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The WWE Draft 2021 is set to shake things up towards the end of the year.
The WWE Draft made a big return in 2016 when it was announced that the brand split would occur again. It was a big relief to many fans, who particularly noticed the success of the brand split and the WWE Draft.
It's been happening for the last few years, with the "Superstar Shake-up" being introduced in its place from 2017 to 2019. It was a slightly different system, with no formal announcements being made.
WWE even introduced the "Wildcard" Rule in 2019, where four superstars from opposite brands could jump for one night only. However, it got increasingly vague and ended when SmackDown moved to FOX in October 2019.
The last WWE Draft took place in 2020 on October 9th (SmackDown) and October 12th (RAW). The WWE Draft 2021 was first reported to take place on August 30th and September 3rd. Andrew Zarian of The Mat Men podcast even revealed that WWE may even have "big plans" for superstars who are switching brands in the Draft.
However, Zarian provided an update, saying that the Draft this year will either happen on October 1st and 4th or October 4th and 8th.
Additionally, it will reportedly be a traditional Draft and not like the Superstar Shake-up - which should come as a big relief to fans. The WWE Draft system seems to work better with two full episodes dedicated to the brand switch.
The WWE Draft 2021 will mark three straight editions in October.
Who could be the biggest swaps of the WWE Draft 2021?
The WWE Draft 2021 could be more interesting than usual. With WWE finally welcoming crowds back, the landscape of the company could change dramatically. With SmackDown being the prioritized "A-Show" of WWE because of the big-money deal with FOX, Roman Reigns will likely continue his run on top there.
Drew McIntyre is a babyface who could be moved to SmackDown while Big E is a rising star who could be drafted to RAW. We expect fewer shake-ups in the Women's division.
However, with reports of Vince McMahon directly scouting in the WWE Performance Center, don't be surprised to see a big influx of NXT Superstars in the men's and women's divisions.
