WWE Draft 2024 Night Two: Ranking every brand switch on RAW

WWE Draft continued its second night on the April 29, 2024 episode of Monday Night RAW. The event saw the retention of several superstars and many surprising exchanges between the blue and the red brands.

Here is a rundown of all the switches and new faces that will now be fighting red each time they enter the WWE Arena.

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#6. WWE Draft gives Ilja Dragunov the main roster highlight on RAW

NXT Superstar Ilja Dragunov was waiting for his main roster debut, and the WWE Draft finally gave him his shot. The 30-year-old is another big name alongside Bron Breakker, who has recently crossed over from the developmental territory.

His induction into the RAW locker room could have been better. The latest SmackDown pick, Carmelo Hayes, got a match against Cody Rhodes to kick off his journey on the blue brand, but Dragunov didn’t receive any matches after his selection.

Grade: D

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#5. Lyra Valkyria gets her main roster spot on RAW

Lyria Valyria is another NXT Superstar who will be filling the locker room of Monday Night RAW after a successful developmental run. The Irish wrestler is a former NXT Women's Champ and will look forward to making a similar impact on the red brand.

Interestingly, she already has the attention of the Women’s World Champion, Becky Lynch. The Man added a post on Instagram in Valkyria’s praise and welcomed her to RAW after the WWE Draft.

Grade: C

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#4. Did the WWE Draft end the rivalry between its Latino factions?

The Latino World Order (LWO) and Legado Del Fantasma (LDF) had a bitter rivalry owing to Santos Escobar breaking away from LWO and starting LDF. Escobar and Rey Mysterio traded blows at WrestleMania XL as well. Mysterio’s faction was drafted on RAW, while SmackDown retained LDF. Thus, it is unlikely that these two factions will continue their feud and may enter new storylines on their respective brands.

Interestingly, Carlito was drafted to RAW as part of the LWO. The WWE Draft didn’t help the betraying Bad Apple, who had backstabbed Dragon Lee at WrestleMania XL.

Grade: C

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#3. Damage CTRL arrives on RAW via the WWE Draft

The women’s heel faction Damage CTRL had a mighty presence on SmackDown. The Kabuki Warriors of the stable, Kairi Sane and Asuka, were actively feuding against Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair.

Now, these rivals will be performing on different brands. This has given rise to much speculation about the future of women’s championships, especially the tag team titles.

Grade: B

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#2. WWE Draft brings back The Black Sheep into action

WWE Superstar Braun Strowman had not seen any wrestling action since May 1, 2023, due to a severe neck injury. However, WWE Draft has now brought The Monster Among Men back to the show, and he will be hunting heads on the red brand.

The Black Sheep entered to assist Jey Uso against US Champion Logan Paul and the Judgment Day on RAW. While the faction has a lot of beef with Mr. Yeet, Strowman seems to have locked his crosshairs on Paul.

Grade: A

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#1. Giving more wind to Drew McIntyre’s frustration with CM Punk

Drew McIntyre received a stroke of luck at The Elimination Chamber after several instances of defeat, such as when Logan Paul indirectly gifted him a title shot. However, CM Punk completely nullified that advantage when he distracted The Scottish Opportunist to allow Damian Priest to cash in his MITB contract.

To add insult to injury, RAW retained Punk via the WWE Draft in the second round. On the other hand, McIntyre had to walk up to Booker T to ask when his turn would come. Seeing himself pushed to a round-three draft pick frustrated the 38-year-old, which was further increased by CM Punk's shenanigans. The coming days of the red brand will see the duo trade blows and words and become the primary drivers of the division.

Grade: A

Overall, only a few changes were made to the roster of either RAW or SmackDown, with Damage CTRL being the only top transfer. Braun Strowman was the night's biggest draw, but he ended his hiatus instead of getting drafted from SmackDown.

Thus, it is safe to say that the 2024 Draft aims to proceed with its previous lineup for both brands and strengthen their storylines.