Quick Takes on WWE Draft Night 1 Results, Hurt Business, Lio Rush in AEW, More

With half of the 2021 WWE draft done, fans are wondering what the rest of the landscape for Raw and SmackDown will look like at this time next week.

Many moves were made, and most of them were logical, satisfying and expected. It's gotten off to a solid start, with several Superstars bound to thrive where they ended up.

Even prior to the start of the draft, the week was already exciting, with The Hurt Business seemingly reuniting on Monday's Raw. Whether they will emerge as a unit from this latest roster shakeup remains to be seen, but it can only equate to good things for all involved if so.

Two days later, Lio Rush made his All Elite Wrestling Dynamite debut via a vignette and put the entire roster on notice. He's proved in the past that he can be a solid commodity for any company, and the question now is who will be his first opponent.

This installment of Quick Takes will tackle possible opponents for Rush, the top takeaway from Night 1 of the WWE draft and Hurt Business reuniting on Raw. Kenny Omega's Full Gear opponent and Hit Row's ceiling on SmackDown will also be discussed.

Raw and SmackDown Rosters Emerge from Night 1 of WWE Draft Fairly Even

The WWE draft is almost always a mess as far as its execution is concerned. Whether it's the order of the picks, the rules never being fleshed out or people making the picks (in an age without formal general managers), it can be difficult to follow along and for everything to make sense.

That was once again the case this year—though, thankfully, to a much lesser extent. Aside from the draft pools not being announced ahead of time and certain trios not being chosen as a single unit (New Day being the biggest example of that), everything seemed to run relatively smoothly.

Most importantly, by the end of the evening, the Raw and SmackDown rosters were largely left even. Historically, one show winds up being more stacked than the other, and although that could change in Night 2, the landscapes for Raw and SmackDown pretty promising.

The red brand walked away with WWE champion Big E, WrestleMania headliner Bianca Belair, Raw tag team champions RK-Bro, Edge, the Mysterios and more. Meanwhile, SmackDown secured universal champion Roman Reigns, Raw women's champion Charlotte Flair, Hit Row, Jeff Hardy and Drew McIntyre.

Those who desperately needed a change of scenery got one, and the order of picks was logical. None of it may matter within the next few months if Superstars switch shows at random regardless of what went down at the draft and depending on what creative direction both brands take on. But Night 1 delivered and set the standard for Night 2 on Monday night.

Adam Page Is the Only Logical Choice to Win the Casino Ladder Match

Just when it looked like AEW was building to a rematch between Kenny Omega and Bryan Danielson at November's Full Gear pay-per-view, the company threw fans for a loop with the announcement of a Casino Ladder match on the forthcoming second-anniversary edition of Dynamite.

The winner will earn a shot at the AEW World Championship. Orange Cassidy, Matt Hardy, Jon Moxley, Pac, Andrade El Idolo and Lance Archer are among those competing, as well as a mystery "joker" entrant who will be revealed after the bout begins.

Adam Page is the only logical choice to not only occupy that spot but also win the match.

Pac, Cassidy and Moxley have all already unsuccessfully challenged Omega for the AEW World Championship. Archer and Hardy are glorified stepping stones, and it's too soon for Andrade to be getting a title shot. That leaves Page as the perfect person to secure the golden opportunity.

Hangman has been absent from AEW programming since early August following his loss to The Elite in a 10-man tag team match. It was also more a question or when than whether he would be back to rekindle his rivalry with Omega. And considering Full Gear is basically his pay-per-view, it makes all the sense in the world for him to be Omega's opponent at the event this year.

As for Danielson, he can continue to feud with The Elite in the meantime and possibly face Adam Cole on that same show. AEW risks Page losing momentum—more than he already has—by waiting even longer to book his long-awaited clash with Omega.

The Reunited Hurt Business Must Remain Together Through the WWE Draft

On a Raw show that was bookended by two WWE Championship matches, the biggest highlight from Monday night saw Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander come to Bobby Lashley's aid against Big E. It happened at both the beginning and end of the episode, indicating that The Hurt Business is indeed back in business.

WWE recently revealed that MVP will be "out indefinitely" with an injury, but there's no reason the rest of Hurt Business can't run roughshod on Raw until he returns. Of course, that would mean all of them winding up on the same show, which is an absolute must on Night 2 of the 2021 WWE draft.

The Hurt Business being broken up so soon was among the worst booking decisions the company has made all year. They were one of the best parts of Raw for many months, and everyone involved was elevated simply by association.

It was wise of WWE to right that wrong Monday, but it's entirely possible the reunion will be short-lived. Cutting it short (similar to what WWE did with New Day on Night 1 of the draft) would be mind-boggling, especially with Lashley flying solo for now.

The trio could be moved to SmackDown, but The Bloodline's domination of the blue brand could pose a problem if both factions were to remain heel. They are better off on Monday nights and picking up where they left off as one of the show's strongest acts.

Lio Rush Arrives in AEW, but Who Will His 1st Feud Be With?

Lio Rush initially popped up in AEW as the "joker" entrant in the Casino Battle Royale at May's Double or Nothing pay-per-view. He didn't last long but was well-received and fit right in for the few minutes he shared the ring with the rest of the roster.

Almost four months later, he resurfaced on Wednesday's edition of Dynamite in vignette form and announced his signing with the company. The former NXT cruiserweight champion also introduced his new gimmick while talking about leveraged buyouts but didn't indicate who or what he had his sights on.

Rush is an excellent addition to an already star-studded roster. It's entirely possible that he gets lost in the shuffle, but AEW has done a decent job of bringing in people and immediately putting them in some sort of a storyline.

If he's going to be positioned as a heel (as he should be), there are numerous directionless babyfaces he could have his first feud with. Jon Moxley, Lance Archer, Pac, Orange Cassidy and Eddie Kingston are all options, and with Sammy Guevara becoming the new AEW TNT champion, that's a rivalry he could have as well.

The Man of the Hour may never hold the AEW World Championship, but he can bring a lot to the table if he can stay healthy and stay the course.

Hit Row Destined to Make a Major Splash on SmackDown If Booked Correctly

Of all the moves made on Night 1 of the 2021 WWE draft, Hit Row's selection by SmackDown may have been the most surprising—as well as the most satisfying.

The uber-popular faction arrived in NXT only a matter of months ago and are already on the fast track to superstardom. Isaiah "Swerve" Scott has held the NXT North American Championship since June, and Top Dolla, Ashante "Thee" Adonis and B-Fab have also been perfect in their respective roles.

The draft is as ideal of a time as any for top prospects to make their way over from NXT to either Raw or SmackDown. It can be argued that it was too soon for Hit Row considering they barely scratched the surface of what they could do on the black-and-gold brand, but with the wave of momentum they are riding, WWE wanting to capitalize on it should have been expected.

That said, WWE's track record when it comes to NXT call-ups is less than stellar, to say the least. Hit Row must prove to be the exception because they look too good to fail and have all the tools needed to be a hit on Friday nights.

The fact that Hit Row were drafted as high as Round 3 is a solid indicator of how highly WWE views them. They need to be protected at all costs and be given an opportunity to shine because they could be something special with the right booking.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.