WWE Draft
The Draft (also known as the Superstar Shake-Up ) is a WWE campaign in which the superstars within the league are swapped between the SmackDown and RAW shows (also ECW between 2007 and 2009 ) .
When the WWE split its roster into the two shows SmackDown and RAW in 2002, the first draft was held. It took place annually between 2004 and 2011. With the reintroduction of the grate separation between SmackDown and RAW in 2016, the WWE Draft was also reintroduced.
history
First fire split (2002–2011)
After the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) took over the competing wrestling leagues World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), the league was split into two different roster : RAW and Smackdown .
In the course of a storyline , WWF CEO Linda McMahon announced that the two partners Ric Flair (took over during the storyline RAW) and Vince McMahon (took over during the storyline Smackdown) could each choose 30 superstars for their roster. The draft took place on March 25, 2002. The first part of the draft was shown during RAW, the rest could be viewed on the WWF homepage.
Because of the Wrestlemania XX motto, "Where it all begins ... again" , Vince McMahon announced a draft lottery in March 2004. ("It's time to shake things up again") The general managers of the two roster were able to choose six superstars each.
In contrast to last year's draft, the 2005 draft did not take place on a single evening, but rather over the entire month of July. During the draft, John Cena , who was WWE Champion at the time , had to go to RAW. In return, Batista , who held the World Heavyweight title , moved to SmackDown a short time later . The two highest titles of the WWE had thus changed the roster.
After ECW celebrated its comeback in 2006 as the new WWE roster, Vince McMahon allowed ECW General Manager Paul Heyman to get one Superstar from each of the other two roster .
In 2007 the three roster took part for the first time. Unlike in the past, it was no longer possible for the general managers to take turns choosing the superstars. Instead, draft matches were held between the wrestlers on the various roster. A superstar from the other roster is assigned to the winner's roster.
The same mechanism was used in the following years. In the course of the WWE Draft 2009, superstars and divas changed roster as part of the so-called "Supplement Draft", which was not announced on the show, but on the Internet.
After the ECW was discontinued, the 2010 draft took place again only between RAW and SmackDown.
In 2011 six wrestlers switched on-air. In this draft, a wrestler was also drafted twice for the first time in the live show. John Cena first switched from RAW to SmackDown and then back to RAW. In the "Supplement Draft" 22 wrestlers changed roster.
At the end of 2011, the roster split was de facto lifted with the introduction of the "Supershow" concept, so that all wrestlers could appear in all shows. Since then, there has been no draft for the time being.
Second fire split (since 2016)
Since July 19, 2016, SmackDown has been broadcast live on the USA Network on Tuesdays. In the course of this, RAW and SmackDown were again divided into two different roster. Thus, the WWE Draft returned to the TV shows. During the 2017 WWE Superstar Shake-up, Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose and the Championship moved to Raw, while United States Champion Kevin Owens and the Championship moved to SmackDown. The 2018 WWE Superstar Shake-up took place on April 16-17 on episodes Raw and SmackDown Live.
Individual evidence
- ^ Takeover of WCW (English) ( Memento of March 13, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) "WWE Entertainment, Inc. Acquires WCW from Turner Broadcasting"
- ^ History of the ECW Extreme Championship Wrestling
- ↑ Brand Extension (English) ( Memento from October 17, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) "WWE TO MAKE RAW AND SMACKDOWN! DISTINCT TV BRANDS"
- ↑ Draft 2004 (English) "The 2004 WWE Draft Lottery"
- ^ Draft 2005 (English) "2005 WWE Draft Lottery"
- ↑ ECW Comeback (English) "An Extreme Debut"
- ↑ Draft 2006 (English) "Will Triple H join the Mr. McMahon Kiss My Ass Club?"
- ↑ Draft 2007 (English) "2007 Supplemental Draft results"
- ↑ Draft 2007 (2) (English) "Draft brings surprises, switches ECW champion to Raw"
- ↑ Draft 2009 (English)
- ↑ Last ECW edition (English) "Dominant farewell"
- ↑ Draft 2010 (English)
- ↑ All changes (2011) at a glance