April 27th 2024.
Roman Reigns was not involved in the WWE Draft this week. In a surprising turn of events, he removed himself from the draft pool during the broadcast of SmackDown. This came as a shock to fans, as Reigns was expected to be one of the first picks on the first night of the draft.
The former Undisputed WWE Champion, who lost his title to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40 after a historic 1,316-day reign, was not able to participate in the draft due to a change in plans. His special counsel, Paul Heyman, informed broadcaster Kayla Braxton that Reigns would not be returning "for the foreseeable future" and therefore, made himself ineligible for the draft.
Heyman explained that Reigns wanted to give SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis a challenge by coming up with a less predictable first draft pick. And that's exactly what he did, as the show began with various legends and current stars announcing the picks in four rounds.
The first pick for SmackDown was Bianca Belair, while Jey Uso was chosen to stay on Raw. SmackDown also picked Carmelo Hayes from NXT and Seth Rollins, while Raw chose Bron Breakker and Liv Morgan to complete round one.
In round two, SmackDown kept Randy Orton and added Nia Jax to their roster, while Raw took Bron Breakker and Liv Morgan. The third round saw The Bloodline and LA Knight staying on SmackDown, while Raw kept Ricochet and Sheamus.
In the final round of picks for the night, SmackDown chose AJ Styles and Andrade, while Raw ended with Alpha Academy and NXT's Kiana James in a shocking move.
The first night of the draft didn't have any major surprises in terms of top talent switching brands, with only Bron Breakker, Nia Jax, and Andrade moving between Raw and SmackDown. However, there were some exciting call-ups, including Carmelo Hayes from NXT and Kiana James making her debut on Raw's women's division.
The picks were announced by legends such as Teddy Long, JBL, Michelle McCool, Torrie Wilson, the Dudley Boyz, and Triple H himself. Additionally, some big matches for Backlash were revealed, including Cody Rhodes defending his title against AJ Styles and Damian Priest defending his World Heavyweight Championship against Jey Uso.
Joining them on the card is Bayley, who will put her WWE Women's Championship on the line in a Triple Threat match against Bayley and Tiffany Stratton. The Kabuki Warriors will also defend their Women's Tag Team Titles against Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill, while Randy Orton and Kevin Owens will face off against Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga in a fierce grudge match.
The WWE Draft will continue on Monday, April 29 on Raw. Fans can tune in at 1am on TNT Sports 1 to see which superstars will be switching brands next. And if you have a celebrity story, video, or pictures to share, don't hesitate to get in touch with the entertainment team at The Agency. You can email us, call us, or visit our Submit Stuff page – we would love to hear from you.
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