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The July 19, 2016 episode of WWE SmackDown featured the first WWE Draft in five years.
A total of 59 Superstars and tag teams were drafted that night, including the following six call-ups from NXT: Alexa Bliss, American Alpha, Carmella, Finn Balor, Mojo Rawley, and Nia Jax.
Unlike the 2019 Draft and the post-WrestleMania Superstar Shake-Ups that took place from 2017-2019, the 2016 Draft essentially listed every Superstar on the roster from most wanted (draft pick #1) to least wanted (draft pick #59).
With the 2020 Draft on the horizon, let’s take a look back at every Superstar and tag team from the 2016 Draft to find out what they are doing now.
#59 Carmella (WWE SmackDown)
Carmella has remained with WWE since the 2016 Draft. She recently turned heel again after revealing herself to be the mystery woman behind the “Untouchable” promos on SmackDown.
#58 Curtis Axel (WWE RAW)
The highlight of Curtis Axel’s last four years came when he won the RAW Tag Team titles with fellow B-Team member Bo Dallas. Axel received his release from WWE in April 2020.
#57 Mojo Rawley (WWE SmackDown)
Mojo Rawley is still part of the WWE roster in 2020. He co-hosted WrestleMania 36 alongside his best friend, NFL star Rob Gronkowski, but he has not competed in a WWE match since June.
#56 Dana Brooke (WWE RAW)
Dana Brooke recently joined forces with Mandy Rose on RAW. It is unknown whether their partnership is permanent or whether the alliance is only a short-term storyline.
#55 Erick Rowan (WWE SmackDown)
Erick Rowan was one of many Superstars who received their release as a cost-cutting measure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now known as Erick Redbeard, the former Wyatt Family member has not yet signed with any company but he has made it clear that he plans to remain in the wrestling business.
#54 Alicia Fox (WWE RAW)
In October 2019, Alicia Fox’s WWE Superstar profile was moved to the alumni section of the company’s website. Fox has not publicly spoken about her relationship with WWE, so it is unclear whether she will ever return.
#53 The Vaudevillains (WWE SmackDown)
Simon Gotch received his release from WWE in April 2017, while Aiden English was let go by the company in April 2020. Gotch has competed for various promotions over the last few years, including MLW and ROH. English, now known as Drama King Matthew Rehwoldt, recently began working on independent shows.
#52 The Shining Stars (WWE RAW)
After a lengthy absence from WWE television, The Shining Stars (aka Epico Colon and Primo Colon) were released by WWE in April 2020. They spent most of 2019 working for the World Wrestling Council (WWC), a Puerto Rican promotion run by Carlos Colon (Epico’s uncle and Primo’s father).
#51 Eva Marie (WWE SmackDown)
Eva Marie received her release from WWE in August 2017. Although she has appeared in movies and TV shows over the last three years, the former Total Divas cast member recently stated that she is open to returning to the company.
#50 Bo Dallas (WWE RAW)
Bo Dallas last competed in a televised WWE match in October 2019. He has not appeared on TV since tweeting in December 2019 that he was going on a “life-changing expedition”.
#49 Breezango (WWE SmackDown)
Fandango and Tyler Breeze’s run on SmackDown is best remembered for their work during the Fashion Files segments. Now members of the NXT roster, Breezango won the NXT Tag Team titles from Imperium in August 2020.
#48 Braun Strowman (WWE RAW)
It is alarming to look back and see that Braun Strowman was the #48 pick in the 2016 Draft. Needless to say, his career has improved quite a bit since then. He is now one of the most prominent Superstars on the WWE roster.
#47 Alexa Bliss (WWE SmackDown)
Much like Braun Strowman, Alexa Bliss’ career has gone from strength to strength since the 2016 Draft. The five-time Women’s Champion is currently involved in a storyline with “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt on SmackDown.
#46 Mark Henry (WWE RAW)
Mark Henry retired from in-ring competition in 2017. The two-time Olympian received his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018. Nowadays, he discusses all things wrestling on his Busted Open radio show.
#45 Apollo Crews (WWE SmackDown)
It took longer than many people expected, but Apollo Crews has had somewhat of a breakout year on the RAW roster in 2020. He is currently feuding with The Hurt Business.
#44 Summer Rae (WWE RAW)
Summer Rae received her release from WWE in October 2017. She recently tweeted that she misses “laying the Smack… Down”, which prompted speculation that she could be interested in returning to WWE.
#43 Zack Ryder (WWE SmackDown)
Zack Ryder was among the Superstars who WWE let go in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now known by his real name, Matt Cardona, the former Intercontinental Champion has competed in two matches for AEW in recent months.
#42 The Dudley Boyz (WWE RAW)
The Dudley Boyz competed in their final WWE match shortly after the 2016 Draft. D-Von Dudley now works as a WWE producer, while Bubba Ray Dudley still wrestles as Bully Ray.
Like Mark Henry, Bubba can also be heard on Busted Open.
#41 The Ascension (WWE SmackDown)
The Ascension’s Konnor and Viktor were granted their releases from WWE in December 2019. Now known as The Awakening’s Big Kon and Vik, the former NXT Tag Team Champions competed in matches for New York promotion NYWC shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic.
#40 Jack Swagger (WWE RAW)
Jack Swagger signed with MMA promotion Bellator after leaving WWE in March 2017. He joined AEW in October 2019 and became a member of Chris Jericho’s Inner Circle faction.
#39 Naomi (WWE SmackDown)
Naomi has mostly worked as a singles competitor over the last four years. She is currently assigned to the SmackDown brand.
#38 Sin Cara (WWE RAW)
The man behind the Sin Cara mask, Jorge Arriaga (aka former WWE Superstar Hunico), left the company in December 2019. He now wrestles under the name Cinta de Oro.
#37 Kalisto (WWE SmackDown)
Kalisto made his return in August 2020 after a lengthy absence due to a shoulder injury. His current storyline on SmackDown revolves around who should be the leader of The Lucha House Party.
#36 Darren Young (WWE RAW)
Darren Young received his release in October 2017. The former Tag Team Champion recently competed in two matches for NJPW.
#35 Paige (WWE RAW)
Paige was forced to retire from in-ring competition in April 2018 due to a serious neck injury. The two-time Divas Champion is still very active on social media in 2020, especially on Twitch. She appeared regularly on FS1 show WWE Backstage before it was axed in June.
#34 Kane (WWE SmackDown)
Kane is a very busy man these days. Although he has not officially retired, the veteran Superstar is unlikely to be too concerned about his in-ring career right now. The man behind the character, Glenn Jacobs, is the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee.
#33 Titus O'Neil (WWE RAW)
Titus O’Neil recently began appearing on Shane McMahon’s RAW Underground. Away from WWE television, O’Neil also works as a Community Relations Ambassador for WWE.
#32 The Usos (WWE SmackDown)
While Jimmy Uso continues his recovery from a serious knee injury, Jey Uso is preparing to challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship at the upcoming Hell in a Cell pay-per-view.
#31 Golden Truth (WWE RAW)
The Golden Truth stayed together until Goldust attacked R-Truth on a May 2017 episode of RAW. R-Truth is arguably more relevant than ever in WWE right now, while Goldust (aka Dustin Rhodes) works for AEW.
#30 Sheamus (WWE RAW)
Sheamus joined forces with Cesaro to form The Bar shortly after the 2016 Draft. The Irishman is now working as a singles competitor again on SmackDown.
#29 Alberto Del Rio (WWE SmackDown)
Alberto Del Rio left WWE in September 2016, just two months after the 2016 Draft took place. The Mexican has competed for promotions including IMPACT Wrestling and Lucha Underground in recent years. He also briefly ran his own promotion, Nacion Lucha Libre, with Chavo Guerrero in 2019.
#28 Cesaro (WWE RAW)
WWE’s ultimate tag team performer, Cesaro now holds the SmackDown Tag Team titles with Shinsuke Nakamura. He has previously teamed with Jack Swagger, Tyson Kidd, and Sheamus.
#27 Natalya (WWE SmackDown)
No other female Superstar in WWE history has racked up more wins than Natalya. The Queen of Harts recently formed a tag team on RAW with Lana.
#26 Neville (WWE RAW)
Neville walked out of WWE in October 2017 and officially received his release in August 2018. Now known as PAC, the Brit works for AEW but he has not competed in any matches since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
#25 Nia Jax (WWE RAW)
Nia Jax won the Women’s Tag Team titles with Shayna Baszler in August 2020. The unlikely allies were supposed to defend the titles against Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott at Clash of Champions. However, the match was canceled after the two Superstars were reportedly in contact with somebody who had COVID-19.
#24 Dolph Ziggler (WWE SmackDown)
Dolph Ziggler has continued to perform in various different roles for WWE since the 2016 Draft. He reunited with his tag team partner, Robert Roode, on the latest episode of RAW.
#23 The Big Show (WWE RAW)
The Big Show began to wind down his in-ring career in 2017, but the seven-foot Superstar still occasionally makes appearances in 2020. He also starred in his own Netflix series, The Big Show Show, earlier this year, but it has not been renewed for a second season.
#22 American Alpha (WWE SmackDown)
While Chad Gable now performs as Shorty G on SmackDown, Jason Jordan has not competed in a match since undergoing neck surgery in February 2018. Kurt Angle’s storyline son now works as a producer for WWE.
#21 Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson (WWE RAW)
Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson were released from their WWE contracts in April 2020. The former RAW Tag Team Champions can now be seen in IMPACT Wrestling, while they also produce their own Talk N’ Shop A Mania pay-per-views.
#20 Enzo Amore and Big Cass (WWE RAW)
Enzo Amore has competed in matches for promotions including Northeast Wrestling and KFW Wrestling since he was released by WWE in January 2018.
As for Big Cass, he has been very open about his struggles with alcoholism and mental health following his WWE release in June 2018. Amore recently said that Cass, who has not been in the public eye for over a year, is in the best shape of his life right now.
#19 Baron Corbin (WWE SmackDown)
Baron Corbin has been one of the most prominent members of the roster since 2016. He is now known as King Corbin on SmackDown.
#18 Kevin Owens (WWE RAW)
The villainous Kevin Owens won the Universal Championship shortly after the 2016 Draft. He works as a babyface on RAW these days, but he has also recently appeared on SmackDown.
#17 The Miz (WWE SmackDown)
Like Kevin Owens, The Miz is another Superstar who has switched between babyface and heel in recent years. The A-Lister is now involved in a tag team with John Morrison on SmackDown.
#16 Rusev w/Lana (WWE RAW)
Rusev (aka Miro) now competes in AEW after receiving his release from WWE in April 2020. As for Lana, she still regularly appears on television as a member of the RAW roster.
#15 Chris Jericho (WWE RAW)
Chris Jericho signed with AEW in January 2019 and he remains one of the company’s biggest draws. The veteran became the inaugural AEW World Champion in August 2019.
#14 Becky Lynch (WWE SmackDown)
Becky Lynch announced in May 2020 that she is pregnant with her first child. It is unclear when The Man is planning to return to the ring, but she has made it clear in media interviews that her WWE career is not over.
#13 Sasha Banks (WWE RAW)
Sasha Banks is currently involved in a heated rivalry with long-time best friend Bayley. The former tag team partners’ SmackDown Women’s Championship feud is expected to last for the next few months.
#12 Bray Wyatt (WWE SmackDown)
Bray Wyatt reinvented himself as two different characters in 2019: “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt and “Firefly Fun House” Bray Wyatt. He is currently involved in a storyline with Alexa Bliss on SmackDown.
#11 Sami Zayn (WWE RAW)
Sami Zayn defeated AJ Styles and Jeff Hardy in a Triple Threat ladder match at Clash of Champions last week to reclaim the Intercontinental Championship. He picked up another win over Hardy on the latest episode of SmackDown.
#10 The New Day (WWE RAW)
Unlike many of the other tag teams in this list, The New Day is still going strong in 2020. Big E is working as a singles competitor right now due to injuries to Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods.
#9 Randy Orton (WWE SmackDown)
Randy Orton is arguably producing some of the best work of his WWE career in 2020. The Viper has been involved in lengthy rivalries with Edge and Drew McIntyre this year.
#8 Brock Lesnar (WWE RAW)
Brock Lesnar is officially a free agent after failing to agree terms on a new WWE contract earlier this year. However, that does not necessarily mean that he will not return to the company in the future.
#7 John Cena (WWE SmackDown)
John Cena was still considered to be a full-time roster member when the 2016 Draft took place. Nowadays, Cena mostly focuses on his acting career and he only competes in a handful of WWE matches per year.
#6 Roman Reigns (WWE RAW)
Roman Reigns is undoubtedly WWE’s top full-time Superstar. The former Shield member’s recent heel turn has shown a completely different side to his character. He is set to defend the Universal Championship against Jey Uso at Hell in a Cell.
#5 Finn Balor (WWE RAW)
Finn Balor returned to NXT in October 2019 after a somewhat underwhelming three-year run on WWE’s main roster. He won the vacant NXT Championship in a match against Adam Cole in September 2020.
#4 AJ Styles (WWE SmackDown)
AJ Styles has won the WWE Championship on two occasions since the 2016 Draft. The Phenomenal One moved from RAW to SmackDown in May 2020 due to real-life issues that he had with RAW’s Executive Director at the time, Paul Heyman.
#3 Charlotte Flair (WWE RAW)
Charlotte Flair is currently absent from WWE television after she underwent surgery in June 2020. Prior to that, The Queen had been one of the most featured Superstars on both RAW and NXT.
#2 Dean Ambrose (WWE SmackDown)
Dean Ambrose (aka Jon Moxley) decided to leave WWE when his contract expired at the end of April 2019. He debuted in AEW in May 2019 and he has gone on to become the company’s World Champion.
#1 Seth Rollins (WWE RAW)
Just like in 2016, Seth Rollins is still one of WWE’s main Superstars in 2020. The RAW roster member has been feuding with the Mysterio family for the last few months.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
