WWE’s move of Raw to Netflix opens up some really interesting doors for the company in many ways.

There’s also a great, under-the-radar idea that could be successful: the WWE Draft.

Almost without exception, past efforts at the WWE draft that have led to brand splits have ended in massive flops. On paper, it’s a great idea to take perhaps the most extravagant sporting event in the United States in the NFL draft and blur the lines while doing so in the realm of professional wrestling. But the execution was never correct.

Raw on Netflix might be something that allows them to color and animate the idea on paper in a way that really brings it to life.

Moving to a streaming platform is like wrestling with the stone age of cable television and idiotic online squabbles over weekly ratings. It transforms it into something more modern, which could mean a modern outline that actually makes sense.

Part of the problem is that past WWE drafts never felt organic. Viewers knew these were foregone conclusions, and the little backstage segments where wrestlers reacted to draft results were kind of silly. What’s worse is that WWE cut out the over-the-top reactions of people in suits screaming and high-fiving for a year because they just existed. drafted…Natalya.

But WWE under Triple H was far from inorganic. There was a strong emphasis on long-form storytelling and character development. Sweeping broadcast presentation changes have led to modern-feeling entrances where cameras follow Superstars through tunnels into arenas, and critical story developments that occur without an official WWE camera. Kevin Owens’ latest betrayal.

So why not modernize the draft from now on?

Why not lean into this type of partnership that WWE has with the UFC under the TKO umbrella and hold a “draft” the same weekend as the UFC event? Maybe you can slot it into the “offseason” lull in the WWE schedule before the road to WrestleMania really begins. WWE is running fewer PLEs than ever these days, so a gap in the schedule could present the perfect annual opportunity for this to happen.

And why not let fans attend and get involved in this “draft”? Of course, it wouldn’t make sense for fans to vote to decide where the Superstars go, because then they would have some sort of control over booking weekly shows by formulating lineups.

But announcing draft picks? That might be something fans can do in these drafts. They can vote on their mobile devices for where the superstars might go election-wise.

damn itWWE could integrate mock drafts, another powerful factor. If WWE created a mock draft machine on their website and offered fans WrestleMania tickets with the most accurate mock drafts…that would be one way to generate some interest. It could be the kind of fake-real thing that even non-wrestling fans would compete for every year.

Either way, a modern, sports-based “draft” on an annual basis will keep rosters fresh. Not only that, it might make sense to have more “sports” events on the calendar, less PLE on the schedule. A wrestling show without wrestling may sound odd, but it could bridge the gap between the fake element of wrestling and the reality of the sport in an interesting way.

The draft idea is a gold mine that was largely considered out of place in WWE’s past eras. But this time it feels different, and the move to Netflix feels like the right time to go back to the drawing board on this idea and innovation; just like WWE has been doing with everything else lately.

Honestly, even including this year’s (or early 2025) draft with The Rock, the fuzzy story of how he’s now a manager, and how he could use that to set up a ‘Mania match with Roman Reigns is really It might be smart. .

I agree, just because this is a once a year event doesn’t mean it ends there. In fact, adhering to a trademark distinction (making rare instances of rule violations even more special) is a difficult task. But it’s doable, and this era of WWE creatives has earned the confidence to give something like this another shot.

If nothing else, it’s worth trying at least once. If done right, something like the WWE draft can get into the minds of even casual or veteran fans and bring in new ones. The idea has always been solid, but this feels like the perfect opportunity to do it right the first time.