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WWE Draft 2016 Results: Decisions That Will Have Biggest Impact on the Future

Aaron Bower
Jul 21, 2016

Careers were defined in Tuesday's WWE draft, as the company revealed the direction and destination for all of its talent.ย 

Some careers look set to hit new heights, as the added exposure of being on a show with a thinner roster offers new chances to break through the glass ceiling.ย 

Others look in danger of stalling or even regressing, with stables broken up andโ€”at least on the surfaceโ€”stars drafted to the wrong shows.

But there were some huge decisions made by Stephanie and Shane McMahonโ€”not to mention Mick Foley and Daniel Bryanโ€”that will change the landscape of WWE. Here are a few of them.

Enzo and Cass to Raw

One of the biggest positives to come out of the draft was the news that Enzo Amore and Big Cass are staying together.

Cass fits WWE's valuation of a top starโ€”big, athletic and stacked with talent. But with Amore by his side, he is continuing to grow as the weeks go by.

Breaking them up now would have been a huge mistake. The two still have plenty left to achieve in the tag division, and after being drafted to the same brand as the reigning champions, The New Day, the gold should now be in their sights.

Splitting up teams before they've run their course is a dangerous ploy. Fans would rebel at the split and a likely push for Cass as Amore floundered in the midcard with little direction. Amoreย is an old-school maestro on the microphone, and Cass seems to be improving in that regard more and more.

They are a great fit for each other, and it's astounding to see just how over they are with WWE fans. Keeping them together and having them on the company's flagship show will see their stocks continue to rise.ย 

Bray Wyatt to SmackDown

On the surface, the blue brand looks slightly thinner in terms of top talent compared to Raw, which is no surprise given how Raw had three picks for every two SmackDown had.

However, that's not necessarily a bad thing, as it will allow some of the guys drafted to Tuesday nights to flourishโ€”and Bray Wyatt falls into that category.

The Wyatt Family looks to have disbanded, as Wyatt and Erick Rowan are on SmackDown, whileย Braun Strowman is heading to Raw.

However, the return of Luke Harper will restore the stable to its first, and arguably best, incarnation. That means more dominance for The Wyatt Family on SmackDownโ€”and more opportunities for Wyatt to thrive.

He is still a future world champion, and if the second world title materializes some time after Battleground, Wyatt immediately becomes a leading contender to move to the head of his brand's queue. Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Brock Lesnar are just three names that have been removed from his path to the topโ€”with even guys like Kevin Owens not in his sights now.

The identity of the SmackDown roster may not appeal to everyone, but Wyatt's fans should be excited about what lies ahead.ย 

Finn Balor, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson to Raw

One of the major shake-ups from the 2016 draft was the news that The Club was to be broken up, with AJ Styles heading to SmackDown and Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson going to Raw.

However, it won't be long until a new incarnation of the stable is founded, given how one of Raw's standout picks was a former Club member from another walk of lifeโ€”Finn Balor.

As soon as Gallows and Anderson were signed to WWE earlier in the year, there was an expectation Balor would come up to the main roster and form The Balor Club once again, just like he did in Japan.

However, his commitments with NXTโ€”including his feuds with Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamuraโ€”meant he couldn't move up to the main roster until now. But now thatย Balor is on the same show as Gallows and Anderson, expect that relationship to resume quickly.

Whether Gallows and Anderson turn babyfaceโ€”given how Balor is hugely overโ€”or Balor himself turns heel remains to be seen. However, the Irishman has the potential to pull off either role, as his stock continues to rise, and he looks destined for a lengthy run with the company.ย 

But those draft picks will have a huge impact on the future direction of all three menโ€”as well as WWE's main event scene. The company held off for a long time on bringing Balor up from NXT. It may just turn out that it has timed the call-up to perfection.