5 times WWE Superstars snapped on draft night
Even though WWE Superstars put their lives on the line night in and night out, many don't consider it a real sport, given the scripted nature of pro-wrestling. However, the wrestling behemoth does everything possible to present its product as a true sport to the fans. This includes a superstar draft similar to the NFL players' draft.
Over the years, we have seen how a superstar being drafted to a different brand can kick-off their climb to the top. In many cases, a brand change had led to a performer's career going on a downward spiral, before they were eventually wished well in their future endavours.
Thus, it is understandable for superstars to be tensed (at least in kayfabe) during draft nights. Whether a superstar doesn’t approve of their selection or they don’t like the circumstances surrounding it, picks have often led wrestlers to lose their cool. Here are five of the best examples of that.
#5 Bobby Lashley (2007)
Love the way Bobby Lashley is presented on RAW. They gotta do him vs Roman at some point again. https://t.co/1PCL6uJBVz
Bobby Lashley is currently one of the biggest babyfaces on RAW, winning the United States Championship for a third time when he defeated Theory at 2022's Money in the Bank premium live event. However, this isn't Lashley's first run with the company. The All Mighty had a three-year stint in WWE from 2005 to 2008, which saw him win the ECW Championship twice, the second of which came just before the 2007 WWE Draft.
During the draft, Lashley was drafted to RAW from ECW, which meant he had to give up his ECW Championship. The move didn’t sit well with the athletic fighter, and it led to a feud with John Cena over the WWE Championship.
#4 Dudley Boyz (2002)
Where do you rank The Dudley Boyz among the all-time great tag teams? https://t.co/VEDIMJpa6D
One of the draft's more illogical facets is how teams and stables are handled. In some cases, they’re allowed to be drafted as a unit, but at other times, they’re mixed in as individuals, even though that doesn’t make much sense.
In the initial draft in 2002, that arrangement broke up one of the most decorated tag teams in pro wrestling history, The Dudley Boyz. After Ric Flair drafted Bubba Ray to the RAW roster, Vince McMahon drafted D’Von to SmackDown. The camera in the locker room showed the two legends being extremely upset about the decision.
#3 The Miz (2009)
GRAND SLAM M-I-Z
@mikethemiz https://t.co/zITthqz7oa
Of course, when a member of a tag team gets drafted to a different roster, that could be viewed as an opportunity to establish a superstar as a singles competitor. The Miz got the chance when he was drafted from ECW to RAW during the 2009 draft.
The pick was announced as Miz and Morrison were together in the ring, having just had an emotional moment following a loss for The A-Lister. Once he was headed to a different roster, though, The Miz turned on Morrison with a vicious attack to show just where he stood.
#2 The Undertaker (WWE Draft - 2002)
Undertaker was HEATED after he got drafted to Raw.
WWE held its first ever draft 18 years ago today.
(via @WWENetwork)
https://t.co/8jkBhZFmPx
The 2002 draft marked the first time ever that talent would be split into two rosters, with just a few superstars ineligible to be drafted. That made the early picks some of the biggest moves in wrestling history, with The Rock joining SmackDown as #1 pick overall.
As Ric Flair, then co-owner of WWE and in charge of RAW, was in a feud with The Undertaker, Vince McMahon assumed that The Nature Boy would not draft The Prince of Darkness as his first pick. That turned out to be false, and Taker was furious that he had been drafted to Flair’s side of the company.
#1 Paul Heyman (2004)
Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff's final pick in the annual WWE Draft back in 2004 would be SmackDown General Manager Paul Heyman.true to form,Heyman refused to go to Raw and promptly "quit" with Kurt Angle replacing Heyman as SmackDown GM https://t.co/FM4184UzQJ
The 2004 version of the WWE draft saw Eric Bischoff serve as the general manager of RAW and Paul Heyman leading SmackDown as the blue brand's general manager. The two stood on the stage and randomly drew talent names from machines, with everyone in the company eligible to be picked.
That included Heyman himself, and when he got drafted to RAW, he was so angry that he walked out and quit the company (in kayfabe).
That’s probably the maddest anyone has ever gotten over moving to the flagship show.