Latest Plans For The 2025 WWE Draft (WWE News)
WWE is planning another Draft, but Triple H wants current storylines to breathe first.
Bodyslam.net is reporting that WWE will host another Draft involving wrestlers from Raw, SmackDown and likely NXT this year, and it looks like it could happen somewhere between SummerSlam in early-August and season premiere episodes of the top shows in September. However, there's a chance Triple H will trigger it post-Clash In Paris (which happens on 31 August) rather than straight after SummerSlam on 2-3 of the month.
Either way, it does look like the 2025 Draft will be shifted from the post-WrestleMania slot it has held for a few years now. Both the 2023 and 2024 Drafts took place across late-April/early-May; before that, WWE held their talent shakeup each October between 2019-2021. There was no Draft in 2022.
For reference, a 2025 version would be the 19th core Draft the company has done since introducing the concept way back in 2002. Of course, various 'Superstar Shakeups', 'Wild Card Rules' and 'Transfer Windows' have taken place in between the mainline Drafts as WWE continued/continues to struggle with the premise of ironclad rosters with next to no movement between them.
Bodyslam noted that the reason for this latest calendar shift is to allow ongoing storylines to reach a natural conclusion. Then, in theory, WWE's creative team would be starting fresh with brand new stories post-SummerSlam/Clash In Paris PLEs.
Opinion: WWE Shouldn't Bother With A 2025 Draft
It'd be understandable if WWE viewed the Draft specials as annual hooks that force fans to tune in, but...they've become a complete and utter waste of airtime in recent years. In fact, both the 2023 and 2024 Drafts (in particular) doubled down on Vince McMahon's disrespect for the gimmick. Triple H doesn't get a pass here - he has the power to make these things special, but they lack credibility.
Currently, stars flit between top shows like Raw and SmackDown without consequence. Neither Raw GM Adam Pearce nor SmackDown counterpart Nick Aldis stops them in storyline, and the announce squads barely even mention which show a given wrestler is tied to anymore.
This happened almost as soon as the 2024 Draft had concluded. Hunter may reason that being smack bang in the thick of ongoing storylines makes it challenging to honour the Draft, but then...why bother formatting it at a clumsy time creatively in the first place? WWE are the ones who make the rules here, nobody else, and there'd be exactly zero heartache if the Draft was postponed so it actually meant something to the weekly product.
Some fans have opined that holding one every 2 years would be a nice middle ground for the concept. Again though, WWE would only stomp all over their own booking when it suited by having workers show up as and when they wish on "rival shows". The whole "brand loyalty" thing means absolutely nothing in 2025, so another Draft will be a tough sell.
Being flippant, WWE should scrap the so-called "brand split" and quit playing pretend that Raw and SmackDown have "ironclad rosters". It's very frustrating for fans who want to care but are never allowed to by the people creating this stuff.
Fair rant, or somebody looking into things a little too much? You decide.