WWE RAW vs. SmackDown - Who won Night 1 of the Draft?聽
Friday Night SmackDown was indeed an eventful night for WWE, with the draft taking center stage. The build-up and anticipation of the draft are thrilling, as it promises significant surprises and some serious shake-ups.
The wait is over.
Night 1 of the 2021 #WWEDraft starts RIGHT NOW on #SmackDown!
馃摵 @FOXTV https://t.co/NF4twkx0MF
In this regard, Night 1 of the WWE Draft did not disappoint. The landscapes of RAW and SmackDown have already changed as a total of 24 superstars were selected in the first four rounds of the WWE Draft. The brand was picked through a combination of current champions, high-profile singles competitors, and well-established tag teams.
RAW Acquired -
- WWE Champion Big E
- Bianca Belair
- RK-Bro (Randy Orton & Riddle)
- Edge
- Women's Tag Team Champions Rhea Ripley & Nikki A.S.H
- Keith Lee
- Rey & Dominik Mysterio
- Austin Theory
SmackDown Acquired -
- Roman Reigns
- RAW Women's Champion Charlotte Flair
- Drew McIntyre
- New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods)
- "Happy" Corbin & Madcap Ross
- Hit Row (Isaiah "Swerve" Scott, Ashante "Thee" Adonis, Top Dolla, and B-FAB)
- Naomi
- Jeff Hardy
As we learned on SmackDown, the draft moves do not occur until Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia on October 21. Regardless, these moves will still have a significant impact on programming going forward.
Which brand won night 1 of the WWE Draft?
At first glance, WWE would almost have you believe that the red and blue brands are split evenly, but this is not the case. So far, Monday Night RAW is in the clear lead. By the end of the night, this draft could be seen as an attempt to uplift RAW's continuously declining ratings.
We're done. #SmackDown https://t.co/utF76xFHkd
To start, let's look at the female acquisitions. While giving up their RAW Women's Championship, Monday Night RAW still secured Bianca Belair. After winning the SmackDown Women's Championship at WrestleMania, her popularity has sky-rocketed.
The EST will instantly become the #1 or #2 woman on RAW. This, of course, will also depend on how WWE handles the RAW Women's Championship. Right now, Belair is the clear favorite to win the title in the future.
#WWERaw drafts @EdgeRatedR!
#WWEDraft https://t.co/c9ibuhNcxo
Next, RAW got Hall of Famer Edge to come back to return. The Rated R Superstar is currently engaged in an intense feud with Seth Rollins, likely ending before or at Crown Jewel. WWE seems to have big plans for Rollins on SmackDown, so moving him to RAW with Edge looks unlikely.
Like Bianca Belair, Edge has been a big-time pull for SmackDown in the last year. His feuds with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins have produced some of the best matches, and most compelling storytelling, in all of WWE.
What will his next feud look like? It's truly anyone's guess. But Edge has extreme versatility, as he could do anything that's asked of him鈥攇etting into a feud with AJ Styles? Reigniting his feud with Randy Orton? Going into the WWE Championship picture? Anything is possible.
#WWERaw drafts @reymysterio & @DomMysterio35!
#WWEDraft https://t.co/WNMr65w7gt
And finally, the move of Dominik & Rey Mysterio also dealt a blow to SmackDown's tag team division and the loss of the famous Father/Son storyline. WWE has teased issues between Rey and Dominik for weeks and has shown the duo try and work together and mend issues to help bring them success. Their feuds with various teams, including the Bloodline, have made for great action and storytelling.
WWE SmackDown's WWE Draft picks don't give them the win in
The most significant acquisitions for SmackDown came from them retaining their WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns, and gaining RAW Women's Champion, Charlotte Flair, and former WWE Champion, Drew McIntyre.
While it was a solid draft night for the blue brand, they fell short behind their Monday Night counterpart.
After being drafted to #SmackDown, @DMcIntyreWWE sets his sights on the #UniversalTitle. 鈿旓笍
#WWEDraft https://t.co/9ExHQijVDW
In the pandemic era, there was no hotter star in WWE than Drew McIntyre. But in recent months, he has cooled off significantly. McIntyre has proven to be the main event talent who can carry a brand, and his potential feud with Roman Reigns could be very exciting; however, there does not seem to be a clear path for McIntyre to get there.
McIntyre currently has zero momentum, and Reigns has his hands full with Brock Lesnar and the potential return of Finn Balor. McIntyre and Reigns will face each other, but at this point, it may take a while for us to get there.
With that said, McIntyre does not provide the immediate impact that other picks for Monday Night RAW will provide for the red brand.
Just drafted to #SmackDown, @MsCharlotteWWE had to make an appearance! https://t.co/daz6DB8Xss
Then there's the Queen of WWE herself. Flair is one of the best female competitors in professional wrestling, and her presence on SmackDown will bring some strength to the women's division.
But if night 2 of the WWE Draft goes like night 1, Flair might have a much lighter division to work with. She now has Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks to work within the main event scene, which itself could change by the time Monday rolls along.
As great as Flair is, it takes two (or three) to tango in WWE, and if SmackDown ships more high-profile women to RAW, she may be left with just having the same recurring feuds with Banks and Lynch that we've already seen before.
What are your thoughts on WWE's night 1 of the draft? How will night two go? Let us know what you think in the comment section below!