WWE Draft 2017: 5 Things That Will Happen (And 5 That Won't)

"Big changes" are on the way, but how will they pan out?

nakamura raw
WWE.com

WWE are now deeply entrenched in WrestleMania season, and that means significant roster changes are right around the corner. The company traditionally use the post-Mania period to debut a number of new stars, and with Kurt Angle ready to return and Shinsuke Nakamura on the verge of a main roster call-up, the weeks following WrestleMania 33 could be busier than ever.

On top of the annual tradition, WWE are reportedly planning a fresh talent draft in the near future, with the latest rumours suggesting that this could happen as soon as June. Vince McMahon himself even suggested the prospect of wrestlers moving between brands a few weeks ago, so while the company still haven't made an official announcement, it's clearly something that they're thinking about.

Details remain sparse, and as a result, speculation is rife. There has already been talk of the likes of Roman Reigns and AJ Styles hopping to SmackDown and Raw respectively, along with suggestions that all current champions will be off-limits. Everything from the draft's size and scale to individual NXT call-ups have been subject of hearsay, but while some of the current rumours are perfectly plausible, many are speculative at best.

What'll happen come the next WWE draft - and what almost certainly won't?

10. Tag Wrestling’s Shortcomings WON’T Be Addressed

nakamura raw
WWE.com

WWE’s tag team divisions are in a dire state at the moment. On Raw, current champions Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows are still recovering from last year's disastrous New Day feud, and experienced another setback by playing Roman Reigns’ personal whipping boys last month. The New Day, meanwhile, lost all direction after losing the Tag Team Championships, while Sheamus & Cesaro have fallen off following their initial formation story.

Things are even worse on SmackDown, where tag champs American Alpha routinely miss several weeks of television at a time. Last week’s main event with The Usos was dominated by talk of Shane McMahon vs. AJ Styles, and outside of the top two teams, competition is non-existent.

Logic dictates that WWE should use the draft to address such issues within their rosters, but don’t expect them to do much with the tag teams. A team or two may change brands, but the problems are too significant for a single draft to solve, and WWE probably won't even try. The company have displayed a complete disregard for this side of their product in 2017, and assuming they’ll try to improve the situation with the draft is wishful thinking.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. 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.