Like Mel Kiper, you always need your Todd McShay. Instead of going with the usual people, I went outside of the box and completed a mock draft with one of the smartest and dedicated fans of wrestling. I have known Bryan Flory (@bflow82) for the better part of two decades and he could be the smartest guy in the room. (How you doin?) Let’s have some fun and draft for RAW and Smackdown. As you know, the fans make this website and he might be the biggest fan of Wrestlezone, Josh Isenberg and Brother Nero. Bryan will be taking over RAW, while I draft for Smackdown. Let’s Goooooooo!
1. Seth Rollins –RAW
The Man. The Architect. The Champ. Whatever you want to call him, in my
opinion, Seth Rollins is the best WWE has to offer right now, and is the most complete Superstar
who can play a face or heel in years. Given Rollins’ athleticism and size, he can float either up or
down vs. different size opponents, which makes virtually any match up possible. Plus, Rollins has
really grown on the mic, and given Raw’s 3 hour time slot, hopefully he can fill 30 minutes a
night between a promo and in-ring work.
2. Roman Reigns – Smackdown
Seth is the clear cut number one, similar to a LeBron James or Andrew Luck. He has all the tools, but Roman Reigns is going to be a building block for the future as well. He has the marketable look, the crowd reaction and the previous championships to make him a solid piece to start a new era on Smackdown. Roman Reigns on Smackdown is similar to a John Cena on RAW. You need that polarizing figure, love him or hate him, to get a reaction not many men do. When WWE does decide to turn him full heel, it should be on Smackdown so some other faces can capitalize and create some intriguing storylines.
3. John Cena- RAW
The Franchise. There’s not much more to say about John Cena that hasn’t already
been said. Using the same logic as my Rollins pick, you can pair him with anyone, he can carry an
additional 30 minutes between a promo and in-ring work, and you could always appease the
Smark community by having him turn heel. My only hesitation about picking Cena this high (and
I assume that Josh had the same concern with taking Brock at 2) is that Cena is really starting to
branch out into other parts of the entertainment world. Whether it’s movies, hosting TV shows,
etc., I’m not totally sure how much longer Cena has as a full-time performer, but you can’t deny
his star power.
4. Brock Lesnar- Smackdown
I will take the biggest box office attraction any time, any place. Even if he appears on 10-15 Smackdown shows per year, it will be worth it to take him this high. Brock Lesnar’s schedule is only going to get more complicated if he decides to do more UFC events, but him on Smackdown brings INSTANT mainstream appeal and attraction. Since Smackdown is two hours, Lesnar’s appearances can be short and sweet, impactful and important. You do not need to stretch him out over three hours.
