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

8. Roman Reigns WON’T Go To SmackDown

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WWE.com

Thanks to Vince McMahon, Roman Reigns has been at the heart of the draft conversation since the rumours started. The Chairman mentioned the prospect of Reigns moving to SmackDown in an interview last month, igniting speculation on his potential trade. As big as Reigns’ brand exchange would be, however, don’t hold your breath for it to happen.

This was almost certainly a red herring on Vince's behalf. Trading Reigns to SmackDown makes sense from a fan perspective, but the company still very much see him as “the guy". It’s extremely unlikely that they’ll take him away from the flagship show, and unless major changes in WWE’s main event scene are afoot, he’ll remain the focus on Monday nights for years to come.

Reigns could certainly benefit from a change in scenery, but him vs. Brock Lesnar will supposedly be the company’s main focus ahead of WrestleMania 34. Thus, putting him on SmackDown (only to jump back to Raw to feud with Brock) makes zero sense. Reigns will stay with Raw indefinitely, and regardless of whether he remains an over-pushed babyface or eventually turns heel, he’ll be the focus of that brand’s programming for the foreseeable future.

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. 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.