WWE.com announced on Monday morning that the WWE Draft is set for SmackDown’s live premiere on Tuesday, July 19th. The Draft will be conducted by newly appointed General Managers to determine which Superstars will compete exclusively on Monday Night Raw or SmackDown.
WWE Executive Producer Kevin Dunn told WWE.com, “This is an exciting new era for WWE in which we will yet again reinvent ourselves by creating a second night of compelling live television.”
For what it’s worth, the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts is advertising John Cena vs. AJ Styles for the Draft edition of SmackDown. WWE will have “all hands on deck” for the Draft, so this doesn’t necessarily mean that Cena and Styles will be drafted to SmackDown. That said, this does corroborate the reports we’ve seen about RAW featuring the Shield feud and Cena/Styles headlining SmackDown.
This just in: @JohnCena vs @AJStylesOrg on July 19 in Worcester! Don't miss the first LIVE #WWESmackdown! #WWE pic.twitter.com/zMWyBSp8Mb
— DCU Center (@DCUCenter) June 16, 2016