Grading the divisions of SmackDown following 2021 WWE Draft
In the first round of the 2021 WWE Draft, SmackDown essentially drafted two similar Superstars. Both Roman Reigns and Charlotte Flair are legacy stars and multi-time Champions. Each performer is also always booked atop whichever brand they call home.
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In that regard, the blue brand has two big stars. SmackDown kept Sasha Banks and the Usos, but many other stars from RAW were drafted by SmackDown.
The New Day returned to Friday nights giving the blue brand two of the top teams in WWE. The Uson and The New Day have faced each other numerous times. Another feud between them won't exactly be fresh. The SmackDown tag team scene was completely rebuilt with teams from RAW.
Which other wrestlers are now members of SmackDown? The roster is a lot different than it was before the Draft. Here are the grades for the new roster of SmackDown.
#4. The SmackDown Tag Team Division was completely rebuilt in the Draft.
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SmackDown's tag teams: the Usos, Hit Row, The New Day, Viking Raiders, Humberto Carrillo/Angel Garza
The only team that stayed on SmackDown was the current champs, the Usos. Their fate played out on both shows as Roman Reigns made it imperative to Paul Heyman that his cousins remain on SmackDown.
Alpha Academy, the Street Profits, Dolph Ziggler/Robert Roode, and the Mysterios all swapped brands. That's why the Usos now have several new challengers.
The Viking Raiders are former RAW Tag Team Champions but have been up and down since reforming after Ivar's injury. The New Day's legacy is well-known. Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston could very well be the team to take the titles from The Usos.
When it comes to intriguing moves, adding Hit Row and Humberto Carrillo/Angel Garza was certainly interesting. Carrillo and Garza are both talented but have struggled to get consistent pushes.
They are playing on their real-life relationship as cousins. Both are exciting and could get a consistent push in the SmackDown tag team division.
Along with Gable Steveson, Hit Row was one of the strongest picks in the 2021 WWE Draft. Isaiah "Swerve" Scott is already one of the most talented wrestlers in the world. His group is only a few months old and was involved in an ongoing feud with Legado Del Fantasma.
Top Dolla and Ashante Adonis will join the tag team division and will probably spar verbally with both the New Day and The Usos. They have only been a team, however, for a few months. B-Fab has only had two matches in NXT, and it looked like she needed more seasoning.
She can initially focus more on being a manager before getting into consistent matches. The tag team division is certainly different from the one before the Draft. They're still in good shape and will feature many different yet talented teams.
GRADE - B+