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.
