Firstly, I want to say what I think the format of the draft will be like. Most likely, we will see each brand get a certain number of random picks, as was done in the 2004 draft. Smackdown will be robbed of its talent and it doesn't make sense that they would let this happen if they were doing the picking.
Let's get to it...with the realization that predicting the WWE Draft is more of a crapshoot than anything. Everything depends on which direction WWE wants to go in.
To RAW:
Batista - If RAW needs some more star power, then this is certainly a good way to go. Batista will lose his "Do or Die" match against Edge at Vengeance and move permanently to RAW. This would set up for a fantastic feud with John Cena later this summer.
Chris Benoit - It's been reported for a long time now that Benoit has already been told he's moving to RAW, which makes this an easy pick. I would think the ideal feud for him would be with Randy Orton.
William Regal - Never underestimate the strength of HHH's backstage politics. It's well-known that Regal is good friends with HHH and that he has requested a move and a heel push on RAW. He'll get it.
To Smackdown!:
CM Punk - He is one of the best pure wrestlers in the company (if not for Benoit, he might be THE best) and he is also a great entertainer. He will "move up" to Smackdown in order to put him on a bigger stage. Intuition seems to be telling everybody that he'll feud with MVP for the U.S. belt, and I think that's correct.
Matt Hardy - He's already on Smackdown, right? The point of this is to split up the Hardys as a tag team and make them singles wrestlers again. McMahon has always liked them better as singles.
Kevin Thorn - They've been putting him over on ECW the past few weeks with some squash matches, but who are they preparing him to feud with? With seemingly nobody on ECW that comes to mind, I say he moves to Smackdown.
To ECW:
Rey Mysterio - He'll add top-tier talent to the show and replace CM Punk as the reason to watch ECW. Also, he'll be feuding with none other than Mr. McMahon by the end of the summer, so look for him to warm up on some of the ECW heels.
Shelton Benjamin - His singles push gets a restart on ECW and Charlie Haas gets dropped. Benjamin is one of the most talented athletes in the company and needs to be utilized. Quit wasting space with him on RAW!
Super Crazy - His singles push on RAW has all but diminished. We haven't seen him in weeks even though he has reportedly recovered from his injury. ECW is a perfect fit for this guy, and he would be a great wrestler to put over some of the up-and-coming heels.
If the draft were to take place as I see it, Smackdown would clearly be raided of its talent and ECW would become a very watchable show. I have one problem with my predictions: there's nothing shocking about them! No title switches between brands, etc. I think a great move by WWE would be to swap MVP and Santino (and their belts) between RAW and Smackdown. But we'll see.
How do you see the upcoming draft? Post your responses.
Drew Arnold, writing for The Irish Whip
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
WWE Draft Preview And Predictions
Monday, June 4, 2007
WWE Draft Preview And Predictions
I don't think that I've ever been as excited about RAW as I am now. WWE has the real opportunity to get their programming on the right track and return to being an integral part of pop culture with this draft.
Firstly, I want to say what I think the format of the draft will be like. Most likely, we will see each brand get a certain number of random picks, as was done in the 2004 draft. Smackdown will be robbed of its talent and it doesn't make sense that they would let this happen if they were doing the picking.
Let's get to it...with the realization that predicting the WWE Draft is more of a crapshoot than anything. Everything depends on which direction WWE wants to go in.
To RAW:
Batista - If RAW needs some more star power, then this is certainly a good way to go. Batista will lose his "Do or Die" match against Edge at Vengeance and move permanently to RAW. This would set up for a fantastic feud with John Cena later this summer.
Chris Benoit - It's been reported for a long time now that Benoit has already been told he's moving to RAW, which makes this an easy pick. I would think the ideal feud for him would be with Randy Orton.
William Regal - Never underestimate the strength of HHH's backstage politics. It's well-known that Regal is good friends with HHH and that he has requested a move and a heel push on RAW. He'll get it.
To Smackdown!:
CM Punk - He is one of the best pure wrestlers in the company (if not for Benoit, he might be THE best) and he is also a great entertainer. He will "move up" to Smackdown in order to put him on a bigger stage. Intuition seems to be telling everybody that he'll feud with MVP for the U.S. belt, and I think that's correct.
Matt Hardy - He's already on Smackdown, right? The point of this is to split up the Hardys as a tag team and make them singles wrestlers again. McMahon has always liked them better as singles.
Kevin Thorn - They've been putting him over on ECW the past few weeks with some squash matches, but who are they preparing him to feud with? With seemingly nobody on ECW that comes to mind, I say he moves to Smackdown.
To ECW:
Rey Mysterio - He'll add top-tier talent to the show and replace CM Punk as the reason to watch ECW. Also, he'll be feuding with none other than Mr. McMahon by the end of the summer, so look for him to warm up on some of the ECW heels.
Shelton Benjamin - His singles push gets a restart on ECW and Charlie Haas gets dropped. Benjamin is one of the most talented athletes in the company and needs to be utilized. Quit wasting space with him on RAW!
Super Crazy - His singles push on RAW has all but diminished. We haven't seen him in weeks even though he has reportedly recovered from his injury. ECW is a perfect fit for this guy, and he would be a great wrestler to put over some of the up-and-coming heels.
If the draft were to take place as I see it, Smackdown would clearly be raided of its talent and ECW would become a very watchable show. I have one problem with my predictions: there's nothing shocking about them! No title switches between brands, etc. I think a great move by WWE would be to swap MVP and Santino (and their belts) between RAW and Smackdown. But we'll see.
How do you see the upcoming draft? Post your responses.
Drew Arnold, writing for The Irish Whip
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Who Will Move in the WWE Draft?
As Shane McMahon announced last night, WWE will hold a tri-branded draft on RAW in two weeks. The probable reason for this is that the recent spike of main-event injuries within the WWE makes a redistribution of talent necessary. So who will go where? Here are some preliminary predictions, but keep in mind that we still don't know how many wrestlers will be taken by each brand.
RAW receives:
Chris Benoit - This has been rumored for a long time, so it's about time that it happens. It especially makes sense since Benoit is just coming off a feud with MVP.
William Regal - It has also been reported that Regal has requested a switch to RAW for a big heel push. It finally happens.
Smackdown receives:
Carlito - Smackdown is a little heavy on heels already, but I think Carlito is on the move.
Cryme Tyme - They're going nowhere on RAW...why not move them?
ECW receives:
World's Greatest Tag Team - One Night Stand will be a preview of Haas and Benjamin in ECW.
Super Crazy - An ECW original, his push on RAW has all but disappeared. He would be great on ECW.
Ok...if the purpose of this draft is to move more star power to RAW, then why is it that the only big star they are receiving is Chris Benoit? It may not be the case - it all depends on what direction WWE wants to take with ECW. They have guys that would be great on RAW: Bobby Lashley, CM Punk, and Elijah Burke. One possibility is that Lashley goes to RAW while Punk feuds with Snitsky for the ECW championship.
Of course, these predictions are not official (those will come later), but it's a general direction that I think WWE will take. It also starts a discussion on what roster changes would be best for the company...give me your thoughts!
- Drew Arnold, writing for The Irish Whip
Monday, May 28, 2007
RAW Results
As I predicted, a busy and forgettable pre-PPV RAW. The opening divas segment, which involved them shooting each other with water guns and sliding all around, was absolutely worthless. I watch RAW to see wrestling, not to see something I could probably witness any night of the week at school. This followed with Shane's discussion of his 2 on 3 match later that night and the announcement (many of you knew about this already) that the three hour RAW on June 11th will feature a tri-branded draft. Who will draft and which wrestlers will be eligible remains to be seen. The Irish Whip has done a few segments on this, including my award-winning column "The Invasion Is Dead" along with a more insightful version done by Jared (which I can't find right now).
The 8 man tag (Hardys and Cade & Murdoch vs. World's Greatest and Kenny & Nitro) was good, but not great. Of course, it had its moments involving Jeff Hardy and Johnny Nitro, but it went on too long and ended with Shelton Benjamin holding a microphone. Nothing kills a segment quicker than giving that man a mic. Maybe Bobby Lashley. Thankfully, it ended with the announcement of a Ladder Match at One Night Stand (I thought it would be TLC), but I would rather have seen Kenny & Nitro in the match than the World's Greatest Tag Team. At this point, I'll take what I can get.
The RVD-Randy Orton match was probably the highlight of the night with both men being the excellent technical wrestlers that they are. For the majority of the match, RVD used his high flying ability to shine above Orton, but this was quickly squashed when it was time to kick RVD out of the WWE. I hate that Vince feels the need to get rid of wrestlers in this manner, but since he does, I'll at least give credit to the one and only RVD and note that he took it like a man. As it was happening, I kept asking myself why Bret Hart couldn't have exited like this.
Carlito then came out to absolutely zero reaction from the fans. I always think it's entertaining when the WWE tries to turn a wrestler too hard and instead of getting a strong reaction one way or the other, they get nothing. The match was actually decent, and I always enjoy watching a male wrestler perform a dangerous finisher to a 95 lb. female diva. Let's call this the second bright spot after the first half of the RVD-Randy Orton match.
Finally, we come to the...main event, for which I have nothing good to say. I'm so tired of seeing these big oafs lumber around the ring in triple the time it would take Chris Benoit to do the same thing. I refuse to waste more potential sandwich making time on the likes of Lashley, Umaga, Cena, and Khali. The best part of this match, BY FAR, was that we got to see Shane McMahon wrestle.
Last week's polls have been closed, ending with the following results:
66% of respondents think that Mr. Kennedy has been the most devastating injury in the WWE.
60% of respondents think that Chuck Liddell should fight the winner of Rampage-Henderson, with 40% thinking that the loser should be awarded an immediate rematch.
A note to our readers: next week, the url for The Irish Whip will be changing to irishwhip.blogspot.com instead of benanddrew.blogspot.com. Please change your bookmarks accordingly.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
The Feuds We Could Be Seeing
Jared's post really got me thinking: is it the WWE's fault that the programming sucks or is there just not enough talent to go around? After a quick trip to the Superstars page, I'm convinced that this is all their own doing. Let's take a look at some of the feuds we could have:
WWE Championship: Edge and Shawn Michaels. The styles of these two guys go together perfectly. Remember how good Michaels made Cena look a few weeks ago in their Iron Man Match? Well, picture him with Edge, one of the most improved wrestlers of the last 5 years. They would absolutely kill each other for the title, both have really good mic skills, and are recognizable figures in sports entertainment (unlike The Great Khali, who I still can't believe we're being forced to waste space on).
My point is that the WWE has enough talent to go around, it just needs to figure out how to use it.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Overrated/Underrated Superstars
Overrated wrestlers:
5. King Booker. He used to be a good wrestler in his WCW days, but age and a terrible gimmick have taken a serious toll on the man who used to delight us with that spinning thing. He shouldn't be anywhere near a title shot.
3. Matt Hardy. See previous post.
1. John Cena. The current champ spends his time defeating future legends with a crappy finisher and generally not being able to wrestle. His good mic skills make him a serviceable champion, but not a good wrestler, and certainly not the Hall of Famer he is painted to become.
Underrated wrestlers:
5. Kenny. I think Kenny has been mishandled. First, he was put with the misfit Spirit Squad. Next, he was forced to wear pink tights and main card RAW. What we really have here is a young Owen Hart: whiny, athletic, and trained by the best (Stu Hart and Killer Kowalski, respectively).
4. The Undertaker. I know, I know. How could one of the most decorated champions of all-time make it onto my underrated list? Well, people still doubt The Dead Man. Every year, there are more and more groans about the age and ability of Taker, and yet he continues to show up, most recently evidenced by his over-the-top-rope dive onto Batista at WrestleMania 23.
3. Shelton Benjamin. Another case of names gone wrong (Does anyone know anyone named Bobby Lashley or Kenny Dykstra?!). Benjamin, a two-time state wrestling champion and Ohio Valley product, has all the moves and the looks to make it big in the WWE. Now all he needs is a name and a push.
1. Mr. Kennedy. Yes, the future of the sport (according to Drew's list) is also the most underrated (according to me). Again, I have a problem with the generic yet odd gimmick name. Mr. Kennedy has a unique mix of power, speed, and flight which is seen in few wrestlers. Some of the most versatile (Rob Van Dam, Shawn Michaels) can combine two, but not three. Kennedy needs to develop a more defined personality so he can avoid showing up on this list in a few months.
Please comment on the board with your own lists.
Monday, April 16, 2007
WWE's Future Superstars: My Top Ten List
WWE’s Future Superstars: My Top Ten List
Firstly, I would like to say that I sincerely believe that WWE will be as big a part of pop culture as they were during the Attitude Era within the next few years. They have some stars on their way up who are great wrestlers but also more importantly have great gimmicks and mic skills.
Who will be the top ten WWE superstars in five years? Here they are:
1. Mr. Kennedy– I honestly think he will be the face of WWE in five years. I can only imagine what the hallways of middle schools will sound like with so many kids yelling, “Mistaaaaaa Kennedy! Kennedy!”
2. Edge – He is clearly a fantastic heel and a great wrestler. He’ll be around.
3. Randy Orton – I would say that he’s still “on his way up.” He’s almost at the top…look for the Legend Killer to be WWE champ again soon.
4. Rey Mysterio – I almost forgot to put him on the list. He is apparently set for a huge push upon return from his injury, and WWE never forgets that a huge amount of its fans are Hispanic…and they love Rey!
5. CM Punk – This straight-edge Ring of Honor product has certainly paid his dues and he is probably the best pure wrestler on this list (seriously). He is already hugely popular as well, and look for him to work with…
6. Colt Cabana – Also a product of Ring of Honor, Cabana has the same amount of charisma that CM Punk displays, if not more. He just recently signed a developmental deal but I would expect him to be a star soon.
7. Elijah Burke – Unlike another writer for our blog (Jared), I think that Burke has a ton of potential. “If Elijah said it, it must be true” – what a great line.
8. Bobby Lashley – I’m very saddened to say, as I’m clearly not a fan of Lashley. But he is currently the (somewhat unworthy) recipient of a MASSIVE push that should keep him around for years.
9. MVP – Great on the mic, a great wrestler (as seen with Benoit), great gimmick. He, Kennedy, Benoit, and Taker are my reasons to watch Smackdown.
10. Johnny Nitro – Awesome to watch in the ring and a great heel. He and Melina could be similar to how Edge and Lita were.
Now, this isn’t to say that guys like HHH and HBK won’t be around, of course. They’ll still be main event guys, how could they not be? However, it would not surprise me at all to see Cena booed out of wrestling and into a full-time acting career. I also think that Batista will be more or less phased out.
It was also difficult for me to not include Carlito and Shelton Benjamin on this list, but due to their supposed “attitude problems” they are at a disadvantage.
Post responses / correct me. Tell me what you think. Did I seem to forget anybody?
Drew Arnold, writing for The Irish Whip
