WWE Draft 2016: Examining Brock Lesnar, John Cena's Future Ahead of Brand Split

What does the future hold for John Cena? And what brand is Brock Lesnar destined to become a top star on? All those questions and more will be answered in Tuesday night's brand split, which happens on the first live edition of WWE SmackDown.

With six picks in the draft coming from the NXT roster and a whole heap of intrigue about where the company's new, younger talent is going, there is much to debate in the hours and days ahead.

But the destination of WWE's biggest names is what will truly define this draft, and don't be surprised to see both Cena and Lesnar on the same brand come Wednesday morning when the draft has been completed.

To try to predict which show Lesnar and Cena will end up on, it's probably best first to look a little closer into Raw's opening segment from Monday night.

From there, it was easy to see how the two shows will differ. First, there will be the star-heavy, three-hour powerhouse that is Raw, headed up by Mick Foley and Stephanie McMahon, who already hinted at the fact they want big names and big stars.

But Shane McMahon discussed a SmackDown that is built on the spirit of the underdog before introducing Daniel Bryan as the new General Manager, which doesn't fit the persona of either Lesnar or Cena.

Lesnar's future is a touch more difficult to predict, as he's essentially a part-time wrestler, especially if his UFC commitments are going to pick up again in light of his victory at UFC 200. However, it is important to note Lesnar's recent flagging by USADA for a potential PED use. Nothing is confirmed yet of course, but were he found to have taken a PED, a suspension is likely.

That could run to two years, throwing significant doubt on any future UFC issues. That could impact on his WWE schedule, but until that is resolved, it's fair to suspect that Lesnar may remain part-time with WWE.

So with that said, and with Raw having three picks for every two SmackDown has on the draft—meaning more talent depth on Raw—it could be easier to keep Lesnar on the flagship show.

There's perhaps an argument to have Lesnar on SmackDown and give it some real star power, but for the lengthy periods he's away from the company, it could leave it seriously low on genuine big names.

So drafting Lesnar to Raw seems like the smart move here, especially with Foley and Stephanie talking about trying to keep Raw as the dominating brand on the roster.

As for his future in terms of opponents, we already know he will be fighting Randy Orton at SummerSlam, with the build for that set to begin this weekend when Orton returns from injury at Battleground.

Whether he and Orton are set for a longer rivalry than just SummerSlam is debatable, however, so when the rivalry between Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns fades in a few months, it could be wise to bring Lesnar into the picture for the WWE Championship again. But in terms of his brand, Raw is the right move for Lesnar.

You could also say the same for Cena, but in this instance, it seems to make much more sense to move Cena to SmackDown. The company looks destined to bring back a secondary world title, and although there are a heap of guys below the main event scene who are worthy of that shot, right now it feels like a belt made for the Cena vs. AJ Styles feud.

Both of those guys should head over to SmackDown and become the flagship names on a brand that is flooded with younger talent below them. Guys like Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and even Cesaro could all be drafted across and be breathing down the neck of the two veterans at the top as they seek a first world title with the company.

But in the short term, Styles vs. Cena is the feud that will run to SummerSlam, and if WWE times it right, it could be brought to a conclusion to see who becomes the first world heavyweight championship winner since the brand split.

If we are to assume Ambrose and Rollins—and probably Reigns—are to stay on Raw and battle for the WWE Championship, it leaves Cena languishing toward the midcard somewhat.

Fans would be outraged if Cena was thrown straight into that particular title mix, but at least having him head up a new title rivalry on a new brand doesn't interfere with what is a fascinating feud between the former members of The Shield—even if one of them is off television at the moment.