WWE Draft 2024: Cody Rhodes and Damian Priest to Be Affected as New Rules Announced

With the WrestleMania season now over, the landscape of the WWE looks very different. The Final boss Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is now gone. Cody Rhodes is the new WWE Champion while Damian Priest also clinched the WWE World Heavyweight title. Despite a slew of changes, the WWE is set to usher in a major shakeup that could alter the trajectory of several stories.

News about the WWE Draft came to light on the RAW after WrestleMania. The draft commences on the 26th April edition of WWE SmackDown. Fans have expressed their excitement for the event and the WWE added more cause for celebrations as they unveiled the rules for the draft. The official X handle of WWE recently uploaded the rules of the draft, and it affects the new World Champions.

The new WWE draft rules offer a unique stipulation involving champions in the promotion

Most of the rules unveiled by WWE in their latest post about the draft have remnants from the previous editions of the draft. However, a specific rule caught the attention of the pro wrestling community for its peculiar nature. While the draft begins this Friday on SmackDown, it shall continue over the next two weeks as well. The blue brand of WWE will choose the first draft pick., and RAW the following on Monday. The Friday exclusive show will be receiving four rounds and 16 picks in total. While RAW will have six rounds and 24 picks in total. While the women’s tag-team champions are eligible to switch brands, the world champions are not.

Both Damian Priest and Cody Rhodes are now locked in on their respective brands. While Priest will now have to stay with RAW for the remainder of his term as the champ, Cody Rhodes will have to stay with SmackDown. While, previously World Champions could jump ships, this time the specific practice has come to a halt.

Even Sami Zayn, Logan Paul, Bayley, and Becky Lynch remain exclusive to their brands for the time being because of this stipulation. The draft shall continue till May 6th, and finally, brands can lock their rosters by Monday. With only a couple of days left for the grand event, fans wonder what major shake-up is about to occur in the roster.

Surprise draft picks that could happen this year

Ilja Dragunov declared himself for the draft a few weeks ago and the former NXT champion could make his main-roster switch official during the draft. Other names such as Carmello Hayes, a few NXT stars, and even the recently released Cameron Grimes are eligible for the draft. Perhaps even the much-rumored debut of Jacob Fatu could come via the draft. Over the years, the WWE draft has positioned itself as one of the most important phenomena in the company. The event dictates the storylines and matchups that could impact several superstars as they aim to make their mark in the promotion. On the 26th of April, fans can witness the magic of the WWE draft.

Are you guys excited for the WWE draft? What do you make of the new rule involving the champions? Let us know in the comments.