Best Scenarios for Top WWE Stars for Upcoming Raw, SmackDown Draft

Glass ceilings are bound to break after WWE holds its first Raw and SmackDown draft in years.

Perennially underrated Superstars like Cesaro will slide up the card once the roster is split in half. Megastars in the making at NXT will be called upon to ply their craft on a bigger stage. And the brand split provides a major opportunity to strengthen the women's division.

WWE will soon shake up its landscape. When SmackDown starts airing live on July 19, the company will move back to a two-brand model. As announced on WWE.com, "Both Raw and SmackDown will each feature their own unique rosters and rivalries following an imminent Superstar draft."

That transformation should be used to elevate the midcarders capable of headlining as well as the midcard championships that have to compete for airtime each week. Roman Reigns and John Cena will be fine regardless of where they end up, but it's a wrestler such as Cesaro who has to be most excited about the upcoming draft.

SmackDown Becomes the Worker Show

WWE's B show has recently struggled for relevancy in large part thanks to a lack of identity. SmackDown flirts with being the more wrestling-heavy program, but in reality, it's too often just a rehash of Raw. 

When drafting for the blue bland, WWE should focus on adding top-notch workers. Make SmackDown the place for great matches, for performers like Cesaro and Dolph Ziggler to take on a bigger role and wrestle in more high-profile spots.

WWE may be thinking along those lines. Of SmackDown, Mauro Ranallo said in an interview last December with Bleacher Report's Jonathan Snowden, "I get the sense they want to make it kind of a hybrid between Raw, the flagship show with all the storylines and great performances from our Superstars in the ring, and what's happening in NXT."

It's that second part where a guy like Cesaro comes in. He can be the flag-bearer of a hipper, more back-to-basics brand. The King of Swing can go from sideshow attraction to the centerpiece of the circus. 

Pulling Rivals Apart

The draft is an excellent way to create anticipation. With everyone on the same show, rivalries tend to repeat, rematches happen ad nauseam.

With enemies forced to go their separate ways for now, WWE can increase the power of their eventual future collisions. ProWrestling.net writer Will Pruett commented on what that would do for Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn's ongoing feud:

Moving Owens to Raw and Zayn to SmackDown would benefit both men. So far, Zayn has largely been defined through his rivalry with the powerhouse. Getting drafted to the Tuesday night show will allow him to be a part of other narratives for now.

WWE can always shift the rosters later and have Zayn vs. Owens begin once more.

The company should take the same strategy with Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins. Those two have been tremendous as rivals, and theirs is a rivalry that should be tapped into more in the way that Sting and Ric Flair's war never truly ended.

Separating them via the draft, though, will force WWE to hold off on that story and let the audience's desire to see them collide again build up.

Raw is Women

Should the women's division be split between Raw and SmackDown, there will be a small set of possible rivalries to cycle through at any time. WWE should instead choose a brand to be the showcase for the women's division.

Let the tag teams take over SmackDown while Sasha Banks and company rule Raw.

The holes that WWE will have to fill each Monday night with a lighter roster should be used as a way to tell multiple stories with this division. While Charlotte clashes with her latest challenger, let Paige and Naomi try to tear each other's throats out. Have Banks go on a winning streak as she climbs into contention once again.

With so many Superstars heading to SmackDown, there will be more opportunity to spotlight all of these narratives. And having Raw draft all of the roster's women will further provide a distinction between the two shows.

Proceed Directly to the Main Roster

Shinsuke Nakamura would infuse a surge of electricity into any show he is drafted to. The brand split should lead to him moving out of NXT and immediately making an impact on Monday or Tuesday nights.

Renowned wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer would pick him first:

He's not alone. The King of Strong Style's great showmanship and high-quality bouts make him one of the most intriguing options WWE has to plug into its two top shows. 

Finn Balor is on that list, too. He has been the face of NXT long enough. It's time for WWE to see if he is the marquee star so many believe him to be. 

Having Balor go to Raw and Nakamura go to SmackDown would turn this concept of moving into a new era into more than just a talking point. That's the kind of change that will have audiences excited about both brands as well as curious and impatient to see what the future holds.

WWE has to balance keeping NXT a draw, though. So Samoa Joe, Asuka and others will have to stay put for that purpose.

No Second World Championship

With SmackDown set to be its own entity, many are wondering if that means that WWE will bring back some version of the world title that Randy Orton retired in 2013.

If the company, however, chooses to keep Reigns' title as the only world championship, the value of each belt on the roster will go up. As Jim Ross tweeted, the world championship would be more significant if it remained the only one of its kind:

In addition, the United States title or the Intercontinental Championship would instantly be more valuable if they are SmackDown's top titles. WWE should draft either Rusev or The Miz to SmackDown to make either one of their respective titles the ultimate prize for that show.

The world champ could visit from time to time, but it should be The Bulgarian Brute with the U.S. title in his grasp who reigns on Tuesdays. Prestige for that gold would shoot up as a result.

On a single night, the draft could have Cesaro poised for stardom, Rusev move up the company ladder, increase buzz for the women's division and bring in pair of elite talents. That's how you welcome a new era.