Process to determine the respective rosters of WWE's main weekly professional wrestling programs
The WWE Draft logo used from October 2019 to April 2023
The WWE Draft is a process used by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE to refresh its rosters between the Raw and SmackDown brands (2002–2011; 2016–present) when a brand extension is in effect. Wrestlers from the promotion's developmental brand NXT (2016–present) are also eligible to be drafted to Raw and SmackDown. Two of WWE's former brands, ECW (2006–2009) and 205 Live (2019), have also taken part in the draft during the promotion's various brand split periods.
The draft was first used in 2002 when the then-World Wrestling Federation (WWF) introduced the brand split. It was initially called the WWF Draft Lottery but after the company's renaming from WWF to WWE two months after that original draft, it was rebranded the following year to WWE Draft Lottery (2004–2005), then WWE Brand Extension Draft (2006), and then simply WWE Draft (2007–2011). In 2011, WWE ended the original brand split.[1]
With SmackDown moving to Tuesdays and to a live broadcast starting July 19, 2016, WWE reintroduced the brand split[2] with a draft held that same episode.[3] From 2017 until May 2019, the draft was rebranded as the Superstar Shake-up; instead of a traditional draft, wrestlers were traded or moved between the brands with decisions made behind the scenes.[4] With SmackDown's move to Friday nights on FOX beginning October 4, 2019, a second draft for the year was scheduled to occur, reverting to its original name ("WWE Draft") and returning to a traditional draft format. A draft was not held in 2022, but it returned in 2023.
^"Ad Age's 40 Under 40 in Marketing, Agencies, and Media: Stephanie McMahon". Advertising Age. Crain Communications. 21 January 2013. Archived from the original on 2017-03-02. Retrieved 2013-03-19.
^Steinberg, Brian (2016-05-25). "WWE's 'Smackdown' Will Move To Live Broadcast On USA (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2016-05-25.
^"WWE's destiny to be determined during SmackDown's LIVE premiere". WWE. 20 June 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
^WWE.com Staff (April 3, 2017). "Mr. McMahon announces WWE will "shake things up" next week on Raw and SmackDown LIVE". WWE.com. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
The WWEDraft is a process used by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE to refresh its rosters between the Raw and SmackDown brands (2002–2011;...
The 2024 WWEDraft was the 18th WWEDraft produced by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE between their Raw and SmackDown brand divisions...
The 2023 WWEDraft was the 17th WWEDraft produced by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE between their Raw and SmackDown brand divisions...
The 2020 WWEDraft was the 15th WWEDraft produced by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE between their Raw and SmackDown brand divisions...
The 2019 WWEDraft was the fourteenth WWEDraft produced by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE between their Raw and SmackDown brands. Returning...
The 2016 WWEdraft was a professional wrestling event and the tenth WWEdraft, the first since 2011, produced by the American professional wrestling promotion...
The 2021 WWEDraft was the 16th WWEDraft produced by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE between their Raw and SmackDown brand divisions...
via the annual WWEDraft and exclusively perform on that brand's weekly television show, with some exceptions. Throughout its history, WWE has utilized...
Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) draft, the sixth WWEdraft, took place at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 23. The draft took place live for three...
Entertainment (WWE) draft, the fifth WWEDraft, took place at the Wachovia Arena in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on June 11. The first half of the draft was televised...
Entertainment (WWE) draft was the seventh WWEdraft, produced by the American professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment. The draft had two...
Entertainment (WWE) draft was the eighth WWEdraft, produced by the American professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment. The draft took place...
The 2011 WWEdraft was the ninth and final overall WWEdraft before the first WWE brand extension ended on August 29, produced by the American professional...
Entertainment (WWE) draft lottery, the second WWEdraft, took place at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan on March 22. The draft took place live...
The 2005 World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) draft lottery, the third WWEdraft, took place over a four-week period from June 6–30. Every wrestler from...
of the reintroduction of the brand split and subsequent draft on July 19, 2016, in which the WWE Championship, the promotion's original world title, became...
The American professional wrestling promotion WWE has maintained several men's world championships since Capitol Wrestling Corporation seceded from the...
During both brand splits, the WWE Championship has switched brands, usually as a result of the WWEDraft; the 2023 draft moved it back to SmackDown. The...
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) brand extension draft, also known as the 2006 ECW draft, was the fourth WWEdraft that took place at the Tacoma Dome...
promotion to complement the previous WWE Tag Team Championship, which became exclusive to Raw in the 2016 WWEDraft and renamed as Raw Tag Team Championship...
over the years, usually as a result of the WWEDraft; the 2023 draft moved the title back to SmackDown. Of WWE's currently active championships, the United...
Global Information