10 Reasons To Be Optimistic Following WWE Draft 2016

7. A Younger Roster

Daniel Bryan SmackDown
WWE.com

Speculation that WWE were reaching out to a series of former employees to fill out the Draft slots had been met with tempered enthusiasm. As great as it would’ve been to see the likes of Kurt Angle walk down the ramp again, there was a real danger of WWE flooding their talent pool with ageing grapplers like Tommy Dreamer and Chris Masters, whose time at the top has long since come and gone.

Fortunately, that didn’t happen. A handful of returns would’ve been great, and worked wonders to restore some of Raw and SmackDown’s lost excitement and unpredictability. Too many, however, would’ve only hindered the opportunities afforded to younger superstars who need them a lot more than any 45-year-old former United States Champion.

Yes, there are a number of pre-existing long-in-the-tooth WWE wrestlers who’ve seen better days, but they’re increasingly few and far between. WWE’s roster is as young, dynamic, and exciting as it’s been in a long time, and many of the company’s prime talents still have their best years ahead of them.

All of this would be undermined with an increased veteran presence on the roster, and while you can argue that the older stars could’ve helped put the younger guys over, WWE’s young talent will benefit just as much from working as each other.

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.