5 WWE Superstars who were legitimately disappointed after draft decisions
The 2021 WWE Draft is due to be held on the October 1 episode of SmackDown and the October 4 episode of RAW.
WWE Drafts are usually viewed as the perfect opportunity for superstars to reinvent themselves and receive new opportunities on a different brand.
In 2020, for example, Bianca Belair hardly featured on RAW before cementing her status as a credible main-eventer on SmackDown. The likes of Nikki A.S.H. and Riddle also became prominent stars on RAW after the 2020 roster changes.
Although those superstars’ careers benefited from moving brands, the WWE Draft can often divide opinion amongst other roster members.
In this article, let’s take a look at five WWE Superstars who were legitimately disappointed after draft decisions.
#5 Kevin Owens (WWE Draft 2019)
Pick #8 for Raw is Kevin Owens
@FightOwensFight
#WWE #Raw #Smackdown #WWEDraft https://t.co/mbfK3pLT7y
On the first night of the 2019 WWE Draft, RAW selected Kevin Owens as the 13th overall pick in the third round. Superstars including Ricochet (eighth) and Lacey Evans (12th) were chosen ahead of him.
WWE’s social media accounts often post superstars’ reactions to their draft positions after RAW and SmackDown go off the air. However, Owens’ reaction was nowhere to be seen in 2019.
As the tweet below shows, the former Universal Champion “appeared to be angry” in an interview after the draft. WWE’s social media team ultimately decided not to use the footage, which has still never been posted online.
Last night, the @WWE digital team asked me for my thoughts after I was drafted to #Raw.
I gave them a very honest, heartfelt answer. They decided not to post the footage because I appeared to be angry.
I was angry. I still am.
Round 3...
Looks like I still have lots to prove.
Owens made it clear in his tweet that he still had “lots of prove” if he wanted to be selected higher in future WWE Drafts.
A year later, he moved up four places from the 13th overall pick to the ninth overall pick in the WWE Draft. Only Bayley, The Street Profits, and Daniel Bryan were chosen before him by SmackDown on the second night of the roster changes.