WWE Draft 2023 Picks to Create Fresh Feuds on Raw and SmackDown

The WWE draft not only shakes things up in terms of personnel on the main roster, but it also provides fans with new faces in new places and potential matchups featuring Superstars who have not met in the past.

Such is the case in 2023, with several names in need of a new outlook to freshen things up and provide them a creative spark that may have been missing.

Ahead of the draft, which kicks off Friday night on SmackDown, these are the more prominent competitors who could benefit from making the move to a different show.

Sheamus to Raw

When a wrestler is a renowned workhorse, it's far more likely they will run through available opponents at a greater clip than others.

Such is the case with Sheamus, who has worked with nearly everyone on the SmackDown roster.

We never got to see him battle Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, and a series with Karrion Kross may have been fun, but The Celtic Warrior is a guy who could benefit from a change of scenery more than others.

A program with Austin Theory for the United States title on Raw is one that sticks out as a potentially fun one, especially if the Irishman is willing to help with the young heel's progression as a performer.

Booking him against Bronson Reed would make for physical battles, while a feud with Finn Bálor as part of a larger storyline involving The Judgment Day could net some great in-ring action.

Battles with Cody Rhodes as a heel or a pay-per-view match with Brock Lesnar—an opponent who has eluded him over the years—would elevate his stature in the eyes of the audience and return him to the top of the card.

Sheamus is a guy who is going to produce strong matches with anyone, but given how much ring time he saw in 2022, it would benefit him to make the switch to Raw in this year's draft.

Seth Rollins to SmackDown

Speaking of workhorses...

Seth Rollins badly needs a change of scenery if for no other reason than the fact that he is wandering aimlessly around Raw, working random matches against random opponents, with nothing of note going on.

How WWE officials did not follow up on his extraordinary performance against Logan Paul at WrestleMania 39, where he had one of the best matches of the entire two-night event, is a question only they can answer.

Rollins jumping to SmackDown and having the opportunity to work with The Bloodline for more than just a month leading to a one-off fights with Reigns, as he did at the start of 2022, will do wonders for him and allow WWE to actually take advantage of his immense popularity.

A series with Gunther could help elevate the Intercontinental Championship even more than the leader of Imperium has done to this point.

Kross is a guy who has yet to have that one great match to justify the trust and support Triple H has had in him to this point. There is no better option on the roster to give him that kind of match while also getting him consistent ring time against an elite performer than Rollins.

The Visionary could be Kross' signature rival and the guy who convinces the fans to invest in him.

It is that potential feud with The Bloodline and Reigns, though, that serves as the most compelling reason for Rollins to make the jump to the blue brand.

The Visionary has repeatedly had The Tribal Chief's number, most recently at last year's Royal Rumble, where he manipulated Reigns' emotions and defeated him via disqualification.

The reignition of that rivalry and the big-time title match both they and the fans deserve, is the most obvious reason to send Rollins back to SmackDown among the top five picks in this year's draft.

Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler to Raw

Triple H may have his sights set on an eventual showdown between Ronda Rousey and Rhea Ripley over the SmackDown Women's Championship, but The Baddest Woman on the Planet should make the move to Monday nights alongside friend and tag team partner Shayna Baszler in the draft.

At this point, Rousey is a heel. Booking finally caught up to the negative crowd reactions and asking her to oppose Ripley, who is also a villain, will not change that. If anything, it would turn The Eradicator babyface, which would not be a good idea in terms of her place in The Judgment Day.

Moving Rousey to Raw sets up a feud with Bianca Belair, which is one of the few big-time rivalries WWE has yet to produce. The EST of WWE is a star and would be accepted as a viable opponent for the former UFC fighter.

Throw in a potential showdown with Asuka and first-time matchups with Mia Yim, Candice LeRae, Nikki Cross, Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai, and you have all the reasons one would need to at least consider the move.

Ditto Baszler, who would almost certainly put in the majority of the ring work for the duo and should find career rejuvenation in doing so...as long as she is allowed to win on occasion.

Bobby Lashley to SmackDown

Bobby Lashley and Reigns have not had a one-on-one match since the July 23, 2018 episode of Raw.

The All Mighty has also never squared off with intercontinental champion Gunther in a WWE ring.

Those two matchups alone are enough reason for Lashley to make the jump to SmackDown. That he has done just about everything there is to do on Raw, including battling top stars Rollins, Brock Lesnar, and Austin Theory, only lends credence to the idea that it's time for him to move on.

The Reigns matchup, in particular, is appealing because we have not been overexposed to it and Lashley has enough credibility built up with fans that they would believe he could defeat The Tribal Chief.

Ditto for Gunther, who has been booked to be this unstoppable force while Lashley is a believable unmovable object who could weather the storm of breathtaking chops and still put The Ring General down for the count.

Those two matches are genuine main events. Other bouts, against Solo Sikoa, LA Knight, Karrion Kross and babyfaces Braun Strowman and Drew McIntyre, would all inject much-needed freshness into the show while giving Lashley new faces to work with.

More than any of the aforementioned competitors, it is Lashley who would benefit most from a brand switch and the matchups that would exist for him to continue to build his Hall of Fame resume.