10 WWE Stars Who Were Drafted To The Right Show (And 5 Who Weren't)
Some stars will flourish on their respective show, others will flounder.
In the weeks leading up to the historic WWE Draft, fans speculated who would wind up where and how it would forever affect that specific superstar's career as well as the landscape of that show. There were also plenty of questions as to how the Draft would be handled and if picks would be made at random similar to past years.
Authority figure nonsense aside, the Draft went over fairly well. Although there were those who should have been drafted earlier on and not as late as they were, they still ended up on the right program. Raw and SmackDown Live should surely be equals going forward but, admittedly, they will be two very different programs.
As Shane McMahon himself and others have alluded to, Raw will be loaded with star power whereas SmackDown will be more wrestling-oriented.
Based on the picks made in the WWE Draft, that is bound to be the case as the Brand Extension goes into effect this coming week, but that doesn't mean everyone ended up where they should have. By the end of the evening, there were a handful of creative choices that left fans scratching their head as to why that particular person would land on that brand.
It may not be too late if trades are in order, but either way, let's look are what WWE Draft choices WWE nailed...and those they they got horribly wrong.
15. John Cena To SmackDown (Right Show)
In order to establish SmackDown as being on the same level as Raw from the get-go following the reintroduction of the Brand Extension, the blue brand needed as much star power as possible. And other than Brock Lesnar, there wasn't a bigger name they could have placed on the program than John Cena.
Cena started out in WWE on SmackDown in 2002, and in the three years he was a part of the program, he truly came into his own as a singles star. From his unforgettable outing against Kurt Angle in his debut match to toppling JBL for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 21, SmackDown presented him with opportunities he likely wouldn't have received on Raw.
Only after winning his premier WWE title was Cena sent packing to Raw as a surprise pick in the 2005 WWE Draft, and he has been a prominent staple on the flagship show ever since (let's pretend his meaningless move to SmackDown in 2011 doesn't count).
As he enters the twilight of his career, it is only appropriate he return to his old stomping grounds to rub elbows with the talent of tomorrow, including AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose, Baron Corbin and others.