9. The New Day- RAW
My whole draft strategy was centered on having to fill 3 hours because I don’t
foresee any point in which WWE moves Raw back to 2 hours. With that being said, New Day
consistently provides the comedic relief much like Mick Foley did during the Attitude Era. They
can also fill out 30 minutes between a promo and in-ring work, which when combined with
Rollins and Cena fills up half of the show. I also love the idea of getting to use them more on a
Singles basis during the Brand split. I’m not suggesting to break up New Day, but I think they
individually have a ton of potential, especially Big E. I would love to see Big E get an opportunity
in the future at an upper-mid card feud against someone like Rollins, who potentially could help elevate him to the next step.
10 – Sami Zayn – Smackdown
With all shows, you MUST have a performer that can simply go each week. Sami Zayn is that guy and I think he can be the consistent mid card champion on Smackdown. When the split happens, so does the long, personal feud with him and Kevin Owens. There is a reason why they are doing battle at Battleground. (pun intended). When you look at a roster of big stars, some notably not competing weekly in the ring, Sami can really thrive in his spot on the roster. His biggest obstacle is character development. We need to see Sami be more than just “Kevin Owens’ friend.”
11. Charlotte – RAW
Realistically speaking, there’s no way WWE lets the first 5 rounds pass without a woman being selected, but Charlotte is the total package. I may not be a huge fan of hers (I don’t think her ring psychology is where it needs to be), but there’s no doubt that she has the physical tools and the pedigree to succeed. By the way, did anyone see the picture on Buzzfeed of Ric Flair on the ESPY’s Red Carpet with Charlotte, where the picture said, “Ric Flair and
Guest.” It’s only a matter of time until Charlotte explodes on the scene and it’s, “Charlotte and Guest.”
12. Finn Balor- Smackdown
Balor is a personal favorite of mine from NXT and his time on the main roster is overdue. With his match against Shinsuke Nakamura ( I know my good buddy Vapo is reading this and doing his facial expressions right now) on NXT Wednesday, he would be a PERFECT fit for Smackdown. The hardcore fans watch RAW and NXT, read spoilers for Smackdown. It has been like that for years. Since Smackdown will be live, all of those internet marks will want to see Finn and how he can produce on the main roster. They need to treat him like an attraction at first, building up to his first big PPV match at SummerSlam. After that, Balor must remain at the top of the card like AJ Styles did. With a potential Balor Club on Smackdown, it caters to the indy fans, the casual fans and the kids. His face paint is reminiscent of a Jeff Hardy late in his WWE career, where fans begin to dress like him. He can have that appeal on Smackdown and in the WWE.
13. Shinsuke Nakamura – RAW
As I mentioned earlier with AJ Styles, I’m pretty much a WWE only fan, so my first exposure to Nakamura was at NXT Takeover Dallas. I had to admit, I LOVE this guy. Historically speaking, it is so difficult to get over when you don’t have the mic skills to communicate with the crowd. Nakamura’s natural charisma is the greatest that I’ve seen in years (arguably since the Rock), where he doesn’t even have to say anything and people just cheer. Add in that Nakamura can have a 4/5 star match with just about anyone, and he has the ability to be the Asian superstar that WWE has been looking for since Kaientai disbanded (Indeed).
14. Rusev- Smackdown
Rusev vs. Balor. Rusev vs. Randy Orton. Rusev vs. Sami Zayn. Ultimately, Rusev vs. Brock Lesnar. Talk about potential from a Bulgarian Brute like Rusev. The Miz can stay on RAW, utilizing his Hollywood gimmick and give Rusev a fresh crowd and atmosphere. Ever since he lost to John Cena at WrestleMania, he has floated between great and mediocre. This would be the perfect fit for him, for Lana and for WWE. You just WANT to see Rusev reach another level. His athleticism and look is so unique. I can’t wait until the time where the fans begin to cheer him because of his underrated comedic acts are shown. The guy is actually really funny and his potential is unlimited.
