Myself and a friend of mine who we’ll call the “Anonymous RAW General Manager” decided in a preview of the real life upcoming WWE draft, we’d do one of our own. He took RAW (obviously), and I decided to take Smackdown. He won the toss for the first pick. There were a few rules.

First rule was that, since we are unsure if and how NXT would be affected, we would take three NXT males and two NXT females.

Second rule is that we could take teams, stables, or workers with managers as long as we used the appropriate amount of picks. I could take the Usos for example, but then RAW would get two straight picks.

Third rule is that we ruled out certain competitors for the draft. No Ryback due to the contract issue. No Undertaker. No McMahons or Triple H. If you see they weren’t drafted that means they weren’t on the main roster. Also, no Tajiri as we didn’t realize he had been signed as we did the draft.

Last note. After each selection RAW GM wrote a little tidbit about each pick. He refers to me as RDT, and I’ll refer to him as RAW GM.

Ok, let’s get picking!

#1 Pick – 

AJ Styles

RAW GM: If this draft was held after Wrestlemania, I probably wouldn’t have gone for The Phenomenal One. After losing to Chris Jericho on the biggest stage, it was clear WWE did not value AJ as a major player, and thus diminished his value by losing to Jericho. Not that Jericho is a bad person to lose to, but that he had lost to Fandango at Wrestlemania within the past three years, so it wasn’t looking good for AJ. But since that time, he has had major feuds with Roman Reigns, and seamlessly turned heel to face off against John Cena. AJ has shown both in and out of the ring that he truly is one of the best in the world, and I’m not sure there is a single person in the locker room that should be taken ahead of Styles. That is why I chose him, and he will be the standard bearer for Raw moving forward.

#1 Pick – 

John Cena

RDT: Smackdown, just as it did the last time the brand was split, has always struggled with being the B-Show. RAW is the flagship, blah, blah, blah. How do I kill that discussion right off the bat? By drafting the face of WWE, John Cena. Cena has one more monster run in him I feel and there’s enough new fresh workers in WWE that Cena can have great four to five star matches with.

#2 Pick –

Seth Rollins

RAW GM: Another guy who has shown major versatility is THE MAN and former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins. In response to my first choice, you have to have a top heel. What I like about these two picks are that they can play both the babyface and the heel very believably. Rollins heel run the past two years has been a bit scattered, but it definitely is more or less how he was written and not his ability to play the character. With Styles and Rollins at the top of the list, they could easily have multiple programs with each other from both sides of the spectrum.

#2 Pick-

Kevin Owens

RDT: In my opinion he’s the best heel in the business right now. He’s incredible on the mic and one of the best workers in the world to boot. We already know he can work great matches with John Cena too, and that could be a feud that could kick off Smackdown in a big way.

#3 Pick-

Dean Ambrose

RAW GM: The current champ in real life, THE DUDE (ugh) comes in as another versatile player. The natural foil to Rollins, Ambrose has shown that he can be the type of babyface that gets crowds excited while not having the squeaky clean persona. The closest we might get to a Stone Cold esque anti-hero in this era.

#3 Pick-

Sami Zayn

RDT: RAW GM makes it tempting for me to look to ruin his SHIELD Triple Threat by taking Roman here. I think it’s more important for me to select the perfect complement to Kevin Owens in a workrate way in Sami Zayn. Having a built-in personal rivalry is what made Zayn and Owens both stars immediately in NXT and has helped Zayn on the main roster as well. Owens vs. Zayn could one day main event Wrestlemania and I want that to be a Smackdown main event. Also, is there any better underdog babyface worker in the world right now than Zayn?

#4 Pick-

Roman Reigns

RAW GM: RDT had no issue taking Cena with his first pick, so I thought it would be best to take advantage and complete the Shield trifecta. These three will always have a story to fall back on which definitely adds value to this pick. THE GUY is the least versatile superstar taken, as he could only believably be a heel to have the crowd accept him for the time being. But if he can show that he can hang in the ring and be a scumbag heel like he’s been recently, perhaps he could try another babyface run in the future.

#4 Pick-

Bray Wyatt

RDT: There’s still no better unique character than Bray Wyatt. Despite being misused horribly at times he still manages to be a special attraction because of his charisma and character. With less clutter among the top names on Smackdown, Bray can finally settle into that Undertaker-type special role without having to be shunted down the card.

#5 Pick-

Cesaro

RAW GM: Is there anything Cesaro can’t do? Well besides speak without a thick accent. I don’t know if Cesaro is a reach at 5, but I am very happy with grabbing him here. The Swiss Superman can do no wrong in the ring, and can jump into a feud for any title he’d like. If he was around in the era where the IC title mattered, he would be that workhorse champion. He isn’t the best on the mic, but he has one hell of a wingspan. His uppercuts are some of the most impressive moves of anyone in the entire draft pool. A top guy with upside to boot.

#5 Pick-

Sasha Banks

RDT: I knew by pulling off a pick like this, I would end up losing the other coveted woman for sure (Bayley), so I had to choose wisely. Women’s professional wrestling can be at an all-time peak with the talent available and I wanted someone who’s been getting huge cheers since her call-up to the main roster ten months ago. “The Boss” is just about ready to peak. Fans wanted her to win the WWE Women’s Championship at Wrestlemania. Now that she’s past her injury, the road to Smackdown’s Women’s Championship is wide open for Banks and that’ll probably get one of the biggest pops of the year. The only way I was getting Sasha AND Bayley was to hope RAW GM took a tag team, but I didn’t want to wait that one out.

#6 Pick-

Bayley

RAW GM: I was shocked that RDT took Sasha Banks with his fifth round pick. I knew right then and there my women’s division would be shot unless I had someone the crowd would be immediately into. Look no further than the most over person NXT has ever seen, the huggable Bayley. She would not be my initial champion, because the underdog babyface has to chase the title to be effective, so my strategy is to just lay low for now and see if I can grab someone like Charlotte a bit later. Definitely reactionary to Sasha though, and I can’t let RDT shake me moving forward.

#6 Pick-

Finn Balor

RDT: I’m trying to offset my lack of NXT knowledge by taking the best NXT has to offer early on. Balor has AJ Styles like potential in being a top worker on for the Smackdown brand. He’s currently the most intriguing NXT call-up at the moment and his character oozes potential. I’m already giddy as Balor vs. Cena in a high profile feud. And don’t get me started on Balor vs. Wyatt.

#7 Pick-

Chris Jericho

RAW GM: My entire draft has been about versatility, and do they get more versatile than Chris Jericho? He has proven that he does not have to speak for almost 20 minutes and can get an equal parts babyface pop and heel reaction in that time span. He definitely will not last forever, but his veteran presence makes him a huge value choice in the 7th round.

#7, #8 Picks-

Enzo and Big Cass

RDT: Enzo and Big Cass have the most upside as a tag team than any other tandem at the moment. They have great chemistry and are both mega-over with the fans already. Big Cass also showed flashes of potential in being a future singles star as well. After all, he’s 7 feet tall AND YOU CAN’T TEACH THAT!

#8, #9, #10 Picks-

The New Day

RAW GM: RDT took The Realest Guys in the Room, so that enabled me to have two consecutive picks. I took it a step further and took the most positive people in the company: The New Day. Xavier Woods, Big E, and Kofi Kingston have shown that they can go out and literally say anything, hit their proven beats, and get a great reaction from the crowd. Their act is a bit long in the tooth and there is a bit of smark fatigue out there, but they are much more valuable as a group than individuals at the moment, and I won’t be the one who breaks them up.

#9 Pick-

Becky Lynch

RDT: I had some freedom here with two selections in a row. I decided to bolster the Women’s Division a little bit and take Lynch. “The Irish Lass Kicker” is one of the best female wrestlers in recent Women’s Division memory and is right there with Sasha Banks in regards to talent, charisma and presence. Also, with Bayley gone I’d want a more traditional babyface female worker on the roster and that fits Lynch perfectly.

#10 Pick-

Shinsuke Nakamura

RDT: A risky pick with homerun upside here. Nakamura’s international presence is unmatched at the moment and the smark crowd think he’s the best worker in the world today. Will that translate into the big time WWE crowd? It remains to be seen. It can’t be said enough that that he’s over with the smark crowd though. He’s the 2014 Wrestling Observer Newletter Wrestler of the Year and already in the WON’s Hall of Fame. I say the gamble is worth it.

#11 and #12 Pick-

Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman

RAW GM: The most risky pick of the draft so far, I took The Beast, The Conqueror, One in Twenty-Two and One, Brock Lesnar. While he is only a part time act, he is still the main attraction, and is always a ratings draw. He won’t be wrestling on Raw, but he and his advocate will give a jolt to any story I need at any time.

#11 Pick-

Samoa Joe

RDT: I know many have called Cena vs. Styles a dream match because of AJ’s status as the face of TNA. Well, I think Samoa Joe vs. Cena is just as intriguing. We almost got that feud ten years ago too. When motivated, Samoa Joe is one of the best workers in the world who can work any style. There’s a built-in rivalry with Owens too that has potential to be an all-timer. Plus, he and Balor are killing it in NXT at the moment too!

#12 Pick-

Asuka

RDT: This might be a surprise with Charlotte still out there, but NXT Women’s Champion Asuka has upside as a great female heel. She’s an intriguing NXT call-up that would have intense rivalries with Becky and Sasha right away.

#13 Pick-

Randy Orton

RAW GM: A top draw for over a decade, Randy Orton has fallen out of favor a bit between injuries and an endless series of matches against Sheamus. His name on the roster will be able to draw the people that John Cena will be attracting on the blue brand. Plus you can never have too many former world champions.

#13 Pick-

Kalisto

RDT: Kalisto’s a fun wrestler who fills that Rey Mysterio void. He can fly like no one else and one day might one day have a run on top like Rey. There’s also a goal to maximize diversity on the Smackdown brand. Nakamura, Becky, Asuka and now Kalisto help that initiative.

#14 Pick-

Dolph Ziggler

RAW GM: Speaking of former World Champions, my next pick is The Showoff. Ziggler has really had his stock drop since the influx of “indy” talent from NXT that has been called up. I think he would’ve been a Top 5 pick for sure if this draft were held even a year ago, but constant losses to Baron Corbin and generally no direction had his stock fall hard. A good value pick in my humble opinion.

#14 and #15 Pick-

Rusev and Lana

RDT: Rusev’s proven to be an entertaining upper midcard heel in his entire run thus far. This is despite some horrid booking…especially that feud with Dolph Ziggler last year. And speaking of surviving horrid booking Smackdown also gets the beautiful Lana. Not only does Lana’s sex appeal keep her among one of the most popular acts in the company…she’s also been in the ring a few times and perhaps one day an be a top heel wrestler too.

#15 and #16 Pick-

The Club

RAW GM: These newcomers were beasts in Japan, and have made their mark continuing the Bullet Club gimmick with AJ Styles. They will be the top heel team in the tag division, and can also align with Styles whenever necessary.

#16 Pick-

Charlotte

RDT: The current WWE’s Women’s Champion still being available is a bit of a surprise here. Smackdown is determined to have the best Women’s wrestling in the world and I feel like Charlotte. I was considering Paige and Emma here too, but when you can take the current World Women’s Champion I feel like that should be the pick.

#17 Pick-

Paige

RAW GM: RDT took Charlotte which means I waited too long to give Bayley a top heel to chase. Paige was a good backup, but she definitely plays the anti-hero best, while she has yet to show great heel chops on the main stage. She is still incredibly young, and has more experience than most, so it is not the worst choice.

#17 Pick-

Alberto Del Rio

RDT: A personal favorite of mine that has barely received a mere thought when it comes to booking. Del Rio can go in the ring and seems to be in the best shape of his life. He’s also a backstage favorite of John Cena, which should only help the locker room. Anyone working with Del Rio will only get better as a result.

#18 Pick-

Nikki Bella

RAW GM: A more traditional heel and comes with a TV show on the E! Network. This should be a good way to add some different demographic to the ratings sheet, but her injury history leaves a lot to be desired. Can definitely be a heel, but the ring work is shaky at best.

#18 and #19 Pick-

The Miz and Maryse

RDT: The Miz has come a long way from being a Tough Enough Call-Up. Miz has proven to be one of the best heels in wrestling as every face who seems to feud with him gets mega-over as a result (see: Sandow, Damien). Now with Maryse returning, would it really surprise you if a few years from now Total Divas had Maryse as the primary draw? There’s a fun potential rivalry brewing too with Rusev and Lana against Miz and Maryse for Smackdown’s Power Couple.

#19 Pick-

Emma

RAW GM: Continuing my run on the women’s division, Emma represents a natural foil to Paige and Bayley both hearkening back to their NXT days. Her heel persona with her super heel aviator sunglasses and half gloves was just called up to the main roster before a fluke injury.

#20 Pick-

Alexa Bliss

RAW GM: The most improved player in NXT, Alexa Bliss is my fourth female choice in a row. I definitely wanted to make sure the women’s division was complete with a fourth player that can be a heel to the superstar Bayley. Alexa Bliss has the best facial reactions in the business, and is currently feuding Bayley in NXT at the time of this draft.

#20 Pick-

Sheamus

RDT: Sheamus has “X-Pac” heat at this point, but it doesn’t change the fact he’s a good bully heel who can have a hard hitting good match with the right opponent. Remember when Roman Reigns won the title on RAW against Sheamus and the crowd seemed like they were finally behind him? Some of that credit belongs to Sheamus as a heel. I can’t lie, I admittedly forgot about the injured Luke Harper here. But hey, two movie stars in a row ain’t bad!

#21 Pick-RAW-Luke Harper–Returning to the Y chromosome side of things, I was able to snipe Luke Harper away from RDT. He chose to draft Bray without his family, so I took advantage here almost 16 rounds later. I’m not sure why he didn’t take him before someone like Kalisto and especially Sheamus. In any event, his loss is my gain. Harper is highly skilled for someone his size, and doesn’t need his beard to get over.

#21 Pick-Smackdown-Tyler Breeze–I think Breeze has a lot of potential as a heel. I didn’t want Fandango as I think Johnny Curtis’ run is getting close to over.

#22 Pick-RAW-Neville–The Man Gravity Forgot was also forgotten by WWE’s draft game on their website. But luckily for this high flyer, I did not. Neville almost won King of the Ring when it returned in 2015, but he lost to King Barrett, which might not have been the worst thing in the world. Since that time he was lost in the shuffle a bit and then got injured. He will return as someone that could contend for the midcard title and buld up his profile to perhaps break through.

#22, 23 and 24 Pick-Smackdown-The Social Outcasts–You just have to have those fun lowercard heels. Heath Slater has been one of the most entertaining lower card guys for years now, whether it involved getting beat down by legends of Three Man Band. Bo Dallas will always get you to “BOLIEVE”, and Curtis Axel was one Hulk Hogan scandal away from getting Axelmania over, brother.

#23 and 24 Pick-RAW-The Dudley Boyz–Once again adding to my tag division, the most decorated tag team in WWE history joins the Raw squad. The Dudleyz have proven that face or heel they are a team to be reckoned with.

#25 Pick-RAW-Apollo Crews–If you want to use traditional draft terms, high ceiling doesn’t even fully describe how much potential Apollo Crews contains. To date he has no personality, but for a guy his size and shape, he has the ability to drop jaws in the ring.

#25 Pick-Smackdown-Titus O’Neil–He’s been getting a run as of late in a US Title feud with Rusev. Seems like a great guy backstage and has a great look. Potential is still there for him.

#26 Pick-RAW-Summer Rae–A criminally undervalued female who can play the conceited heel as good as anyone.

#26 Pick-Smackdown-Goldust–A veteran of the locker room that many wrestlers today can look up to. He can still get a good crowd reaction too…just look at the pre-show at Survivor Series 2015. For the record, I am disappointed I forgot about Summer Rae.

#27 Pick-RAW-Fandango–Officially breaking up Breezango, the dancing machine will still have his incredible theme song, and complete goofball playing the part.

#27 and #28 Pick-Smackdown-The Vaudevillians–An interesting tag team that might have questionable staying power is their gimmick doesn’t completely catch on. They’ve held their own on the main roster so far.

#28 Pick-RAW-Zack Ryder–A guy the crowd always seems to be behind, and not bad in the ring. The woo woo woo kid provides valuable depth.

#29 Pick-RAW-Baron Corbin–The defending Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royale winner, he hasn’t done much since his call up except for beating Dolph Ziggler. Another high ceiling pick.

#29 Pick-RAW-Natayla–Already with a strong Women’s Division, I see no reason not to add a great worker like Natayla. Perhaps if Tyson Kidd recovers I get him in the deal too?

#30 Pick-RAW-Mark Henry–The World’s Strongest Man’s best days are behind him. But he can still treat yall like a bunch of puppets when he feels like it. His salmon suit also adds value to this pick.

#30 and #31 Pick-Smackdown-Darren Young and Bob Backlund–Smackdown is the platform to make Darren Young great again. And if things don’t work out the Prime Time Players could always re-unite, and Bob Backlund could continue a years old rivalry with Heath Slater!

#31 Pick-RAW-Kane–I couldn’t believe in a draft that RDT is involved with that Kane was still available. I’m not sure I could let him slip any more than this. Can go to therapy and still be entertaining.

#32 Pick-RAW-Sin Cara–All wrestling shows need jobbers. At least you don’t have to see this one’s face.

#32 Pick-Smackdown-Jack Swagger–Real shame to see how far Swagger’s fallen. He truthfully just doesn’t have it despite showing potential some eight years ago. On the flipside I feel like pairing him with Backlund could do wonders.

#33 and #34 Pick-RAW-The Usos–Honestly, I think we were a little hard on letting the Usos drop this far. The fact that they have never had any character development in about 7 years though hurts their draft stock. Excellent in the ring makes them much more valuable than the next choice.

#33 Pick-Smackdown-Eva Marie–Sometimes you just need a model. She can sell posters and magazines. I wouldn’t put her in the ring.

#34 Pick-Smackdown-Big Show–Yes, we are way over Big Show fatigue at this point, but I still think he can make a solid tag team partner to someone not unlike the times he teamed with Jericho and the Miz in 2009/2010. Like maybe as Tyler Breeze’s bodyguard or something.

#35 and #36 Pick-RAW-The Ascension–A team that was absolutely dominant on NXT and then transformed into Road Warrior clones on their callup. Would need repackaged to appear on TV at this point.

#35 and #36 Pick-Smackdown-Primo and Epico–I’m admittedly not even sure of their current gimmick. Apparently they are the Shining Stars now? The heck? Anyway, two decent workers to have the random tag match with.

#37 Pick-RAW-Dana Brooke–A new face on WWE TV, she was destined to be the top heel on NXT. Called up inexplicably and an underling to Charlotte. Her being on her own now should allow her to build up her character a bit before going for the title.

#37 Pick-Smackdown-R-Truth–Just another veteran at this point to help the young guys. Still gets a pop with the “WUTS UP” stuff.

#38 Pick-RAW-Naomi–I didn’t want to be a homewrecker, so Naomi stays on tour with her husband J…immy? Uso?

#38, #39, #40, #41 Pick-Smackdown-Eric Rowan, Braun Strowman, Tamina and Alicia Fox–Since I picked my NXT people early I’m forced with the rest of the main roster here as RAW picks their NXT people. I don’t actually mind Rowan, although Strowman can end up as my dancing comedy heel for all I care. If somehow Smackdown got AJ Lee one day Tamina can be her bodyguard again. I actually like Alicia Fox a lot, but putting her on Team Bella last year just lacked any creativity. She should go back to that crazy gimmick where she stole JBL’s hat. That was awesome.

#39 and #40 Pick-RAW-American Alpha–Because RDT uses all of his NXT picks early in the draft, I was able to save mine for the end. American Alpha can easily be the top team on Raw, and should immediately compete for the gold. They definitely give off a Team Angle vibe, and are a huge boon to a tag division that can sometimes feel stale.

#41 Pick-RAW-Hideo Itami–My final choice is far from irrelevant. Hideo has been out for over a year from NXT, but upon his return can easily slot into the upper midcard as a top babyface. I’m not sure he has the heel chops in English quite yet, but is one of the best in the ring the world has seen. Top 10 talent with my final pick doesn’t get better than that!

#41 Pick-Smackdown-Nia Jax–I still needed a NXT female. She can be Eva Marie’s bodyguard I guess or have a Superstars feud with Tamina.