John Cena salutes the crowd at WWE SummerSlam 2015. (Photo : Getty Images/JP Yim)
The WWE draft is just two weeks away and many fans are wondering which superstar will headline Monday Night Raw and SmackDown. According to the latest rumors, John Cena is going to be the new face of SmackDown while The Shield trio headlines Raw.
The USA Network wanted WWE to boost the SmackDown ratings and the company responded by bringing back the brand extension. The WWE is going big for this edition of the brand split as they will seriously want it to work.
Both shows will have separate and distinct rosters, complete with its own production teams, creative writers and producers. The priority of the WWE is getting better ratings for SmackDown and only one man can do it singlehandedly.
According to Forbes, Cena will headline the blue brand as the show airs live every Tuesday starting on July 19. The 15-time WWE champion is still the face of the company and his presence means ratings. When he got injured to start 2016, the ratings of Raw suffered.
The 39-year-old appeals to mostly to kids while adults just want to boo him out of the building. He is a polarizing character in the WWE that it really works well for the company. On the other hand, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose will be put to the test.
The former members of The Shield represent the future of the company and the success of Raw will be put on their shoulders. Reigns is not off to a good start as he was suspended for 30 days after violating the WWE Wellness Policy. Ambrose and Rollins are carrying the load of their feud for WWE Battleground 2016.
According to Heavy.com, the WWE draft will be full of surprises as a new world heavyweight championship is going to be introduced. Reigns is going to miss the draft since he is still serving his suspension but it is interesting how the WWE handles the situation.
NXT stars such as Finn Balor, American Alpha and Austin Aries are also expected to get drafted. The WWE scouts have been scouring the independent circuit looking for new stars as the draft will raid NXT of its talents.
Finally, some former WWE stars are rumored to be returning to the company. Names that was reportedly contacted by the company for a return include Kurt Angle, Goldberg, John Morrison, Carlito and MVP.
The WWE Draft will be held on July 19 as SmackDown goes live on the USA Network permanently. Check out the promotional video for the event below.
