Reason for Transitioning from Old WWE Draft Format Revealed

In a pivotal year for WWE, the 2024 edition of the annual draft has already revamped its roster drastically, igniting excitement and drastically reshaping the company’s landscape.

Kicking off on a high note on SmackDown this week, the 2024 WWE Draft saw a certain pool of stars drafted, adhering to previously established rules. However, the selection of the draftees was not always like this. During the early 2010s, WWE superstars from both RAW and SmackDown used to compete against each other with the winners scoring a pick for their respective brands.

However, the format saw the light for a few years before WWE reverted back to a much more traditional Draft style. During a recent Fightful Q&A session, Sean Ross Sapp noted that although he found the old format more entertaining, WWE wanted to emulate a more real draft format citing as the reason for the transition.

“RAW superstar vs SmackDown superstar, winner earns a pick for their brand, find that more entertaining than the current format. Well, they wanted to start from scratch, they wanted to emulate a real draft more and also … technically there is no one on the brands to … to have compete in that manner.”

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Sapp made an interesting point at the conclusion about no superstars on the roster competing in that manner, as they have appeared on both shows in the last couple of weeks, like Cody Rhodes with no clear brand designation.

On the other hand, the newly selected rosters are slated to come into effect on May 6th, following the WWE Backlash France PLE. Fans can anticipate a dynamic shift in the WWE landscape as the drafted talent takes center stage on both RAW and SmackDown.

Were you a fan of the old WWE Draft format or do you prefer the traditional style? Sound off in the comments!