7 Mistakes WWE Will Probably Make With The Draft This Week
1. Raw Is Dealt The Better Hand
The only reason this draft and split are happening is because USA is unhappy with Smackdown's ratings. It would stand to reason, then, that the highest priority here is making Smackdown more of a must-see show, and on the surface, that's probably how WWE sees it. Unfortunately, history shows that that's going to be harder than it sounds.
Raw is WWE's flagship show. The company says it all the time, and Vince McMahon even said it on Raw last week. McMahon and his team won't do anything to jeopardise the value of the Raw brand in the long run, and given that the ratings for the show have already decreased to 19-year lows, that means that there's really not that much room to play around.
No matter what happens with the draft, Raw is going to be losing talent, so the show's future is shaky.
For that reason, expect Raw to be protected more than one would think - or advise. The red brand's roster is already confirmed to be larger (WWE.com stated that due to the length of the show, Raw will get three picks for every two Smackdown gets), and expect it to be better, too.
Even if John Cena does go to the blue brand, Raw will make up for it with Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, The New Day, and most of the other stars who could mean ratings success.
Last time, it took nine years before Smackdown was unfeasible as its own brand. How long will it take this time - and how will USA react?