Matt O’Brien writes and maintains the Wrestleview.com poll every two weeks
With the WWE draft taking place this week, Wrestleview readers were asked in the most recent poll which star they would most like to see switch brands. The results are as follows:
What WWE superstar would you most like to see switch brands in the upcoming draft?
John Cena 24.42% (797 votes)
Undertaker 18.87% (616 votes)
Daniel Bryan 15.41% (503 votes)
Sheamus 11.64% (380 votes)
Alberto Del Rio 10.94% (357 votes)
The Miz 8.43% (275 votes)
Other 6.43% (210 votes)
LayCool 3.86% (126 votes)
Total votes casted: 3,264
The recent and unfortunate retirement of Edge has left Smackdown in need of a baby face. The first draft on Monday immediately filled any hole left by Edge when John Cena became a member of the blue brand. By the end of the night Cena was moved back to Raw. Cena led the pack in the poll as voters said they wanted to see him move brands more than anyone else. Moving Cena to Smackdown creates buzz around the potential fresh opponents. There’s also the buzz over how Raw would be structured without him. WWE opted to put Randy Orton on the Smackdown instead.
In a strong second place was the Undertaker. It has been autumn of 2002 since Undertaker first went to Smackdown, and has remained there ever since. Nearing the end of his career, it would be nice to see Undertaker go to Raw to ride off into the sunset. It could be that his sporadic appearances make it unnecessary to have Undertaker switch brands when he can easily be placed on both shows when he is around. Also, nagging injuries leave his future in question. In the end, it was wise to not jump the gun and tease something they may not be able to deliver down the line.
Smackdown has an aura for being the “wrestling show” between the two brands. That aura makes Daniel Bryan a natural fit for those who see it that way. Bryan will come in very handy on the blue brand where several mid-card heels await in the forms of Wade Barrett, Brodus Clay, Cody Rhodes, and Ezekiel Jackson. There are also familiar Raw faces coming with him like Ted Dibiase and Sheamus.
Speaking of Sheamus, the Celtic Warrior came in at fourth place. Sheamus quickly rose to the top of the Raw roster before settling back into a supporting role. Moving him to Smackdown allows him to stay fresh, and maybe move back to Raw next year.
Another pick on the poll, as well as a man who moved brands on Monday, was Alberto Del Rio. With Del Rio set to headline the Extreme Rules pay per view this Sunday for the vacant World Championship, many were surprised that WWE would move him to Raw so soon. Still, ten percent of the voters wanted him to switch brands above all others. Del Rio seems destined for a 2011 feud with John Cena. Moving him not only allows that to happen, but creates greater intrigue in how Extreme Rules will come out.
Many people predicted Miz to move to Smackdown in the draft. Believe it or not, rumors had Miz becoming a baby face and taking the spot Edge had on that show. A Miz turn may still happen, but he will be staying on Raw for now. A move to the blue brand could have seen Miz engage in programs with Christian, Wade Barrett, Kane, and Rey Mysterio (although that may happen now that Mysterio is on Raw). The question now is where does Miz go from here? He may keep the strap and go up against Morrison, Mysterio, or even Del Rio. Then again, he may go back to that supporting role Sheamus finds himself in now. Should that happen, Miz will continue to be a great hand, but may go to Smackdown come next year.
Coming in with a little fewer than four percent of the votes was the team of LayCool. Michelle McCool and Layla have been of the most over female talents on the WWE roster for months. A change of scenery to freshen things up seems natural. This way they would be able to continue a partnership with Vickie Guerrero or maybe go up against Maryse, or even the incoming Kharma. WWE opted to keep them on the same brand of for the time being so that an official split can be done.
Be sure to vote in the current poll asking if WWE should sign Jay Lethal!
Matt O’Brien
Columnist, Wrestleview.com
mattman5436@yahoo.com