Posted in: Doctor's Orders
Doctor's Orders: LIVE ANALYSIS of the 2011 WWE Draft (Cena back to Raw)
By Dr. CMV1
Apr 25, 2011 - 10:02:03 PM

Check out the first edition of the new LOP Magazine




(Dr. CMV1 morphs into the WWE’s resident draft guru)



Welcome, sports entertainment fans, to the LIVE coverage of the 2011 WWE Draft. I’m Del Kiper, Jr. and I’ll be giving you regular updates and analysis for the next few hours here on Lords of Pain dot net – the number one internet resource for the WWE Draft.

#8 Draft Pick (to Raw): John Cena - Well that was pretty much what was to be expected. Cena getting drafted back to Raw will disappoint some people, but it was a smart move and a fresh approach to the Draft. A lot was accomplished tonight and each brand got some things that they needed.

#7 Draft Pick (to Raw): Alberto Del Rio - This was, as we discussed in the preview, a good call for the WWE because they’ll get to test out ADR’s work on the flagship show and get the most out of his character. His contract isn’t that lengthy and pushing him early will create for a potentially large ego. Better to try and maximize what they can get out of him. To me, this betters the chances that Cena will be coming back to Raw since it has been rumored that Cena vs. Del Rio is penciled in as the Summerslam main-event. It also, to me, suggests that Miz may get drafted to Smackdown. Kudos to the WWE for an eventful Draft, to this point.

#6 Draft Pick (to Raw): Big Show - Does anyone flip flop back and forth more often than Show? His rate of being drafted is alarming. It’s almost as if they put three “lottery” spots in there for him since he’s so damn big. I think he fits better on a live show because he’s a good talker and a solid character.

The Big Board (As determined by previous draft trends and the current needs of each brand)

1) Randy Orton is off the board after being drafted to SD
2) The Miz – The company’s top heel needs to keep his distance from the company’s top guy, overall
3) Alberto Del Rio is off the board after being drafted to Raw
4) Sheamus – He’s pretty much done all he can do on Raw, but is the kind of character they covet
5) Jack Swagger – A talented performer with a much hated current partner in crime
6) Big Show is off the board after being drafted to Raw
7) John Morrison – He’s on the cusp of the main-event and would do best on a wrestling-oriented show
8) Kofi Kingston – Another guy on the brink of breaking into one of the vacant top spots
9) Cody Rhodes – A rising star in the heel ranks that is just the kind of character fit for the Raw brand
10) Drew McIntyre – Had a potential star-making moment at Elimination Chamber; just needs a shot

#5 Draft Pick (to Smackdown): Sin Cara - This is a smart move by the WWE to move their high flying star to a brand where he’ll get to mess up from time-to-time, but the WWE will be able to cover up for it with editing. Cara isn’t quite as crisp as I think many of us thought he’d be.

#4 Draft Pick (to Smackdown): Mark Henry - In our Draft Preview, we suggested that Henry would be drafted to Smackdown. He really doesn’t add much one way or the other, so it will simply be a change of scenery for him. He’s always got a chance to get pushed right away, though, upon being given a fresh setting. SD stars beware 

Will Orton and Cena stay on Smackdown? - If both Orton and Cena do stay on Smackdown, which is highly unlikely, then it would leave Raw without a top babyface, so it’s almost not even worth discussing. Even if they moved Undertaker to Raw, he’s around so infrequently that it wouldn’t matter. You could put every babyface in the company on Raw and it wouldn’t matter. It may not be tonight, but somehow, some way one of them goes back to Raw. The WWE has a bevy of young, talented heels, but they don’t have that many babyface characters that you can say that about.

#3 Draft Pick (to Smackdown): Randy Orton - Well, color me confused. The top babyface on Raw gets moved to SD. Now, the new top babyface on Raw gets drafted to Smackdown. I would imagine that it’s highly unlikely that both will remain on the blue brand. I do like that Orton got moved to Smackdown for, as mentioned in the Draft Preview, he would be a good fit for the brand. It really all comes down, now, to what happens with Cena. Orton is a much better fit for SD if Cena isn’t there, allowing him to be the unquestionable top guy on the brand to replace Edge. This has now shaken up the remainder of the Draft, as we will now simply wait to see how one of them gets back over to Raw. One thing that’s never been done before, to my knowledge, is to have one guy get drafted to a show at the start of the Draft, only to get drafted right back to the brand he started on at the end of the show. That is the way I feel that they should go, at this point. Cena goes back to Raw and Orton becomes the new top face on Smackdown.

Let’s take a gander at the Big Board and identify the top stars that I feel are the most likely to be moved tonight. Follow the Big Board all night to see who are the best and most likely to move available.

Further Analysis of Mysterio to Raw - While critical of the move, I am hopeful that the Raw team will get it right this time. Mysterio on Raw was not really something that worked the first time around, but if he is given the weekly opportunity to showcase what he brings to the table, then perhaps we’ll some new moments on Raw. Rey’s style is unique and it may force the WWE to feature a greater amount of wrestling. Interesting to note that the two flagship babyfaces that had been synonymous with their respective rosters for the last several years switched places. Cena and Mysterio have been the two pure babyfaces that really haven’t changed tunes in nearly a decade. The two biggest merchandise movers in the game have swapped shows!

#2 Draft Pick (to Raw): Rey Mysterio - A questionable pick, if you ask me. Unless the Raw brand changes its strategy toward how to approach the booking, then Rey Mysterio will fall victim to the same problem he had on Raw three years ago when he didn’t have much going on. He’s not a character that usually gets featured in talking segments, yet that is 75% of the show. Of course, it’ll be a chance for Rey to work a lighter schedule, of sorts, without those lengthy TV matches to work every week. There’s definitely some positives, as well, as he can work with the likes of The Miz at some point in a high profile feud that will only improve the new face of the WWE’s in-ring skills.

More Reaction to Cena to Smackdown - In our Draft Preview, we talked about the Miz needing to keep his distance from Cena for the health of his career moving forward; that it would be best for Miz if he didn’t have to drop the belt to Cena, as it would help boost his credibility for a future rematch. It is a feud that could have legs, long-term. Miz will become the face of the company as the top star of its top brand. If you look at the Big Board, we can basically take Miz off of it because the goal was to move him away from Cena. Now that Cena is gone, Miz should stay put. This will also allow a guy like John Morrison to ascend, as Raw will be in need of a secondary babyface next to Randy Orton.

#1 Draft Pick (to Smackdown): John Cena - The first thing that comes to mind is that somehow the WWE will reverse course on this pick later and move him back to Raw. It’s just difficult to imagine the WWE’s flagship show not featuring their top guy in the company. However, if this pick doesn’t get changed in some way, then it’s a huge step by the WWE to make Smackdown relevant again. Cena should help Smackdown’s ratings get back to consistently higher levels. Raw still has Randy Orton that they can truly build around as the top babyface and they still have the Miz as their champion. Cena makes SD must see TV just because he’s there, while Raw remains must see TV because it’s LIVE. There’s some unanswered questions that will need to be answered, but there’s no question that the 2011 Draft just started off with a BANG!