it made sense. Smackdown has got some great talent that Jericho is going to work well with, and its a fresh start, a nice new twist, and a great place for him to further develop this character.

Kozlov to ECW: Kozlov being ECW's only pick is a joke. ECW is frequently the best show on WWE's weekly schedule in terms of wrestling, and I can't see Vladimir contributing much to that. I think he belongs back in development, not on TV.

Maryse to Raw: Again, I don't see the Divas championship as a legitimate title, nor do I particularly care for Maryse. See Melina for my full thoughts on this.

Rey Mysterio to Smackdown: I never thought Rey was a good fit for Raw. I've come to respect him much more in the last few months, especially since he's been in the right place on the roster - the Intercontinental title suits him well. Looking forward to seeing him back on Smackdown.


So now that I've rounded out the draft picks, who wins? On the surface, many think Raw gets the upper hand, but I don't think so at all.

Winner: Smackdown. Why? Smackdown picked up some great talent last night. Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Rey Mysterio. This couple with an already solid roster makes Smackdown the "B" show to watch. WWE's intentions may have been to make Raw the stand out program last night, but a great portion of the talent is now residing on Friday nights. I'm incredibly interested to see how Jericho and Punk do, and how they interact with Edge, the king of the show. Not to mention The Undertaker and Kane being on the same show again, you've got some great possibilities.

In the end, Raw got a lot of valuable guys, but lost several as well. They're going to have a much harder time keeping everyone on TV weekly and happy. Its really going to be a rough adjustment period for the so called "flagship".

I think I may just take that break from Raw. ECW and Smackdown seem to have all that I need. Plus, both of my favorites now reside on Friday nights.

J12 your very long post was a good read.

I wouldn't take a break from raw but hopefully when you come back it is better then when you left.

Why break up all the tag teams?

Hopefully Morrisson gets a push