Burgundy LaRue

Honestly, I think that's the plan in 5-7 years.

Take a page from Marvel or DC. Realize what originally brought you to the party (comics, actual wrestling) doesn't appeal to younger audiences enough. Create a true universe with larger-than-life characters with stakes on the line (championships, winning money for an orphanage, whatever). Use their resources (WWE Studios, deals with toy companies, etc.) to create content and merchandise that may appeal to a bigger group. Be honest about who can be pushed mainstream. I'm sure WWE has this information in-house. Groom those people and market them consistently. Better use social media and digital tools to create mini-franchises for these possible stars within the larger WWE Universe. There are several wrestlers on the roster who could be superhero types. Roll the dice and see where it goes. The biggest problem for not only WWE, but wrestling at large, is absolutely no growth in the fanbase. There is more wrestling than ever for everyone to watch. No one outside the diehards care. No one even talks about it. Every show is shedding viewers, no matter the promotion. There's being niche, then there's being off the grid. There are two full-time people among the 250+ wrestlers WWE has under contract who are even sniffing non-wrestling success. If wrestling is to grow, a few will need to make it outside the bubble in some way to reach a new audience.

Not to mention Dunne-Priest had one of the best referee distraction spots I've seen. It made perfect sense and the ref didn't look the least bit dumb for it.

Yeah, but that was years ago and even then, the flak they got was petty bad. No way they do it in 2019.

He knows WWE won't release a pregnant woman, it's bad business. So I'd wager they planned on living off her salary while he re-established himself elsewhere. But seeing as they've sprung two pregnancies and a rehab stint on Vince, I don't see Mike getting released. His unborn son will be in kindergarten before it's over.

Keep in mind that a possible trade may happen on the new FS1 show tomorrow. I wouldn't be surprised if the Fiend got sent back to RAW for a handful of picks.

Rollins and Carmella have stayed on their respective shows the entire time.

The Bar can be a big help in the NXT tag division, and it keeps Sheamus on a light schedule. Wouldn't be surprised if at least one woman moved to NXT, too.

SmackDown got the big names with box office appeal, outside of Becky and Charlotte. RAW got lots of talent, but most of it is unproven and I doubt all of those folks hit their marks. It's always assumed that SD gets washed in these drafts, but they tend to turn out more consistent shows, regardless of the roster. Not to mention I can see SD picking up the lion's load of the free agents.

Wait, he just signed a 5-year deal. WTF? Wouldn't he want the steady income with another baby on the way?

And business wise, having three Luchadores who may appeal to the Latino/AAA fanbase is a sound strategy. Better than wasting two picks on Alexa and Nikki when one would have worked (though it was done to shake up the draft order a bit, I realize).

It's pretty embarrassing. If you need to tell someone you're cool, you're not cool. Having the company do it is the equivalent of Milhouse saying his mom calls him cool as he bombs at the talent show audition. Favorite part of the show may be how quickly Roman left once The Fiend arrived. Like he wasn't about to get caught in Seth's stinking story! Bayley's full turn was well done and I'm excited to see what she does next. Also curious to see where Charlotte goes. Still think she winds up on FOX somehow, but they've put some doubt into it.

Could be they don't wrestle enough beyond their manager duties to qualify as draft picks. There are rumors Heyman wants Aleister on RAW. Obviously, Zelina would move with him. But she manages Andrade and he dates Charlotte. The only ways to make that work is either move all four to RAW or break up Andrade/Zelina. FOX supposedly is firm on wanting Roman and Charlotte. So that's another wrinkle to iron out.

They're using a clip of Roman for the FOX Sports Presentation pre-event bumper. He closes the show's new intro. They had him on Thursday Night Football last week for promotion. I'd be shocked if Roman isn't on SD. I think FOX wants Becky. But she's the current RAW women's champ. Plus, I think of the two, FOX wants Charlotte more. And moving Becky means moving Rollins, who's the Universal champ and has HIAC stink all over him. That's a logistical nightmare. I get the feeling WWE is going to figure out a way to work around the now-defunct Wildcard rule so Roman and Becky can be on both shows on occasion. But for now, Becky probably stays on RAW.

If they're smart, they make it a title match with Roman winning. Then let SmackDown draft Roman but as the Universal Champion, he can still go to RAW and keep USA somewhat happy.