![]() This time, Eric Bischoff and Paul Heyman were the authority figures of Raw and SmackDown, respectively, and the selections were entirely out of their hands. 2004Īfter two years, WWE had its first refresher in March 2004 with a draft lottery. The final 37 picks of the night were revealed on WWE.com, with Perry Saturn's selection at No. 16, was the separation of Dudley Boyz, with Bubba Ray selected by Raw and D-Von going to SmackDown also of note: Lita was selected six picks ahead of Matt Hardy (and 10 ahead of Jeff Hardy). On this night, the most shocking moment, apart from the head-scratching order that saw Brock Lesnar fall all the way to No. The upset Undertaker tore up the backstage area, but it was one of a handful of shocking and memorable picks of the night. After McMahon, appropriately enough, selected The Rock to helm the show named after his signature catchphrase, Flair shocked everyone by selecting The Undertaker, with whom he'd just battled at WrestleMania. Just eight days removed from WrestleMania X8, the first 20 picks of this inaugural draft were made live on WWE TV, with podiums set on opposite sides of the stage. ![]() With McMahon representing SmackDown and Flair at the helm for Raw, the first ever WWE brand extension draft took place on the campus of Penn State University. In late March 2002, Vince McMahon and Ric Flair - then tabbed as 'co-owners' of the WWE, saw the somewhat bloated roster of WWE, WCW and ECW talent split directly down the middle. Each draft has had its memorable moments, and on the eve of some potentially landscape-shifting changes, let's look back at some of our favorites. The "Superstar Shakeup" that's set to take place over the next two nights on Monday Night Raw and SmackDown Live is sure to have popular picks, polarizing moments and a few surprises, but as curious as fans are about the yet-to-be-announced format, it shares a lot in common with drafts and roster shifts over the last 15 years in the WWE.Įver since the fall of WCW, semi-annual drafts have kept separate brands fresh on 10 separate occasions, with two or even three separate rosters often in need of a refresher. ![]() Between returning stars, debuts and unexpected changes of heart, the landscape is shifting - and what better time than now to really move things around to give performers a fresh start in a new landscape. The weeks following WrestleMania offer the opportunity to make everything feel fresh again. You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser
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