2024 WWE Draft

Intra-brand draft
2024 WWE Draft
2024 WWE Draft logo
General information
SportProfessional wrestling
Date(s)April 26–29, 2024
LocationHeritage Bank Center (April 26, 2024)
T-Mobile Center (April 29, 2024)
Overview
LeagueWWE
TeamsRaw
SmackDown
NXT (outgoing only)
← 2023

The 2024 WWE Draft is the ongoing 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 will conclude 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 is the first draft held with WWE under TKO Group Holdings. Draft results will go into effect beginning with the May 6 episode of Raw.

Production

Background

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 will go into effect beginning with the May 6 episode of Raw, two days after the Backlash France pay-per-view and livestreaming event.[5]

Draft pools

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, the reigning champions The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) would still be eligible to be drafted as the brand that picks them is where they would be assigned upon their loss of the title.[5]

Night 1: SmackDown (April 26)

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 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
1 1 2 Jey Uso Raw Raw Male wrestler
1 2 3 Carmelo Hayes NXT SmackDown Male wrestler
1 2 4 Seth "Freakin" Rollins Raw Raw Male wrestler
2 3 5 Randy Orton SmackDown SmackDown Male wrestler
2 3 6 Bron Breakker SmackDown Raw Male wrestler
2 4 7 Nia Jax Raw SmackDown Female wrestler
2 4 8 Liv Morgan Raw Raw Female wrestler
3 5 9 LA Knight SmackDown SmackDown Male wrestler
3 5 10 Ricochet Raw Raw Male wrestler
3 6 11 The Bloodline
(Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Paul Heyman) 		SmackDown SmackDown Male tag team with manager
3 6 12 Sheamus SmackDown Raw Male wrestler
4 7 13 AJ Styles SmackDown SmackDown Male wrestler
4 7 14 Alpha Academy
(Chad Gable, Otis, Akira Tozawa, and Maxxine Dupri) 		Raw Raw Mixed stable
4 8 15 Andrade Raw SmackDown Male wrestler
4 8 16 Kiana James NXT Raw Female wrestler

Night 1 supplemental picks

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 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)

There will be six rounds of draft picks on Night 2 with each brand receiving two picks each round; Raw will go first due to Night 2 taking place as that night's episode of Raw. In addition to the listed names, select NXT wrestlers will also be eligible to be drafted.[5]

The announced draft pool is as follows:[5]

Wrestler(s) Pre-draft brand Role
Apollo Crews Raw Male wrestler
Braun Strowman Raw Male wrestler
Bronson Reed Raw Male wrestler
Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell Raw Female tag team
Carlito SmackDown Male wrestler
Chelsea Green and Piper Niven Raw Female tag team
CM Punk Raw Male wrestler
Damage CTRL
(Dakota Kai, Iyo Sky, Asuka, and Kairi Sane) 		SmackDown Female stable
WWE Women's Tag Team Champions (Asuka and Sane)
Diamond Mine
(Brutus Creed, Julius Creed, and Ivy Nile) 		Raw Mixed stable
#DIY
(Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) 		Raw Male tag team
Drew McIntyre Raw Male wrestler
The Final Testament
(Karrion Kross, Akam, Rezar, Scarlett, and Paul Ellering) 		SmackDown Mixed stable and managers
Giovanni Vinci Raw Male wrestler
Imperium
(Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser) 		Raw Male tag team
Jade Cargill SmackDown Female wrestler
The Judgment Day
(Finn Bálor, "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio, and JD McDonagh) 		Raw Male stable
Kayden Carter and Katana Chance Raw Female tag team
Kevin Owens SmackDown Male wrestler
Legado Del Fantasma
(Santos Escobar, Angel, Berto, and Elektra Lopez) 		SmackDown Mixed stable
Latino World Order
(Rey Mysterio, Dragon Lee, Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro, and Zelina Vega) 		SmackDown Mixed stable
Natalya Raw Female wrestler
Naomi SmackDown Female wrestler
New Catch Republic
(Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate) 		SmackDown Male tag team
The New Day
(Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) 		Raw Male tag team
Odyssey Jones Raw Male wrestler
Pretty Deadly
(Kit Wilson and Elton Prince) 		SmackDown Male tag team
The Pride
(Bobby Lashley, Angelo Dawkins, Montez Ford, and B-Fab) 		SmackDown Mixed stable
Shinsuke Nakamura Raw Male wrestler
Tegan Nox Raw Female wrestler
Tiffany Stratton SmackDown Female wrestler

Wrestlers not included

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
Alexa Bliss Raw Inactive due to maternity leave[8] Female wrestler Last appeared on January 28, 2023, at the Royal Rumble.
Big E SmackDown Inactive due to neck injury Male wrestler Last appeared on the March 11, 2022, episode of SmackDown.
Brock Lesnar Free agent Inactive; has not appeared since SummerSlam 2023 Male wrestler Last appeared on August 5, 2023, at SummerSlam.
Carmella Raw Inactive due to maternity leave[9] Female wrestler Last appeared on March 31, 2023, for the WrestleMania 39 set reveal.
Charlotte Flair SmackDown Inactive due to knee injury Female wrestler Last appeared on the December 8, 2023, episode of SmackDown.
Dexter Lumis Raw Unknown Male wrestler Last appeared on the June 1, 2023, episode of Main Event.
Erik Raw Inactive due to neck injury[10] Male wrestler Last appeared on the September 14, 2023, episode of Main Event.
Jimmy Uso SmackDown Inactive due to undisclosed injury[11] Male wrestler Last appeared on the April 12, 2024, episode of SmackDown.
Nikki Cross Raw Unknown Female wrestler Last appeared on the February 12, 2024, episode of Raw.
Omos and MVP Free agent Unknown Male wrestler and manager Last appeared on the April 5, 2024, episode of SmackDown.
Raquel Rodriguez Raw Inactive due to mast cell activation syndrome Female wrestler Last appeared on the February 26, 2024, episode of Raw.
Rhea Ripley Raw Inactive due to shoulder injury Female wrestler Last appeared on the April 15, 2024, episode of Raw.
Roman Reigns SmackDown Originally included as part of The Bloodline in the Night 1 draft pool, but withdrew himself from eligibility prior to draft selections being made. Male wrestler Last appeared in the Night 2 main event of WrestleMania XL on April 7, 2024.
Shotzi SmackDown Inactive due to knee injury Female wrestler Last appeared on the February 20, 2024, episode of NXT.
Sonya Deville Raw Inactive due to ACL injury Female wrestler Last appeared on the July 28, 2023, episode of SmackDown.
Tamina SmackDown Unknown Female wrestler Last appeared on the March 2, 2023, episode of Main Event.
Uncle Howdy SmackDown Was originally inactive due to Bray Wyatt's absence, but following Wyatt's death in August 2023, Howdy's status has been unknown. Male wrestler Last appeared on the March 3, 2023, episode of SmackDown.
Valhalla Raw Inactive due to maternity leave[12] Female wrestler Last appeared on the March 3, 2024, episode of Raw.

References

  1. ^ Simon, Nick (September 27, 2021). "WWE Draft, explained: Rules, date, Superstars likely to change brands, and more". DraftKings. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  2. ^ Lambert, Jeremy (April 5, 2024). "Triple H Says There Will Be A WWE Draft 'In A Month Or So'". Fightful. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  3. ^ Valdez, Nick (April 8, 2024). "WWE Draft 2024 Dates Announced". ComicBook.com. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  4. ^ Lambert, Jeremy (April 8, 2024). "WWE Draft To Take Place On 4/26 WWE SmackDown And 4/29 WWE Raw". Fightful. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d Lambert, Jeremy (April 24, 2024). "WWE Announces Draft Pools And Rules For 2024 WWE Draft". Fightful. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  6. ^ 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. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  7. ^ Currier, Joseph (April 26, 2024). "WWE Draft 2024: Full list of night one picks, post-show selections". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  8. ^ 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 May 31, 2023.
  9. ^ 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 May 1, 2023.
  10. ^ Lambert, Jeremy. "Erik Of The Viking Raiders Sidelined 'For The Foreseeable Future' | Fightful News". www.fightful.com. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  11. ^ Thomas, Jeremy (April 24, 2024). "Jimmy Uso Reportedly Sidelined With Injury". 411Mania. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  12. ^ Defelice, Robert (April 25, 2024). "Raymond Rowe (Erik) And Sarah Rowe (Valhalla) Announce They're Expecting Their Second Son". Fightful. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
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