2009 WWE Draft Analysis

What had originally started as a brief e-mail between friends morphed into a pretty thorough analysis of the 2009 WWE Draft. So now, looking at it brand by brand, is NHO's analysis of the draft as written by Adam, Jessie, and Brian.

RAW
M.V.P.
- A: Good pick-up ... should fit in well in a very stagnant Raw undercard. US Title on Raw? Great idea. It's run it's course on Smackdown.
- B: Hopefully this is will be a platform for him to be able to deliver like those in the know realize he can. A guy that, while in prison, had a guard that snuck him in Johnny Saint and Dean Malenko tapes is a readymade backstory. The fact they jobbed him out continously last year as an "initation" of sorts is sad and pathetic but here's hoping he makes everyone forget about that mess with a stellar run on Raw.
- J: Yeah, nice to switch up the belts, company probably sees big things for him and I like that idea of getting tapes, although they would never acknowledge workers like that.

Big Show
- A: Kinda predictible since they were doing the whole angle with Vickie (by the way, did that just randomly get dropped?)
- J: Yes, kind of dropped it, predictable move.
- B: I like it -- Show's got a great past year and will be a big (literally and figuratively) on Raw.

Maryse:
- A: Switching the titles is an excellent idea. Smackdown has a very dry women's divison and she ran out of people after McCool.
- J: I think it was her charisma that got her moved. Could be a great women's wrestler, Phoenix will turn face to feud with her.
- B: Don't know what Adam means -- SmackDown had the superior Women's division (Natalyia, Maria, McCool, Kim, Bella twins, etc.) but Marsye is the leader of the pack and will hopefully get the spotlight that Melina had been receiving on Raw.

Triple H:
- A: Very predictible since he's still feuding with Orton.
- J: This was a given.
- B: Agreed, anyone that knows HHH fucks Stephanie and has backstage pull could easily figure that, with his old, tired knees carrying all that mass, Hunter's best years are behind him and he wants to go out strong.

Matt Hardy:
- A: Maybe now we can take his turn seriously because it just felt forced on Smackdown. Should fit in nicely on the US title picture.
- J: Glad he is on the big show, hopefully he doens't end up as Val Venis.
- B: He was tits on ECW and I dug the Hardy fued -- I agree with Jess, I hope they don't completley drop the ball and just feed him to top-shelf faces.

Mr. Kennedy:
- A: He's still employed?
- J: Unfortunately....
- B: I agree with Jess again, having this idiot on the payroll isn't smart.

Carlito & Primo:
- A: Presumably to keep Rhodes and DiBiase occupied.
- J: Still think tag champs should be floaters.
- B: True Jess, not a lot of thought put into grounding the "unifed" champs.. what becomes of the other two brands tag divisions, then? - Primo resurrected Carlito's once faltering career..

Nikki & Brie Bella:
- A: Presumably to keep the Colons occupied in bed.
- J: Think that storyline has run it's course and they should be so lucky, I mean the Colons.
- B: I think they should have split them, personally -- kind of convenient they both got drafted.

The Miz:
- A: Could be a sleeper pick.
- J: It'll be up to him how far he goes.
- B: Could get lost in the shuffe - has improved but we'll see how he rolls sans the more dynamic Morrison.

Hornswoggle:
- A: Who cares?
- J: Yeah, don't get that.
- B: Horney has had a couple of entertaining moments but the joke is dead and so should this charade.

Festus:
- A: Dumb idea to break up that team. Will be unemployed in a month.
- J: Probably a good prediction, unfortunately.
- B: Dumb idea for whom? I think Festus will do better without Jesse.

Brian Kendrick:
- A: If he can regain his momentum from last fall, then he could fit in really good in the US title picture. Otherwise, he's probably stuck in the Val Venis spot.
- J: See him jobbing soon.
- B: Unfortunately, I don't see his status rising in the co. anytime soon, which is a shame, and hopefully he won't re-sign and can do some good in Mexico or Japan after the fact.

Chavo Guerrero:
- A: Mama Vickie needs her bedpan swapped out.
- J: To push Vickie around.
- B: They've pretty much ruined any credibility Chavo had established (his '06 feud with Rey is tits).

SmackDown
Chris Jericho:
- A: Huge move. Having him on Smackdown will really help all the younger guys there. Plus, there's new options with Jeff Hardy and Undertaker already over there.
- J: Yeah, dying for both of those matches, plus he'll get to work longer matches.
- B: I agree.. this should be fun to see what he does in the new environment.

C.M. Punk:
- A: Excellent idea. There's already a built-in story with Edge from last summer. Could he make it two-for-two against Edge?
- J: He will get the title at some point this year, it's a given, probably get a longer run on the 2nd hand show.
- B: Probably go after the built at Judgment Day which is in his hometown Chicago -- besides Triple H and Rey, this was my other pick I strongly thought would be done.. - Look forward to some fresh match-ups, maybe a feud with Shelton.

Rey Mysterio:
- A: As I mentioned before, a great idea to switch the IC and US titles. Mysterio could really help out on SD by jumping in the main event scene or even having a decent undercard feud with the IC belt.
- J: More of a political thing, with the hispanic crowd, but he always seemed an odd fit on Raw; hoping they give him & IC belt a good run.
- B: One of the best in co. history and will help improve any show he's on.

Melina:
- A: Again, switching the titles was a great idea but aside from Gail Kim and Michelle McCool, who is there to work with on Smackdown?
- J: Not a lot, should be interesting.
- B: Taking the Bellas, Maryse, and Nataylia hurts the SD! Diva contingent - not real impressed with Melina and her random outburts of emotion (been caught crying almost a half-dozen times at non-scripted moments) or her work.

Candice Michelle:
- A: The once improved is now the often-injured. If she can stay healthy, she can contribute, but she'll probably be injured and on the shelf as much as Kennedy.
- J: SD women's division is now better than Raw's, much better; Candice at one point was improving, but can't see her wrestling much longer either w/ constant injuries; also used to be much sexier, what happened?
- B: Plastic surgery and injuries have made her look like a Bratz doll - rather see her play the slutty sex-kitten character (see Beulah, Francine, etc. in ECW) with a real kickass heel or badass face.. - will probably end up with CM Punk (both on and off screen) though.. - don't see her wrestling career materlizing into much more than what it was.. would like to see McCool rough her up..

Kane:
- A: His act is old on Raw. Moving him over freshens him up a bit. Will be teaming with Undertaker by summer.
- J: I don't ever see his act freshening up, could happpen.
- B: Him and Festus would have been number one and the best, but maybe they can find something for him, possibly team him with someone for a mutual rub.

Alicia Fox:
- A: Good pick ... are there any heels in the SD women's division?
- J: Yeah, McCool.
- B: Alicia is entertaining on ECW and her FCW run.. could be good here but not sure what direction they'll take her character.

Cryme Tyme:
- A: Not sure why they decided to move them over because there sure as hell isn't anyone they can work with.
- J: For comedy I guess.
- B: I honestly would have moved Shad to ECW and fired JTG or sent him to FCW for the remainder of his contract.

Charlie Haas:
- A: He'll be teaming with Shelton again soon or be impersonating Dirty Ernie from ROH when he's begging for change on the corner to buy groceries.
- J: Wish they would take him seriously as a great wrestler, could have been pushed as a Swagger type character.
- B: Will stay untelevised job guy -- probably for the best because he just doesn't have any presence.

Mike Knox:
- A: Him and his beard need to be trimmed.
- J: No push can help him.
- B: Turn him and Kane into two hellraisers and have them and Cryme Time beat the shit out of each other the rest of the year.

Ricky Ortiz:
- A: He's still employed?
- J: Probably won't do much, but has some charisma, still needs work in ring.
- B: A good beating dummy for dominant heels like Jericho and Edge.. - maybe him, Dolph, and Alicia can do a love triangle.

John Morrison:
- A: Sleeper pick. He's going to be awesome on Smackdown where he can be a total dick and have kick ass matches. He'll probably get the IC Title to run with.
- J: Yeah, he'll be feuding with Rey soon.
- B: He does need a belt -- I'd have rather seen him on Raw going for the IC title and fueding with guys like HBK, Batista, and MVP.

Dolph Ziggler:
- A: Nice knowing ya.
- J: 50/50 with him, like Miz depends on his performances.
- B: Not on Miz's level and won't last as long, either.

ECW
Vladimir Koslov:
- A: Lost all traction he had on Smackdown. Should be a nice fit on ECW.
- J: Just another monster in the list of 24 they've put on ECW over the years ... Show, Khali, Knox, Snitsky, same push, same idea, none of it was good.
- B: Wouldn't say none of it was good, Jess -- Big Daddy V and Mark Henry were both fun monsters - but, I don't think Koslov has got it and is an eyesore at press time.

Ezekiel Jackson:
- A: Had a good thing going with Kendrick. This leads me to believe that one of them will be either re-packaged or unemployed.
- J: We'll see, this guy needs a lot of work still.
- B: Rather seem him as a powerhouse with momentum than Koslov.

Zach Ryder:
- A: He's still employed?
- J: Needs a new gimmick and could help him out tremendously.
- B: The lesser of the two Edgeheads gets a new deal? This is laughable and he'll be forgotten by next year's draft.

D.H. Smith:
- A: If they don't team him with Tyson Kidd, then they're a bunch of idiots. Hopefully, he's gained some much needed experience in Florida.
- J: Yeah, see the Hart Foundation coming together soon.
- B: Hart Foundation 2K9 will be sweet but thought Tyson was doing plently fine w/ just Natalya.

Natalya:
- A: Wasn't she already on ECW?
- J: Don't know but if so she's the only woman, what happened to that Raw- ECW talent exchange?
- B: She was on SD! but managed Tyson n ECW - now its official, but now she has nobody to wrestle which sucks because she's arguably the best woman wrestler in the co.

Hurricane Helms:
- A: Stand back ... wait ... he's still around?
- J: Might have a chance to shine here, anywhere else seems to be lost in the shuffle.
- B: I like this move, his return matces on SD! were adequete, needs to lose the newfound gut, find that old passion that made him a standout on shows like WCW Thunder and Saturday Night.. - would have loved to seen him and Morrison feud, but will gladly settle for matches with Christian, Bourne, Tyson, Noble, etc.