There have been numerous rumors that there will be an upcoming draft for the brands of WWE. During a conference call after TakeOver: XXX there was further confirmation from Triple H stating there will be a draft later in the year. Although he didn’t provide an estimated date many reports are saying it will take place in October.
In 2019 there were many opportunities for talent to change brands. There was a Superstar Shake-Up after WrestleMania 35 and then a draft later on in October. The Superstar Shake-Up had seemed obsolete because WWE would then implement the Wild Card rule. This rule seemed to blur the brand lines and the talent was all over the place. This Wild Card rule ended with the brand lines becoming fixed during the draft in October.
Having a draft has been a yearly event since 2016. In 2016 the draft did wonders for the women’s roster, especially for SmackDown. However, since then some moves for them have been suspect. For instance, last year’s Superstar Shake-Up broke up the Riott Squad and both Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan vanished from the programming.
There could be many good moves that the company could make this year if they were to make the correct ones.
Below are five moves for a draft that Diva Dirt feels could benefit the women involved.
Credit: WWE
Naomi to RAW from SmackDown
There are so many avenues that would be perfect for Naomi right now. With several big names such as Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair currently out of action, this could open up a handful of talent to get into the title picture. Naomi could be one of them.
A move to RAW for her would open up more possibilities. With the irksome status of the tag team division, having her on the same brand as Bianca Belair could make for a high profiled team. She has mentioned previously about wanting to work with Belair and becoming the first African American team to win the Women’s Tag Titles.
There has been constant talk of Naomi getting a push, a change of brands could be what is needed to get it started. It is past due for this 10-year veteran to put some more gold on her career.
Mia Yim to RAW from NXT
Mia Yim has done all that she can in NXT at this point. This coupled with the fact that her significant other Keith Lee has been moved to RAW makes sense as well. Since her feud with Candice LeRae came to an end, she hasn’t been much besides a win over Indi Hartwell and a loss against Shotzi Blackheart.
There is a current rumor that she is a part of the still ominous group known as RETRIBUTION. This stable just started their promo this past week after weeks of terrorizing both brands they are said to be now exclusive to RAW. If she is in RETRIBUTION then she more than likely won’t be part of the “draft” per say, but in case she isn’t she should still be moved to RAW.
She has had multiple tries at the NXT Women’s Title against Shayna Baszler last year and even though she could still go for the title it isn’t likely. Seeing Mia face some new competitors and fresh match-ups would be a great change of pace for her.
Mercedes Martinez to SmackDown from NXT
Mercedes Martinez with her veteran status in the wrestling business alone may only keep her for a short time in NXT. She didn’t sign with WWE until January fo this year. There could still be a push for Martinez to the NXT Women’s Title however before she moves on over to another brand.
She recently has “parted ways” with the Robert Stone Brand according to Robert Stone himself. This may be a clue that she will be moving to a new brand. She could still finish out the next few weeks on NXT prior to moving over.
SmackDown would be a good choice for Martinez because now with Bayley turning on Sasha Banks and Sonya Deville taking time off, the brand could use another top heel. Lacey Evans is technically a heel as well although she isn’t being used regularly.
Although I would say SmackDown as the brand Martinez could thrive on, she is currently being rumored along with Mia Yim as part of RETRIBUTION which is exclusive to RAW.
Peyton Royce to SmackDown from RAW
This choice may be the most logical and likely one on this list. With The IIconics no more, it has been rumored that Peyton Royce is heading for a push. A change of brands could be the jump start of this. Also if they really wanted to drive the division between the form Women’s Tag Team Champions then them being on different brands also makes sense.
Peyton nor Billie Kay have had single runs in WWE since joining the company, so this is a big change for both. It will be interesting to see what feuds could be cooked up for Peyton and if she is high up on Vince McMahon’s list, could she win a singles title sooner rather than later?
Toni Storm to SmackDown from NXT UK
The last woman on this list may be the biggest stretch from actually happening. With NXT UK starting back up since it was out of commission due to the ongoing pandemic, Toni Storm could just start back up with the brand. However, she may have done all she can do on that brand.
It is clear that they were moving her away from the title picture for the NXT UK brand prior to the hiatus. She lost an “I Quit” match against Kay Lee Ray which came with the stipulation that she can no longer go for the gold as long as Ray is holding it. Of course, that may change as well since Ray has a title defense coming up in just two weeks against Piper Niven.
There were rumors for a while of Toni Storm, much like Rhea Ripley did, coming to a brand over in the U.S. Her moving to NXT may end up being the first move, but personally I could see her going to SmackDown.
The SmackDown roster, although it has the talent, has met its top at this point as long as Bayley continues to hold the SmackDown Women’s Title. She has faced and defeated everyone. So new additions of Toni, Mercedes, or even Peyton could help freshen up the blue brand.
Of course there could be many moves that would benefit a lot of the women in WWE across the board. These are just five that I feel may be beneficial.
Who would you want to see change brands? What criteria are you using for your choices? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
