WWE Draft 2020: Superstars Raw and SmackDown Must Pick on Night 2
Some major moves have already happened in the 2020 WWE draft after the first night of picks.
While some picks were easy to predict, such as Raw women's champion Asuka staying on Monday nights, there were also some big shocks.
Who would have thought The New Day would split and take the SmackDown tag titles over to Raw?
Is there a method to the madness, or is WWE doing random trades without thinking ahead?
With the way things have been these past few months, when Superstars have dragged out feuds far too long because there weren't any other options, WWE absolutely must plan out this draft in advance.
Based off this first series of picks, some trades have now become crucial to maintaining some sort of stability between the rosters, balance out the heels and faces, keep the star power in check and ensure fans will want to tune in to both USA and Fox.
Heading into the second half of this draft, here are some must-pick scenarios WWE has to keep in mind to avoid further disasters.
Keep the Leftovers as Unknowns
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Several Superstars weren't listed in the draft pools for one reason or another.
In some cases, such as Becky Lynch's pregnancy or Ivar's injury, there's no telling when they'll be back in action.
Others, like The Forgotten Sons, are off the list because WWE likely just has no creative direction for them at the moment.
In the latter scenarios, the smart move is to keep them as free agents until WWE finds a purpose for them. If a decision is made now, WWE might regret it when suddenly one of the brands could use that person.
For instance, Mojo Rawley isn't listed. Unless he's dealing with an undisclosed injury, he could theoretically be placed on either roster. However, if WWE has no stories or feuds ready for him, there's no point in putting him on either show.
Eventually, an opportunity or idea will emerge to use him on Raw or SmackDown. Then, since he's not tied to either brand, he will be eligible to go there without any fuss or confusion.
Everyone who is inactive or is waiting on WWE Creative should stay in the wings for now. That way, WWE has options and flexibility for months and anytime someone pops up, it will be a little surprise treat for that episode.
Bayley to SmackDown and Split the Women's Divisions in Half
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Bayley and Sasha Banks have had far too many matches with Nikki Cross, Alexa Bliss, Naomi, Lacey Evans, and Tamina over the past year. Likewise, The Riott Squad can't keep fighting Peyton Royce and Billie Kay.
Since Bayley holds the SmackDown Women's Championship, it makes sense to keep her there. She could just drop the title to The Boss at Hell in a Cell and move on to Raw, but trading her to Monday nights ahead of the pay-per-view spoils that outcome.
Keeping Banks and Bayley on Fridays, though, means both these rosters need half the lineup to go to the opposite brand to freshen things up.
Carmella can stay on SmackDown, as she's been out for a while. Bliss can stay, as she's a heel now.
Naomi went to Raw in exchange for Bianca Belair. Perhaps Cross should go, too, while Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott can shift to SmackDown.
It wouldn't hurt for Charlotte Flair to go to SmackDown while someone like Rhea Ripley can be called up to be a major player on Raw, as she has nowhere to go if she stays in NXT.
The key is balance. Raw shouldn't be overloaded, leaving SmackDown with no options like the past year suffered from.
Sami Zayn to SmackDown
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Since Bobby Lashley has kept the United States Championship as part of Raw, it only makes sense for Sami Zayn to stay on SmackDown so the blue brand keeps the Intercontinental Championship.
The titles need to be balanced and unless he drops the belt randomly before the trades are set in stone, this is an absolute must.
Zayn is also a very different heel than Roman Reigns. While The Tribal Chief is playing a powerful, serious role, Zayn is more of a cowardly weasel. There is no clash of having two of the same champion on one show.
Both are also pretty distinctly in different echelons. While Zayn is a fantastic performer and one of the most entertaining characters, he's booked to be a midcard to upper-midcard talent, rather than someone gunning for the top prize.
He can remain firm in that secondary-title status to feud with those Superstars while Reigns takes on the rest.
Raw Underground Players Must Stay on Raw
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Anyone who is primarily a part of Raw Underground must obviously stay on the Raw roster. That should go without being said, but that hasn't stopped WWE from making irrational decisions in the past.
What has to be done, though, is to look at the rosters and determine who will best succeed in that environment, versus the Superstars who are just there for a pit stop.
Dolph Ziggler has been having regular fights on Raw Underground, but he's not cut out to do that full-time. He could easily go to SmackDown, as could Robert Roode, and it wouldn't feel out of place. Likewise, that's not the spot Jeff Hardy should find himself.
Arturo Ruas, though, seems built for Raw Underground. Dabba-Kato was brought in to be one of the big threats of that league, too.
It's a more natural fit for Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir, so they should stick to Monday nights and work the same brand as their friend, Shayna Baszler, too.
Braun Strowman to Raw
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If sending Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke to Raw weeks before the draft is any indication, WWE has already made its decision regarding Braun Strowman.
He's been fighting in Raw Underground and had an exhibition on Raw against Keith Lee. For the most part, that's made him a Raw Superstar for several weeks.
This should continue, as he has no upward mobility if he stays on SmackDown. He's not going to dethrone Reigns, especially if he stays a heel, but he has options on Raw.
Not only could he stick to Raw Underground and continue his feud with Lee, he could also work Drew McIntyre, turn babyface and go against The Hurt Business and Retribution (assuming they stay) as well as get away from Bray Wyatt, since those two have had enough of each other.
King Corbin or Sheamus to Raw
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McIntyre needs more challengers for the WWE Championship. AJ Styles should already be one in the works and Strowman could fit the bill nicely, but it wouldn't hurt to have either Sheamus or King Corbin join those ranks.
Both The Celtic Warrior and the King of the Ring will suffer from the same problem mentioned for Strowman in that they will be stuck being the second-best heels underneath Reigns if they stay on SmackDown.
They'll be the ones who lose to the babyfaces that need momentum to fight Reigns, rather than doing anything of note for their own careers.
On Raw, they'll at least have McIntyre to feud with, as well as Keith Lee. Both can even try out Raw Underground, as Sheamus is a brawler who is no stranger to fights and Corbin is a former Golden Gloves winner.
This would also separate them from Jeff Hardy, Matt Riddle and Daniel Bryan, as they've exhausted those feuds.
Andrade to SmackDown
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To counterbalance Corbin or Sheamus, Strowman and Styles going to Raw, SmackDown could use someone like Andrade.
He would be another solid Intercontinental Championship hunter who has yet to feud with Hardy, Riddle, Bryan or some others who should stay on SmackDown.
This would separate him from Angel Garza, too. Since that tag team is no longer a thing, they might as well be on separate brands. Otherwise, WWE will inevitably pair them up again and the split will have been for nothing.
Kevin Owens to SmackDown
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SmackDown needs more babyfaces to be able to challenge Reigns. Out of the options available, Kevin Owens is one of the few reliable main event stars to pick from for this task.
Not only is he a great talker, but he's also able to work with a wide variety of talent.
Right now, he's feuding with Bray Wyatt. Since The Fiend is likely to stay on SmackDown, this feud can carry over into the next month more naturally if Owens is on the blue brand.
Then, either Owens can move on to Reigns, or he can pivot over to feuding with his former best friend, Zayn, over the Intercontinental Championship.
We'd miss out on Owens showing off why he calls himself a prizefighter by stepping inside Raw Underground, but it will be more of a benefit to SmackDown in the long run.
R-Truth to Raw
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The 24/7 Championship was a USA Network creation. Outside of rare appearances on cross-branded pay-per-views, social media and the like, it's going to stay on Monday Night Raw.
Since this title revolves around R-Truth, he absolutely must stay on the red brand.
Having the third hour allows for more time to dedicate toward showing off these shenanigans, whereas on SmackDown, there wouldn't be room to book it on a regular basis.
This doesn't fully extend to Akira Tozawa and Drew Gulak, though. Neither of them have to stay fighting for the 24/7 title. They can go back to being regular performers on SmackDown, but R-Truth is the one person who has to hover around this belt forever.
Retribution to Raw
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It wouldn't make sense for Retribution to go to SmackDown and butt heads with Reigns at the top of the food chain. Remaining on Raw where the top champion is a babyface is a better fit since it gives Mustafa Ali someone to work toward targeting, instead of plateauing at the midcard level.
Since they're also feuding with The Hurt Business, who are staying on Raw, that makes this an open and shut case.
If this crew stays on Raw, WWE can even have some fun with the Raw Underground fighters. Perhaps a united contingent of that talent could take on Retribution down the line at some special event such as Royal Rumble.
There are more options on Raw, whereas SmackDown presents no clear goals or other groups to feud with.
Daniel Bryan to SmackDown
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Daniel Bryan should absolutely stay on SmackDown to help out in both the main event and midcard title scenes.
He's one of those Superstars who elevates the Intercontinental Championship if he's fighting for it, rather than feeling like he's taken a step down. That will help anyone he feuds with over that title, such as Zayn, Andrade (if he were to move to SmackDown) and so on.
But the biggest positive is that he's beloved and would be a perfect antagonist for the new heel version of Reigns. There may be no one in WWE fans would want to see take down Reigns more than Bryan, as they've always competed for that top spot.
The Street Profits to SmackDown
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The situation with The New Day bringing the SmackDown Tag Team Championship belts over to Monday Night Raw is perplexing.
How does WWE plan on resolving this? Surely, the blue belts designated to SmackDown aren't staying on Raw, right?!
It doesn't make a ton of sense, but perhaps The Street Profits are bringing the Raw titles over to SmackDown to balance things out. While the colors and names would be wrong, at least both brands would have a set of tag team gold to fight for.
Maybe then, the two teams would simply trade belts and call it a day. Perhaps a title unification could take place at Hell in a Cell or Survivor Series to create one cross-branded title like the Women's Tag Team Championship.
Something is up here, but The Street Profits have to be factored in.
WWE has already potentially broken up several couples with Jey Uso and Naomi on separate brands, forcing Jimmy Uso to either be away from his wife or his tag team partner. If Belair is on SmackDown and Montez Ford stays on Raw, that's another partnership split in half.
Randy Orton to SmackDown
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Randy Orton has fought McIntyre and Lee enough times now that he absolutely must go to SmackDown just to get away from them.
Sure, it spoils the ending of Hell in a Cell, but that's WWE's fault for booking those two in yet another match instead of doing something different or waiting to set the draft until after the pay-per-view.
It may seem counterproductive to have Orton go to the brand where the champion is a heel and also has Seth Rollins in a top villain spot, but it's a long term decision, rather than a short one.
Orton inevitably takes time off. If he doesn't, he tends to get injured. By now, he's been going for months straight and wrestling some grueling matches.
Hell in a Cell should write him off television for a while so there's no problem with him going to SmackDown, as he won't be in anyone's way.
Then, once he returns, he could feud with Bryan or Owens toward the latter end of 2020 and beginning of 2021.
By then, hopefully, Edge will be ready to return and they can pick that feud up from where they left off. Since Edge was more of a SmackDown guy who has also expressed interest in working with Rollins and Reigns, The Rated-R Superstar going to the blue brand just makes sense.
Planning out things like this far in advance is how WWE will avoid some of the problems hurting the product this year. For all that is holy, the WWE Universe cannot go through another year of 2020-style booking and this draft must make sure of that.
Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, iTunes and Stitcher. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.
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