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After an eventful weekend in WWE, we saw several Superstars moved to a different brand. Becky Lynch was named the number 1 draft pick this year and she was retained by RAW. SmackDown, on the other hand, retained Roman Reigns in the first round of the draft.
We saw the likes of Braun Strowman, The Fiend and Sasha Banks move to the Blue brand whereas Kevin Owens, Randy Orton, and Charlotte Flair were drafted to RAW.
Of course, some Superstars went unpicked and they are now regarded as free agents. In the following weeks, we will see some of these Superstars sign with either of the two brands.
As often stated by WWE, the draft has the potential to alter the careers of Superstars. While a new brand may benefit some of them, others might face the damaging effects of limited potential and mediocre booking.
In this article, we take a look at six WWE Superstars who will benefit from Draft 2019 and five who won’t.
#6 Will benefit: Buddy Murphy
Buddy Murphy was moved to SmackDown earlier this year as a part of the Superstar Shake-up. During his time with the Blue brand, the Australian Superstar was involved in only one significant storyline.
The rivalry between Roman Reigns and Rowan saw Murphy act like a snitch followed by a brutal beatdown. Apart from that, there were no memorable segments featuring Murphy.
But now, he has been drafted to RAW. The former Cruiserweight Champion will have the opportunity to engage in feuds with the likes of Cedric Alexander and other former 205 Live Superstars.
If booked properly, Murphy can be a part of an engaging rivalry featuring two former Cruiserweight Champions. He can even be booked as one-half of a new Tag Team. Hence, this will open up the window for him to be pushed for title opportunities on the main roster.
#5 Won’t benefit: Chad Gable
After an impressive run in the King of the Ring tournament, Chad Gable had an extended rivalry with 'King' Baron Corbin. While Gable went on to prove that he is a deserving Singles Superstar, Corbin asserted his ‘dominance’ by poking fun at his opponent’s height.
The two have engaged in multiple matches over the last few weeks. Hence, it has become a little repetitive for the WWE Universe to see the same match over and over again. More importantly, his efforts were weirdly rewarded with a new nickname – ‘Shorty Gable’.
Most of the WWE fans have not taken to this gimmick. Additionally, it has restricted him to a lengthy feud with Corbin. The latter is a brilliant heel and manages to get under the skin of his opponents. But a joke about his rival’s height seems a corny concept at best.
Now that both of them are on the same brand, WWE are likely to continue this rivalry. However, that booking desperately needs a fresh outlook. If not, Gable will again be reduced to an undercard wrestler once this storyline is done and dusted.
Also Read -- 6 WWE Superstars who desperately need a new gimmick
#5 Will benefit: Ricochet
Ever since Ricochet arrived on the main roster, he has delivered one impressive performance after another. He has been so good in his run so far that he has become one of the few Superstars who is cheered during a match, regardless of his opponent. This is huge for someone like him who is not even in any title picture.
It is evident that WWE have recognized the potential in the promotion’s ‘Resident Superhero’. During Draft 2019, he was retained by RAW. The brand will now look to capitalize on his momentum and push him for the title.
He is one of the best possible opponents for Intercontinental Champion, AJ Styles. Even if Ricochet doesn’t get his hands on the title immediately, it will help him make a statement.
Another additional benefit is Aleister Black’s move to RAW. They both debuted as a tag team but the latter was moved to SmackDown. Now that both these former NXT Superstars are back together, creative can involve them in engaging storylines.
#4 Won’t benefit: Rowan
After spending months alongside Daniel Bryan, Rowan was finally involved in a major storyline with Roman Reigns. Their feud came to an end at Hell in a Cell when Reigns and Bryan defeated Rowan and his partner, Luke Harper.
Following their feud, it was expected that Rowan and Harper will continue to compete as a Tag Team. However, during the weekend, it was only Rowan who was drafted to RAW. Luke Harper, on the other hand, remained undrafted and is now a free agent.
The best way to book Rowan at the moment is to have him walk alongside Harper. Together, the Bludgeon Brothers are a dominant force and can become the major players in the Tag Team division.
However, without Harper, Rowan will struggle to find himself in a good feud. He has already proven that he can carry a storyline but he needs to have a little more charisma before competing as a singles Superstar. If not, WWE will limit his appearances and he will soon be forgotten amidst the plethora of talent.
Also Read -- 5 interesting facts you didn't know about WWE Superstar Rowan
#4 Will benefit: Kevin Owens
The former Universal Champion Kevin Owens had a brilliant run on SmackDown in the last couple of years. He even earned the opportunity to fire Shane McMahon before ending his time on the Blue brand.
But, it’s been a long time since KO was put in a major title match. His return post-injury saw him receive a shot at the WWE Championship earlier this year but it was not an ideal moment as KofiMania was ruling the WWE Universe.
But now that he has been drafted to RAW, KO has the opportunity to engage in new feuds and claw his way to the top of the roster. From challenging Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship to feuding with AJ Styles for the Intercontinental Championship, there’s a lot of ways in which creative can book him.
Additionally, Owens admitted to being furious after being drafted in the third round. He said that he needs to work harder and the Red brand is the perfect place for him to hunt for new opponents.
Also Read: 5 WWE Superstars who busted open Vince McMahon (and if it was scripted)
#3 Won’t benefit: EC3
WWE Superstar EC3 debuted on the main roster only to be slammed by Dean Ambrose. One can understand that his brief feud with the former Shield member was meant to facilitate the latter’s exit from the company, but there’s nothing that followed his remarkable debut.
EC3 is a talented wrestler with equally good mic skills. However, he is yet to receive an opportunity to showcase his full potential in front of the WWE Universe.
Unfortunately for him, EC3 was not even named in the main draft. Instead, he was listed in the ‘Supplementary Picks’, announced via WWE’s official website.
The draft is an ideal moment to rewrite any Superstar’s career and EC3 is someone who deserves a reboot. The RAW Superstar was retained by the brand but there are no realistic feuds for him at the moment. Creative need to act fast if they wish to save someone as good as him from being lost in the shuffle.
#3 Will benefit: Aleister Black
It is almost criminal to have someone so incredibly talented and charismatic, and make an absolute mockery of their character. Aleister Black’s move to the main roster alongside Ricochet represented a much-awaited call-up.
However, he was moved to SmackDown where he spent weeks sitting in the dark, waiting for a challenger. WWE rarely used him in good storylines and kept him off TV for consecutive weeks on several occasions.
But now that he has been drafted to RAW, there will be a long list of opportunities for him to remind the WWE Universe of his potential. Even if he is not directly involved in a feud, at least creative can have him appear regularly on TV.
With the show’s 3-hour format, there’s enough time for Aleister Black to compete inside the squared circle more often. He can feud with the likes of Drew McIntyre, Kevin Owens, and Seth Rollins. Who knows, we may even see him in a title picture sometime soon.
#2 Won’t benefit: Cesaro
The only thing worse than wasting Aleister Black’s potential is ignoring that of Cesaro. The latter dominated pro-wrestling news headlines with his incredible match at NXT Takeover: Cardiff. The 'Swiss Cyborg' fought against Ilja Dragunov and swung his opponent 40 times.
This match had the entire wrestling fanbase buzzing for weeks and many speculated that he could be moving to NXT UK. But the former 6-time United States Champion was not appropriately rewarded for his spectacular battle.
It’s not just the fact that his move to NXT UK or even NXT, was denied, but he wasn’t even used properly on the main roster, barring a couple of dark matches.
Shockingly, he wasn’t even named in Draft 2019, resulting in his status as a free agent.
WWE creative are possibly hoping for him to join forces with Sheamus when he returns. Even then, it’s bizarre to not grant him a Singles run because he has proved his potential time and again. He is a brilliant heel who should be booked in more important storylines but unfortunately, he is not in the picture.
#2 Will benefit: The Fiend
The Fiend’s rivalry with Seth Rollins met with an abrupt conclusion at Hell in a Cell, 2019. Their HIAC match ended in disqualification which enabled ‘The Architect’ to retain his Universal Championship, leaving the WWE Universe disappointed.
Now, the two are set to lock horns at Crown Jewel one last time before heading to their separate brands. It is clear that WWE want to establish Rollins as the ultimate babyface but in doing so, they are hurting one of the most interesting characters in modern-day wrestling.
Luckily for The Fiend, he was moved to SmackDown on Day 1 of Draft 2019. The Blue brand will be an ideal place for WWE to keep his character from being butchered at the hands of top babyfaces. He needs better booking to establish himself as an almost unbeatable force.
There are several potential feuds lined up for The Fiend on SmackDown. Since it’s only a two-hour show, there’s enough room for him to make limited appearances and still manage to maintain the excitement with respect to his in-ring persona.
Also Read -- WWE Draft 2019: 5 Possible feuds for The Fiend on SmackDown
#1 Won’t benefit: Charlotte Flair
WWE Draft 2019 saw ten-time Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair being drafted to Monday Night RAW. In the Red brand, The Queen is likely to engage in a lengthy feud with Becky Lynch. Both these Superstars share a long history but today, Charlotte will have to make way for ‘The Man’.
With Lynch ruling the entire women’s division, Charlotte will be the second most important woman on the roster. At best, she will have short title reigns so that she can take over Ric Flair’s record of sixteen championships.
Flair and Lynch certainly deliver incredible matches. But if WWE book a feud between Lynch and Flair time and again, this storyline will become redundant soon enough.
Thus, she will have to look for new opponents but considering the history, ‘The Queen’ always finds her way into the title picture.
Charlotte is already the most decorated female Superstar in WWE history. The only way in which WWE creatives can take advantage of this draft is by having 'The Queen' explore new rivals and storylines that will help justify her presence on RAW.
#1 Will benefit: Drew McIntyre
WWE Superstar Drew McIntyre is one of those wrestlers who is repeatedly failed by bad booking. However, post Draft 2019, WWE have an opportunity to re-establish McIntyre as one of the top Superstars on the main roster.
Currently, he is the best person to challenge Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship. One of the ways in which WWE can book this rivalry is by having Rollins turn heel. The latter’s heel turn is long overdue and it will be interesting to see him being countered by a babyface McIntyre.
The Scottish Psychopath can also be the kind of Champion who doesn’t fall for tricks, something that the Universal Championship has not seen in ages.
Even if WWE don’t want to rush McIntyre into the title picture, they can always have him form an alliance with the likes of Randy Orton and Kevin Owens. There’s a lot of potential for WWE to redeem the in-ring character of one of the finest Superstars in the RAW locker room and hopefully, this time an appropriate booking will come through.
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