WWE Mock Draft: Night Two on Raw

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Well… My Mock WWE Draft on Friday could have been better, but it certainly could have been much worse!

Roman Reigns pulling himself from the Draft at the last minute on Friday had a ripple effect on the entire board as The Bloodline slid all the way down to the middle of the third round. For what it’s worth, I did nail Seth Rollins going fourth overall to Raw.

We’ll see if WWE can find a way to add a little bit more sizzle to the festivities tonight after the draft action fell a little flat this past Friday. Initially I was on board with the Champions being protected on their respective brands, but the decision removed much of the luster with some of the company’s biggest stars on the sidelines.

Will Raw have a bit more shock and awe?

First things first, the following rules for tonight were announced by WWE:

RULES FOR NIGHT TWO OF THE DRAFT

• Champions are protected and thus locked into their respective brands.
• The WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, Asuka and Kairi Sane, are eligible to be drafted since their titles allow them to float between brands. They will be assigned to their drafted roster upon losing their Championships.
• Tonight’s Raw will feature six rounds of draft picks being announced. Each round will consist of four picks for a total of a total of 24 picks. 12 for Raw and 12 for SmackDown.
• As SmackDown received the first pick this past Friday night, Raw will choose first later tonight.
• Unspecified NXT Superstars will be eligible to be drafted.

AVAILABLE SUPERSTARS IN TONIGHT’S DRAFT POOL

#DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa), Apollo Crews, Braun Strowman, Bronson Reed, Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell, Chelsea Green and Piper Niven, CM Punk, The Creed Brothers (Julius Creed, Brutus Creed and Ivy Nile), Damage CTRL (IYO SKY, Dakota Kai and Kabuki Warriors), Drew McIntyre, Final Testament (Karrion Kross, AOP, Scarlett and Paul Ellering), Giovanni Vinci, Imperium (Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser), Jade Cargill, Judgment Day (Finn Bálor, Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh), Kayden Carter and Katana Chance, Kevin Owens, Legado del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Angel, Berto and Elektra Lopez), LWO (Rey Mysterio, Carlito, Dragon Lee, Cruz Del Toro, Joaquin Wilde and Zelina Vega), Naomi, Natalya, New Catch Republic (Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate), New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods), Odyssey Jones, Pretty Deadly, Shinsuke Nakamura, Tegan Nox, The Pride (Bobby Lashley, Street Profits and B-Fab) and Tiffany Stratton.

Let’s get drafting!

Round 1, Pick 1 – Raw – CM Punk

Punk may still be recovering from that torn triceps he suffered at the Royal Rumble, but if his actions at WrestleMania are any indication, he’s progressing quickly.

The Best is the World is scheduled to be in Kansas City for Raw tonight just as he was this past Friday in Cincinnati. He didn’t appear on SmackDown TV but did address the live crowd after the show.

“My triceps is not one hundred percent yet, but I am on track and I promise (that) soon I will be back and I will be competing with all the big tough badasses backstage.”

Even if Punk is unable to compete for a few more months, his versatility and drawing power makes him worthy of the first overall selection on night two. I wonder how Drew McIntyre will feel about this pick if it comes to fruition.

Round 1, Pick 2 – SmackDown – Jade Cargill

As I wrote about this past Friday, the strength of SmackDown’s roster is the depth in it’s Women’s Division. We saw Nick Aldis make a major investment in keeping that intact when he selected Bianca Belair first overall and then stole Nia Jax from Raw just three picks later.

Having just signed Jade to an exclusive rights deal the week before WrestleMania, the SmackDown GM is not going to waist any time in securing her services for the long haul. Expect Cargill to come off the board early, keeping the Storm on the Blue Brand.

Round 1, Pick 3 – Raw – Ilja Dragunov

Nick Aldis made a statement when he selected Carmelo Hayes with the third overall pick last Friday. Now it’s Adam Pearce’s turn as Raw takes former NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov in the exact same spot on night two of the WWE Draft.

The Mad Dragon has made a name for himself in NXT as a big match performer. Much like his longtime rival GUNTHER, you could throw this man a mop and he’ll get a three star tussle out of it. Receiving a first round grade should mean that big things are ahead for both Dragunov and Carmelo Hayes.

Round 1, Pick 4 – SmackDown – GUNTHER & Ludwig Kaiser

The first big steal on night two of the draft goes to Nick Aldis as SmackDown selects the Ring General GUNTHER with the final pick of round one. WWE will be wise to keep the former Intercontinental Champion and Ilja Dragunov away from one another for the time being and properly build toward their first of (hopefully) many main roster bangers.

As an added bonus, Ludwig Kaiser will also be heading to the Blue Brand. Imperium are a package deal per the draft rules. After last week’s brutal attack on Giovani Vinci, however, the group is no longer a trio. Vinci will have to wait a little while to find out where he’s going to end up.

Round 2, Pick 1 – Raw – Drew McIntyre

Congratulations are in order for Drew McIntyre who officially signed a contract extension with WWE over the weekend. The Rock making the announcement himself on Instagram. The deal nearly came down to the wire as the former WWE and World Heavyweight Champion had just weeks remaining on his previous contract.

Now that WWE has invested big time dollars on a new multi-year deal, expect McIntyre to be prominently featured for the foreseeable future. I suspect he’ll be one of the names to come off the board early tonight, and staying on Raw to continue his rivalry with CM Punk just makes sense.

Round 2, Pick 2 – SmackDown – Kevin Owens

Honestly, it doesn’t matter where Kevin Owens ends up. He’s going to be a success. WWE’s resident fourth wall breaker has the in-ring and mic ability that makes him a valuable player whether he goes to work on Monday or Friday night.

I half expect him to be drafted back to SmackDown and then make some smart aleck comment about how the entire Draft was a waste of time because practically no one ended up switching shows.

I do anticipate that he remains on the Blue Brand to continue his budding friendship with Randy Orton. Team R-KO has money and a future WWE Tag Team Championship run written all over them.

Round 2, Pick 3 – Raw – Damage CTRL

If I only get one prediction right for tonight’s show, it NEEDS to be this one. Damage CTRL has to end up on Raw. Not only would these four ladies be a welcomed addition of established main roster stars to Monday nights, but getting them away from Bianca Belair and Bayley would be a much needed pallet cleanser for all parties involved — fans included.

This is a group that needs fresh opponents in the worst way as they’ve spent literally their entire run together feuding with the E-S-T. Bayley also looks to be moving on as the new WWE Women’s Champion seems to have her hands full with Nia Jax and Tiffany Stratton. Damage CTRL should be allowed to do the same and focus on trying to take over the Red Brand.

Round 2, Pick 4 – SmackDown – Tiffany Stratton

With Damage CTRL heading to Monday nights, Tiffany Stratton should slide right in as the number two heel on Friday Night SmackDown — right behind newly acquired Nia Jax.

As much as IYO SKY, Dakota Kai, Asuka and Kairi Sane need to be separated from the babyfaces on the Blue Brand, their departure does create a void. WWE can ill afford to lose another heel, so it’s time for Tiffy to come off the board.

Round 3, Pick 1 – Raw – Judgment Day

No Mami or Papi, or a healthy Dom Mysterio, being included with the Judgment Day will cause their draft stock to drop a bit, but their fall will come to an end in the third round.

As much as it intrigues me to see how Damian Priest would handle his World Title run on his own, splitting up this group in the Draft is not the right call. Especially when tension with Finn Balor could create an intriguing challenger for Priest down the line.

Round 3, Pick 2 – SmackDown – Bobby Lashley, Street Profits and B-Fab

Bobby Lashley is someone I’d like to see change brands during this process, but The Pride are not going anywhere. It’s been pretty well established that WWE does not like to split up couples, which means Montez Ford’s marriage to Bianca Belair guarantees that all four of the Superstars are staying on SmackDown.

Despite joining forces last fall, this stable has barely scratched the surface of what they are capable of accomplishing. Ford and Angelo Dawkins are stars in their own right and often seem to be forgotten about creatively. They’re also on a three year dry spell of holding tag team gold. Hopefully all of that will change in the very near future.

Round 3, Pick 3 – Raw – Lyra Valkyria

In a copy and paste from Friday’s mock draft: ‘Lyra Valkyria has made tremendous strides in her development as a performer over the past year. Highlighted by her 164 day reign as NXT Women’s Champion.

She’s ready for a shot at the big time. Speaking of ‘Big Time’, a move to Raw would allow WWE the opportunity to establish a true rivalry between Valkyria and Becky Lynch, the woman she beat to become NXT Women’s Champion.

Perhaps Lyra announces her presence with authority and challenges the Women’s World Champion to a match to see if she can go 2-0 against The Man.’

Round 3, Pick 4 – SmackDown – Naomi

With Rhea Ripley out of action for the next few months due to injury, Raw could use another talented babyface to help Becky Lynch balance out the Red Brand roster. Especially with Lynch’s contractual future still in question. If WWE is unable to ink her to a new deal, there’s going to be a major void at the top of the Raw Women’s Division in the coming weeks.

That said, I’m fairly confident WWE isn’t going to let one of their biggest stars get away. I also don’t believe the company is going to want to split up their new ‘Big Three’ on SmackDown which means Naomi is staying put. Although a move to Raw could be a precursor to where Jimmy Uso ends up once he’s ready to return to action.

Round 4, Pick 1 – Raw – LWO (Rey Mysterio, Carlito, Dragon Lee, Cruz Del Toro, Joaquin Wilde and Zelina Vega)

A big steal for Raw with this pick. Grabbing a Hall of Famer and five other talented Superstars in one fell swoop. Interesting to note that Carlito is still included with the LWO despite his heel turn on Friday. Worth monitoring to see if that changes before the show tonight.

The LWO moving to Raw alleviates a backlog of massive stables over on SmackDown. Their departure should allow The Pride and Legado Del Fantasma more time to shine on the Blue Brand. It also creates an interesting dynamic with Rey and Dominik back on the same brand together.

Round 4, Pick 2 – SmackDown – Chelsea Green and Piper Niven

Remember when I said SmackDown’s Women’s Division needs more heels? Cue the Hot Mess! I think this move to Friday night is just what Chelsea Green and Piper Niven need to really break out.

Besides… in what world would Adam Pearce willingly choose to keep Chelsea Green on his show?

Green’s character work has received praise across the board since she returned to the company last year. She’s a go-getter with the talent to back up her ambitions. Expect Chelsea to carve out a significant role for herself on SmackDown over the next few months.

Round 4, Pick 3 – Raw – Bronson Reed

Speaking of a big breakout candidate, the shackles might finally be off of ‘Big’ Bronson Reed. The guy moves incredibly well for a man of his size. He’s an all around bad dude (speaking strictly in a kayfabe sense) and should be a prominent heel moving forward on Monday Night Raw.

I’m not saying he should be the one to take the Intercontinental Championship off of Sami Zayn, but before the year is out I expect Reed to win something of significance. Besides the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

Round 4, Pick 4 – SmackDown – Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano

I’m not quite sure what’s going on with DIY. They’ve had multiple attempts to capture the World Tag Team Championships and continue to come up short. Is it just frustration that is starting to set in for Tommaso Ciampa or could his days of tagging with Johnny Gargano already be numbered?

A move to SmackDown could be just what the doctor ordered. This is a team that’s steadily been gaining momentum and traction with the fans, I think it would be entirely too early to turn them heel or split them up. Their journey on the main roster together should culminate with DIY capturing tag team gold at SummerSlam… which is being held in Gargano’s hometown of Cleveland this year.

Round 5 – Raw and SmackDown play defense; NXT star called up

The tag teams start flying off the board in round number five as both Nick Aldis and Adam Pearce swing to keep New Day, New Catch Republic and Legado Del Fantasma on the brands they currently call home.

Dijak is my surprise pick of this round. He’s ready for another shot at the main roster and I’d like to see him re-sign with WWE and get the opportunity to bury the legacy of T-Bar once and for all.

Round 6 – Another surprise NXT call-up to end the night

There’s still some great performers available here in round 6. The Creeds staying on Raw keeps the dream alive that they’ll be aligning with Chad Gable in the near future. Nakamura could use a fresh start after falling short in his last few feuds on Raw and if Braun Strowman is on the board, he should be drafted.

Much like Kiana James on Friday, I think we’re going to get a somewhat surprising pick from the wealth that is the NXT Women’s Division. Jacy Jayne could very well be wrapping up her final NXT storyline at Spring Breakin’ Night 2 this Tuesday – putting over Thea Hail on her way up to the main roster.

Remaining available talent for the online supplemental round:

Apollo Crews – Raw
Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell – SmackDown
Final Testament (Karrion Kross, AOP, Scarlett and Paul Ellering) – SmackDown
Giovanni Vinci – SmackDown
Kayden Carter and Katana Chance – Raw
Natalya – Raw
Odyssey Jones – Raw
Pretty Deadly – Raw
Tegan Nox – SmackDown

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Find out about every pick as it happens in cSs’ live blog of tonight’s Raw —right here! And stay with Cageside through the week as we cover all the fallout from the Draft before roster’s lock after this weekend’s Backlash PLE!

You can follow Rick Ucchino on X/Twitter and stay tuned for more in depth interviews with WWE and AEW talent here on Cageside Seats.