No Draft This Year?

[Guest Breakdown]

- PWInsider.com reports that there has been no talk of a draft happening this year. Since Smackdown is going to be pre-empted alot in major markets due to baseball and such WWE does not feel like it is even worth building up the Smackdown brand.

Oh well, its a shame as i always liked the draft, but at least it means RAW will be kept the way it is, as for me its been on fire lately. The bad news however, is that Smackdown will remain the same boring show.

[Guest CoTT]

I was looking forward to a draft. It's gonna be a LONG year.

[TPIB 62]

Absolutely. I guess WWE plans to continue this whole thing of RAW stars going to SD for a title of sorts or because they win a title of sorts (IE: Kurt Angle & Gregory Helms). The question is, without the draft, how will WWE justify moving Kane to SmackDown?

[Guest Danny Styles]

What's preempted??

 

 

well this won't hurt smackdown too much or Raw, both are alright shows at the moment, the only thing that needs help is the SD main event scene (through no fault of Smackdown, just bad luck) but with kane going over that'll be ok

[Guest Craig]

What's preempted??

 

I'm sure someone else could explain it better, but since SD! is on a local channel, UPN, it plays some local baseball games or other sports games, stuff like that. In some places, unfortunatly, it's going to run over SmackDown!. Like I said though, someone could probably explain it better than me.

 

I actually like the idea of no draft lottery this year. Both show's rosters are good enough as they are, no need to change them. A couple switches might not hurt, but other than that, I don't see the need for another month long draft.

[Guest MrFill]

I think it's their own fault though - choosing to go to Friday with SmackDown was a HORRIBLE idea.

 

The demographic they aim at will probably be out on Friday evening, so they probably lost a chunk of their audience.

 

Also, with the switching around, which rarely happened on Thursday, they've shot themselves in the foot overall.

[Guest Craig]

Are you talking about it bein WWE's fault or UPN's, because I thought it was UPN that moved them to Fridays.

[Guest Colin]

Are you talking about it bein WWE's fault or UPN's' date=' because I thought it was UPN that moved them to Fridays.[/quote']

 

The Friday move was certainly UPNs call

[Guest porridge]

Oh well' date=' its a shame as i always liked the draft, but at least it means RAW will be kept the way it is, as for me its been on fire lately. The bad news however, is that Smackdown will remain the same boring show.[/quote']

 

I disagree. Smackdown is a good show, often more entertaining than Raw. The trouble it has and always will be treated and seen as the 'B' Show or No.2. It's constantly fighting an uphill battle. Do you remember how things were before the roster split? Smackdown used to be an awesome programme, unmissable every week. Cage matches and Buried Alive Tag Team Title matches. Ahhhhh memories.

 

Absolutely. I guess WWE plans to continue this whole thing of RAW stars going to SD for a title of sorts or because they win a title of sorts (IE: Kurt Angle & Gregory Helms). The question is' date=' without the draft, how will WWE justify moving Kane to SmackDown?[/quote']

 

Who says Kane is moving to Smackdown? I know that was the rumour but it could just have been an early plan for the draft. I'm sure it's definitely not written in stone that. But if they are that desperate to move him then I'm sure they'll come up with a storyline for it. e.g. Kane continues to go nuts and chokeslams Vince (or the new GM?) so Raw 'fires' him.

[Guest craignwo4life]

Last years draft took place a few months after the previous years so it may still hapen in the summer.

 

They always do a minor storyline where the 2 general managers "do a trade".

 

If they "don't want to build the Smackdown brand" it may also explain why they don't seem too upset at taking Orton off screen for at least a couple of months.

[headshrinker 26]

Don't think there'd be much point in a draft this year anyway. They've moved pretty much everyone around at least once already and the last one doesn't seem like that long ago. If they did a one off show like 2 years ago where they changed 5 or 6 'random' wrestlers in one go rather than drag it out over a few weeks and move most of their top stars around like last year, that would be alright. Another year for Val Venis on Heat instead of being in the US title mix on Smackdown then I guess!

[Guest rawiswar]

They don't want to build the SmackDown brand? Hmm strange coming from the company that want to put out the most entertaining shows out there. Don't they care about SmackDown and its stars on there?

 

If they don't give a f*** about one of their major shows then I guess they should quit SmackDown altogether. Of course, not really possible though because then what would they do with all the stars from there...

 

Great way to advertise one of their shows though, it's like... "screw SmackDown", which is unfortunate for the SD fans. I personally do prefer RAW but I still believe this is unfair on the SmackDown stars and especially the fans that watch it.

Edited April 20, 2006 by rawiswar

[Guest horsemansmiler]

doh! i was looking forward to draft.

[Guest MojoPogo]

in terms of the Smackdown main event scene remember, big Dave and Kennedy..................Kennedy are due back very soon. that'll be a kick up the arse for it. And i still prefer smackdown to be honest. But thats just me.

[Guest CoTT]

I disagree. Smackdown is a good show, often more entertaining than Raw. The trouble it has and always will be treated and seen as the 'B' Show or No.2. It's constantly fighting an uphill battle. Do you remember how things were before the roster split? Smackdown used to be an awesome programme, unmissable every week. Cage matches and Buried Alive Tag Team Title matches. Ahhhhh memories.

 

There was a cage match on SD! just the other day and Buried Alive matches blow.

[Naitch 207]

There was a cage match on SD! just the other day and Buried Alive matches blow.

 

That cage match was also one of the best WWE TV matches of the year so far and Buried Alive matches do indeed 'blow', there has never been a good one.

 

I have mixed feelings about the draft not happening if indeed it doesn't happen. On the one hand I am glad that they're leaving Smackdown alone, because for a long time now it has been by far the best wrestling show on TV. The roster is very solid right now and I would have hated to have had people I like such as FINLAY, JBL, Mark Henry or King Booker moved to the blackhole that is Raw. You also know that the WWE couldn't resist breaking up MNM seeing as how they continually break up tag teams far too soon in their search for the next Bret Hart or the next Shawn Michaels. Smackdown could do with another upper midcard-main event level heel with Orton being out, but they can always push JBL or King Booker or use Mr. Kennedy there. He does need a lot of improvement on his ring work, but I think he would be a solid upper midcarder. However, on the otherhand, I would love to see people like MURDOCH, Val Venis or Carlito moved to Smackdown. Venis as I have said many times before is a hugely underrated wrestler and could be a very solid US Title contender facing people such as Benoit or JBL. Carlito I feel has been improving greatly for at least the last 7 or 8 months, but he does need good opponents and looking at the roster on Raw there isn't a whole lot of people he can work with. On Smackdown he would have a solid roster of wrestlers who could aid his improvement. MURDOCH they simply aren't doing enough with on Raw (although judging from Heat last week it looks like a Cade and MURDOCH reunion could be coming) and I would love to see him work against a better roster of talent on Smackdown. Kennedy.

Edited April 20, 2006 by Naitch

[Guest Phox]

I was thinking about the draft the other day, and I think the idea of not having one this year is quite a good idea.

Take Batista for example, if he gets the title back when he returns he's got a whole lotta guys he hasn't come up against before he go injured...

You've got Lashely coming up as contender possibly with the KOTR and Kenedy when he comes back has surely got to get a push at least to US title contention. And now Rey has got himself up in the mainevent scene too.

They've defintly got a lot of matches and fueds just waiting to happen!

 

But RAW is another story...

[Guest Dicky]

how can they no care about smackdown? i mean just look how many people they have bought in to replace the likes of eddie! boodyman, finley, kurt angle, that big new dude...was mark henry 1? and others, they are tryin to make it better with new superstars and i think smackdown is the show where they are trying to breed the most new talent

[Guest rawiswar]

I agree it would be good for Venis to move over to SD after his injury. He'd actually look good as a US title contender, and the guy is underrated and so horribly underused right now/before his injury etc.

 

It would be stupid of the WWE to keep him on the RAW roster as a Heat usual, when he could be used on SD and would most probably be incredibly over.

Edited April 21, 2006 by rawiswar

[BRM 220]

Moving to Friday nights was a good idea if you ask me.

 

Lets face it if you watch Wrestling you have little to no social life so it's very unlikely that you would be going out on a Friday night, unless you go to the laundrette on a Friday evening that is. ;)

[Guest CoTT]

I agree it would be good for Venis to move over to SD after his injury. He'd actually look good as a US title contender, and the guy is underrated and so horribly underused right now/before his injury etc.

 

It would be stupid of the WWE to keep him on the RAW roster as a Heat usual, when he could be used on SD and would most probably be incredibly over.

 

I don't think Val Venis wants a push if anything. He's very much in the Hardcore Holly mode where his job is secure and he's not particularly worried about getting titles as long as he picks up the occasional victory here and there. He's a senior member of the roster that's happy where he is.

[Guest MojoPogo]

Moving to Friday nights was a good idea if you ask me.

 

Lets face it if you watch Wrestling you have little to no social life so it's very unlikely that you would be going out on a Friday night, unless you go to the laundrette on a Friday evening that is. ;)

 

Not one to make sweeping statements are we? :P If for one have a social life, i see sunlight oooh.....every 3 months!:D

[Guest Bluestiger99]

how can they no care about smackdown? i mean just look how many people they have bought in to replace the likes of eddie! boodyman' date=' finley, kurt angle, that big new dude...was mark henry 1? and others, they are tryin to make it better with new superstars and i think smackdown is the show where they are trying to breed the most new talent[/quote']

 

Finlay has ben around for a while, just not in this capactiy. Bringing in Boogeyman and "the big new dude" are hardly replacements for Eddie, same with Mark Henry. Angle is fair enough, but wasn't he there before the whole thing with Eddie?

[Guest porridge]

There was a cage match on SD! just the other day and Buried Alive matches blow.

 

Lol oh was there? Managed to miss that one completely! Out of interest who was in it?

 

Buried Alive matches are awesome! But only if used at the right time. I remember a tag team one on Smackdown that included Taker, Kane, Austin and someone else, and it was brilliant!

[Guest Wolverine]

Lol oh was there? Managed to miss that one completely! Out of interest who was in it?

 

Benoit and JBL.