WWE released the following video explaining the rules for this year’s Draft, which will get started on tonight’s (Oct. 1, 2021) episode of Friday Night SmackDown and conclude on Monday Night Raw next week:
.@MeganMorantWWE breaks down the rules for the #WWEDraft which begins TONIGHT on #SmackDown!
— WWE (@WWE) October 1, 2021
8/7c @FOXTV pic.twitter.com/HhwyGJb3Tq
What is made clear in the video:
- Half of the roster is eligible to be drafted tonight, the other half will be drafted next week
- Anyone who isn’t drafted will become a free agent who is eligible to sign with either brand
- The changes won’t go into effect until Oct. 22, which is just one night after Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia
That means both brands will maintain the rosters they have at the moment for the next three weeks, giving both time to wrap up storylines, such as the SmackDown women’s title picture, Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar’s battle over the Universal championship, The New Day and The Hurt Business’s beef on Raw, and so on and so forth.
That does raise the question of why they didn’t just wait and do the draft on Oct. 22, but, hey, it’s WWE.
See you tonight!