3 things to expect on Night 2 of the 2024 WWE Draft following Night 1
Night 1 of the 2024 WWE Draft on SmackDown was, to many fans, an underwhelming affair. While there was excitement from callups like Carmelo Hayes' and main roster brand changes such as Nia Jax's, most stars stayed put. This left the audience polarized, with some expecting Night 2 to be similarly uneventful and others hoping it would be extra explosive to make up for Night 1.
There is no way to predict what will happen on the red brand, the first night of the annual shakeup event is as good a basis as any. A few of the events from the blue brand can give us a good idea of what to expect on the second night, including who might be drafted or called up and in what round.
So, without further ado, let's look at 3 things to expect on Night 2 of the 2024 WWE Draft following Night 1
#3: Another first-round NXT callup, this time to WWE RAW
Night 1 of the 2024 WWE Draft had tongues wagging due to Carmelo Hayes being a first-round pick. Fans were split on the decision, with some praising the company for giving Hayes such a prominent welcome, while others felt it was disrespectful to the veteran performers on the main roster.
It's clear that the company was going for the former, given that Roman Reigns withdrew from the draft and champions were exempt. With this intention to remove established stars from the running to free up prominent picks for up-and-coming stars, another first-round callup is likely on Night 2. If one were to predict who it will be, Ilja Dragunov to RAW would be a strong bet.
#2: Some Night 1 picks could have spoilt certain WWE Superstars' destinations on Night 2
The WWE Draft is often unpredictable, having seen some earth-shattering tag team breakups, championship brand swaps, and more in its 20-plus-year history. Over the years, however, some patterns have emerged which make some parts of it easy to call. This is not necessarily a bad thing, since these patterns serve to protect Superstars' personal relationships and balance between brands.
For example, real-life couples on the roster are almost always drafted to the same brand to allow them to spend time together and prevent stress in their home life. Additionally, stars in ongoing feuds tend to be kept together for the sake of storyline continuity.
This would suggest that The Pride will stay on SmackDown because Montez Ford's wife Bianca Belair was drafted to the blue brand. Similarly, Kevin Owens may be assured of staying on Friday nights since he has a budding partnership with Night 1 SmackDown pick Randy Orton. Will Triple H and Co. pull off a swerve with these picks? The WWE Universe will have to wait and see!
#1: Night 2 could spoil a huge WWE Backlash title match
Bianca Belair was the first overall pick of the 2024 WWE Draft. The EST was drafted to SmackDown, later making an appearance to confront The Kabuki Warriors together with tag team partner Jade Cargill. During this segment, it was announced that Belair and Cargill would challenge Asuka and Kairi Sane for the Women's Tag Team Titles at Backlash.
Belair has already been drafted, but Cargill, Asuka, and Sane are in the pool for Night 2. Depending on where the latter three Superstars land, fans could have a pretty good idea of the result in Lyon come Saturday. The Storm being drafted to RAW could mean that the champions will retain, allowing her to continue as a singles star on the red brand.
On the other hand, drafting her to SmackDown could spell doom for Asuka and Sane's prospects of retaining. These three picks will be ones to watch very closely ahead of Backlash in France.