Real Reason Why Roman Reigns Chose to Opt Out of the WWE Draft on SmackDown 04/26

WWE kicked off its 2024 Draft tonight which, as has become customary in recent years, kicked off on Friday Night SmackDown. A show in which surprises and emotions were expected. And they surely did not take long to occur.

In a backstage interview with Paul Heyman, he revealed that Roman Reigns had voluntarily withdrawn from the draft, making him an un-selectable talent for tonight. But why did he take his name out of the draft? Well, there are two reasons. One involves a bit of kayfabe while the other stems from the real Leati Joseph Anoaʻi.

Reigns nominates himself out of the draft

In the backstage interview, “The Wiseman” recalled that “The Tribal Chief” has been the first pick in every Draft held since the COVID-19 pandemic. The WWE would have to carefully decide who would be the first two chosen and, therefore, the faces of the new era of WWE. And Roman Reigns did not want that. At least right now. Why? It should be recalled that Reigns is currently taking a break after his loss at WrestleMania XL. At the moment, it is unknown when it will return to the company’s television programming, although many point to SummerSlam as the most tentative date in this regard.

But when it comes to the real-life factor, it is worth pointing out that Roman Reigns is now planning to be the Tribal Chief of Hollywood. Like his brother Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson, Roman Reigns is looking forward to dominating Hollywood now. In fact, he is already working on a project with Keke Palmer. So it is no wonder he decided not to choose a brand for now, and focus on his Hollywood career instead. But while Reigns walked out of the WWE for a bit, another major superstar made his return to the main roster.

The return of the King

The WWE Draft 2024 kicked off this Friday on Friday Night SmackDown with the first 16 picks divided into four rounds. Bianca Belair (SmackDown) and Jey Uso (RAW) have been the top two picks and the arrivals of Carmelo Hayes and Kiana James from NXT to SmackDown and RAW, respectively, stand out as some of the major picks.

Following the show, WWE announced the fate of Superstars who had not made the first 16 picks but remained in the pool of eligible talent from Night 1 of the Draft. But one major name that stands out here is Baron Corbin. Corbin returns to SmackDown after a stint in NXT in which he has been able to reinvent himself. However, he will not be able to be next to his NXT teammate for the next few months. It would be fun to see how this run goes for Corbin. And with the King of the Ring just around the corner, can we see Corbin become King Corbin again? What do you think? Let us know in the comments.