WWE announces major change to Draft rules ahead of SmackDown

The Stamford-based promotion has unveiled the rules for the upcoming WWE Draft. The two-night extravaganza will kick off on SmackDown this Friday and conclude on the forthcoming edition of Monday Night RAW.

With the 2024 WWE Draft kicking off on the upcoming episode of SmackDown, the company has made one clause: champions on each brand are protected. This means The American Nightmare will be a member of the blue brand's roster as the Undisputed WWE Champion and World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest will continue to feature on RAW.

The same rule will apply for every championship on the roster except the Women's Tag Team Championship, which is eligible for the Draft. This means WWE Women's Champion Bayley, US Champion Logan Paul, and WWE Tag Team Champions Grayson Waller & Austin Theory will continue to feature on SmackDown.

Similarly, the newly crowned Women's World Champion Becky Lynch, Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn, and World Tag Team Champions The Miz and R-Truth (The Awesome Truth) will continue to represent Monday Night RAW.

According to the WWE Draft 2024 rules, 16 superstars will be drafted in four rounds this Friday night on SmackDown. The blue brand will kickstart the draft process on Friday. Similarly, RAW will be eligible to pick first on Monday. The flagship show will have six rounds, and 24 wrestlers will be eligible for the draft process.