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Another WWE Draft is upon us as Vince McMahon & Co. look to shuffle things up, starting from this week's episode of Friday Night SmackDown. It will be a two-night affair, extending to next week's Monday Night RAW.
nother WWE Draft is upon us as Vince McMahon & Co. look to shuffle things up, starting from this week's episode of Friday Night SmackDown. It will be a two-night affair, extending to next week's Monday Night RAW.
As of now, only the RAW and SmackDown roster will be involved in the shake-up, despite WWE putting out a tweet indicating NXT's involvement. It was immediately removed though, and later clarified as an error from the company's social media team.
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This untimely draft effectively means we will have a shaken up card leading into Survivor Series. As we find out which Superstars will be on the move this Friday, here are the top five names who have been on the same brand since the 2016 edition:
#5 Daniel Bryan (WWE SmackDown)
Five-time World Champion Daniel Bryan has been part of the blue brand since 2016. "The Master of the Yes Movement" retired from professional wrestling in February 2016, owing to medical issues arising from multiple concussions.
Following the return of brand extension that July, Bryan returned to regular TV programming as SmackDown General Manager. Under him and then-SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon, the blue brand flourished, consistency producing superior shows.
After a two-year hiatus, Bryan was cleared to compete and made his in-ring return at Wrestlemania 34 in 2018, partnering Shane against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. He would then go on to last a record-breaking 76 minutes at the Greatest Royal Rumble after entering first.
After a brief Team Hell No reunion, he moved onto an amazing feud with long-time rival The Miz. He low-blowed AJ Styles en route to his fourth WWE Championship win, commencing his incredible heel run. The "Planet's Champion" would finally drop his belt after 145-days to Kofi Kingston at 'Mania 35.
After that stunning feud, he was part of various storylines, feuding with the likes of Roman Reigns and "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt. Bryan was last seen in an alliance with Drew Gulak and hasn't been on TV since the June 12th episode of SmackDown. It featured his loss to AJ Styles in the final of the WWE Intercontinental Championship tournament.
#4 Carmella (WWE SmackDown)
The inaugural Ms. Money in the Bank has been a regular fixture on SmackDown after being drafted to the blue brand as part of the 2016 WWE Draft. After turning heel, she joined hands with James Ellsworth, who would go onto obtain the Money in the Bank briefcase and drop it to her for the win.
After 287 days and several unsuccessful attempts, "The Princess of Staten Island" would finally cash in her briefcase on Charlotte Flair to win the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship. She dropped her title at SummerSlam 2018 in a Triple Threat bout featuring Charlotte and Becky Lynch, after the former pinned the latter.
She turned face after establishing a friendship with R-Truth and the duo called themselves "The Fabulous Truth". She herself would win the WWE 24/7 Championship twice, before WWE abruptly ended the alliance by drafting Truth to RAW in October 2019.
After teasing plenty of vignettes, WWE has rebranded Carmella with a new persona, drawing comparisons to Emmalina. As speculation goes, she could be donning red after nearly four years on SmackDown.
#3 Titus O'Neil (WWE RAW)
Titus O'Neil was drafted to RAW on July 19th during the 2016 WWE Draft. Initially, he began a slow heel turn and later went on a losing streak after adopting a new gimmick, "The Titus Brand". With the addition of Apollo Crews and Cruiserweight star Akira Tozawa, he turned face and renamed the group as "Titus Worldwide". Dana Brooke was then recruited in November 2017 to complete the group.
Titus would become an internet sensation after he famously tripped and slid underneath the ring during his entrance at the Greatest Royal Rumble. Titus Worldwide was disbanded in early September and he then performed as a singles competitor. He was the inaugural holder of the WWE 24/7 Championship, but was pinned by Robert Roode barely a single minute into his reign. He has rarely been on WWE TV recently.
#2 Nia Jax (WWE RAW)
Like the other female on this list, Nia Jax was also instantly drafted from NXT to the main roster during the 2016 WWE Draft. Jax was booked as a strong and dominant force from the word go on RAW, and had a winning streak to boast.
Jax would eventually turn face after being body-shamed and betrayed by her best pal Alexa Bliss. This feud led to a WrestleMania bout between the two and Jax tasted gold for the first time in her career, pinning Bliss for the WWE RAW Women's Championship.
Jax's villainous side returned during her feud with Ronda Rousey in 2018. She dropped her title at Money in the Bank that year after Bliss cashed in her briefcase she won earlier on the night. Jax was then sidelined for numerous months after battling with multiple injuries. After her return, she was blowing hot and cold until recently capturing the WWE Women's Tag Team titles with rival-turned-partner Shayna Baszler at Payback this year.
#1 Seth Rollins (WWE RAW)
Seth Rollins is a name that has been synonymous with RAW for over half a decade. "The Architect" was RAW's first pick in the 2016 Draft and participated in the inaugural WWE Universal Championship match against Finn Balor at SummerSlam 2016, in a losing effort.
After Balor relinquished his title on the following RAW due to a legit shoulder injury sustained during the bout, WWE delivered as an unforgettable swerve. Triple H betrayed Rollins during the four-way elimination match for the vacant title, leading to Kevin Owen's coronation. Rollins ultimately turned face during late 2016 and after an entertaining build, his feud with Triple H concluded at Wrestlemania 33 in a non-sanctioned match.
Rollins embraced the "King Slayer" moniker after defeating "The Game" at 'Mania and would then reform the Shield at RAW with former stable-mate Dean Ambrose. He had his historical one-hour gauntlet match performance on the 19th February, 2018 episode of RAW and capped off the period with an WWE Intercontinental title win at 'Mania 34.
Seth would go onto have incredible matches night after night in his "Monday Night Rollins" run, wrestling some absolute belters, especially against Dolph Ziggler. His solid in-ring work was rewarded with a Royal Rumble win in 2019, followed by a well-deserved victory over Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 35 for his first Universal title. He would go on to beat "The Beast" a second time in the same year to cement his status as the "Beast Slayer".
Rollins was forced to revert to a heel after fans turned on him and has excelled in his "Monday Night Messiah" role ever since.
