WWE Mock Draft: 30 Picks Redrafting the Entire Roster with CSR Host
As many of you may have heard, next Monday, April 25, WWE will hold its annual draft.
In past years, there have been a few picks here and there throughout the show, but I think that idea is played out.
We need to shake things up dramatically, and that means redrafting the whole roster.
To do this, I brought in the big gun, my friend for nearly 15 years and co-host of Wrestlezone.com's Chair Shot Reality, Josh Isenberg.
For this draft, we did 15 rounds.
I selected for Raw and Josh selected for Smackdown. We each provided a reason why we picked and put more stock in long-term ability rather than selecting short-term star power (much like you would in a regular sports draft).
I let Josh choose first, mainly because I believe Smackdown needs the most help after Edge retired.
Note: The Rock, the Undertaker, and Triple H were all excluded because we are not sure if they will be returning to TV full-time. Therefore, it's not fair to pick them as if they are a normal spot on the roster.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the mock draft.
(And make sure to check out CSR each week on Wrestlezone.)
1. Smackdown: John Cena
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Josh's take: The face of the WWE goes back to where he became one of the most controversial superstars in history.
My take: I agree. Biggest superstar in the company. Clearly has run his course on Raw. Maybe could reconnect with the fans on Smackdown. It would be hard for WWE to take their biggest star off their No. 1 show, though.
2. Raw: The Miz
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My take: WWE champion needs to stay on Raw. They need to continue having their most visible star on the No. 1 show. New blood on Raw could add more validity to his title run.
3. Smackdown: John Morrison
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Josh's take: With all of his problems backstage, going to a show where there is less pressure and more exposure for a wrestler (an athlete), and not an entertainer on the mic, will make him thrive.
My take: While I thought this was kind of early for Morrison, again we are drafting for the future, and he has the greatest athletic upside in both of our opinions.
He desperately needs a change of scenery and going to Smackdown would separate him from Melina and all of the headaches that she has caused. A win-win.
4. Raw: Randy Orton
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My take: Arguably the biggest face in WWE. They need to keep Orton and Cena separate because having them on the same show isn't working right now.
People always want them at the top and you can't have both in the title picture constantly because then you have people complaining.
5. Smackdown: Alberto Del Rio
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Josh's take: ADR established himself as a much hated heel, who is still not ready for an every Monday night main event.
He can still use Friday nights to propel himself into an all-around performer, like Orton did on Smackdown before moving to Raw.
My take: Del Rio seems like a better fit on Smackdown for the time being. He has built himself to the top heel on the show, and it would be a disservice to his work if they moved him now.
6. Raw: Cody Rhodes
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My take: Cody Rhodes proved himself at WrestleMania as having the ability to be a top heel. He would benefit greatly from having the exposure of being on the top show and a new audience to whom he could show his new gimmick.
He can take it to the next level on Raw and become a top star in the company.
7. Smackdown: Christian
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Josh's take: With the continued lack of strong faces on Smackdown, he could become the next "Edge" on Friday nights. With his continued success inside the ropes, he is one GREAT feud away from being put over the top.
My take: Christian will be the ultimate benefactor from Edge's retirement much like Rey Mysterio was after Eddie Guerrero passed away (not to put retirement in the same realm as death).
Josh is right. He and Edge played similar characters that would give nostalgic fans a sense that Edge never left.
8. Raw: CM Punk
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My take: Best heel in the company. Best on the mic. Raw suits his style much more. He can push the envelope more on Monday nights.
9. Smackdown: Ted DiBiase
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Josh's take: The biggest waste of talent in the WWE currently is in need of a new place to show off his charisma and toned skills in the squared circle.
My take: Honestly, it's early to take DiBiase, but I think that he absolutely needs to change shows. Ted could be a big star in WWE, and I think this could be the start of great things to come.
10. Raw: Jack Swagger
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My take: Turn him face. He can gain fans' backing by being the face to Cole's heel. He's great in the ring and has the look.
11. Smackdown: Daniel Bryan
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Josh's take: The best worker in the ring, and Smackdown is known for giving matches 20 minutes. This could finally show off Bryan Danielson, not the other way around.
My take: Definitely agree. Daniel Bryan is better off being on Smackdown, where they put a lot more emphasis on wrestling than promos.
Bryan lacks charisma, but he can showcase his true talents as an in-ring technician without having to give phenomenal promos.
13. Smackdown: Ezekiel Jackson
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Josh's take: Zeke is a soft-spoken, powerful force who needs to become a main heel on Smackdown because he is believable when people say he can't be beaten.
My take: Furthers my belief that the Corre should be split up. Zeke needs to stay separate from Barrett and become a heel on his own. He definitely has the look to be a top heel.
14. Raw: Mason Ryan
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My take: Batista 2.0 has the look, could feud with Punk or Barrett or even Orton as he gets better.
It could resemble the Orton-Batista feud from years back.
15. Smackdown: Sin Cara
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Josh's take: The new, and possibly better Rey Mysterio. He cannot succeed on Raw with zero mic work, but can on Smackdown with the right push in the right direction.
My take: Fully agree. Part of the reason I didn't pick Sin Cara earlier is because I think there is zero chance he stays on Raw.
His style is better suited for Smackdown and he could feud with Alberto Del Rio.
16. Raw: Big Show
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My take: Big Show remains a star in the company after a number of years.
He is a great guy to put young heels over, could challenge for the title, could turn heel, etc.
His character is diverse, which makes him valuable to Raw.
17. Smackdown: Kane
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Josh's take: If you throw the mask back on him, he can still be a dominant force that Cena can feud with. He is one of the few Cena hasn't really feuded with in his career.
My take: Kane had a great run as a heel late last year vs. the Undertaker. They need to decide what to do with him after the debacle that was him playing the trombone with Santino. Please, WWE, make him a heel.
18. Raw: Drew McIntyre
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My take: He has become obscure on Smackdown. He needs a change of scenery to show us once again why he was "The Chosen One."
19. Smackdown: Sheamus
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Josh's take: His character has run its course on Raw. He could immediately be thrown on Smackdown for the World Title.
My take: I have grown to like Sheamus's character. At first, he annoyed me, but now I like his style and mean streak. He could be a solid World Heavyweight champion.
20. Raw: Kofi Kingston
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My take: Another guy in need of a change of scenery. Kofi is a solid mid-card face, popular with kids, and can elevate to the main event if needed.
21. Smackdown: Dolph Ziggler
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Josh's take: Dolph is likable enough to turn face and is very popular with the 18-30 males due to his maturity and skills in the ring.
My take: With Dolph's appearance change debuted tonight on Raw, I can see him turning on Vickie Guerrero soon and becoming a face.
22. Raw: Skip Sheffield
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My take: A great way to bring back Sheffield. He hasn't been seen on TV since he was injured last summer.
Vince McMahon is said to be extremely high on Sheffield, mainly because he has the look. He could have a bright future.
23. Smackdown: The Usos
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Josh's take: The Tag Team Division needs to be revived and the best way is on Smackdown to carry wasted talent form Raw.
My take: I don't think WWE is going to go back to placing emphasis on tag-team wrestling, so I would have went in another direction. I would have chosen this next person.
24. Raw: Zack Ryder
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My take: Long Island Iced Z finally gets to be in the spotlight. Please WWE, give him a segment like you gave to Chris Jericho or Edge.
Let him showcase his charisma and mic skills. Also, he is solid in the ring. He could be a solid mid-carder who isn't buried each week if given the right chance. WWWYKI bro.
25. Smackdown: R-Truth
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Josh's take: As a heel, Truth can use an old trick from back in the day and use his race to garner heat from the crowd. Smackdown can become controversial with him there in this angle.
My take: Solid showing from Truth tonight by turning heel. I like how WWE took a page from TNA's book and had him smoke (because only heels smoke apparently). How funny was it that the crowd chanted, "That's illegal"?
26. Raw: Santino Marella
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My take: Santino is nothing but a sideshow act, but he is quite funny I must admit. He could add comedic relief to Raw like he already does.
27. Smackdown: Evan Boune
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Josh's take: Another great athlete, and the cruiserweight division could be revived on Smackdown, which showcases air attacks like Air Bourne.
My take: Bourne definitely does not fit the style of Raw. He needs to go to Smackdown, where his ability can be better showcased in longer matches.
28. Raw: Alex Riley
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My take: Riley has been involved in a number of important segments with WWE Legends (the Rock, Stone Cold, Cena, etc.).
He is good in the ring, is improving on the mic under the Miz, and serves his purpose. Eventually, you can turn him against the Miz and have them feud.
29. Smackdown: Michael McGillicutty
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Josh's take: Change to Joe Hennig and recreate his father's character, with a bit of a tweak.
Hennig has great in-ring ability, yet not enough exposure with interview segments. He can thrive on Smackdown where superstars aren't super heavyweights.
My take: I would love to see him be Joe Hennig. He could be an up-and-coming star on Smackdown's mid-card.
30. Raw: Rey Mysterio
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My take: Listen, both Josh and I hate Rey Mysterio. We both have become annoyed at his character, as it has been the same thing for 15 years.
The fact of the matter is that he will sell T-shirts, masks, wrestling figures, etc.
But realistically, numerous reports have surfaced that his time with WWE is near its end and he is not worth spending a high draft pick on when you could only get a few months' use out of him.
Review: Raw Roster
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2. The Miz
4. Randy Orton
6. Cody Rhodes
8. CM Punk
10. Jack Swagger
12. Wade Barrett
14. Mason Ryan
16. Big Show
18. Drew McIntyre
20. Kofi Kingston
22. Skip Sheffield
24. Zack Ryder
26. Santino Marella
28. Alex Riley
30. Rey Mysterio
Conclusion
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We hope that you enjoyed our Mock Draft.
Obviously, some people slipped outside of the draft (notably Justin Gabriel) and we didn't select any Divas because it is a crap-shoot with where they will end up.
Feel free to comment below on your thoughts regarding our picks. Let us know who you would have rather selected, etc.
Realize that we did this more like a regular sports draft than WWE Drafts have been in the past. We also kept in mind trying to separate superstars that have feuded together in the past, so that new feuds can arise.
Again, special thanks to Josh Isenberg for taking time to draft with me and make sure to check him and Justin LaBar out on Chair Shot Reality at Wrestlezone.com.
Follow me on Twitter @BFlow82 and check out my website TheBoomSpot.com.
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