As said by Vince Mcmahon on this weeks Raw, "its time to shake things up around here." Of course he was announcing the 2017 WWE draft, where superstars from Raw can be traded to Smackdown and vice versa. This is a good thing as it freshens up the roster and gives fans the chance to see superstars who haven't been on the same show for a while to cross paths.
Fortunately for WWE management and readers of this here blog I've been looking at the reasons for and against who should be drafted and have put together the top ten picks for next weeks WWE Draft.
10. Enzo and Big Cass
As a tag team Enzo and Cass have known been on the main roster for a full year where they have challenged for the Raw tag titles, teamed with John Cena and had programs with singles stars such as Chris Jericho, Kevin Owens and Rusev. However with the arrival of The Hardy Boyz and The Revival the tag team division on Raw is starting to get crowded.
By moving Enzo and Cass over to Smackdown it gives them the chance to show their strengths which is their promo skills and flair. This gives Smackdown a more vibrant tag division and the one thing that the tag division doesn't have flair.
9. Heath Slater
Since the brand split in 2016 Heath Slater has done the one thing nobody expected him to do - he got over. His new character of a redneck who needs the money for his 17 kids and above ground pool has been comedy genius as has his teaming up with the man beast Rhyno.
However since they lost the tag titles they have been under utilised, the teased break up hasn't happened and they've been stuck in limbo ever since. It makes sense to split the team up if they aren't being used and Heath Slater is the ideal choice for Raw as with the extra hour there is more time for him and his backstage antics which helped get him over back at the start of the brand switch.
8. Sami Zayne
Sami Zayne has had an impressive year during which he has built up an underdog reputation which has seen him involved in angles with Raws hierarchy and Braun Strowman. It makes perfect sense to move Sami over now as Mick Foley and Stephanie Mcmahon have been written off TV while Strowman looks like he's being set up for bigger things.
Also there is the elephant in the room, it moves him to a different show from Kevin Owens. Fans have lost count of how many times they've faced each other over the last year and this move forces creative to do something different with him.
7. Kalisto
Kalisto doesn't have a role on Smackdown, he's the lone cruiser weight not on 205 live or Raw. If anything his role over the last six months is to get beaten up, first by Baron Corbin and then Dolph Ziggler. His recent angle with Apollo Crews against Dolph Ziggler hasn't worked and all three are suffering as a result.
By moving Kalisto to Raw it gives him a chance to reignite his WWE career. Immediately it creates two chances for him one to reform the Lucha Dragons with Sin Cara and two the possibility to move over to 205 live and work with superstars more his size who can work with his style.
6. Rusev
Rusev hasn't been himself recently, he's been in a run of very strange programs including Enzo and Cass which has seen him team up with Jinder Mahal which went nowhere for either man. Admittedly Rusev is injured at the moment but from a booking point of view it gives fans the chance to feel the impact of the draft a few months down the line with perhaps a surprise run in.
Creatively Rusev has been at his strongest when used as a monster heel, however at the moment Raw has Braun Strowman, Brock Lesnar, Samoa Joe and Big Show. In short Raw is currently overloaded with monsters which leaves little room for Rusev. A move over to Smackdown would see him as the only monster and give him more room to flourish.
5. Bray Wyatt
Bray Wyatts program with Randy Orton has been borderline perfect and shows what can happen when WWE does a slow burn story, its worth remembering that this story started in August 2016 and is currently in its eighth month. However all good things come to an end and it makes sense to separate the pair right now, with Orton as the Smackdown champion it makes sense to move Wyatt.
Story line wise it also makes sense as WWE creative have shown that they prefer to focus on Wyatts promo skills. Moving him to Raw with that extra hour gives him more space without cutting short the shows match time. Also with Brock Lesnar having Paul Heyman maybe Wyatt could bring Brawn Strowman under his wing and continue the story line set up in the 2016 Royal Rumble.
4. Cesaro
Again this makes sense due to Raws crowded tag team division. Sheamus and Cesaro have got over as a tag team and their story line has come to a natural end. They've fought, been forced to team, become champions and earned each others respect. The time has come for both parties to move on.
Cesaro has been held as a superstar who deserves to be further up the card by a number of legends and a change of show would help. Cesaro has done wonders in various factions over the the years but its time for him to strike out for himself.
3. Dolph Ziggler
When the roster split in 2016 Dolph Ziggler got off to a good start, he became the number one contender for the WWE title. Despite not winning the title he then entered into a well received program with the Miz, despite trading wins over all Ziggler would lose in the long term and since then he's kept on losing.
A heel turn has seen Ziggler turn from lovable loser to a dispirited villain which has been a struggle to watch. Comparing his position after the brand split with now makes it look like he's been stood in quick sand for the last four months. Ziggler needs something to give his career life, if things don't change for him soon he could be finding his way down to NXT.
2. Seth Rolins
Seth Rollins is without doubt a main eventer, since the Shield split up he has proven himself to be a successful heel champion and since his comeback from injury a very strong face. However his long term story line with HHH has now come to an end and it makes sense to move him away from Raw which is seen as the dominion of the Mcmahon-Helmsleys.
A move to Smackdown gives the show another contender for Randy Ortons belt as well as a potential Shield reunion with Dean Ambrose. Also it gives us a chance to see how he inter reacts with another member of the McMahon's in Shane.
1. AJ Styles
AJ Styles has been the MVP of the WWE over the last twelve months, he has faced Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and John Cena turning in many match of the year contenders. However as we've already said with others involved in programs with on air authority, his story line with Shane Mcmahon looks to be over.
On top of that Styles has competed with Orton, Corbin, Harper and most of Smackdowns roster in the last few months. While a program with Shinsuke Nakamura looks enticing surely it makes sense to move Styles to Raw, where an even more enticing showdown with Brock Lesnar beckons...
There you have it, the top ten picks from me for the 2017 WWE draft.
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