10 Times WWE's Smackdown Brand Got Shafted

9. Triple H Traded Back To Raw For Three Guys (2004)

Cena Smackdown 2011
WWE.com

The stunner of the 2004 re-draft was Evolution leader Triple H getting randomly selected to go to Smackdown.

Although reports conflict, apparently the plan was indeed for Helmsley to grace the blue brand, but it was scrapped at the last minute. This explains Paul Heyman's remark to JBL at One Night Stand 2005, explaining that the only reason JBL reigned interminably as champion in 2004 was because, "Triple H didn't wanna work Tuesdays."

So how did Triple H end up back on Raw? Brand new GM Kurt Angle 'traded' him in storyline the following night for three men: The Dudley Boyz and Booker T. Not only was this an underscored message saying those three were only equal to Triple H combined, but apparently Smackdown wasn't a fun place to be.

That's because Booker was immediately turned heel, and his gimmick was that he hated being taken away from the paradise that was Raw. Um, yay Smackdown?

Contributor
Contributor

Justin has been a wrestling fan since 1989, and has been writing about it since 2009. Since 2014, Justin has been a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine. Justin also writes for History of Wrestling, and is a contributing author to James Dixon's Titan series.