By Jason Powell, Torch columnist

This was published originally five years ago in PWTorch Newsletter #803...

Monday night's WWE lottery to determine the new rosters of Raw and Smackdown was held, at least in part, because the company wanted to make sure that each brand had its share of top stars. Given the departure of Brock Lesnar and Bill Goldberg, and the recent injuries of Kurt Angle and Big Show, it's easy to understand why the company felt the need to make some roster adjustments. But was the lottery system really necessary?

WWE could have accomplished everything they set out to do through a series of trades between the Raw and Smackdown general managers. Maybe Eric Bischoff would have looked foolish for giving up a top name or two in exchange for Edge. Then again, WWE controls every word that is spoken by its announcers, and if both announcing teams would have said the trades were fair and balanced, most fans probably would have taken their word for it. And instead of spending next WrestleMania Sunday wondering if another lottery is in the works, fans could spend the day speculating which trades were going to take place following WrestleMania.

I propose WWE make the four weeks after each WrestleMania the only month of the year that trades are allowed between the brands. WWE has already used the "free agent " line for guys such as Matt Hardy and Chris Benoit, so it's not like the company would be restricted from tweaking the roster the rest of the year.

Fans could look forward to the WWE trading period like fans of MLB, the NBA, and the NHL look forward to the trading deadline each year. The announcers could fuel the speculation of fans by openly discussing "trade rumors " much in the same way that sports reporters do each year. In doing so, they could establish that one of the general managers is willing to part with veteran talent in exchange for prospects, so that unbalanced trades would seem more logical if there was ever a need to have one.

This year, Eric Bischoff could have traded Kane to Smackdown for a wrestler to be named later and viewers would have bought it if the announcers sold it right. Jim Ross could have summed up the trade by saying that even if Raw received no one in return for Kane, it was still a good trade by Bischoff because he wouldn't have to worry about the mad man disrupting his show any longer. Meanwhile on Smackdown, Michael Cole could put the move over as a major coup for his brand because his general manager acquired the rights to a former WWE Champion for next to nothing. Any fan willing to suspend their disbelief could hear both of those explanations and walk away feeling as if they could see where both sides were coming from.

It might even be fun to have one of the mid-level announcers team up with a retired wrestler like Mick Foley each year to analyze the trading period. Foley could play the part of the WWE insider who hears the hot trade rumors and then reports them in this five minute segment each week. This would give viewers something out of the ordinary to look forward to. It would also give the announcers plenty to talk about and provide the writers with fresh material. Most of the wrestlers would probably love having something out of the ordinary to discuss during their promos; even low-end wrestlers could get promo time when their names come up in trade rumors.

The four week trade period could end with a bang each year, as the deadline could be established as 10 p.m. EST on the fourth Thursday, the same time Smackdown goes off the air. So not only would there be four weeks of ratings-drawing material, but the trade deadline night could be established as a major annual event. And just because the deadline would take place on a pre-taped show doesn't mean the company would have to let the news get out two days before the show airs on the internet. The announcers could talk about the blockbuster trade made at the very last moment, or the company could even air a graphic announcing the trade at the very end of Smackdown. Either way, the live crowd in attendance wouldn't have to know, and the news of the biggest annual trade could be kept quiet until it airs on television.

Instead of watching the ratings slide in the weeks that follow WrestleMania each year, WWE could maintain and even expand their viewing audience through the four week trading period and beyond. Fans who get excited about the trading period would almost certainly stick around to see the traded wrestlers debut for their new brand. And if the fans like what they see, they would also stick around to watch the fresh matchups created by the trading period.

The time has come for WWE officials to start considering the talent in NWA-TNA the next time they decide to bring in some fresh faces. I'm not suggesting that WWE push the boundaries of the monopoly laws by going on an all out raid of TNA, but I don't think they should continue to make the mistake of ignoring the TNA talent either.

Thus far, the only TNA wrestler that WWE has signed is Paul London, and most fans probably thought of him more as an ROH wrestler than a product of TNA. WWE reached out to Simon Diamond and Johnny Swinger last year, but backed off at the last minute when the duo informed the company that they needed to receive an offer before the deadline that had been set for them to sign their TNA contracts.

WWE was in a major bind last week due to the vacancies left on top of the card by Brock Lesnar, Goldberg, Kurt Angle, and Big Show. If WWE had been in this situation a few years ago, company officials would have gone out of their way to bring in an available top star from WCW. Last week, I bet the idea of looking into the contract status of some of the top TNA wrestlers never even crossed the minds of the vast majority of WWE officials.

The TNA wrestlers may not be household names like many of the WCW stars were five years ago, but that doesn't mean they don't have just as much, if not more, potential to become stars in the WWE system as the WCW stars did. The TNA wrestlers probably wouldn't be given the chance to make an immediate impact by working main event programs like many former WCW wrestlers did upon their arrival in WWE. But the TNA wrestlers would probably receive a fairer shake in the long run because Vince McMahon wouldn't see them as second-rate stars created by an inferior promotion, as he did with many established WCW wrestlers. It's not that TNA is or isn't better than WCW was, it's just that Vince McMahon isn't the least bit threatened by their competition like he was by WCW.

Of course, the top TNA wrestlers are under contract, so WWE doesn't have free reign to sign them at this time. But the next time a TNA wrestler's contract expires, one can only hope that WWE officials will lower their noses long enough to approach the free agent talent in a less snobbish manner than they did Diamond and Swinger.

If you recall, WWE negotiated with the tag team, but pulled out of the discussions when informed that they needed to make an offer prior to the deadline that had been set for TNA talent to turn in their contracts to the office. The story that's been floating around ever since is that Diamond and Swinger were told that Vince McMahon doesn't negotiate under deadlines.

Boy, that sure is a change from the Monday Night Wars era when McMahon would bend over backwards to sign free agent talent. TNA may not be the threat to WWE's survival like WCW once was, but that doesn't mean WWE wouldn't benefit from signing some members of the current TNA talent roster.

A reunited Simon Diamond & Johnny Swinger heel tag team would give a much needed boost to either one of WWE's tag team divisions. WWE officials may not have thought much of James Storm the last time he was a free agent, and Chris Harris still might not measure up to their standards on the mic. Even so, America's Most Wanted is still better than any babyface team WWE has created in recent memory (not counting singles wrestlers who team up for a few months such as the Rock-n-Sock Connection).

Amazing Red still isn't as polished as WWE would prefer, but he has better skills and has more money drawing potential than Nathan Jones, John Heidenreich, and Travis Tomko combined. And is there anyone out there who doesn't think A.J. Styles would be a strong addition to the WWE roster? WWE offered him a developmental deal a couple years ago, only to have him turn it down for a career in TNA and on the indy scene. One can only hope that WWE officials won't be so stubborn as to refrain from making him a strong offer the next time his contract is up.

Those are just a few of the TNA wrestlers who would be solid additions to the WWE roster. WWE may not take TNA seriously, but that doesn't mean they should look down their noses at good talent, no matter where it comes from.

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