A panel with host Renee Young features a stunning cast of John Bradshaw Layfield, Booker T, and Lita. Before the action, these three give opinions on the WWE Draft tonight, as well as their experiences. Before action begins, a video package is shown of several superstars voicing their opinions about the WWE Draft and the company's brand extension. Then as the panelists give their final thoughts about what brand they would rather be on and who they think is the first overall pick...
JBL - SmackDown, Seth Rollins
Booker T - Raw, Bray Wyatt
Lita - Raw, Sami Zayn
We go to the main stage where Mr. McMahon gives a passionate speech before introducing the representatives of both brands, Mick Foley for Raw and The Rock for SmackDown. Vince briefly goes over the rules, making sure both understand them. Vince lets the official behind him step forward to initiate the coin toss, allowing The Rock to call it, and it goes to The Rock. SmackDown has the first choice, in what is sure to be a heck of a night! The two go to their respective podiums on the stage as Vince McMahon sits at the seat in the middle, waiting for The Rock to decide the first pick.
For the first overall pick, The Rock said he is going with the most impressive superstar in WWE's recent memory, the man who held the WWE World Heavyweight Championship for 546 days,
Seth Rollins.
Mick Foley counted, and with Raw's first pick, made it clear he wants to have a shot at bringing the WWE World Heavyweight Championship to Raw, and therefore selects
Bray Wyatt.
The Rock told Foley he figured that is where he'd go, so he already has his pick in mind. The Rock rapidly chose "The Viper"
Randy Orton.
Mick Foley suggested The Rock left one of the better superstars on the board, and was fortunate to get him with the fourth overall pick,
Cesaro.
The Rock took a closer look at the roster, and decided to take someone he was very impressed with at WrestleMania, the man who beat The Undertaker,
Finn Balor.
Mick Foley commended The Rock on a great pick, and wished Balor nothing but the best. Foley decided to end this round with securing a veteran for its roster,
John Cena.
A short break was taken while the two representatives regrouped and checked their Big Board. Seth Rollins was brought to the panel and was congratulated for being selected #1 overall. Rollins feels appreciated with the confidence in The Rock to take him over anyone else in the world and promises to bring his WWE World Heavyweight Championship back in eight nights at Rage in the Cage.
We then resume with "Round 2" and Mick Foley will pick first this round for Monday Night Raw.
Mick Foley said he was shocked when this guy wasn't taken in the first six picks, but seventh overall is
Sami Zayn.
The Rock brought up his latest pick in Finn Balor, and he wants to have the man who originally conquered The Streak, that man being
Brock Lesnar.
Mick Foley decided to pick the next champion off the board, one-half of the current WWE Tag Team Champions,
Roman Reigns. This pick keeps The Rock from selecting partner Dean Ambrose with the next pick, giving Raw a chance to reunite the champions.
The Rock shakes his head at Foley taking blood from him, while he looks and finds himself a champion, the current Intercontinental Champion
Luke Harper.
Mick Foley, with the option of taking the other half of the tag team champions, says he feels forced to take the reigning United States Champion
Kevin Owens.
The Rock is proud of his recent picks, getting Brock Lesnar, getting the Intercontinental Champion, and being able to get
Dean Ambrose with his next pick, one-half of the WWE Tag Team Champions.
Another short break was taken and the panel discussed The Rock's "low blow" to Mick Foley having him choose between Dean Ambrose and having a champion for your mid-card, Kevin Owens. JBL thought the idea was genius, but the others felt it was dirty, while Lita added it had to be done.
Then Round 3 begins with The Rock starting things off again.
The Rock said he wished to keep the momentum going by selecting
Braun Strowman with his pick, calling Strowman the best big man in the business today.
Mick Foley decided to pluck the first diva off the draft board, picking
Charlotte with his first 3rd-round pick.
The Rock struggled with this pick and says he really wants to assure the Divas Championship on his brand, but feels Nikki Bella is towards the end of her career and instead wants the future of women's wrestling to be solidified on his brand, taking
Sasha Banks instead.
Mick Foley could not resist but assure the Divas Championship be on Raw, no matter the results at Rage in the Cage, taking
Nikki Bella.
The Rock swung the draft away from the divas with this pick, taking the Son of a Plumber's Son,
Cody Rhodes.
Mick Foley said a quick tribute to the late Dusty Rhodes after the pick by The Rock, and brought
Samoa Joe to Raw.
We took another short break between rounds, as the panel welcomed on Dean Ambrose for a short interview after playing a video from backstage where Reigns and Ambrose had a touching moment after Ambrose was drafted to SmackDown, who wasn't too pleased about being separated from Roman Reigns, but the two will find a way to hold onto the WWE Tag Team Champions being on two separate shows.
Round 4 began for Raw and SmackDown, as we get the 19th overall pick from Raw.
Mick Foley said he knew the perfect person to take, the young and promising
Neville.
The Rock spoke briefly on Raw's last two picks, both being former NXT Champions, and why go for the former when he can have the current reigning and defending? The Rock took the first current NXT superstar off the board with drafting
Shinsuke Nakamura.
Mick Foley was stunned by the move, shaken, and ended up taking
Rusev with his turn.
The Rock was feeling it from the last pick and decided to take the second name from NXT, and the first of his cousins,
Nia Jax.
Mick Foley decided to grab one member of the Vaudevillians
Simon. With this pick, it prevents Aiden from being drafted to SmackDown until Raw's next turn, that comes in the 5th round.
The Rock sees where things are going, and elects to take
Bubba Ray Dudley at this time. With this pick, it returns the favor and allows SmackDown a chance at D-Von Dudley.
In this short break, Charlotte is asked from the panel about being the first diva selected in the draft, in which she felt deserving of that honor. Charlotte's then asked about Mick Foley's strategy to draft Nikki Bella in case Nikki were to retain her championship at Rage in the Cage. Charlotte was offended by the thought Nikki would walk out with the championship, promising every WWE Network subscriber she would make Nikki Bella tap.
We begin Round 5 with The Rock on the clock for SmackDown.
The Rock decides to take advantage of the stall, getting
D-Von Dudley to SmackDown with Bubba Ray.
Mick Foley says he's taking a risk and wants
Alberto Del Rio with his next pick, despite Aiden of The Vaudevillians still being on the board.
The Rock opts not to select Aiden, but takes
Sheamus instead.
Mick Foley finally reunited The Vaudevillians with his latest pick
Aiden.
The Rock's final pick in the round comes with another former WWE Champion,
The Miz.
Mick Foley chooses to end the round on a diva, his selection being
Paige.
In the short break between rounds, we see the WWE World Heavyweight Champion Bray Wyatt interrupt the panel's talk on the 3 tag teams selected that could end up WWE Tag Team Champions. With The Vaudevillians securing a win for Raw, the Dudley Boyz securing a win for SmackDown, and Ambrose and Reigns retaining at Rage in the Cage would have a tag champion on both shows. Bray Wyatt came into the mix and called the draft a travesty because of Braun Strowman and Luke Harper drafted away from him, demanding as the world champion the draft be deemed insufficient. When Renee Young brought up that Erick Rowan is still on the board, this just sent the world champion off.
Round 6 is here with Mick Foley on the board first for Raw.
Mick Foley says he is picking the most promising of The New Day,
Big E to his brand.
The Rock notices with the Wyatt Family being a trio, this allows for other New Day members to be selected, and he uses it on
Kofi Kingston.
Mick Foley takes a close look to make sure his eyes aren't playing a trick on him, seeing that a veteran and former WWE Champion is still on the board, taking
Jeff Hardy.
The Rock lets Foley know the respect he has for Jeff Hardy, but there is a much younger former world champion left that has a lot of mileage to go, and is spending it on
Dolph Ziggler.
Mick Foley elects to use his final round pick on
Jimmy Uso, preventing The Rock from picking his brother Jey until Raw's next chance.
The Rock decides to close Round 6 out the same way Mick Foley closed the last round out, with a diva, selecting
Becky Lynch.
The short little break had the panel bring on The New Day, with Big E being drafted to Raw and Kofi Kingston being drafted to SmackDown, signaling the end of the energetic trio. The two desired to be together, but the power of positivity will bond them together no matter how far apart. Xavier Woods then took that time to voice his discontentment with the draft and the new era, and he doesn't want to be apart of, shouting he is removing himself from the WWE Draft's board altogether before storming off set, a move that Big E nor Kofi Kingston nor the panel saw coming. When The Rock and Mick Foley were informed, they were both shocked and disappointed.
Either way, The Rock gets the round started with a SmackDown pick.
The Rock chooses to begin Round 7 with a promising big man, such as
Colin Cassady. The Rock expressed his interest in seeing Colin Cassady and Braun Strowman lead the way for men their size. This also prevents Foley from selecting Enzo Amore with Raw's next pick.
Mick Foley commended The Rock for the move, and decides he'll go ahead and pick the other brother,
Jey Uso.
The Rock is on the clock once again, and instead of taking Colin Cassady, elects to draft "The Big Guy" himself,
Ryback.
Mick Foley is torn whether to draft Enzo Amore or not, but elects to reunite the Bella Twins instead, taking
Brie Bella.
The Rock ends SmackDown's picks in the round with a selection from NXT, "The Perfect 10"
Tye Dillinger.
Mick Foley laughed at Rock's recent pick, wishing him luck with Tye Dillinger, because he's a nutcase for someone, who Foley thinks, isn't one of the better talents. Mick then takes one of the more promising divas in NXT,
Bayley.
With 7 rounds and 42 overall picks in the books, the panel discusses some of the more shocking people still left on the board, in which they all shake their heads as to why Daniel Bryan is not taken off the board. They speculate it has to deal with his past of neck and shoulder injuries. Other names included were Natalya, a seasoned veteran in the divas division, and also Enzo Amore, with his partner Colin Cassady selected and both Raw and SmackDown passing up on the opportunity to draft Enzo.
Besting the NFL, the WWE goes to Round 8 with Mick Foley on the clock.
Mick Foley says he is going to be the first to pull from the unemployment line, and his pick is uniting a legendary tag team. Foley takes
Matt Hardy, shocking us all!
The Rock is stunned by the pick and says he needs to solidify his tag team division, and he works well with Colin Cassady, so takes
Enzo Amore off the board.
Mick Foley feels he missed out on Finn Balor and was hoping to get him in the 2nd round, but won't pass on his best friend,
Hideo Itami.
The Rock chooses to draft someone who will be a veteran presence in the locker room, particularly with the divas, ending the wait of
Natalya.
Mick Foley elects to end this round for Raw with a bang and gets a current NXT superstar, former champion in his own right,
Tyler Breeze.
The Rock applauds the pick and feels Breeze was a sleeper this draft. The Rock says if he's going down to NXT, he'd rather have someone proven on this stage to get over with the fans, and takes
Zack Ryder with this pick.
Round 8 concluded and the panel welcomed Sasha Banks, the first diva drafted by SmackDown tonight. Banks said what it meant to her to be the diva to take SmackDown to new heights and by the end of it all, wants to be remembered as the best diva ever. She's asked about the Divas Championship confirmed to be of Raw property, but Sasha says it won't matter, because the divas on Raw can't make the title, while she and the rest of the divas roster on SmackDown will demand everyone's attention. Then Emma, who has yet to be drafted, comes to the panel and threatens Sasha Banks, calling Banks a fraud. Emma says she better hope she's not drafted to SmackDown, or she'll make her life miserable.
Beginning with Round 9 is The Rock and SmackDown!
The Rock decides to use this pick on solidifying his divas locker room with someone who he feels is just waiting to break through, and that is
Emma.
Mick Foley takes his first opportunity in Round 9 to draft
Kalisto, whom Foley feels can be the next great luchador in WWE.
The Rock approves of Mick Foley's pick, then says The Dudley Boyz will win at Rage in the Cage, so he'll draft
Konnor with this pick.
Mick Foley says he feels bad for this guy with his bad luck of injuries over last few years, and feels when healthy he is the best in the world. Foley ends the drought and takes
Daniel Bryan, perhaps the biggest steal in Round 9.
The Rock says he loved Bryan but didn't want to risk injuries. The Rock selects
Viktor with his final Round 9 choice.
Mick Foley gets to close the round out, and gets
Chris Masters off the board, a recent WWE superstar to return.
This time in between rounds, the panel welcomes Raw superstar Jeff Hardy on set and asks about the biggest surprise of the draft, Matt Hardy being drafted to Raw. Jeff explains when he heard about the draft and that anyone was available, he talked to Mick Foley, Vince, and got their approval. Jeff then asked his brother about it and ended up convincing him to come back. They asked what Matt had been up to, and Jeff brought up that Matt was in North Carolina, working the independent circuit, and raising his family. They asked if the Hardy Boyz were back in business and ready to claim championship gold, in which Jeff said only time will tell, but he's glad he'll see his brother every Monday night.
We get into Round 10 with still a few good ones left to be taken off the board.
Mick Foley began the round and decided to take someone he's banking on turning his career around,
Joe Hennig.
The Rock admitted he lost out on the Divas Championship coming to SmackDown, but he can prevent as many divas going to Raw as possible, with the selection of
Naomi.
Mick Foley admitted to wanting a guy in this draft, but had to take the final main roster diva on the board, which was
Tamina.
The Rock gladly took the final member of the Wyatt Family from the board,
Erick Rowan.
Mick Foley nearly jumped out of his seat, quickly selecting
Titus O'Neil, explaining he is the real powerhouse of the next generation.
The Rock closed out Round 10 with someone he feels can be a veteran presence in the locker room as well,
R-Truth.
After Round 10, there is little left in this draft. Only eight slots remain and the final two rounds will give the representatives four picks each. Renee Young reminds everyone watching at home on the WWE Network the representatives can pull at anytime when they're satisfied with their rosters.
The Rock starts us out with Round 11, the first round that will hold eight total draft picks.
The Rock decided to begin Round 11 in the first of his four available picks with a monster in his own right,
Kane.
Mick Foley mentions Kane getting up there in age before taking
Taylor W. Rotunda with his own selection.
The Rock decided to take the boyfriend of his earlier draft pick, Emma, with bringing
Kaval to SmackDown.
Mick Foley opted to use the World's Largest Athlete this round with
Big Show.
The Rock went outside the WWE and into its alumni section for
Curt Hawkins.
Mick Foley chose to use a card The Rock did when he drafted from the alumni section, this being a former Divas Champion and only at 29 years old, drafts
Kelly Kelly.
The Rock was stunned at Mick Foley's pick, only because he had thought the same way to go with a blast from the past for a diva, selecting
Maria Kanellis.
Mick Foley had the honor of closing out Round 11, taking the 4th straight from WWE's alumni section,
Tomko.
Round 11 concluded and Renee Young confirmed guests scheduled to come on the panel after the draft, that included Raw's John Cena, Sami Zayn, and Daniel Bryan. From SmackDown, confirmed to appear on the panel was SmackDown's Randy Orton, Finn Balor, and Tye Dillinger. Renee asked the panel of legends who had the better draft a round early, and who was the best pick outside the 1st round for each show...
JBL - SmackDown, Shinsuke Nakamura
Booker T - Raw, Cesaro
Lita - Raw, Sami Zayn
The final round, Round 12, begins with Mick Foley and the maximum amount of picks for each brand is 4, though they can pull out anytime once they're content.
Mick Foley kicked the final round off with reluctantly taking the "annoying veteran",
Christian, suggesting Christian may surprise and show he's got some more left in the tank.
The Rock decided to take a key member of the former Nexus faction with his next pick,
Justin Gabriel.
Mick Foley used his pick on NXT diva
Dana Brooke. With this pick, Mick Foley has officially concluded he won't draft anyone else.
The Rock took advantage and drafted
Blake, a former NXT Tag Team Champion.
With Foley pulling out, The Rock used his next pick on
Murphy, Blake's tag team partner.
The Rock then decided to pull out himself, satisfied with his roster and his draft night ending on the 2-time NXT Tag Team Champions. The 2016 WWE Draft has come to an end and the brand split is finalized.
The panel of Renee Young, Booker T, John Bradshaw Layfield, and Lita stayed on the WWE Network to interview some of the draft picks. Here is what they had to say, respectively...
SmackDown's Randy Orton (selected 3rd overall)
Randy Orton was asked about being taken 3rd overall at 36 years old, and feels he's kept himself in good enough shape to be in the WWE for another ten years. Booker T didn't believe him, but Orton swore it was the truth. Orton was told his match with Kevin Owens at Rage in the Cage for the United States Championship has now become interpromotional, meaning the result determines where the United States Championship lands. Orton says he was going to leave Rage in the Cage with the championship around his waist anyway because he's tired of Kevin Owens, but this means he won't have to deal with Kevin Owens after October 30th and promises he'll bring the United States Championship to the blue brand and will be a respectful champion.
SmackDown's Finn Balor (selected 5th overall)
Finn Balor's discussion centered around being a first round pick with the likes of Seth Rollins, Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton, Cesaro, and even being selected before John Cena. Balor said all the guys have played big roles in WrestleMania, and most have been world champion, that he and Cesaro are the only ones to not grasp that. Balor says he feels he and Cesaro can both achieve that feat and be the faces of WWE, but it depends heavily on who wins the Valley of Shadows Deathmatch between Raw's Bray Wyatt and SmackDown's Seth Rollins. Finn Balor was asked about being split up from Hideo Itami, and Balor said the two entered the draft with no tag team rule, because they wanted to be their own separate persons. Balor wished Itami the best of luck on Raw, and told everyone to look out for Itami on the scene.
Raw's John Cena (selected 6th overall)
John Cena's discussion which the panel was much like Randy Orton. Being a first round pick with his better years behind him, and being 39 years old. Cena was told about Orton's ten year comment, and Cena laughed saying he won't be here that long. Cena feels he has enough in the tank for a few more years and definitely wants his sixteenth world championship. When Cena was asked about if he'd then be rooting for Bray Wyatt, Cena said he doesn't like Bray or Seth personally, but he's pulling for the guy who best helps his own career, and that means the championship come to Raw. Cena is in the same position as Randy, about bringing the Intercontinental Championship to Raw if he can beat Luke Harper at Rage in the Cage. Cena only responded that his goal was to take a championship of a Wyatt by the end of the year, and that is what he plans to do.
Raw's Sami Zayn (selected 7th overall)
Sami Zayn was asked about being a 2nd-round pick, rather than a first, but Zayn shook it off, calling Mick Foley smart for using the snake rule to draft both him and John Cena. Sami Zayn was asked about the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match with Bray Wyatt and Seth Rollins, when Zayn outright said he was rooting for Bray Wyatt. Zayn made it clear he didn't like Bray, but it's about being the best, and he wants Raw to have the number one prize in the WWE and he'd be glad to take the championship off Bray Wyatt. When told he's on the same brand as his bitter rival United States Champion Kevin Owens, Zayn laughed and said he's rooting for Kevin a week from tomorrow too. Zayn was asked about challenging for the United States Championship, in which Zayn told everyone he's going after the biggest prize on Raw the night after Rage in the Cage, whatever that may be. Zayn was then reminded he has a match with Dolph Ziggler at Rage in the Cage, and as of a result of tonight, it's now an interpromotional showdown. Zayn then realizes this match with Ziggler will need to last an eternity if it's the only time they compete in the ring together, and he'll make sure it has an everlasting impact on Dolph Ziggler.
SmackDown's Tye Dillinger (selected 41st overall)
Tye Dillinger came on as someone who was drafted out of NXT's system. Tye Dillinger was asked about this moment, saying his dream has been set into motion as a reality. Dillinger says his dream is to one day main event WrestleMania, feeling he can now achieve that goal now he's on SmackDown. Booker T asked Tye Dillinger about turning down an opportunity by Mick Foley last month for NXT, in which Dillinger admits he made a mistake and takes responsibility from it, but says Mick Foley should have been understanding enough to give him a second chance. Booker T and Tye Dillinger got into a heated argument and Renee Young had to settle things down, as Dillinger had said the wrong thing to Booker T, who had to scratch and claw for every opportunity. Renee Young digresses and lets Tye Dillinger off the panel.
Raw's Daniel Bryan (selected 52nd overall)
Daniel Bryan was welcomed onto the panel and the first question that was asked was about his long wait, 52nd overall, and if there were any career-threatening issues nobody but The Rock and Mick Foley knew about. Daniel Bryan admitted to spraining his ankle, laughing, saying it all should be fine while he avoided questions about his neck. Bryan succumbed and said he doesn't know why he was taken 52nd overall, and he admits he hasn't done that much in 2016. Bryan admitted the last championship he held was the Intercontinental Championship and had to vacate that due to an injury. Bryan says he feels fine as it pertains to his neck and says at 35 years old, he can still go with the best of them. When asked if he thinks his draft status will put him lower on the card, Bryan said he got off the phone with Mick Foley and Foley admitted to wanting to use him and thinks he got a steal in the draft, which Bryan certainly thinks he did. Daniel Bryan was asked by Lita who on Raw he wishes to work with, stating he'd like to wrestle for a championship, but that's a cliche answer. Bryan applauded the depth Mick Foley drafted and said he wants to work with Kevin Owens, Rusev, Samoa Joe, Hideo Itami, Cesaro, and even the returning Matt Hardy. Daniel Bryan ended with expressing his excitement for Raw and he feels he'll be at the top of the industry once again.
The panel then digresses from the interviews for a moment as they discuss the biggest surprises from this year's draft. Almost everyone expressed the shock and awe of the Matt Hardy selection at 43rd overall, ten picks after his brother Jeff Hardy was taken. There was some expressed sighs and disappointments that the Hardy Boyz didn't end up on the same brand as the Dudley Boyz, but Lita expressed hope that one day the two shows will make that dream match happen one more time. Lita was asked if she saw the Matt Hardy pick coming, in which she said she hasn't spoken to Matt in a couple years and it was out of left field. One surprise that was addressed was Tomko, saying they haven't seen him in years, so that was a shock. Lita told the Raw roster to fear because Christian wasn't dangerous in 2016 as he should have been and dealt with his own fair share of injuries, but the Christian and Tomko combination was hard to get past a decade ago, so their ring savvy and chemistry will make it hard for other wrestlers. When Booker T was asked who he thought was taken earlier than they should have, he mentioned everyone before Daniel Bryan. Booker T went into more detail by claiming names like The Vaudevillians, Tye Dillinger, Zack Ryder, Emma, as to ones he feel should have been drafted after a guy like Daniel Bryan was on the board.
The panel then welcomed SmackDown's The Rock and Raw's Mick Foley to the podium. They were first asked about the other person's rosters, while they both said the other ended up doing a really, really good job. Proposed was the question if the other messed up one pick, and Foley's immediate response was Tye Dillinger. The Rock defended Tye Dillinger as someone with a mind for the business and feels he'd succeed above guys like Taylor W. Rotunda, who hasn't shown anything since NXT and has been a proven failure at the main roster level. The Rock also took that time to say he ended up forcing Mick's hand with the divas division, and it ended up being Kelly Kelly, who was never the best to begin with. Foley returned the favor with Maria, but The Rock said she might be in the WWE offices in Connecticut one day, just like Tye Dillinger could be training the legends of tomorrow. When asked about the picks they were most pleased with, Mick Foley cited Matt Hardy in which caused social media to blow up over, while Foley expressed his excitement for Matt and Jeff being reunited. The Rock said his favorite pick was Sasha Banks, whom he thinks is the true leader of the women's revolution in wrestling and will carry that torch into the new era. When asked for their final thoughts, The Rock said he felt the draft has made the WWE interesting again, especially the upcoming show of Rage in the Cage with 6 of the 8 scheduled matches being interpromotional, and four of those having massive title implications. Foley said he wanted to make Rage in the Cage something more interesting, challenging The Rock to put Tye Dillinger in a match against one of his guys, a match for the kickoff, exclusive to the WWE Network. The Rock said he'd like to see Taylor W. Rotunda prove something, so if that's the match, they'd make it official.
The panel signed off from the WWE Network, as the draft has shaken things up again!
