WWE draft: Irishman Finn Balor called up to Monday Night Raw after eventful WWE draft on Smackdown Live
THE Brand Split took place on Smackdown Live – but who got the best picks, Raw or Smackdown?
SMACKDOWN Live got off to an exciting start with a stacked card last night, but the real battle took place between the Raw and SmackDown commissioners and general managers.
Raw got the best picks of the night, including Seth Rollins, Charlotte, Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, Sasha Banks and The New Day. Meanwhile SmackDown’s top picks included WWE Champion Dean Ambrose, John Cena, Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, Becky Lynch, and The Miz.
Most exciting is the influx of NXT heading to the main roster, with former champ Finn Balor headed to Raw and former tag champs American Alpha on their way to SmackDown.
Steph and Foley also effectively split The Club by drafting Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson to Raw, while AJ Styles was drafted to SmackDown – does this mean Gallows and Anderson will reunite with their former stable mate from Japan, Finn Balor?
Before they split though, The Club face John Cena and Enzo and Cass at this Sunday’s Battleground – which we got a taster of in the first match-up of SmackDown Live, as Cena faced Gallows. Cena got the quick win with an Attitude Adjustment after Enzo and Cass and Club members Styles and Anderson stepped into the ring. Things aren’t looking good for The Club.
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Next up, U.S. Champion Rusev and Intercontinental Champion The Miz teamed up to take on their respective Battleground challengers Zack Ryder and Darren Young. During the match, commentator Jerry Lawler claimed that being former tag team and singles champions didn’t make either Ryder or Young “great” or worthy competitors. It speaks volumes about the state of WWE’s mid-tier titles in 2016.
Young got the win by submitting Miz with the Cross Face Chicken Wing – a move borrowed from his loopy mentor and former WWE champ Bob Backlund.
Xavier Woods next took on Bray Wyatt. Bray began the match by hypnotizing Woods – is this further proof that Xavier is soon to leave his tag champ teammates The New Day and join the Wyatt Family? Bray scored an easy pinfall after hitting Woods with Sister Abigail’s Kiss.
Kevin Owens came out to face Kane, but stopped on the ramp to trash-talk both the Raw and SmackDown management for not yet being drafted.
His match with Kane never got started though, as Sami Zayn ran out to brawl with Owens – before Kane laid them both out with stereo chokeslams.
Why WWE would have an over-the-hill veteran like Kane demolish two of its hottest rising talents in this supposed “New Era” is a mystery.
Sasha Banks took on Women’s Champion Charlotte and Dana Brooke in a two-on- one handicap match. The night’s best spot came as “The Boss” launched herself off the ring apron to hit Charlotte with an impressive double knee to the face – but Dana came from behind to smash Sasha with a hard-hitting clothesline.
Charlotte got the pin with Natural Selection, but Sasha has a mystery partner lined up for their tag match at Battleground – “The Boss” is sure to get revenge on her way to challenging for the Women’s title.
In another quick match, Chris Jericho beat Cesaro after he reversed a springboard uppercut into a Codebreaker. It was lively stuff, but Cesaro must be wondering what’s happening to his career.
The WWE Championship was up for grabs in the final match of the show, as Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins tried to settle their controversial “double pin” draw on the previous evening’s Raw.
It was a solid back-and- forth match that ended when Ambrose nailed Rollins with his Dirty Deeds finisher – retaining his title and taking it exclusively to SmackDown.
But with a triple threat match scheduled for Battleground against both former Shield teammates and new Raw draftees Rollins and Roman Reigns, that could all change this Sunday.
See picks from SmackDown Live below or complete draft results
RAW: Seth Rollins, Charlotte, Finn Balor, Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, The New Day, Sami Zayn, Sasha Banks, Chirs Jericho, Rusev, Kevin Owens, Enzo and Cass, The Club, Big Show, Nia Jax, Neville, Cesaro, Sheamus.
SMACKDOWN: Dean Ambrose, AJ Styles, John Cena, Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, Becky Lynch, The Miz, Baron Corbin, American Alpha, Dolph Ziggler, Natalya, Alberto Del Rio.
Watch Battleground on the WWE Network this Sunday July 24