WWE’s 2009 draft show is scheduled for a three-hour Raw on the 13th April. They are expected to make the final decisions for the drafts during WrestleMania week as the whole crew will be in Houston and Vince McMahon is scheduled to have extensive meetings with creative then. A lot of people are expecting Triple H to be drafted back to Raw so his feud with Randy Orton can continue beyond WrestleMania. There is less pressure on WWE to strengthen Smackdown than there was during last year’s draft, since MyNetwork has all but given up trying and the show is expected to remain in the 2.0 to 2.2 ratings area unless they completely decimated the roster. Rey Mysterio is widely expected to return to Smackdown in any case, since the Hispanic numbers for that show have dived since he was drafted and there has not been a corresponding upturn in Raw’s numbers. Chris Jericho, Edge, John Cena and Batista have also been discussed as potential drafts. There is also a good chance that Michael Cole and Jim Ross will be switched back to their old brands given how Cole has become Vince McMahon’s whipping boy on Raw, although that depends on how willing they are to revert to JR once again for Raw rather than finding a new announcer for that role. (Two words: Adamle, Mike)
Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter, 02 March 2009 (subscribe here)
