7 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE SmackDown (April 28)

1. Three Of The Four Opening Picks

WWE Draft 2023 Triple H Roman Reigns Paul Heyman Solo Sikoa
WWE.com

Three of the opening four picks in the very first round of the 2023 WWE Draft revealed that several top stars were...staying put on the same show they're already on. That's hardly thrilling, and actually feels like a complete and utter waste of time to anyone watching.

Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman and Solo Sikoa were lumped together (sans Usos) as one pick for The Bloodline. There's no bold leap onto Monday nights for the 'Tribal Chief' though, because he's sticking around on SmackDown. Meanwhile, both Cody Rhodes and Becky Lynch are still team Raw.

This is something WWE really needs to sort out - it just isn't exciting to announce that wrestlers aren't moving brands. Only Bianca Belair's move from Raw to SmackDown came across as vibrant and intriguing during the opening salvo of picks.

That's a problem.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.