The move of Raw from WWE to Netflix opens some really interesting doors for the company in many ways.

There is a surprising and little-known idea that could also prosper: the WWE Draft.

Almost without exception, past WWE draft efforts that have led to splits between the brands have been colossal failures. On paper, it’s an incredible idea to take perhaps the most high-profile sporting event in the United States in the NFL Draft and blur the lines while doing it in the professional wrestling space. But the execution was never right.

Raw on Netflix could be that thing 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 feels like a struggle leaving the Stone Age of cable TV and silly online squabbles over weekly ratings. This brings it to something more modern, which could mean a modern project that would actually make sense.

Part of the problem is that WWE’s earlier versions were never felt. organic. Viewers knew these were predetermined outcomes, and the little backstage segments where the wrestlers reacted to the draft results were sort of silly. Worse still, one year WWE was all about over-the-top reactions of people in costumes shouting and congratulating themselves because they had just been heard. written…Natalya.

But WWE under Triple H has been anything but inorganic. There was a strong emphasis on long-form storytelling and character development. Radical changes in show presentation have led to modern entrances where cameras follow the superstars out of the tunnel into arenas and critical story developments that occurred without the presence of an official WWE camera , like a recent betrayal of Kevin Owens.

So why not then modernize the project?

Why not build on this type of partnership that WWE has with the UFC under the TKO umbrella now and host a “draft” on the same weekend as a UFC event? Perhaps place it in the “offseason” lull of the WWE schedule before the road to WrestleMania really begins. WWE is holding fewer PLEs than ever these days, so a gap in the schedule could provide the perfect annual opportunity to make it happen.

And during this “draft”, why not let the fans attend and get involved? Fans voting to decide where the Superstars go would probably make no sense, of course, because they would then have some semblance of control over the booking of weekly shows by formulating lists.

But announcing draft picks? This could be something fans could do during these drafts. Hell, they could vote on mobile devices on where the Superstars might end up, pick by pick.

DamnWWE could incorporate another powerful factor: mock drafts. If WWE were to create a mock draft machine on their own website and offer WrestleMania tickets to fans with the most accurate mock drafts… that would be one way to generate some interest. This could be the kind of fake-real thing that even non-wrestling fans would partake in every year.

In any case, a modern sports “selection” on an annual basis would keep the numbers up to date. Additionally, it might make sense, with fewer PLEs on the schedule, to have more “sporting” events on the calendar. A wrestling show without wrestling seems strange, but it could really bridge the gap between the fake factor of wrestling and the reality of the sport in an interesting way.

A rough idea is a goldmine that seemed out of place in past eras of WWE. But this time it’s different, and the move to Netflix seems like a good time to go back to the drawing board on this idea and innovation, much like WWE has done with everything else recently.

Honestly, even inserting this year’s (or early 2025) draft into something involving The Rock, the fuzzy story that he’s now an executive and how he could use it to toy with Roman Reigns to build a “Mania” match could be really smart. .

Of course, just because it’s an annual event doesn’t mean the work stops there. In fact, joining a brand division (which makes the rare cases of rule-breaking all the more special) is a difficult issue. But it’s doable and this creative era of WWE has gained the confidence to give something like this another chance.

At least it’s worth trying at least once. If done right, something like the WWE Draft could get into the minds of even casual fans or not, while also attracting new ones. It’s always been a good idea, but this seems like the perfect opportunity to do it right for the first time.