WWE Draft 2016: 5 Things That Will Happen (And 5 That Won't)
1. SmackDown WILL Improve
SmackDown, on the other hand, has quietly improved to become one of the best wrestling shows on television. Bolstered by the promotion of former NXT writer Ryan Ward, the blue brand regularly delivers a high quality night of all-round action that puts the supposed “A-show” to shame on a weekly basis.
It’s not perfect, of course. SmackDown is still very much considered an afterthought among WWE brass and fans alike, and with little-to-no storyline progression taking place, there isn’t much incentive to watch every week. It’s been this way for years, and SmackDown isn’t going to shed its long-held image as a second tier show overnight, but the Draft and Brand Split are about to make it relevant again.
During the original Brand Split, SmackDown became a safe haven away from Raw’s contrived storylines and hackneyed sports entertainment. With a hard-working, highly-motivated roster comprised of WWE’s most spectacular athletes, SmackDown was a wrestling-centric show that promoted workrate and quality match-ups above all else. It had its own unique identity away from the Monday night flagship, and we can expect that to happen again.
SmackDown won’t necessarily become a smark-satisfying paradise of technical wrestling again, but some of the biggest stars in wrestling are about to call it home. The increase in star power coupled with the move away from spoiler-tastic pre-taped results should make SmackDown essential again, and help WWE put its two major shows back on a level footing.