Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.
This week, Dallas Allsopp, Ben Williams and Callum Wiggins review the 2021 WWE Draft.
WWE completed it's 2021 Draft, which gave the company the opportunity to freshen up it's rosters. But was it a successful Draft?
Question 1: Which Draft pick was the best over the two nights? Which was the worst?
ALLSOPP: The best Draft pick was easily Drew McIntyre moving to SmackDown, as he is the dominant face that Roman Reigns needs to feud with once he has dispatched of Brock Lesnar at Crown Jewel. I could watch them feud for 6 months and not lose interest, and I dare say it would be a smart decision to have Reigns eventually lose his WWE Universal Championship to The Scottish Warrior.
In terms of the worst Draft pick, I cannot look past Ridge Holland. I was not impressed with his brief run in NXT, and I suspect he will suffer with injury problems. Even if he remains fit and healthy, I have no doubt his lack of in ring ability will be exposed on the blue brand, especially when compared to some of the more technical opponents he could face.
WILLIAMS: The best Draft pick for me is Seth Rollins heading back to Raw. I think he’s spent a long enough time away from the main event picture, and was clearly never gonna take the WWE Universal Championship from Roman Reigns, so the prospect of a potential NXT OG’s feud with Rollins and Big E is an exciting one for me. The worst Draft pick is Tegan Nox to Raw for me - why would you break up such a fresh and exciting duo in Nox and Shotzi. The women’s tag team division was the biggest loser within this Draft, and this team was arguably the most exciting one across the division.
WIGGINS: For me, the best Draft pick was Shayna Baszler to SmackDown. Not only does this separate her from Nia Jax, which has been a long time coming, but a fresh start following her recent push on Raw could see Baszler be positioned as the main event calibre talent we saw back in NXT.
The worst Draft pick is hard to determine, but it would probably come from the cavalcade of split tag teams. Shotzi and Nox are a particular head-scratcher. But personally, I don't feel like there was anything to gain from splitting up The New Day once more, and they should have collectively stayed together on Raw.
Question 2: Who is the sleeper Draft pick?
WILLIAMS: I could see Jeff Hardy going on to do great things on SmackDown. The main event scene on the blue brand is severely lacking in star power, and I think the WWE universe would go wild for a Hardy / Roman Reigns WWE Universal Championship feud. Also, a shout out to Shayna Baszler, who might finally get the chance to look as dominant as she did when she first came to WWE. Her SmackDown future has a lot of potential!
WIGGINS: Xia Li to SmackDown could be an interesting addition. The SmackDown women's division has been floundering for months now, and the injection of a talent like Li, who was beginning to pick up steam in NXT prior to her injury, could really help them regain momentum. Li herself, if she maintains her upward trajectory, could quite soon find herself as a fixture in the title scene, if for no other reason than the PR this would score WWE in China.
ALLSOPP: I initially thought Gable Steveson would be the sleeper pick, but I think his lack of experience in professional wrestling means his ultimate success is far from guaranteed. This leads me to call the team of Humberto Carrillo and Angel Garza the best sleeper pick. As a new team, they share some clear potential for success, but I feel as united singles stars, they could easily dominate the upper mid card scene in SmackDown. SmackDown has long been perceived as the land of opportunity, and I have no doubt they will use the next 12 months to establish themselves as vital members of WWE’s roster.
Question 3: Which show has come out of this Draft with the strongest roster?
WIGGINS: Raw, without a question, came out stronger in the Draft. Whilst SmackDown gained Roman Reigns, Drew McIntyre, Charlotte Flair, and Sasha Banks, there is then a significant drop in star power below them. But, there is a great deal of potential within their ranks if WWE can actually get their act together.
Raw, meanwhile, just has more depth across its roster. Big E, Bobby Lashley, Edge, Seth Rollins, Damian Priest, Finn Balor, and others can be top names on the red brand, whilst Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss and Rhea Ripley are among the top women in the whole company right now.
ALLSOPP: I’d argue SmackDown has come out of the Draft in a better state than when they entered it. Yes, they may have lost Edge and Seth Rollins, but they gained enough top talent to shore up those gaps. The tag team scene is arguably better than Raw’s, whilst I have high hopes for what looks to be a women’s division with tonnes of potential. Besides, Brock Lesnar is essentially a quasi member of SmackDown, as his current and most likely opponents in the future are tied to the blue brand.
WILLIAMS: Purely for it’s women’s division and for the fact it still boasts Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, SmackDown has the strongest roster for me. SmackDown, since the initial 2016 brand split, has a bit of a history of taking lesser known or mid card stars and giving them the freedom to expand their characters and get themselves over (Breezango, Alexa Bliss, Naomi, Jey Uso etc) and I think the lack of top level male performers on the brand is gonna force WWE to build up some mid card acts to that main event level.
Those are our thoughts on the issue, but where do you stand?
Let us know your answers to these questions in the comments below!
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