McKenzie Mitchell for
WWE Now presented by Xfinity with major updates on tomorrow night's WWE Draft.
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The rules of the draft,
which begins tomorrow night on Friday Night SmackDown on Fox, are as follows.
More than 70 male superstars and female superstars,
as well as tag teams have been placed in this year's WWE Draft pools.
These lists are currently preliminary but
30 superstars will be in SmackDown's pool and eligible to be drafted on Friday night
and 41 superstars will be in RAW's pool and eligible to be drafted on Monday.
And as I reported earlier today, the first overall pick
of the draft will be determined when Universal Champion Seth Rollins,
representing RAW squares off against Roman Reigns,
representing SmackDown to kick things off this Friday night.
Since Friday night SmackDown is a two hour show and Monday night RAW is three hours,
for every two picks Friday night SmackDown has, Monday night RAW will get three.
Tag teams will count as one pick unless Fox or
USA Network specifically wants to select one superstar from the tag team.
Any undrafted superstar from each pool will be immediately declared free agents
and able to sign with the brand of their choosing.
With so much to dissect, let's bring in my colleague, Ryan Pappolla,
to talk everything WWE Draft, welcome.
>> How are you?
>> Okay, so I think we have to kick this off with someone that everyone is
talking about.
Could go number one on RAW or SmackDown, The Man, Becky Lynch.
>> Absolutely.
>> Earlier this year, she was the SmackDown Women's Champion,
and the RAW Women's Champion all at once.
She is currently the RAW Women's Champion How big is this draft for Becky Lynch?
>> I think it's huge.
And I think for a few reasons for one,
you just kind of pointed out she's the RAW Women's Champion, but
like what happens if any raw champion gets drafted the SmackDown or the vice versa?
How does that work?
We don't have the answers to that.
That is a really intriguing point going into Friday.
She's gonna be highly sought after by Fox and by USA Network.
>> By everyone.
>> Yeah, exactly.
Like she's gonna be near the top of everybody.
>> Now, of course, we can't talk about Becky Lynch and not mention Sasha Banks.
>> Sasha. >> One of your favorite superstars.
Of course.
What do you think pit Sasha's eye most in this draft?
>> So I think it's interesting because you much like me saw how she looked at
the end of that classic Hell In A Cell match a couple nights back.
>> It's undeniable, exactly.
>> And a barnburner, no pun, and
it's clear that her beef with Becky has not defused because of that situation.
But also at the same time,
SmackDown would present a lot of interesting opportunities for Sasha.
With Fox comes more eyeballs and comes more opportunities to
prove exactly what she said she is which is the best sports entertainer on Earth.
I can see it either way.
McKenzie, one that's interesting for me is the Street Profits now.
They've talked a lot of stuff over the last couple months on RAW.
The draft presents a lot of interesting possibilities for them.
I can see them making their waves on RAW or SmackDown.
Obviously, they have their history in NXT.
>> Totally, we've seen them on NXT, we've also seen them backstage at RAW.
>> Yes. >> We've never seen them actually wrestle.
So it'll be interesting to see how this all pans out with the draft.
>> Yep. >> So now we'll move
over to the Monday night pool, first starting off with Brock Lesnar.
Somebody that just got a win over Kofi Kingston, and-
>> New WWE champion.
>> Of course, now is having some controversy with Cain Velasquez.
What does that mean?
>> So there's a lot to dissect there with Brock, right?
I'm curious, heading into Monday night,
when he'll be eligible to be drafted by RAW or SmackDown.
Is his head totally even focused on the draft right now?
I mean, it's like Cain Velasquez represents a lot for Brock.
It was one of his biggest UFC losses,
it was like he saw a ghost last Friday night on SmackDown.
This goes without saying, Brock Lesnar is one of the all-time biggest,
figuratively, literally, WWE superstars.
If he's not at the very top for Fox or USA, I would be absolutely shocked.
Someone also in Monday's pool that we should touch on is Charlotte Flair,
the current SmackDown Women's Champion is Charlotte,
somebody that you could build a brand around.
>> It's undoubtable.
First of all, ten women's title reigns is crazy.
Never been done.
No one's even really come close.
The momentum she has right now because of that, undeniable.
Charlotte represents, in a lot of ways and but in a different way,
kind of like the female Lesnar where she is big box office.
She's gonna just bring a ton of eyeballs to your brand.
I'd be shocked if Fox and USA right now aren't on the horn with one another really
buying for her services, 100%.
>> And one of the most popular tag teams in all of WWE in Monday's pool,
The New Day.
>> A ton going on for The New Day heading into this.
First of all, where is Kofi's head at after that crushing loss to Lesnar last
Friday night on SmackDown.
He's kind of chimed in Exclusive and on Twitter afterwards and and
it seems like he's as optimistic as he can be.
But after such a historic reign, it's like, where's the group at after that?
The other thing, and I almost shutter to say this as a big fan of The New Day.
Groups can be drafted as a group, but
they also can be separated via the rules of the draft, as you pointed out earlier.
>> Right.
Will SmackDown want Kofi?
Would Raw and USA Network want Big E?
So, there's just a ton that could happen to The New Day.
>> So many changing variables.
>> It's just too much going on.
And then on top of that kind of where they are at the moment as a group, which is
kind of really reeling after a really tough loss to Kofi last Friday night.
>> And the last man I'm gonna ask you about on Monday night's Pool is Ali.
Where's he going?
What are you thinking?
>> I'm thinking Ali put a lot of attention on himself in a positive way after his
defeat, but near defeat, versus Randy Orton last week at WWE Hell in a Cell.
It was clear, it was me watching that Orton was impressed by Ali's performance.
And I'm basically positive that he also impressed the brass at both Fox and
USA Network.
How could you not look at a performance like that?
Ali is a guy that you can make a cornerstone of your brand,
he's on the come-up, he's someone that you want to build around.
No doubt about it.
>> Well, it'll be interesting to see, for
a full list of the superstars in each pool, head over to wwe.com.
And do not miss when it all goes down on the Draft tomorrow night,
on Friday Night SmackDown at 8/7 central on Fox.
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