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The Big Problem re: Draft

9K views 54 replies 35 participants last post by  AlternateDemise 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Thoroughly Underwhelming

From what I've heard, here's the thing. Raw is getting the Cruiserweights. Raw is getting the women's division (or at least those that matter). Raw is getting the bulk of the mid card talent, perhaps to revitalize the US title scene.


So what the fuck is Smackdown getting? They have some stars there, yeah, but...what is there to set it apart and hook people in that they don't get on Raw? Tag Teams? No, the titles are on Raw with the New Day, along with Enzo and Cass. Don't tell me we're getting brand specific tag titles again...or for that matter, a Smackdown women's title...

This clearly wasn't thought through. Why are Becky and Natalya on Smackdown where they can't challenge for the women's title? Why are American Alpha on Smackdown where they won't get a shot at the tag titles? This is the EXACT same problem as in 2002 when they divided everyone up and totally fucked it up by splitting up competition to the point where Maven and Al Snow were getting tag title shots because there was virtually no other competition.

My question is...can they not just say "here are 6 divisions, we'll split them up 3/3" or something? Why is Raw getting everything and Smackdown seems to get nothing? AJ and Cena? Yeah that's good, but that feud can't be eternal-they're saving that for Ziggler vs Corbin (ironically on the same show). Ambrose and Orton? Why does anyone care about Orton in 2016? Wyatt is...is the Family coming, too? Because splitting them up AGAIN is retarded. Ambrose is fine, but I see nothing beyond those 5 guys. Corbin isn't ready yet, nobody takes Ziggler seriously, and beyond that, Smackdown has no identity except as being 5 top guys and "the leftovers" while Raw seems to be getting everything. They refuse to balance the shows.

And this is my main gripe. Like in 2002, this draft hasn't been thought out at all, in terms of how it'll impact the future.

I truly, truly don't know why I bother getting my hopes even slightly up anymore. Modern day WWE will never, ever fail to disappoint me.

When you split the rosters up they both look awful and there wasn't a SINGLE surprise or return.

Pile of shit.
 
#5 ·
From what I've heard, here's the thing. Raw is getting the Cruiserweights. Raw is getting the women's division (or at least those that matter). Raw is getting the bulk of the mid card talent, perhaps to revitalize the US title scene.


So what the fuck is Smackdown getting? They have some stars there, yeah, but...what is there to set it apart and hook people in that they don't get on Raw? Tag Teams? No, the titles are on Raw with the New Day, along with Enzo and Cass. Don't tell me we're getting brand specific tag titles again...or for that matter, a Smackdown women's title...

This clearly wasn't thought through. Why are Becky and Natalya on Smackdown where they can't challenge for the women's title? Why are American Alpha on Smackdown where they won't get a shot at the tag titles? This is the EXACT same problem as in 2002 when they divided everyone up and totally fucked it up by splitting up competition to the point where Maven and Al Snow were getting tag title shots because there was virtually no other competition.

My question is...can they not just say "here are 6 divisions, we'll split them up 3/3" or something? Why is Raw getting everything and Smackdown seems to get nothing? AJ and Cena? Yeah that's good, but that feud can't be eternal-they're saving that for Ziggler vs Corbin (ironically on the same show). Ambrose and Orton? Why does anyone care about Orton in 2016? Wyatt is...is the Family coming, too? Because splitting them up AGAIN is retarded. Ambrose is fine, but I see nothing beyond those 5 guys. Corbin isn't ready yet, nobody takes Ziggler seriously, and beyond that, Smackdown has no identity except as being 5 top guys and "the leftovers" while Raw seems to be getting everything. They refuse to balance the shows.

And this is my main gripe. Like in 2002, this draft hasn't been thought out at all, in terms of how it'll impact the future.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Both shows will have their own title. SD got IC strap, maybe their own women's strap??? I don't know. SD's roster slaughters RAW's. They have the only two truly over main event players in Cena/AJ.
I don't know about that man. Raw has the better midcard, the better women (and the title), the better tag teams (and the titles), and they still have the cruiserweight division...
 
#15 ·
I'm mostly satisfied with the RAW selections and I agree that Smackdown should have at least gotten the Cruiserweight title. If you're going to make that the workrate show, then put all the workrate guys on there with a title to make things interesting. Now, there's literally no reason to watch Smackdown if you're not a fan of the people there. They're just wrestling for the sake of wrestling. If RAW eventually gets Bayley, it's over.
 
#18 ·
Cesaro just committed career suicide on screen. I think he thinks he's doing a shoot promo and doesn't realize he's supposed to be kayfabe right now. Just said he wishes he was drafted to Smackdown because they said they'd focus on the in-ring talent. He also completely buried a question the interviewer asked him about how Foley and Stephanie will co-exist, saying that the whole problem on Raw is all the focus they put on management.
 
#22 ·
Re: Thoroughly Underwhelming

Wrestling booking is NOT this hard, but WWE just seems to hate success. Smackdown is the B show and...with this draft, it still is. Class A fuck up.
 
#24 ·
Update: Raw drafts the stale Darren Young/Backlund act.

Smackdown drafts fresh and promising up-and-comers Naomi and Ascension.

I was wrong. Smackdown OP.
 
#26 ·
Re: Thoroughly Underwhelming

Raw seems short on main event/ upper midcard babyfaces. You got Reigns as the top babyface who will get boo'ed. Then you got heel Rollins, Jericho, Owens, Rusev and Sheamus. With the rest of the faces being Sami Zayn and Cesaro. I think they can boost Jericho or Owens to main event any B PPV. But putting say Rollins vs Zayn or Cesaro in a feud. Doesn't seem like a mismatch. My guess is Balor is going to be a face who they push strong. Other wise the Raw roster is really lacking faces.
 
#27 ·
Raw drafts Rollins, Charlotte, Balor, Lesnar, Zayn, Banks, Jericho, Owens, Gallows/Anderson, Neville, Cesaro, Paige...

Conclusion: Smackdown is the work rate show.
 
#29 ·
This idea of two brands is a joke. If it's really two brands, that means they each have a women's title. They each have a tag title. They each have a world title. And they each get a secondary title. And they BOTH have a cruiserweight division

That's how you do that shit. It's not rocket science.
 
#30 ·
Re: Thoroughly Underwhelming

I've been away for the wide majority of the last two years. Three hour Raws are unbearable and no matter how many times I've tried to get into it, I always fall out of it a few weeks later. Outside of catching Wrestlemania season, I haven't been able to digest much of the product at all.

This brand split with the change to live Smackdown was my first real hope of getting back into the WWE -- I thought if they gave Smackdown a chance, it could resemble something like the Heyman era and I'd have a nice 2 hour show to watch each week. I think it's safe to say this fucking atrocious draft has completely quelled that blasphemous idea.

Even as I type each of these bitchy posts, it just gets worse with every pick. Anybody who has any chance of being fresh or repackaged or entertaining goes to Raw and every boring hopeless charisma vacuum is flooding into Smackdown. Raw just drafted Paige, Darren Young and Primo/Epico and Smackdown just drafted Kane, Eva, Apollo, Zack Ryder, The Vaudevillains and The Ascension.

Every wrestler on the roster that's never had a future in the company is being dumped into Smackdown. It's horrific.
 
#31 · (Edited)
Same Old Shit.

1) Same lighting. 2) Same staging. 3) Same format.
4) The lesser stars getting relegated to Smackdown. How f****d is Becky Lynch? She going to start wrestling men? Or a 10-year feud with Nattie? Let me guess... we start seeing a lot of Summer Rae and the lesser half of Total Divas(Fox, etc) for her to go slumming around with? They couldn't at least given her Asuka to play off of? Given Sasha's secret partner is probably Bayley, and they aren't going to have face-face with Lynch, its almost certain she's going to RAW. You can see now why they turned Nattie, but Nattie aint that good a heel.
5) How far has Paige fallen? Can't even get picked, whereas someone who hasn't even been on the main roster is on Raw(Nia Jax). Paige probably got drafted to Superstars.

Either way, my major gripe is they really let their underwear show in that they aren't going to care about Smackdown, Live or otherwise.. while continuing to run RAW into the ground. It'll be the same ol place where garbage wrestling matches roll one after the other with little build or story. All of that will be saved for 'the flagship'.
 
#33 ·
Re: Thoroughly Underwhelming

Why is Strowman getting a singles run?

Why is Bo being split from The Social Outcasts?

Why was AJ stripped from Gallows and Anderson?

Why are Zayn and Owens both on the same roster?

Why are Jericho and Lesnar on the same roster?

Why are New Day and Enzo on the same roster?

Why are both repackaged acts (Darren/Primo) on the same roster?

Why is Becky Lynch in a pile of corpses?

Why are Del Rio and Kalisto still on the same roster?

Why was one of the NXT call-ups Mojo Rawley?

Why are American Alpha about to feud with The Ascension?

Why is Erick Rowan?
 
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