WWE Draft 2011: 10 Stars in Need of a Fresh Start
The 2011 edition of the WWE draft is less than a week away and the entire sports-entertainment fan base is abuzz with the endless possibilities the annual event brings with it. Could we see the shocking move of John Cena to Smackdown? Could Alberto Del Rio take his talents to Raw? Which young Superstar will see his career energized with a change of scenery? Will the hot new sensation Sin Cara switch brands as quickly as he debuted?
There are several questions heading into this year's draft special. Some will be answered, others will linger for months to come. One thing is for certain, however—there are several WWE stars who are in need of a roster change. They have either become stale or are languishing in the under-card abyss on their respective brands. Will they be rescued by the well-timed, fresh start that the brand has a reputation for awarded such stars? Who are these stars? Join me as we take a look at the ten WWE superstars most in need of the "fresh start" the draft is often responsible for.
Kane
1 of 11
The year 2010 was a banner year in the long, storied, and illustrious career of the "Big Red Monster." He reigned as the World Heavyweight Champion from July until December, finally came out on the winning end of a program with the Undertaker, defeated other Smackdown main event talent such as Rey Mysterio, CM Punk, Jack Swagger, and the Big Show, and finally, carried the entire Friday night brand for the majority of year.
Upon his loss of the World Championship at the TLC pay-per-view in December, and a series of hard-fought rematches against new champion Edge, Kane plummeted back down the Smackdown card. He appeared only on occasion and was treated as an afterthought. At Wrestlemania, he teamed with Big Show, Kofi Kingston, and Santino Marella in a one-minute debacle of a win over the Corre. Since then, however, Kane has been shuffled into a tag team with Show in their battle against the Corre. Unfortunately for both, Kane and Big Show have a history of teaming together when there is nothing else for them to do.
Kane needs a fresh start on the Raw brand, if only because there is nothing else for him to do that he has not already done on Smackdown. He engaged in programs with Rey Mysterio, Edge, Jack Swagger, and Big Show. He's had matches with Kofi Kingston, Drew McIntyre, Christian, and Cody Rhodes and dominated the majority of the roster.
Raw offers Kane a number of potential main event-level programs, including those against John Cena, Randy Orton, CM Punk, and The Miz. There is also a gift-wrapped story to be told between Kane and the man who nearly ended his brother's career at Wrestlemania, Triple H. Even the mid-card, featuring Sheamus, Daniel Bryan, Sin Cara, and the members of the New Nexus, is filled with possibilities and fresh matchups that would rejuvenate the career of a man who, just twelve months ago, had reached his pinnacle.
Zack Ryder
2 of 11
Zack Ryder is an interesting case in the world of sports-entertainment. A perennial enhancement talent, he often finds himself buried on WWE Superstars or making fun of himself in backstage skits during Raw. He has been left behind in Vince McMahon's push towards elevating younger talent. Understanding that the best way to get over with the WWE fans is to get himself over, Ryder took to the internet and created a series of short videos titled "Z! True Long Island Story."
The videos have been a hit with wrestling fans across the internet and Ryder has shown more personality in nine, four-minute videos than he has been allowed the opportunity to show in all four years of his wrestling career. Fans furiously bought his t-shirt from WWE.com when he promised to send autographs to whoever Tweeted him. They bring signs to events, deeming themselves "Broski of the Week," a popular segment of the online show. And despite what appears to be Vince McMahon's determination to hold Ryder down, going as far as to have any pro-Ryder signs confiscated at the recent England Raw tapings, Zack remains as popular with the die-hard portion of the audience as any other star.
Ryder needs to be drafted to Smackdown, maybe more than any other WWE Superstar. Michael Hayes, the head writer of the Friday night brand, has the ability to take a young talent and get the absolute most out of them when the more Hollywood-minded writers on Raw may have given up hope. Cody Rhodes is a great example of someone left for dead on Raw who was drafted to Smackdown and has become one of the true highlights of any WWE broadcast. Ryder would more than benefit from the renewed interest that would come from a fresh pair of eyes on the Smackdown writing team.
On Smackdown, there awaits a multitude of talent for Zack Ryder to have phenomenal matches with. His series in 2009 with Christian while on the ECW brand were among the most underrated in the entire sport. Rey Mysterio is a fresh opponent for Ryder and, if allowed to flex his personality, Big Show would provide numerous moments of entertainment with Ryder. It remains to be seen if Ryder will be drafted or if he will suffer through another year on Raw or, even worse, be out of a job come summer. But if there is ever a chance for Zack to break free from the rest of the pack, it would be on Smackdown.
Alberto Del Rio
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Outside of Sheamus, there is no other WWE superstar who has entered the company and made as big of an impact in such short order as Alberto Del Rio. Since his debut in October of this year, he has remained a constant in the main event picture and is all but guaranteed a World Heavyweight Championship reign in the very, very near future.
Del Rio's stay on Smackdown, however, should come to an end this Monday during the draft. The Mexican superstar has defeated every major baby-face on the Smackdown roster and has dominated during his relatively short time there. Having already proven himself worthy of a main event opportunity, and having been exposed on Raw nearly every week since his Royal Rumble win in January, Del Rio would serve as a refreshing change of pace on the Monday night brand.
The majority of Raw's top heels are what one could call "cool heels." They are guys the fans boo but secretly wish they could be. CM Punk and the Miz are great examples of bad guys who, at times, received a decidedly mixed reaction from the "WWE Universe." Del Rio, on the other hand, is a classic, cocky heel who everyone loves to hate. He is the uber-rich, arrogant villain, in the same vein of the "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase and John Bradshaw Layfield, who the fans want to see get what is coming to him. Raw is seriously lacking that type of bad guy.
Del Rio's draft status following Monday's Raw will determine what happens to him and his chances of winning the World Heavyweight Championship at Extreme Rules. If he is indeed drafted to Raw, any chance he had of securing that title vanishes. However, it is a small price to pay for the added exposure and prestige that comes with starring on the Raw brand.
The Miz
4 of 11
The Miz needs to get as far away from Raw as possible. I understand that statement may shock many, anger a few, and lead to many questioning whether this writer is, in fact, sane.
"The hottest young star in the entire sport needs to get away from the number one show in the sport? Blasphemy!"
The fact of the matter is, since winning the WWE Championship in November of 2010, The Miz has been treated as an afterthought on the Monday Night Raw brand. Shuffled to the background of the rivalry between John Cena and the Nexus that closed out 2010, then placed in a rivalry with WWE Hall of Famer and Raw commentator Jerry "the King" Lawler, Miz was immediately off to a bumpy start. Even the stop-gap program with Randy Orton that preceded the Lawler rivalry did little help the fan perception of The Miz as the new champion.
Wrestlemania 27, and the weeks leading to the event, proved to be the most significant piece of evidence as to why Miz needs to escape the Raw brand. Every week leading into Wrestlemania, the focus was placed on The Rock and John Cena, despite Miz being WWE Champion and the scheduled opponent of Cena at the big show. Even on the weeks where Miz was booked to get over on Cena, the fans hardly believed he stood a chance at Wrestlemania and, as a result, largely ignored him. At Wrestlemania, the crowd showed their lack of interest in Cena-Miz and instead waited for the inevitable showdown between Cena and Rock.
The Miz was disrespected by the writers and the fans on the biggest stage in all of sports-entertainment. For a man proving to be the last of a dying breed, the rare superstar who works his way up the ranks, from reality show castoff to wannabe wrestler, to tag team star, mid-card star then, finally, WWE champion, the way Miz was treated and continues to be treated is a travesty.
Monday Night Raw is the land of the "untouchables." Stars such as John Cena, Randy Orton, and Triple H have reached such a level of superstardom that Vince McMahon and his writing team will absolutely resist the urge to put any other star over them cleanly. As long as he remains on Raw, the Miz will never defeat Cena, Orton, or Triple H fair-and-square, one-on-one because in the minds of those in power, that could do harm to their star power.
Miz needs to be drafted to Smackdown, maybe more than any other star in the company. On the Friday night show, he retains the cable television presence that comes with Raw. He also immediately becomes the face of the brand. There would be no star this side of the often-absent Undertaker with the presence of The Miz. He would benefit from Michael Hayes' booking of young stars and would be met with several new, relatively fresh matchups the fans have yet to witness.
Imagine the verbal exchanges between The Miz and Christian. Think about the matches the hated Miz and beloved Rey Mysterio could have. On Smackdown, The Miz would be treated as a WWE champion should be. He would be shown the respect that just is not there with the Monday Night Raw writing staff. There would be no bigger star to hold him down and his chance to truly star for WWE would be increased ten-fold. This draft move should, undoubtedly, be priority number one at this year's event.
Drew McIntyre
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How the mighty have fallen. One year ago, Drew McIntyre was the sure-fire, can't-miss future WWE champion. He was tall, had great hair and the support of Shawn Michaels and Triple H, and was the beneficiary of a major push on the Smackdown brand. A majority of the early-spring shows were built around Drew and his never-ending support from Mr. McMahon. He belittled Smackdown general manager Teddy Long and was a major force on the Friday night show. The question was not "if" but "when" McIntyre would secure his first major world championship.
Then, mysteriously, the push behind the Scotsman stalled. Then it stopped. Despite having some of the better on-air matches of the late-winter, early spring, McIntyre has fallen by the wayside. He was left off of the Wrestlemania card. He has taken to the role of "jobber to the stars" and is now a complete afterthought. Some even question whether or not he will have a job with the company when WWE performs their usual "spring cleaning" roster cuts.
Drew McIntyre is too valuable to let get away. His case is unlike MVP and Mr. Kennedy, two young stars who had "money" written all over them but, for one reason or the other, never reached their full potential and were ultimately fired. McIntyre remains largely untapped and has proven himself to be an in-ring worker superior to those two men.
McIntyre also is untapped in terms of his ability to be a believable hero. At the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, he exploded into the match with such intensity and with such aggression that he gained the support of the fans. They cheered him because he showed life and an inner-fire that he hadn't been allowed the opportunity to show to that point.
A brand switch and a face turn may be exactly what Drew McIntyre needs. He will be positioned behind Randy Orton and John Cena on Raw but that could prove to be a good thing. Spend time on the mid-card on Raw and regain the confidence of McMahon. Gain the support of the WWE fans who are dangerously close to forgetting about him. If he can show the same level of passion he did inside the Elimination Chamber, the fans will invest themselves into his matches and support him. McIntyre proved the exception to the Smackdown rule. He was used up, spit out, and left for dead on the blue brand. It is time for him to graduate to Raw and regain his confidence.
David Hart Smith
6 of 11
It could be argued that there was no worse draft move in 2010 than that of the Hart Dynasty to Monday Night Raw. Sent to Raw because of their connection to the recently-returned Bret Hart, with hopes that they could use their connection to the Hall of Famer to get more over with the fans, the plan proved to be a major failure when Bret disappeared for weeks at a time, only making sporadic appearances on WWE programming.
The young trio was placed in a tag team rivalry with the Usos and their manager, Tamina, but the decided lack of enthusiasm in pushing tag team wrestling proved to be that program's major downfall. Despite the failure of the storyline, the two teams wrestled over a hundred times in 2010, counting house show events and television tapings. Any momentum either team had, slowed to a stop—by year's end, it was decided that the Hart Dynasty would split.
The biggest star coming out of the breakup of the Hart Dynasty was not Tyson Kidd or David Hart Smith. Natalya, the daughter of the "Anvil" Jim Neidhart, made a name for herself and received consistent television time, week-in and week-out. Meanwhile, Kidd and Smith were delegated to the Superstars program, receiving minimal exposure and ultimately wasting away.
Tyson Kidd is an underrated talent who deserves far better than he has endured so far in his WWE career. Arguably the most talented of the Hart Dynasty members, he is likely to suffer as an under-card enhancement talent until he is released by the company; a move that may come as soon as the end of April. Kidd's size and inexperience in regards to promo ability makes him, in Vince McMahon's eyes, expendable.
David Hart Smith is another story. A tall, powerful superstar in the mold of his father, the legendary British Bulldog, Smith has questionably been left to rot with little or no hope of any upward momentum. Unlike Kidd, Smith is everything McMahon looks for in a WWE superstar. He has the physique, the height, the pedigree, and the charisma needed to be a star. Whether his treatment on Raw is simply due to a lack of a "spot" or if it is the result of some unknown event that landed him in the doghouse, the lack of push for the third-generation superstar remains a mystery.
While it may be repetitive, David Hart Smith would benefit from a run on Smackdown because of head writer Michael Hayes. Hayes' history as a wrestler, and his mind for the sport, has led to the elevation of several stars who had previously been left for dead on Raw. There is a solid group of young talent Smith could work with, create a chemistry with, and perform in quality matches with. The sheer depth of the Raw roster when it comes to baby-face talent meant some had to be left out of the picture. Smith is one of those stars tossed aside.
Evan Bourne
7 of 11
There is so much untapped potential in Evan Bourne. When given the time and the opportunity to have a lengthy match, he has proven himself, a number of times, to be able to produce. Last spring, he was the beneficiary of a push toward the upper-mid-card of the Raw brand, mostly due to the urging of John Cena behind the scenes. Bourne ran with it, having a number of memorable bouts. One such match was at the Fatal Four-Way pay-per-view where Bourne and Chris Jericho stole the show in a contest not even advertised for the show.
Heading into the Money in the Bank pay-per-view, Bourne seemed to excel in his position as the plucky underdog who could hang with the main event stars. But after his showing at the event, he was once again shot back down the ranks until an untimely injury to his rotator cuff sidelined him for several months.
In February, Bourne made his return to Raw with a momentum-inducing, thirty-second victory over Sheamus. Any of that elusive momentum that Bourne was able to build on that one night, however, vanished when he vanished from the Monday night broadcast. Since his return, Bourne has appeared only on occasion and usually in squash matches against larger opponents.
Evan Bourne is unlikely to become a main event star in WWE. And that is okay. To this day, some of the more memorable and most beloved stars in the history of the industry were not main event stars. Men like the Junkyard Dog, Mr. Perfect, Tito Santana, and Goldust are amongst the most popular stars of their generations, but none were bona-fide main attractions. Bourne fits that mold.
Evan Bourne is a solid hand who can provide the in-ring spark others cannot. He can be a solid edition to any mid-card as the exciting, high-flying worker who is guaranteed to have a good match and acquire Intercontinental and Untied States championships. For that to occur, however, he must find his way to the Smackdown brand. Raw is a top-heavy brand that spends little time focusing on its mid and lower-card acts. Smackdown is more defined, with a more defined pecking order.
Bourne could prove to be suitable opposition to the young members of the Corre, which appears ready to disband. The matches between he and Justin Gabriel, Wade Barrett, Cody Rhodes, and even Rey Mysterio could put Smackdown on the map as the must-see show for in-ring content. He could pick up where his mid-summer push in 2010 ended. But for any of this to happen, for Bourne to enjoy a sustained push, he must be drafted to Smackdown. If not, he risks spending the rest of his career on the proverbial treadmill, not moving up or down, just settling for the same monotony.
Maryse
8 of 11
At one point, Maryse seemed destined to become the new "face" of the WWE Divas division. She was the cocky, arrogant, French diva whom every woman hated and every man loved. She collected a few Divas and Women's championships but quickly found herself out of the ring and serving as a valet for Ted DiBiase.
Maryse's career as an in-ring performer is nearly non-existent as we speak. She makes only occasional appearances in multiple-diva tag matches and has been used, instead, as the hostess of the abominable NXT webcast.
Maryse is a rare find for the WWE. She has the minimal skills needed to be serviceable as an in-ring performer and the marketable sex appeal that made divas such as Sable and Trish Stratus the iconic figures they have become. She is an extremely beautiful woman who, for some reason (perhaps her French accent), has been allowed to go unnoticed by the writing team for the last six months.
A switch to the Smackdown brand would allow Maryse to escape the jumbled mess of Divas on the Raw brand and become the "big fish" in a "small pond." While Lay-Cool looks ready to explode at any moment, Maryse could be the consistent heel diva on the brand and a program with Kelly Kelly may, if given the time and opportunity to succeed, get the fans excited for a Divas rivalry for the first time in a very long time.
Earlier in this slide, the proposal for the Miz to join Smackdown was pitched. It is not much of a secret but Maryse and the Miz have been in a relationship for quite some time now and the two being drafted to the same program would be a no-brainer. One possibility that has yet to be touched on by WWE, other than a string of backstage segments in 2008, is the pairing of Miz and Maryse.
The two obnoxious heels could dominate the top of Smackdown in a way reminiscent of the popular king and queen of the prom. In what way can the Miz become even more unbearable? By scoring the hottest girl in the company. Maryse's on-air relationship with Ted DiBiase failed because of his losing-streak. With the Miz as the WWE champion, his apprentice Alex Riley as the obnoxious best friend, and Maryse as the hated, snobby girlfriend doing anything possible to keep the WWE title around her boyfriend's waist, Smackdown could be re-energized with a high-profile heel stable that could star for months on end.
Daniel Bryan
9 of 11
The initial push for Daniel Bryan upon his return to WWE at the SummerSlam pay-per-view carried with it hope. Hope that, for the first time in a long while, WWE would push a wrestler for being just that: a wrestler. In September, he defeated The Miz to become United States champion. At the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, he retained the title in a triple threat submissions-count-anywhere match against Miz and John Morrison. Then, he had critically-acclaimed matches against Dolph Ziggler and a very solid match at the Survivor Series against Ted DiBiase.
Somewhere around December, however, Bryan found himself neglected. After a technically-sound, phenomenal contest against Jack Swagger on the Old School edition of Monday Night Raw, he fell off the radar and was neglected as the Road to Wrestlemania was underway. He appeared semi-regularly on Raw but had no real direction. He was the centerpiece of a short storyline involving Gail Kim and the Bella Twins but served no purpose other than as an observer in a series of not-so-good matches between the three divas.
On the March 14 edition of Raw, Bryan lost the US title to the "Celtic Warrior" Sheamus in a very good, hard-fought quality match. It would then be announced that Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus had been added to the Wrestlemania card, with the US championship at stake. Unfortunately for both men, however, the match was bumped to the pre-show activities and the real rematch would not take place until the following night on Raw, a match Bryan would lose once more.
The shortened program with Sheamus over the United States Championship could not hide the fact that all of the hype and momentum Daniel Bryan was on the receiving end of towards the conclusion of 2010 had evaporated come January of this year. He coasted along, another face in the crowded roster of Raw. As the spring begins, he appears destined to become another Raw star who saw his initial push stall out, only to suffer the fate as a Raw enhancement talent.
Smackdown has long been considered the "wrestling" brand in WWE. While Raw is driven by storyline and star power, Smackdown survives because of solid, in-ring action and wrestling that cannot be touched by those on Monday nights. Daniel Bryan would be right at home on Friday nights. He would be given the opportunity to have the quality wrestling matches he is accustomed to and get over with the fans based on the fact that he can out-wrestle his opponents.
The Raw brand was very good to Daniel Bryan based on his early success and the exposure with the audience goes. Being drafted to Smackdown will allow him to capitalize on the exposure and grow as a performer.
Randy Orton
10 of 11
Randy Orton is undoubtedly the second biggest baby-face on the current WWE roster. Sure, Triple H and Undertaker may be more popular but neither man is a full-time competitor anymore. Orton, on the other hand, achieved his popularity in a manner similar to that on "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
Once the most hated stars in the entire industry, Orton's penchant for dastardly acts and his crowd-popping finishing move, the RKO, led to the newly-dubbed "Viper" receiving huge, favorable reactions from the WWE fans. Almost overnight, the most despicable villain on the WWE roster, a man guilty of trying to blow John Cena up at the Bragging Rights pay-per-view in 2009, became one of the most popular anti-heroes in the entire sport.
2010 was a year unlike any in the career of the "Apex Predator." Orton reigned as WWE Champion from Night of Champions in September until the night after November's Survivor Series pay-per-view. Prior to his title reign, he was involved in several main event programs, the most notable involving Edge.
After losing his championship in November, Randy tried unsuccessfully to wrestle the gold away from The Miz. Recently, Orton has been keeping busy with the resident "Straight Edge Savior," and leader of the New Nexus, CM Punk. On nearly every occasion, Orton has reigned supreme over his tormentor. Having defeated every major star on Raw, the question becomes what is left for Orton to accomplish on the Monday Night brand?
With the untimely retirement of Edge, a popular main event star is much needed on the Smackdown brand. Big Show and Kane, as well as Kofi Kingston and Christian, are all present but one would be hard-pressed to say they carry the same star power that Edge did. Orton would provide that spark at the top of the Smackdown card.
Wait...what?
11 of 11
Many of you may be wondering why I would propose Randy Orton moving to Smackdown when, earlier in the slide, I argued for Miz's drafting to Smackdown so he could escape the star power of Orton and John Cena on Monday nights. And you, the reader, have a good point.
I made the argument for Miz being drafted to Smackdown knowing full-well the possibility was nonexistent. The Miz is the WWE champion and that title belongs to Raw. It is going nowhere. Miz is the face of the youth movement within the company and as such, he is going nowhere. It helps his case for staying on Raw that he is currently embroiled in a heated program with John Cena over the WWE title. As for Orton, there is a much greater possibility that Randy gets drafted to Smackdown. His program with CM Punk is likely wrapping up at the May 1 Extreme Rules pay-per-view and there seems to be little direction for him after that. As I stated one slide ago, Smackdown is in dire need of star power and "The Viper" provides just that.
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