The WWE Draft is just around the corner. Since the Draft is taking place after WrestleMania 39, fans can expect to see new rivalries and interactions. The Brand Split will also enable the promotion to introduce new faces to either Raw or SmackDown from its development territory. WWE recently advertised that The Draft 2023 will begin one week from Friday on SmackDown and continue for two weeks on Raw. That said, let’s look back on when WWE organized its first-ever Draft and who was the first superstar to be drafted.
The first-ever WWE Draft was known as the Draft Lottery, in 2002 on March 25. At the time, the roster was replete with a plethora of talented wrestlers. With WCW’s acquisition, Vince McMahon introduced the brand split to be able to accommodate talents from WCW and ECW. While McMahon was in charge of SmackDown, the kayfabe co-owner Ric Flair ran Monday Night Raw.
Who was the first ever WWE superstar to get drafted?
The first-ever WWE superstar to get drafted was none other than “The Great One”, The Rock. The front-runner of The Attitude Era was drafted to SmackDown. Up until the first edition of the Draft, WWE had one Creative team.
However, Vince McMahon with the brand extension, McMahon made room for another Creative team. After a sabbatical, The People’s Champ made his first appearance on SmackDown in June.
He became the number-one contender for the WWE Undisputed Championship. The Brahma Bull made history by winning the WWE Championship for the seventh time after defeating then-Champion The Undertaker and Kurt Angle in a Triple-Threat match at Vengeance.
Although SmackDown was the B-show, The Rock’s addition reinvigorated the blue brand. Since The Rock was the hottest pick of the Draft lottery in 2002, Vince McMahon made his counterpart immune to the draft pick to prevent a conflict of egos.
Stone Cold Steve Austin was immune to the WWE brand extension in 2002
Without a doubt, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin were two of the most influential stars in WWE during the Attitude Era. It is hard to choose between the two, as they have their place as the greatest of all time in WWE. According to TheSportster, McMahon protected Stone Cold’s ego by making him immune to the Draft Lottery.
Austin had the option to choose one of the brands. On April 1st, Austin signed with Raw and dished out stunners to Vince McMahon and Ric Flair.
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