WWE Rumors: When superstars were informed about their Draft status

WWE reportedly made a slight change during this year's Draft regarding superstars finding out their status.

PWInsider is reporting the talents scheduled to switch brands were told about the same shortly before the official announcement. This was done to make sure the superstars wouldn't be caught off guard.

In the past, WWE used to inform only the top stars ahead of changing their brands. Others would find out about their brand switches at the same time as fans.

WWE drafted several big names tonight

Their respective brands retained Universal Champion Roman Reigns and WWE Champion Big E. SmackDown bagged a bunch of top stars, including RAW Women's Champion Charlotte Flair, former WWE Champion Drew McIntyre, and veteran Jeff Hardy.

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Meanwhile, RAW gained Bianca Belair and Edge. More big names will be drafted to RAW and SmackDown during Night 2 of the Draft on Monday.

A brief history of the WWE Draft

The very first Draft took place in 2002, after WrestleMania 18. The first Draft pick in WWE history was The Rock, chosen by Vince McMahon for SmackDown. Over the years, the Draft has undergone a long list of changes.

The 2005 Draft was unique as WWE conducted it over four weeks. Then-WWE Champion John Cena was RAW's first pick while World Champion Batista was drafted to SmackDown at the end of the Draft. The WWE Draft was termed Superstar Shake-up from 2017 to 2019.

This year's Draft features some of the most popular superstars in the industry. Following next week's RAW, many new storylines and feuds are bound to kick off on both RAW and SmackDown.

What was your reaction to the first half of the 2021 Draft? Who would you like to see get drafted this Monday? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

About the author

Abhilash Mendhe is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda with nearly five years of experience. He completed his MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management in 2016 and worked with multiple banking institutions, including Tech Mahindra. While he started writing WWE articles for Sportskeeda in 2019 as a hobby, it eventually became a significant part of his professional journey.

Abhilash checks his articles thrice before sending them to the editing team, ensuring his work is highly accurate and reliable.

He has interviewed prominent pro wrestling personalities like Noam Dar, Angry Miz Girl, Brendan Cobbina, and Jesse Lambert. Abhilash is a big fan of AEW star Orange Cassidy, as he believes the former International Champion’s on-screen gimmick of an extremely lazy guy resonates with him.

Given the opportunity to script WWE’s next big storyline, Abhilash would treat fans to the second installment of The Bloodline Civil War. He would book Roman Reigns to re-form The Bloodline with The Usos and Sami Zayn upon his comeback. The angle would see The Tribal Chief-led group go head-to-head with The Rock, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu in a blockbuster family feud.

When not reporting on pro wrestling, Abhilash likes to work out, go on walks, read, and explore new eateries.

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