With the 2024 WWE Draft upon us, the fans are gearing up for two nights of exhilarating drama, first on SmackDown, then on RAW. To double the excitement, WWE are reportedly bringing in numerous WWE legends and Hall of Famers to the shows.
According to PWInsider, on night one of the draft, former WWE Champion and SmackDown commentator John Bradshaw Layfield, former GM of the blue brand, Teddy Long, Alundra Blayze, Michelle McCool and Torrie Wilson will be making appearances during the show.
WWE is reportedly planning on featuring several WWE legends and Hall of Famers at this week's WWE Draft.
— Cultaholic Wrestling (@Cultaholic) April 26, 2024
Names expected to appear are Torrie Wilson and Michelle McCool, while the likes of JBL, Teddy Long and Alundra Blayze have been discussed.
(Source: PWInsider) pic.twitter.com/8ieJ96A8bX
On Friday night, a total of 16 picks will be made in 4 rounds. With the only exception of the Women’s tag team champions, all other brand title holders are immune to the draft. Jimmy Uso, who recently got sidelined due to injury, has also been made unavailable for the draft. But he won’t be the only major name missing out from the draft pool.
Unavailable superstars for 2024 WWE Draft
While WWE has two separate pools for the two draft nights, there are many major surprises and the inclusion of Paul Heyman in the draft pool is a major one. While the Wiseman is on the list of draft-eligible, a lot of notable names are missing.
Rhea Ripley is one of the hottest names in pro wrestling today and her injury following WrestleMania 40 means she will not be available for the draft. Similarly, Charlotte Flair, Raquel Rodriguez, and Shotzi are also out due to their injuries and medical conditions.
WWE Draft Rules and Draft Pool đź‘€
— Miss T (@MissT_TV) April 24, 2024
Draft starts this Friday on #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/9Epfm9SWiE
Two former women’s champions, Alexa Bliss and Carmella will also be absent as both are away from in-ring action being mothers. Among the men, Brock Lesnar is the obvious name to miss out due to the ongoing allegations in Vince McMahon’s sex trafficking lawsuit. Erik of the Viking Raiders is also ruled out due to injury. Big E, who recently had his heart healed, is out due to his recovery from a neck injury suffered back in 2022.
Other notable absentees are Nikki Cross, MVP, Omos, Bo Dallas and Gable Stevenson. Even after all these absences, the roster does not look light as the NXT talents will be available for the 2024 WWE Draft as well.
