The WWE Draft was completed Tuesday night, with Raw and SmackDown dividing the talent roster for two unique shows. Because Raw is a three-hour show to SmackDown’s two hours, the red brand got three picks for every two blue brand picks during the televised portion of the event.
As such, the kneejerk reaction to the two rosters was that Raw had gotten the much better talent and would, as has been the case for a while, remain the most prestigious show. On a deeper look, though, there’s plenty to like about the SmackDown roster, and here are five things the creative team can do to make that show shine.
Young talent stepping up
Four of the six NXT call-ups – Alexa Bliss, American Alpha, Mojo Rawley and Carmella – were drafted to SmackDown on Tuesday. Additionally, Eva Marie made her main roster return to join the blue brand, and Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon also drafted fresh talent like the Vaudevillains, Tyler Breeze, Apollo Crews and Baron Corbin.
Along with Kalisto and the Ascension, that group makes up a really large portion of the blue brand’s roster. Since only Kalisto has held a main roster title before, some of these talents’ first times with a belt could be a big part of the draw for SmackDown.
Show off the Showoff
During the draft show, Dolph Ziggler sat down with a panel of hosts to discuss being drafted by SmackDown. As part of that interview, Dolph discussed how his career had stalled in the last year or so and how this would offer a second chance.
Despite those recent struggles, Dolph Ziggler has remained a fan favorite but has shifted into a role where he frequently puts over young talent like Baron Corbin. With a smaller roster and so many unproven faces on the show, a workhorse like Ziggler should get a prime spot and a chance to succeed.
Strong Women’s division
Early in the draft, it would’ve seemed like Raw was miles ahead of SmackDown when it came to women’s talent. Both active women who have held a Women’s or Divas Championship – Paige and current champion Charlotte – were both drafted to the red brand, as was clear future champion Sasha Banks.
But the SmackDown women’s division turned out to be incredibly strong. Becky Lynch has been an incredible asset to the WWE in her first year on the main roster, and Natalya and Naomi are both highly gifted in the ring. If Carmella, Alexa Bliss and Eva Marie can develop, the depth of the women’s side of the roster could help carry the brand.
Love for the Lunatic
For a while now, fans have clamored for Dean Ambrose to get a run as the top guy in the WWE, and he’s gotten that shot for the last month. Since winning and cashing in a Money in the Bank contract on the same night, Ambrose has held the WWE Championship and retained on the draft show.
That’s something of a big deal, since that means the Lunatic Fringe brought the company’s top title to the blue brand with him. Unfortunately for SmackDown, he’ll defend his title at BattleGround against Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns, both on the Raw roster. Whether he wins or not, though, Ambrose has proven that he can be a formidable babyface champion, and SmackDown would benefit from keeping him near the top of the card and toting gold when possible.
Solid heel work
Smackdown is led by the decidedly babyface authority figures. Not that Mick Foley is a heel, but Stephanie McMahon certainly is, and no one is as beloved as the combination of Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan. On top of that, two of SmackDown’s first three picks are big-time babyfaces in Dean Ambrose and John Cena, and AJ Styles, always a fan favorite even as a heel, is now working away from the nefarious Club tag team.
Add top female talent Becky Lynch, exciting new tag team American Alpha, Randy Orton and former tag champions the Usos, and there’s a very strong babyface presence for the blue brand. To counter that, Smackdown will need an authority-challenging heel that can carry its top storylines. That could come in the form of Styles forming a SmackDown branch of the Club, but Bray Wyatt seems more fit to work against the face leadership of Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon.
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