The 2024 WWE Draft was a bag of mixed emotions. Yes, there were some major hits such as the sports-centric presentation and NXT’s getting featured. That said, WWE let down many fans with some underwhelming moves and announcements.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the five worst moves of the 2024 WWE Draft.
The curious case of Carlito & the LWO
Santos Escobar exposed Carlito on WWE SmackDown last week. Escobar showed a security footage of Carlito attacking Dragon Lee in the build-up to WrestleMania XL. Andrade ended up replacing Lee in the tag team match.
Carlito seemingly abandoned the LWO by attacking both Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee after his cheap attack was exposed. However, RAW picked the entire LWO during the 2024 WWE Draft – apparently ignoring what went down with the group just days ago.
Did WWE writers forget to watch SmackDown or what?
Stephanie McMahon on WWE RAW
It seems Vince McMahon’s departure has opened the door for Stephanie McMahon’s permanent comeback. The former Billion Dollar Princess appeared on WWE’s flagship show to announce the picks for both RAW and SmackDown.
I would’ve preferred Stephanie McMahon on SmackDown for night one of the 2024 WWE Draft given her history as the brand’s General Manager. Also, WWE shouldn’t have used the same guest announcers for both nights of the draft.
I would’ve booked LA Knight to announce his own draft pick. JBL, Farooq, and Teddy Long shouldn’t have appeared on RAW. The Dudleyz, I think, would’ve made great announcers for the RAW’s draft episode instead of SmackDown.
Liv Morgan’s promo on the 2024 WWE Draft RAW
Liv Morgan was the last person to be eliminated by Becky Lynch in the Women’s World Championship battle royal last week on RAW. The Man kicked off the show this week only to be interrupted by Liv Morgan. The two went back and forth on the mic until Nia Jax arrived to signal her intention to face Morgan.
I don’t know if I’m in the majority or minority, but I am not a fan of Liv Morgan’s mic work. Her voice seems shaky whenever she cuts a promo. It appears WWE is trying to recreate the underdog story with Liv Morgan with the LRMT (aka Liv Morgan Revenge Tour) being an edgy version of the underdog story.
A huge opportunity missed?
RAW and SmackDown plucked some big names from NXT. Dijak, Ilja Dragunov, Carmelo Hayes, Kiana James, Blair Davenport, and Lyra Valkyria all will officially join the main roster come May 6. That said, Triple H should’ve let NXT pick from RAW and SmackDown.
Yes, NXT is a developmental brand at its core, but anything is possible in kayfabe. The Final Testament should’ve stayed on NXT instead of moving to RAW. That brings me to the final and most important (worst) move from the 2024 WWE Draft.
2024 WWE Draft felt more like a superstar shake-up
The champions aren’t eligible for the WWE Draft. Okay, cool. We do not want to watch another awkward title exchange between RAW and SmackDown champions. Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch in 2021, remember? The main roster brands can trade entire factions. Fair enough. RAW retains most of the pre-draft roster and so does SmackDown. Wait, what?
I believe most fans tuned into the 2024 WWE Draft anticipating some genuine surprises. I wrote about five SmackDown superstars I thought fans would love to see on RAW and vice versa post draft. Yes, there were shocking transfers like Bron Breakker and Nia Jax. Giovanni Vinci’s move to SmackDown makes sense since he got kicked out of Imperium by Ludwig Kaiser.
But Odyssey Jones staying on RAW without actually wrestling on the show in forever doesn’t. The big man has been on the main roster for a whole year now, I guess, and has yet to make his WWE RAW or SmackDown TV debut. Here’s hoping he could be utilized to his fullest potential as we enter into the post draft WWE era.
Also read: 5 Best Moves Of The 2024 WWE Draft
