Tonight’s WWE SmackDown featured a special appearance by Triple H, and he brought a major announcement with him. Triple H came out to talk to the SmackDown crowd about the impressive milestones WrestleMania 39 managed to hit and surpass, and it was quite the list. Then he switched gears to the future, and that’s when he revealed that the WWE Draft would be returning, and he teased that it would truly be a game changer. Triple H said every WWE Superstar is eligible, and that could mean some teams and factions might find themselves split up or some allies might find themselves on different brands. We’ve collected 10 Superstar moves that should be part of the WWE Draft, and you can check out our proposed roster moves to Raw and SmackDown on the next slide.
One thing Triple H didn’t address specifically was the status of NXT stars in the Draft. He said that every WWE Superstar would be eligible, but at times in the past that hasn’t included NXT. Sometimes it has though, so hopefully, Shawn Michaels will clear that up on NXT next week.
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As for SmackDown and Raw, there are some names that would be difficult to see moving brands, including names like Roman Reigns, Becky Lynch, Cody Rhodes, Brock Lesnar, and Rhea Ripley. Ripley just became the SmackDown Women’s Champion, while Seth and Becky are pillars of the red brand, as is Rhodes. Roman has likewise become synonymous with SmackDown, as has the Bloodline.
Then again, if anyone in that group does move brands, it would be a major shakeup, living up to the game-changer proclamation of Triple H. We’ll have to wait and see, though if the next few weeks timeframe is true, at least we won’t have to wait long.
You can see our recommendations for roster moves in the WWE Draft on the next slide, and you let us know which moves you want to see in the comments or as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!
Alexa Bliss to SmackDown
Alexa Bliss hasn’t been featured on TV nearly as much as fans had hoped for over the past year, and while that was partly due to taking some time off to get married and dealing with health concerns, there were other big spans of time where Bliss was just missing from TV for apparently no reason. This came after teases of a reunion with Bray Wyatt, though even before that she had gone through a series of therapy vignettes that were supposed to put the supernatural time behind her but seemed to kind of drop off once she came back to TV.
A move to SmackDown would give her a fresh launching point and fresh competition. If SmackDown can keep names like Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Tegan Nox, and others, Bliss would have a host of new stars to face off against. If WWE does want to proceed with aligning her with Bray Wyatt however, Wyatt is currently on SmackDown, so that would work too.
Charlotte Flair to Raw
This is very much connected to Judgement Day moving to SmackDown, as Rhea Ripley defeated Charlotte Flair to win the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 39. While Flair didn’t return to SmackDown all that long ago, she’s been affiliated with SmackDown for some time now, and having her join Monday Night Raw would give her new match-ups to pursue.
One big one would be a matcha against Bianca Belair, who has stated several times that she wants to face Flair someday to complete her wins against the Four Horsewomen. Belair has already notched wins against Becky Lynch, Bayley, and Sasha Banks, but Flair thus far has eluded her. This is a marquee match-up and could be a long-running program for both superstars if they play it right.
Judgement Day to SmackDown
Rhea Ripley is the new SmackDown Women’s Champion and has already appeared on SmackDown to celebrate the big win. She was joined by her Judgement Day teammates and they have a growing feud going with The LWO, which is also intertwined with Rey Mysterio’s feud with Dominik Mysterio. It’s all interconnected, and having Judgement Day there in full force would launch this feud even further into the stratosphere.
Plus, Judgement Day has been a big part of Raw for a while now, and having some additional teams to face would only benefit them. The New Day, Viking Raiders, Brawling Brutes, and more call SD home currently, and even if some of those head over to Raw, that still means fresh match-ups for Judgment Day.
Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler to Raw
Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler got a nice win as a Tag Team during WrestleMania 39, and it would seem they are targeting the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships sooner than later as a result. With the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships, it doesn’t necessarily matter which brand you’re on, as you can defend on any show, but Rousey and Baszler have been part of SmackDown for a while, and bringing them to Raw would freshen up their competition and their overall storyline.
Plus, if you did want to lead into Baszler vs Rousey, that’s a premium live event-worthy feud, and having that build on Raw every week wouldn’t be a bad thing in the least.
Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae to SmackDown
Johnny Gargano is another superstar that could use a change of scenery. Despite a strong start, Gargano feels like he’s been left without a strong feud to showcase his strengths, both in the ring and on the microphone. While he showcased that in his return to NXT to take down Grayson Waller, it’s time to give him that same spotlight on the main roster, and moving to SmackDown could be the thing that allows that to happen.
Can you imagine an Intercontinental Title feud against Gunther? Or a back-and-forth program with Ricochet? You could also have him face off against Karrion Kross and Scarlett if they stick around SD, and that’s a perfect reason to also bring Candice LeRae to SmackDown too. LeRae has been largely absent from WWE TV as well, and having the couple together on SmackDown could be a perfect pairing for Kross and Scarlett, and LeRae vs Ripley could be a banger match as well.
Drew McIntyre to Raw
Drew McIntyre is another superstar who could use a change of locale. McIntyre’s been great on SmackDown but at this point, he’s pretty much feuded with everyone on the roster. His latest feud with Sheamus could keep going, but it’s hard to see that lasting for too much longer, and there are enough fresh faces on Raw that having McIntyre in the mix would pay off immediate dividends.
That’s especially true if Rhodes stays, and the same goes for people like Dexter Lumis, Johnny Gargano, The Miz, and more. If he turns heel a Rhodes vs McIntyre feud writes itself, but we’ll just have to wait and see.
Bronson Reed to SmackDown
Bronson Reed has been booked to be a beast so far in his WWE main roster tenure, but the current SmackDown roster features a more compelling list of competitors for him to face. Reed vs Sheamus and the Brawling Brutes could be fantastic, as could Reed vs Imperium and Gunther. Reed vs Braun Strowman would also be entertaining, and if we got some tag team action, there are several on the roster he might pair well with.
Reed doesn’t need a move like others on this list, but jumping over to SmackDown could help build his momentum even faster if handled right.
Sami Zayn to Raw
This one just makes sense. Kevin Owens has been on Raw and Sami Zayn has been on SmackDown, but now the two are the WWE Tag Team Champions. It only makes sense for them to be on the same brand, and if the majority of Zayn’s story with The Bloodline is done (for now), it would make sense to move him to Raw and shake things up a bit for him and The Bloodline.
Plus, you can always bring him in for special occasions, and it would give Raw another big set of Titles to feature and utilize. It looks like it will be a minute before they have a World Heavyweight Title to use, so this would at least make them the home of more Championship gold.
Damage CTRL to SmackDown
In my eyes, this is a must if Damage CTRL is going to stay together. The group has been booked to consistently lose and look weak despite being two-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. No matter the chemistry or the numbers advantage, they seem to lose in the big moments, and heading to SmackDown could be the fresh start and reset they need to finally be that powerhouse faction fans have wanted to see.
Bayley instantly is in the Title mix again, and Bayley vs Ripley would rule. Bayley vs Liv Morgan or Raquel Rodriguez would also be stellar, though you could easily turn that into a full feud if you keep Morgan and Rodriguez as a tag team. If you want to focus more on singles action, Dakota Kai vs Tegan Nox writes itself with all their history, and Kai vs Rodriguez comes with a ton of history as well. Plus, it’s worth it just for Bayley vs Michael Cole alone, which was a consistent highlight during Bayley’s previous time on SmackDown.
If you want to really give Damage CTRL a big boost, you can add a new member to the team and call up someone from NXT. Jacy Jayne immediately comes to mind, but you could also add Zoey Stark and instantly make her relevant, just like WWE did with The Bloodline and Solo Sikoa.
Chad Gable to SmackDown
Alpha Academy has been quite entertaining, but the team of Chad Gable and Otis seems to be nearing its end as Otis is drawn to the Maximum Male Models. Gable’s athletic ability and wrestling technique has been getting showcased more recently, and perhaps this is setting up a new singles run for the fan-favorite superstar.
If it is, moving to SmackDown would be a clean slate for Gable and a chance to throw down with a host of big WWE names. Gable is a perfect candidate for a Kofi Kingston-style run, and could he even be the one to defeat Gunther if that happens? It would at least be a possibility that should be considered, though I kind of hope he keeps the Shush thing for a minute.
