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.

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#5 Kevin Owens (WWE Draft 2019)

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.

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.

#4 Sheamus (WWE Draft 2016)

Seven months after losing the WWE Championship to Roman Reigns, Sheamus was drafted as the 30th overall pick by RAW in the 2016 WWE Draft.

Had the Irishman been picked one spot lower, his draft position would have been revealed on the WWE Network instead of live television.

In 2021, Sheamus opened up about his genuine frustrations with his 2016 draft placing. He said in a WWE 24 documentary that he did not enjoy his job at the time and he was ready to quit.

“I’m thinking to myself like, ‘How have I gone from ‘The Guy’ to the last pick of the draft?’ I was like, ‘This is a serious fall from grace.’ I was so angry, man, I was ready… I kind of felt like ready to walk [out]. I really did. I felt like, ‘What am I doing? I’m not enjoying this anymore,’” Sheamus said.

Fortunately, Sheamus’ fortunes turned around shortly after the 2016 draft. He formed a successful tag team with Cesaro, known as The Bar, and they went on to become five-time Tag Team Champions.

Sheamus added that his partnership with Cesaro was a “big turning point” in his career. He said the Swiss star “became a brother” and helped him enjoy his role in WWE again.

#3 AJ Styles (WWE Draft 2016)

In 2020, WWE released a WWE Day Of episode which showed footage from the backstage area on the day of the 2016 Draft.

Heading into the draft, AJ Styles formed a three-month alliance with his former Bullet Club colleagues Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows. Known in WWE as The Club, the group split up in the draft when Gallows and Anderson joined RAW and Styles moved to SmackDown.

Backstage footage showed the exact moment that Styles was informed he was no longer going to be associated with his friends on WWE television.

“Did you just hear that? I just heard that. My boys… hey, hey hey... Wait, wait, wait, what? You’re kidding me? You’re freaking kidding me? I cannot believe… [shakes head]. Another first right there. There you have it. Looks like I’m on my own. That’s alright, I’ve been there before,” Styles said.

Two months after the draft, Styles defeated Dean Ambrose at Backlash 2016 to win the WWE Championship for the first time. Gallows and Anderson also achieved success on RAW, winning the RAW Tag Team Championship at the 2017 Royal Rumble.

#2 Seth Rollins (WWE Draft 2020)

Seth Rollins was drafted as the fourth overall pick by SmackDown on the first night of the 2020 WWE Draft. Later in the night, Dominik and Rey Mysterio also moved from RAW to SmackDown as the 14th overall pick.

Rollins, whose lengthy feud with the Mysterios looked like it had already ended, appeared on WWE show The Bump after the draft changes were confirmed.

The former Shield member pressed his hand against his face and grimaced when asked about the prospect of continuing his rivalry with the Mysterios. He then made it clear that he was ready to move on from Dominik and Rey.

“Yeah, you know, I was hoping that SmackDown would be a fresh start for me, but they [the Mysterios] don’t seem to feel that way... So I guess we’re gonna have to finish that unfinished business before I move on to whatever the next chapter - or the first chapter - as The Savior of SmackDown will be,” Rollins said. [H/T Cageside Seats]

Daniel Bryan moved to SmackDown as the seventh overall pick on the second night of the draft. WWE planted the seeds for a possible Bryan vs. Rollins feud after the roster changes, but a one-on-one match between the two men never materialized.

#1 Charlotte Flair (WWE Draft 2016)

Charlotte Flair was selected by RAW as the third overall pick in the 2016 WWE Draft. Meanwhile, her real-life best friend Becky Lynch became a member of the SmackDown roster after being drafted as the 14th pick.

Like AJ Styles, Flair’s reaction to the roster changes was captured by the cameras for a WWE Day Of episode.

A tearful Flair described Lynch as her “rock” and admitted she was going to miss traveling with her on the road.

“She’s kind of been my rock this whole year. She got close to me and my dad. The three of us would travel together. So when you’re having a bad day, you just wanna get in the car and travel. So knowing I’m not gonna have my rock there, it’s gonna be different,” Flair said.

Flair also said she expected “big things” for Lynch on SmackDown after she was chosen as the brand’s top female superstar in the draft.

Needless to say, “big things” turned out to be an understatement. Not only did Lynch win the SmackDown Women’s Championship, but she went on to become one of the most popular babyfaces of the last decade.

In 2019, Lynch defeated Flair and Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania 35 to win the RAW and SmackDown Women’s Championships. The historic match was the first women’s main event in WrestleMania history.