WWE’s Superstar Shake-up: How the Draft Has Changed the Rosters So Far

The 2023 WWE Draft was a historic event for the company, taking place during a crucial point in its history and with the added excitement of a UFC merger on the horizon.

The draft kicked off on SmackDown with a bang as WWE got right down to business, making it clear that any Superstar could be drafted at any time to any brand. This was an interesting note, and the fact that NXT Superstars could also be drafted got a pop from the crowd.

The new rosters will go into effect on May 8th after Backlash, and WWE Superstars were reportedly unaware of where they would end up, as the company likes to capture organic reactions. The draft continued on SmackDown LowDown on Saturday morning and on RAW the following Monday.

The draft choices for the 2023 WWE Draft were as follows:

Round One SmackDown

• Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman, & Solo Sikoa
• Bianca Belair

RAW

• Cody Rhodes
• Becky Lynch

Round Two RAW

• Drew McIntyre
• The Miz

SmackDown

• Bobby Lashley
• The OC

Round Three RAW

• Imperium
• Matt Riddle

SmackDown

• Street Profits
• Edge

Round Four RAW

• Shinsuke Nakamura
• Indi Hartwell

SmackDown

• Damage CTRL
• Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn

While WWE was not able to pick everyone during the SmackDown show on FOX, they made their remaining picks on the SmackDown LowDown. The draft continued to surprise fans, with some surprising names from NXT called up and Roman Reigns as part of the top pick for the entire company.

The remaining picks from night one of the 2023 WWE Draft were as follows:

RAW:

• Viking Raiders & Valhalla
• Maximum Male Models
• Candice LeRae & Dexter Lumis
• Natalya
• Apollo Crews
• Chelsea Green & Sonya Deville
• Zoey Stark
• JD McDonough

SmackDown:

• Hit Row
• Lacey Evans

Free Agents

• Omos
• Von Wagner
• Mustafa Ali
• Dolph Ziggler

As always, fans can keep checking back with Ringside News as the draft is expect to continue on to Monday’s episode of RAW. We will be providing any late breaking changes heading into the event.

What are your thoughts on the 2023 WWE Draft and the new rosters? Which Superstars are you excited to see on their new brand, and which moves surprised you the most? Leave us a comment.