WWE Draft 2023: Fresh Feuds and Matches We Want WWE to Create in This Year's Shake-Up

With an aura of unpredictability in the air, the WWE 2023 draft should be exciting, especially with it marking the first major roster shake-up since October 2021.

Unfortunately, recent installments of the annual event have either been poorly executed, failed to truly change the landscape of WWE, or both.

Triple H heading the company's creative direction since last summer should give fans reason to believe this year's draft will be different, but it remains to be seen whether the rules of the brand split will actually be enforced when all is said and done.

Most Superstars don't have an allegiance to Raw or SmackDown right now because of the lines being blurred for so long, but this draft does provide WWE with an opportunity to really hit the reset button and start from scratch in several ways.

Triple H emphasized in his announcement that everyone will eligible this year, so expect to see a few familiar names from NXT finally called up to the main roster and possibly a tag team or two broken up as well.

This should include more fresh faces and feuds being featured, and depending on what moves are made, the following seven must-see matches would breathe new life into both brands.

Brock Lesnar vs. Gunther

Fans have been fantasy-booking Brock Lesnar against Gunther from the moment the latter first stepped into a WWE ring four years ago.

It was the ultimate dream match in that not many realistically expected it to happen because of Gunther's full-time status as a star on the NXT UK brand. He thankfully transferred over to NXT proper in early 2022 before being moved to the main roster days removed from WrestleMania 38.

Gunther has exceeded all expectations this past year, not because he wasn't capable of greatness but because it was hard to imagine him being booked as dominantly as he has been.

His near-year-long Intercontinental Championship reign has been a smashing success and has elevated the title to heights it hasn't been at in years. It's merely a matter of time before he works his way up to the main event scene, and Lesnar should be one of his first opponents when he does.

There's no reason for a feud between them to be over the prestigious prize. It makes much more sense for this to be an old-school hoss fight with Gunther taking Lesnar to his limit if not beating him straight-up.

LA Knight vs. Seth Rollins

LA Knight has all the tools to be a top talent in WWE. He just needs the right feud to cement him at that elite level.

His program with Bray Wyatt earlier this year was a solid start (despite coming out on the losing end), and he's gradually gotten over with the audience since then. He's worked with notable names such as Rey Mysterio and Cody Rhodes, but he has suffered from a lack of direction for months now.

The same can be said for Seth Rollins, who has been spinning his wheels following his WrestleMania win over Logan Paul earlier this month. Pairing the two of them together post-draft might be the best route to take.

No championships would need to be involved for this to be entertaining. They can bring it on the microphone and deliver some excellent matches to boot.

SmackDown would be the best brand to host this hotly contested clash and get them back on track to the top of the card.

Charlotte Flair vs. Bianca Belair

In a relatively short span of time, Bianca Belair has beaten almost every established star in WWE's women's division.

Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss, Bayley, Asuka and even the former Sasha Banks have all fallen to Belair's K.O.D. finisher on WWE's biggest stages. The only member of The Four Horsewomen she has yet to beat is none other than Charlotte Flair.

They haven't had an extended feud up to this point, which is why it has to happen later this year (especially if Belair vs. Rhea Ripley is penciled in for WrestleMania 40). They first faced off on NXT in 2020 and again in the main event of Raw in 2021, but Belair couldn't win decisively on either occasion.

Flair being a babyface at the moment does make the dynamic between them slightly strange, but anything can change by the time Flair resurfaces on WWE TV and hopefully heads to Raw. Belair needs a legitimate threat to her title, and Flair fits the bill.

With only two title wins to go until she ties her father Ric's record, Flair will be extra determined to end Belair's lengthy reign as Raw Women's champion and resume her place atop the totem pole on the red brand.

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens vs. Ricochet and Braun Strowman

Assuming Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens escape their upcoming rematch with The Usos still the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions, they'll need several strong teams waiting in the wings to challenge them.

They've already beaten The Street Profits, which doesn't leave too many top teams on Raw or SmackDown for them to feud with.

Ideally, Zayn and Owens will end up on the same show and continue to appear on both brands as floating champs. Braun Strowman and Ricochet should not only remain a unit coming out of the draft, but they should also be built up for an opportunity at the twin titles.

The dynamic duo unsuccessfully challenged for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship back in February but have developed excellent chemistry as partners since then. If they can emerge from their SmackDown battle with The Viking Raiders victorious, another tag title shot should be in their future.

Depending on when this takes place, Strowman and Ricochet may even be the ones to ultimately unseat Owens and Zayn.

Bobby Lashley vs. Bron Breakker

Quite a few NXT prospects are due for a main roster call-up in the 2023 WWE draft, and Bron Breakker should be leading the list.

The second-generation star crashed on to the NXT scene in late 2021 and was immediately positioned as the new face of the brand despite being only a handful of months into his pro wrestling career.

By January 2022, he was NXT champion, and for the next 15 months, he made great strides and racked up countless victories. He's ready for what's next, but once he arrives on either Raw or SmackDown, Bobby Lashley will be waiting to welcome him.

Lashley has been dealt a tough hand lately between being bumped off the WrestleMania card and getting relegated to winning the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. It was a fine consolation prize, but he should be slotted higher on the card than he currently is.

Until he's able to challenge for a world title again, a feud with newcomer Breakker would effectively keep both men busy and give the two-time NXT champ a significant storyline straight out of the gate.

This battle of the Spears would be nothing short of explosive and would allow Breakker to test himself against an established fan favorite.

Rhea Ripley vs. Becky Lynch

Much like Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley has steamrolled through the Raw women's division in the last two years and will now attempt to take over the SmackDown women's division as its champion.

There are plenty of fresh opponents for her on Friday nights, but Becky Lynch is one star she's seldom crossed paths with and should finally have a storyline with following the draft.

Lynch joining her husband Seth Rollins on SmackDown is only logical, and the two have done all they can do on Raw since the 2021 draft. Granted, the two of them have already conquered the blue brand as well, but a change of scenery wouldn't hurt.

As for Ripley vs. Lynch, it would be a high-profile program for the SmackDown Women's title and would spawn several memorable matches and promos. They've faced off on a November 2019 episode of NXT and inside WarGames last year, but they have been two ships passing in the night otherwise.

Of course, Lynch first has to exact revenge on Trish Stratus for betraying her last week on Raw, but once she settles that score, The Man should reset her sights on championship gold, specifically as part of a rivalry with Ripley.

Drew McIntyre vs. Cody Rhodes

Once upon a time, during a period of WWE TV fans have long forgotten about, Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes stood side-by-side as the reigning tag team champions.

They had such a blink-and-you-missed-it alliance that they broke up almost as quickly as they joined forces back in late 2010. They took the titles from The Hart Dynasty and had an afterthought of a reign that was ended by The Nexus' John Cena and David Otunga a month later.

At one point, Rhodes and McIntyre were seen as the future of WWE, but it took them both leaving the company and reinventing themselves elsewhere to find the success they were looking for. They've made their way back to the company and are bigger stars than ever before.

There's a natural story that can be told there, especially with a world title at stake. That may not be in the cards any time soon with Roman Reigns still in possession of both belts, but it should be saved for later on this year if not next year.

McIntyre betraying Rhodes out of jealousy for fans accepting The American Nightmare as the chosen one instead of him writes itself, so here's hoping they find themselves drafted to the same show to ensure it becomes a reality.

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Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.