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

9. SmackDown’s Midcard WILL Be Addressed

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WWE.com

For most fans, SmackDown has been WWE’s strongest show since the 2016 Draft. It’s not perfect, but the writing is sharper than on Raw, everything has stakes, and the vast majority of the roster have a well defined role. This gives the show a sense of purpose, and has seen it regularly trounce Raw in terms of quality.

Unfortunately, SD is about to hit a major stumbling block. The roster is threadbare, and the writers are not far from reaching a point where they’ll have no choice but to recycle old storylines. They simply don’t have enough bodies to continue down their current path much longer, particularly in the midcard, where the lack of competition has forced SD into pushing wrestlers like Apollo Crews, whose crowd reactions rarely extend beyond "polite golf clap".

SmackDown needs some credible midcarders to beef their shows up, and that’s exactly what they should get after WrestleMania. This is one problem area that simply cannot go unaddressed, and the lack of interest shown in SD’s middling programs has surely caught the company’s attention. A solid Intercontinental Title scene will benefit the brand no end, particularly once the Dean Ambrose vs. Baron Corbin feud has run its course.

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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.