Each year, the WWE Draft provides suspense and excitement as some of the biggest names in sports entertainment find themselves a new home. Last time around, thirteen-time World Champion Triple H was moved away from Monday Night Raw for the first time in several years; Rey Mysterio was drafted to Raw for the first time ever; stalwart announcer Jim Ross was moved to Friday Night SmackDown, to his personal disgust, and CM Punk was given his first chance to shine away from ECW. So what's in store this year? Here's a preview of what to expect.
WWE Champion Triple H - SmackDown to Raw
No-one really expected Triple H to stay away from wrestling on the 'A-show' for long, did they? His feud with Randy Orton is WWE's main attraction right now, and it would be ludicrous to either end the feud or ship the whole thing over to SmackDown. Love him or hate him, Triple H belongs on Raw.
Edge - SmackDown to Raw
With Vickie Guerrero having declared herself the new General Manager of Raw, it makes sense that her husband Edge would follow her over. After two dominant years for the two on SmackDown, his torrid relationship with Vickie needs closure - expect to see such closure on Raw in the coming months.
Chris Jericho - Raw to SmackDown
Despite being on his best form for the best part of a year, Jericho's star has fallen since the rise of Randy Orton as Raw's top heel. A move to SmackDown should breathe new life into his push, and could set up a first-ever pay-per-view match between the former 'Saviour of WWE' and the legendary Undertaker.
Christian - ECW to SmackDown
The timing of this move is unfortunate, given his 'brother' Edge's impending move away from SmackDown - however, Christian's popularity has soared since his return to WWE, and wrestling on a more high-profile show than ECW could allow 'Captain Charisma' to truly shine.
John Morrison - ECW to Raw
With Morrison and his partner The Miz having lost two separate shots at the new Unified Tag Team Championship, the two look set for a split. The Miz will most likely remain on ECW, while Morrison would benefit greatly from being drafted back to Raw, and an Intercontinental Championship feud with new champ Rey Mysterio.
Matt Hardy - SmackDown to Raw
With the Hardys' rivalry not set to continue for the long-term, the elder of the two will need to be separated from his brother if he is to escape from under his shadow. Hardy's new-found aggressive heel persona will fit snugly into the Raw midcard - however, doubts must remain about whether he will be given a long-deserved chance to penetrate the main event scene.
Evan Bourne - ECW to Raw
This high-flying young superstar has risen to prominence so quickly, that a potential ECW Championship reign would merely serve to delay his graduation from the Land of Extreme. A move to Raw and an eventual tag team run with fellow high-flyer Rey Mysterio could catapult him to the next level.
Mickie James - Raw to SmackDown
While undoubtedly one of the most talented female performers in WWE, James' bad luck with injuries in 2008 has stalled her career somewhat. A move to SmackDown could help freshen up her act, and give her some time to overcome her injury problems.
Santino Marella - Raw to SmackDown
Despite being crowned 'Miss WrestleMania', the time to end Santino Marella's ludicrous involvement with the WWE women's division has arrived. SmackDown is in need of some comic relief, and Santino is without doubt one of WWE's funniest performers - a move could be just what his career needs.
William Regal - Raw to ECW
Regal's relapse into old and harmful habits cost him a potential main event push in 2008, and since then he has been lost in the shuffle on Raw. Moving him to ECW and teaming him up with fellow Englishman and former ally Paul Burchill would add a solid new tag team to the WWE roster.
Expect The Unexpected
Despite several obvious impending moves, and several logical but unconfirmed ones, the Golden Rule when it comes to the WWE Draft is that WWE will always endeavour to do the unexpected. Last year, not one single WWE fan in the know would have suggested that Triple H would move to SmackDown - this year, who knows? Fans could even see John Cena moved to SmackDown, or the Undertaker headed back to Raw. One thing is for sure, however - as always with WWE, it will be a rollercoaster ride.
To see how these predictions corresponded with what actually happened on April 13's Draft, click here.
