The WWE Draft finished up yesterday with the Supplemental Draft moving mostly bit players and Divas around between the two brands while Melina typed in all CAPS LOCK and Fink made inappropriate but awesome comments. Now that the dust has settled, we can look at the entirety of the Draft and see who made out. Usually, both brands get a new look that improves both and freshens the scene up from the nine months prior to the Royal Rumble (the unofficial date when the brand split goes to hell for the rest of the WM-to-WM year and the build to WM begins).
A funny thing happened this year though. Smackdown didn't get a single guy who would be considered WWE royalty. If you take Undertaker out of the equation, Smackdown's roster has 7 World Championships won in the WWE among them, with three of them coming in the last 2 years by CM Punk. There's no John Cena, no Triple H, no Batista, no Randy Orton... fuck, there's not even Edge or Chris Jericho. Smackdown surely got jobbed then, right?
Wrong. Smackdown got the better end of this draft, and here are six reasons why:
1. CM Punk is now the brand's top heel
While Edge, Chris Jericho and Batista are all great heels in their own right, who's been a hotter heel in the last year tha CM Punk? Really, no one. Punk's Straight Edge Society has taken on a life of its own and deserves to have the top of the fed to itself. With Jack Swagger as his best, most established competition as a heel, Punk's TV time, highlight matches and focus will only increase from here on out.
2. There's a good chance Christian will resume his stellar 2009 feud with Jack Swagger... over the World Heavyweight Championship
Although, according to the Smackdown spoilers, Big Show is next in line for a World Championship feud, you have to believe that Christian, who has history in the erstwhile ECW with SWAGGAH~!, is among the next in line to get a World Championship shot. I think the placement of his draft announcement, right after SWAGGAH~! stood victorious over John Morrison to earn Smackdown that pick, telegraphs as much. And you know what? I'm more than fine with that. If you ask anyone who really followed the WWE or wrestling in general last year what the best feuds were for in-ring work were last year, I'd be utterly shocked if Christian/Swagger wasn't mentioned in at least half the responses. As a fan of both guys, especially together in the ring, I find this absolutely exciting.
3. There's no threat of these young lions who need protection being fed to Triple H on a regular basis
Or John Cena. Or Batista. Or Randy Orton. Smarks who've claimed that they like wrestling have said for years that they just want to see new blood get pushed and not have to fear the jobhammer from one of the WWE's elite main event types. Well, given that I'm partially in that group, I'm tickled pink that a bunch of guys that I think could and will carry a show well will finally get the chance to do it on their own and not under the crushing weight of the establishment. For those who continue to whine about Smackdown's status as a "B-show" though, chew on this. Would the Will Ferrell/Darrell Hammond/Jim Breuer/Molly Shannon/Tracy Morgan era SNL cast have fared better if they had to share the stage with Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, Phil Hartman, Dana Carvey and Mike Myers? Probably not. They got their own chance to shine, and shine they did. So... given that, why on God's green earth would you complain about not having Orton, Trips or even Sheamus (who's new, but isn't pushed like he's new) come over and give the show "star power" when you have an opportunity for a fresh new cast of wrestlers to create their own?
4. Undertaker's presence on the roster will only make people better (unless he goes over everyone at will)
Forget that Undertaker came back last year and unceremoniously ended CM Punk's excellent World Championship reign for whatever reason you happen to believe. That seems to be the anomaly of '00s Taker, who, for a guy who spent the first decade of his WWF career not selling for anyone, has surprisingly and oddly become one of the most giving wrestlers on the roster. He put Brock Lesnar over huge in a Hell in a Cell match. In the last few years, he's lost several clean pinfalls to JBL, Big Show and even Vladimir Kozlov of all people. While he might heed the call from booking to carry the World Championship should ratings go in the shitter, I think both he and management know that he's on his last legs and that Smackdown is now the young lions' show. I have faith that Taker's going to at least put someone not named Kane or Big Show over in a meaningful way before he retires.
5. The worst wrestler on the roster is Kane, and Kane really ain't that bad
Okay, I'm lying. Scrooge McPoyle is the worst wrestler on the roster, and he is getting pushed fairly hard, but for all intents and purposes, well... fuck Scrooge McPoyle... err, I mean, he's a young guy and has actually improved since skulking his way onto the roster last year. Kane, however, is about as old as you'll get without delving into Finlay territory, and it seems like his aptitude for improving in the ring has plateaued. That's fine because Kane really isn't that bad. He's not Mike Knox, but then again, who can compete with that lustruous hobo beard and crossbody? BTW THANX AGAIN WWE FOR RELEASING HIM ARGGHHH!!111 Anyway... yeah, Kane with this roster is a good fit, especially with Big Show coming over and guys like Luke Gallows and Shad Gaspard on the rise.
6. This is the smark's dream roster.
Okay, maybe that's a bit of hyperbole, seeing as
The point is, I feel like that negative reactions to this are based more in a tendency to whine and complain about everything "management" of a company does rather than enjoying the product. To me, the criticisms aren't about Smackdown being filled with guys no one likes. It's quite the contrary. I just find it funny that some of the same people who screamed in the past for Christian, Punk, Swagger, MVP and others to be featured more and Orton, Trips, Cena and others featured less are getting what they want and are still finding things to bitch about when they get exactly that. My point is... just sit back, relax and watch Smackdown. Ultimately, you and I have the power here, the power to watch Smackdown, get it good ratings and tell the WWE that yes, we do want to see fresh blood on top. This is an unprecedented opportunity, and I, quite frankly, am glad that it's happening. For that reason, Smackdown killed in this Draft, at least from an Internet fan's point of view.
Photo Credit: WWE.com
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