2024 WWE Draft
| 2024 WWE Draft | |
|---|---|
 2024 WWE Draft logo | |
| General information | |
| Sport | Professional wrestling |
| Date(s) | April 26–29, 2024 |
| Location | Heritage Bank Center (April 26, 2024) T-Mobile Center (April 29, 2024) |
| Overview | |
| League | WWE |
| Teams | Raw SmackDown NXT (outgoing only) |
The 2024 WWE Draft was the 18th WWE Draft produced by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE between their Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The two-night event began with the April 26 episode of Friday Night SmackDown (in Cincinnati, Ohio) and concluded with the April 29 episode of Monday Night Raw (in Kansas City, Missouri), with SmackDown airing on Fox and Raw on the USA Network. This was the first draft held with WWE under TKO Group Holdings. Draft results went into effect beginning with the May 6 episode of Raw.
Production
[edit]Background
[edit]The WWE Draft is a process used by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE while a brand extension, or brand split, is in effect. The original brand extension occurred from 2002 to 2011, while the second and current brand split began in 2016. During a brand extension, the company divides its roster into what they call brands and wrestlers exclusively perform for each brand's respective television show, albeit with some exceptions. The draft is used to refresh the rosters of the brand divisions, typically between the Raw and SmackDown brands, which are regarded as the main roster. Since 2016, wrestlers from WWE's developmental brand, NXT, have been eligible to be drafted to either Raw or SmackDown.[1]
During an appearance on WWE wrestler Logan Paul's podcast Impaulsive on April 5, 2024, WWE Chief Content Officer (CCO) Triple H revealed that the 2024 draft was imminent.[2] Just three days later on April 8, the draft was confirmed for the April 26 and April 29 episodes of Friday Night SmackDown on Fox and Monday Night Raw on the USA Network, respectively.[3][4] Draft results went into effect beginning with the May 6 episode of Raw, two days after the Backlash France pay-per-view and livestreaming event.[5]
Selections
[edit]The draft pools were announced on April 24, 2024. It was also announced that the reigning champions—World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest, Women's World Champion Becky Lynch, Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn, and World Tag Team Champions Awesome Truth (The Miz and R-Truth) for Raw and Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes, WWE Women's Champion Bayley, United States Champion Logan Paul, and WWE Tag Team Champions A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory and Grayson Waller) for SmackDown—were ineligible to be drafted and would remain on their respective brands. While the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship would remain eligible to challengers from all three brands, reigning champions The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) were still eligible to be drafted as the brand that picked them was where they would be assigned upon loss of the title.[5]
Night 1: SmackDown (April 26)
[edit]There were four rounds of draft picks on Night 1 with each brand receiving two picks each round; SmackDown went first due to Night 1 taking place as that night's episode of SmackDown. Draft selections were announced by various WWE Hall of Famers, veterans, and wrestlers. In the first round, Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes announced SmackDown's picks while Hall of Famer and WWE CCO Triple H announced Raw's. Round two picks were announced by women's wrestling veteran Michelle McCool for SmackDown and Hall of Famer Torrie Wilson for Raw. The third round picks were announced by Hall of Famers The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley), with Bubba announcing SmackDown's and D-Von announcing Raw's. The fourth and final round picks were announced by Hall of Famers Teddy Long for SmackDown and John "Bradshaw" Layfield for Raw.[6]
| Round | Brand pick # | Overall pick # | Wrestler(s) | Pre-draft brand | Post-draft brand | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 | Bianca Belair | SmackDown | SmackDown | Female wrestler |
| 2 | Jey Uso | Raw | Raw | Male wrestler | ||
| 2 | 3 | Carmelo Hayes | NXT | SmackDown | Male wrestler | |
| 4 | Seth "Freakin" Rollins | Raw | Raw | Male wrestler | ||
| 2 | 3 | 5 | Randy Orton | SmackDown | SmackDown | Male wrestler |
| 6 | Bron Breakker | SmackDown | Raw | Male wrestler | ||
| 4 | 7 | Nia Jax | Raw | SmackDown | Female wrestler | |
| 8 | Liv Morgan | Raw | Raw | Female wrestler | ||
| 3 | 5 | 9 | LA Knight | SmackDown | SmackDown | Male wrestler |
| 10 | Ricochet | Raw | Raw | Male wrestler | ||
| 6 | 11 | The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Paul Heyman) |
SmackDown | SmackDown | Male tag team with manager | |
| 12 | Sheamus | SmackDown | Raw | Male wrestler | ||
| 4 | 7 | 13 | AJ Styles | SmackDown | SmackDown | Male wrestler |
| 14 | Alpha Academy (Chad Gable, Otis, Akira Tozawa, and Maxxine Dupri) |
Raw | Raw | Mixed stable | ||
| 8 | 15 | Andrade | Raw | SmackDown | Male wrestler | |
| 16 | Kiana James | NXT | Raw | Female wrestler |
Night 1 supplemental picks
[edit]These wrestlers were included in the Night 1 draft pool, but were not drafted on SmackDown. Their draft selections were revealed on WWE's social media platforms after SmackDown went off air.[7]
| Wrestler(s) | Pre-draft brand | Post-draft brand | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn | SmackDown | Raw | Female tag team |
| Baron Corbin | NXT | SmackDown | Male wrestler |
| Cedric Alexander and Ashante "Thee" Adonis | SmackDown | SmackDown[a] | Male tag team |
| Ivar | Raw | Raw | Male wrestler |
| Shayna Baszler | Raw | Raw | Female wrestler |
| The O.C. (Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, and Michin) |
SmackDown | SmackDown | Mixed stable |
| Zoey Stark | Raw | Raw | Female wrestler |
Night 2: Raw (April 29)
[edit]There were six rounds of draft picks on Night 2 with each brand receiving two picks each round; Raw went first due to Night 2 taking place as that night's episode of Raw. Draft selections were announced by various Hall of Famers, veterans, wrestlers, as well as a celebrity. Both Raw and SmackDown's first round picks were announced by Stephanie McMahon. YouTuber and rapper iShowSpeed announced Raw's second round picks while SmackDown's were announced by United States Champion Logan Paul. Round three picks were announced by Hall of Famers John "Bradshaw" Layfield and Ron Simmons of the Acolytes Protection Agency, with Bradshaw announcing Raw's picks and Simmons announcing SmackDown's. The fourth round picks were announced by Hall of Famers Teddy Long and Alundra Blayze, with Long announcing Raw's picks and Blayze announcing SmackDown's. Hall of Famers The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley) returned to announce the fifth round picks, with Bubba announcing Raw's picks and D-Von announcing SmackDown's. The sixth and final round picks were announced by the respective General Managers of Raw and SmackDown, Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis.[9]
Night 2 supplemental picks
[edit]These wrestlers were included in the Night 2 draft pool, but were not drafted on Raw. Their draft selections were revealed on WWE's social media platforms after Raw went off air.[10]
| Wrestler(s) | Pre-draft brand | Post-draft brand | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apollo Crews | Raw | SmackDown | Male wrestler |
| Diamond Mine (Brutus Creed, Julius Creed, and Ivy Nile) |
Raw | Raw | Mixed stable |
| Dijak | NXT | Raw | Male wrestler |
| Giovanni Vinci | Raw | SmackDown | Male wrestler |
| Kayden Carter and Katana Chance | Raw | Raw | Female tag team |
| Natalya | Raw | Raw | Female wrestler |
| New Catch Republic (Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate) |
SmackDown | Raw | Male tag team |
| Odyssey Jones | Raw | Raw | Male wrestler |
| Tegan Nox | Raw | SmackDown | Female wrestler |
Wrestlers not included
[edit]The following wrestlers were not listed in either draft pool, mostly due to inactivity as a result of medical reasons.
| Wrestler(s) | Pre-draft brand | Reason for omission (if any) |
Subsequent status | Date | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brock Lesnar | Free agent | Inactive, reportedly due to being referenced in the allegations against Vince McMahon[11] | Free agent | May 6, 2024 | Male wrestler | Last appeared on August 5, 2023, at SummerSlam. Remained listed as a free agent following the draft. |
| Omos and MVP | Free agents | Unknown | Free agents | May 6, 2024 | Male wrestler and manager | Last appeared on the April 5, 2024, episode of SmackDown. Remained listed as free agents following the draft. MVP left WWE shortly after the draft and was signed by rival promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in September 2024. |
| Rhea Ripley | Raw | Inactive due to shoulder injury[12] | Raw | May 6, 2024 | Female wrestler | Last appeared on the April 15, 2024, episode of Raw. Remained listed on the Raw roster following the draft. Returned on the July 8, 2024 episode of Raw. |
| Sonya Deville | Raw | Inactive due to ACL injury[13] | Raw | May 20, 2024 | Female wrestler | Last appeared on the July 28, 2023, episode of SmackDown. Returned on the May 20, 2024, episode of Raw. |
| Dexter Lumis | Raw | Unknown | Raw | June 17, 2024 | Male wrestler | Last appeared on the June 1, 2023, episode of Main Event, prerecorded on May 29, 2023. Returned on the June 17, 2024, episode of Raw. |
| Nikki Cross | Raw | Unknown | Raw | June 17, 2024 | Female wrestler | Last appeared on the February 12, 2024, episode of Raw. Returned on the June 17, 2024, episode of Raw. |
| Bo Dallas/Uncle Howdy | SmackDown[c] | Was originally inactive due to Bray Wyatt's absence, but took extended time off following Wyatt's death in August 2023. | Raw | June 17, 2024 | Male wrestler | Last appeared on the March 3, 2023, episode of SmackDown. Returned on the June 17, 2024, episode of Raw, now portraying both Howdy and his original persona of Bo Dallas. |
| Roman Reigns | SmackDown | Originally included as part of The Bloodline in the Night 1 draft pool, but his special counsel Paul Heyman withdrew Reigns from eligibility prior to draft selections being made due to the turmoil within The Bloodline.[14] | SmackDown | August 3, 2024 | Male wrestler | Last appeared in the Night 2 main event of WrestleMania XL on April 7, 2024. Returned at SummerSlam on August 3, 2024. |
| Jimmy Uso | SmackDown | Inactive due to undisclosed injury[15] | SmackDown | October 5, 2024 | Male wrestler | Last appeared on the April 12, 2024, episode of SmackDown. Returned at Bad Blood on October 5, 2024. |
| Raquel Rodriguez | Raw | Inactive due to mast cell activation syndrome[16] | Raw | October 5, 2024 | Female wrestler | Last appeared on the February 26, 2024, episode of Raw. Returned at Bad Blood on October 5, 2024. |
| Erik | Raw | Inactive due to neck injury[17] | Raw | October 7, 2024 | Male wrestler | Last appeared on the September 14, 2023, episode of Main Event, prerecorded on September 11, 2023. Returned with Ivar as the renamed War Raiders on the October 14, 2024 episode of Raw which was prerecorded on October 7, 2024. |
| Alexa Bliss | Raw[d] | Inactive due to maternity leave[18] | Female wrestler | Last appeared on January 28, 2023, at the Royal Rumble. | ||
| Carmella | Raw[e] | Inactive due to maternity leave[19] | Female wrestler | Last appeared on March 31, 2023, for the WrestleMania 39 set reveal. | ||
| Charlotte Flair | SmackDown | Inactive due to knee injury[20] | Female wrestler | Last appeared on the December 8, 2023, episode of SmackDown. | ||
| Shotzi | SmackDown | Inactive due to ACL injury[21] | Female wrestler | Last appeared on the February 20, 2024, episode of NXT, prerecorded on February 13, 2024. | ||
| Tamina | SmackDown | Unknown | Female wrestler | Last appeared on the March 2, 2023, episode of Main Event, prerecorded on February 27, 2023. Removed from active roster in July 2024. | ||
| Valhalla | Raw | Inactive due to maternity leave[22] | Female wrestler | Last appeared on the March 4, 2024, episode of Raw. |
Aftermath
[edit]Post-draft moves and changes
[edit]Main roster wrestlers would continue to appear in NXT with WWE president Nick Khan stating this cross-over of talent from Raw and SmackDown to NXT was intentional, as he said there was potential for NXT to become WWE's third brand again while still developing younger wrestlers. Meanwhile, WWE began a wider talent exchange with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). Several TNA wrestlers would subsequently make appearances on NXT's weekly television series and livestreaming events.
The day after the draft on May 8, it was revealed that ring announcers Mike Rome and Alicia Taylor, who announced for the SmackDown and NXT brands respectively, would switch brands beginning May 10.[23]
On June 1, it was reported that Becky Lynch's WWE contract had expired and was now a free agent.[24]
On June 17 episode of Raw, NXT's Joe Gacy made his main roster debut as a member of the Wyatt Sicks stable, with his promotion to the main roster on the Raw brand; Nikki Cross, Dexter Lumis, and Uncle Howdy, all of whom had been undrafted, were also part of the group, as was Erick Rowan, who had last been under WWE contract in 2020.[25]
Dijak left WWE on June 28 after revealing that the company did not reach out to renew his contract and was now a free agent.[26] On June 29, Ricochet's profile on WWE's website was moved to the alumni section.[27] The next day, it was reported that his contract had expired and was now a free agent. A few months later, Ricochet would go on to sign a multi-year contract with rival promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). On August 16, 2024, MVP and Bobby Lashley's WWE contracts expired and they were moved to the alumni section of WWE.com and subsequently joined AEW.[28]
Cedric Alexander and Ashante "Thee" Adonis were initially drafted to SmackDown, but were shown on the July 9 episode of NXT to have been transferred to that brand.[8]
In September 2024, Odyssey Jones was abruptly removed from WWE television after allegations of domestic abuse were made against him and subsequently fired by WWE.
On October 21, 2024, Raw's ring announcer Samantha Irvin announced her departure from WWE. On the same night, Lilian Garcia would serve as announcer for the entire night in place of Irvin, and it was later announced that she had re-signed with the company on a full time basis.
On November 1, 2024, it was reported that Baron Corbin's WWE contract would not be renewed after expiration. On the same day, Tegan Nox and Indi Hartwell were released from their WWE contracts.[29]
Notes
[edit]- ^ Alexander and Adonis were moved to NXT on July 9, 2024.[8]
- ^ Carlito left the group during Night 1 of the draft after attacking Dragon Lee and leader Rey Mysterio, but he was still drafted to Raw as part of the group.
- ^ Uncle Howdy was also not included in the 2023 WWE Draft for the same reason, but SmackDown was his previous brand before then.
- ^ Alexa Bliss was also not included in the 2023 WWE Draft for the same reason, but Raw was her previous brand before then.
- ^ Carmella was also not included in the 2023 WWE Draft for the same reason, but Raw was her previous brand before then.
References
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- ^ Lambert, Jeremy (April 5, 2024). "Triple H Says There Will Be A WWE Draft 'In A Month Or So'". Fightful. Archived from the original on April 9, 2024. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
- ^ Valdez, Nick (April 8, 2024). "WWE Draft 2024 Dates Announced". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on April 23, 2024. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
- ^ Lambert, Jeremy (April 8, 2024). "WWE Draft To Take Place On 4/26 WWE SmackDown And 4/29 WWE Raw". Fightful. Archived from the original on April 9, 2024. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
- ^ a b Lambert, Jeremy (April 24, 2024). "WWE Announces Draft Pools And Rules For 2024 WWE Draft". Fightful. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ Barnett, Jake (April 26, 2024). "WWE Friday Night Smackdown results (4/26): Barnett's review of the WWE Draft night one, Cody Rhodes and AJ Styles contract signing for the WWE Championship match at Backlash France". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ Currier, Joseph (April 26, 2024). "WWE Draft 2024: Full list of night one picks, post-show selections". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ a b Powell, Jason (9 July 2024). "NXT TV results (7/9): Moore's review of the NXT Heatwave fallout show, Tony D'Angelo vs. Lexis King for the NXT Heritage Cup, Sol Ruca vs. Fallon Henley, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows vs. OTM". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ Powell, Jason (April 29, 2024). "WWE Raw results (4/29): Powell's live review of the WWE Draft night two, Sami Zayn vs. Bronson Reed for the Intercontinental Title, appearances by Women's World Champion Becky Lynch and U.S. Champion Logan Paul". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ Rose, Bryan (April 29, 2024). "WWE Draft 2024: Full list of night two picks, post-show selections". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ Safdar, Khadeeja (January 25, 2024). "Vince McMahon Accused of Sex Trafficking by WWE Staffer He Paid to Keep Quiet". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 25, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
- ^ Russell, Skylar (April 15, 2024). "Rhea Ripley Confirms Injury, Vacates WWE Women's World Championship On 4/15 WWE Raw". Fightful. Archived from the original on April 18, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ Lambert, Jeremy (August 7, 2023). "Sonya Deville Comments On Torn ACL, Jokes (But Not Really) That WWE Women's Tag Titles Are Cursed". Fightful. Archived from the original on August 8, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ Barnett, Jake (April 26, 2024). "WWE Friday Night Smackdown results (4/26): Barnett's review of the WWE Draft night one, Cody Rhodes and AJ Styles contract signing for the WWE Championship match at Backlash France". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ Thomas, Jeremy (April 24, 2024). "Jimmy Uso Reportedly Sidelined With Injury". 411Mania. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
- ^ Thompson, Andrew (January 2, 2024). "Raquel Rodriguez diagnosed with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, expresses gratitude to family & supporters". Post Wrestling. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ Lambert, Jeremy (October 3, 2023). "Erik Of The Viking Raiders Sidelined 'For The Foreseeable Future'". Fightful. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ Mendoza, Jordan (May 30, 2023). "WWE star Alexa Bliss, husband Ryan Cabrera reveal they are expecting 1st child in December". USA Today. Archived from the original on May 31, 2023. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ Najib, Shafiq (May 1, 2023). "WWE star Leah Van Dale announces pregnancy following miscarriages: 'I'm very happy'". ABC News. Archived from the original on May 1, 2023. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ Lambert, Jeremy (December 15, 2023). "Charlotte Flair To Be Out Of Action For Nine Months With A Knee Injury". Fightful. Archived from the original on December 16, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ Kasabian, Paul (February 20, 2024). "WWE's Shotzi Out at Least 9 Months After Torn ACL Injury". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ Defelice, Robert (April 25, 2024). "Raymond Rowe (Erik) And Sarah Rowe (Valhalla) Announce They're Expecting Their Second Son". Fightful. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ "@wwenxt was a massive part of my life from 2016 -2018 (even though I moved to #wweraw during 2016). With all the changes in my life in 2024 I'm beyond excited to be near my home in #Orlando more, and to rep the black and gold again! #letsgo #wearenxt #wwe #nxt #wweuniverse". Instagram. May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
- ^ Rueter, Sean (June 1, 2024). "Becky Lynch's WWE contract expires, making her a free agent". Cageside Seats. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
- ^ Russell, Skylar; Lambert, Jeremy (June 17, 2024). "Uncle Howdy Returns With His Family, Blood Spattered Backstage On 6/17 WWE Raw". Fightful. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
- ^ Chiari, Mike (June 27, 2024). "Photo: Dijak Reveals He's Leaving WWE; Shoots on Backstage Contract Talks and Rumors". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
- ^ Coulson, Josh (July 1, 2024). "Ricochet's WWE Status Chnages Suggets He Is Now A Free Agent". TheSportster. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ Rueter, Sean (July 1, 2024). "Report: Ricochet's WWE contract expires, believed to be AEW bound". Cageside Seats. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ Mrosko, Geno (November 1, 2024). "WWE releases Indi Hartwell, Tegan Nox; Baron Corbin also gone from company". Cageside Seats. Retrieved November 4, 2024.