The excitement of the 2024 WWE Draft continued after Raw went off the air as the Supplemental Draft saw more moves happen. 

The April 29, episode of Monday Night Raw marked Night Two of the Draft and saw 20 on-screen picks made in total. Imperium (sans Giovanni Vinci) was the first name selected during Night Two of the televised draft, while NXT’s Blair Davenport was selected by SmackDown in the final televised selection. 

WWE Draft Night Two Supplemental Results

On social media, WWE shared news from their supplemental draft picks after Monday Night Raw went off the air. The picks are as follows: 

It’s certainly a big deal to see Dijak called up to the main roster after re-establishing himself in WWE NXT. Hopefully the former Retribution member fares better on the main-roster than his previous run as T-Bar. 

What’s to Come?

The new rosters will come into effect on the May 6, episode of Raw, the first show following next weekend’s WWE Backlash: France Premium Live Event. Anybody that has not been selected so far is now a free agent and will be eligible to be chosen by Raw or SmackDown in the future. 

Braun Strowman has returned to WWE after a year on the shelf and he is already getting involved in high-profile angles.

The US Champion Logan Paul was in attendance for this week’s episode of Raw. He brought in some high-profile guests with him, including Superbowl MVP Patrick Mahomes.

The Maverick confronted Jey Uso in a segment after the former Bloodline member called out the current champion in an interview earlier in the night. Finn Balor and JD McDonagh walked out to confront Uso as well. 

Logan Paul then borrowed three Superbowl rings from Mahomes to attack Jey as McDonagh held him up. Uso managed to duck at the right time, however, and McDonagh ended up catching the punch.

Balor and Paul joined forces to attack Jey Uso afterward but Braun Strowman’s music hit. The Monster Among Men made his return after almost a year of inaction and he choke slammed Balor.

Logan knew better than to confront the former Universal Champion. He retreated through the crowd leaving Mahomes and his teammates from Kansas City Chiefs to confront the returning star. Jey Uso then calmed Strowman and they returned to the back.

What’s Next For Braun Strowman? 

The Monster Sized Athlete had been recovering after a neck fusion surgery for the past year. He last wrestled during the May 1st, 2023 episode of Raw, where he teamed up with Ricochet for a win over the Alpha Academy.

Strowman was drafted to Raw earlier in the night so we can expect to see him regularly on Monday Nights once again after his return.

There is a possibility that we may see Braun going after The US Champion following their confrontation tonight. Considering Paul remains on SmackDown roster, however, a long-term feud between the two is not very likely. You can check out our draft tracker to see the other picks made during Raw.

Monday Night Raw was able to score some of the biggest names from WWE NXT during Night Two of the 2024 Draft. 

The Draft continued on the April 29, Raw and followed on from the selections made during the previous week’s episode of SmackDown. During the fourth round of Night Two’s pick, Ilja Dragunov was selected by the Raw brand. Speaking after being drafted, the former NXT Champion spoke about his experience with the gold brand. 

“NXT became my home. A lot of these people became a home away from home for me. But now it’s time for my next chapter and I’ve got to make a promise, a promise I already kept here. To every place I come I push the place to the next level… and that’s the same thing I’ll do when I come to Raw.”

EXCLUSIVE: @UNBESIEGBAR_ZAR looks forward to once again sharing a brand with a legendary rival in @Gunther_AUT. pic.twitter.com/yGf1W1HwSs

— WWE (@WWE) April 30, 2024

Dragunov wasn’t the only big name from NXT to be moved. Former Women’s Champion Lyra Valkyria was selected by Raw in the fifth round. The Irish Superstar was visibly emotional as news of her selection was made and the remaining NXT roster was very happy for her as seen in the clip below. 

LYRA VALKYRIA REACTION WAS SO WHOLESOME ??????

SHE IS #WWERAW BOUND ??????

pic.twitter.com/t2EHRKNC46

— FADE (@FadeAwayMedia) April 30, 2024

Valkyria made a handful of appearances last year on the main roster in the run-up to her NXT Women’s Championship victory over Becky Lynch. Lyra recently failed to recapture the title from Roxanne Perez in a triple-threat at WWE NXT Stand & Deliver that also included Tatum Paxley. 

With Dragunov and Valkyria moving to Raw, it’s hard to ignore that this has left NXT without two of its top Superstars. There have been fears that NXT would be depleted in the draft and some NXT talent are wary of being called to the main roster without a plan. As NXT’s head, Shawn Michaels will now have to work around losing some of the brand’s top names which will give another Superstar the opportunity to step up. 

More on the 2024 WWE Draft

Here are some recent articles regarding the 2024 WWE Draft as the landscape of WWE continues to change: 

The WWE roster has had plenty to say following Night Two of the 2024 Draft taking place during the April 29, episode of Monday Night Raw. 

This year’s draft continued on the red brand with 20 selections being made in total. On Twitter, Chelsea Green was excited about new opportunities after she (and Piper Niven) were moved to SmackDown. 

SmackDown should be ECSTATIC to have a star like me… I mean US… on their brand! @WWE pic.twitter.com/qVBkhFvTPF

— CHELSEA GREEN (@ImChelseaGreen) April 30, 2024

Bianca Belair was pleased that the ‘Big 3’ will be staying on SmackDown. Naomi has also been picked by the blue brand while Bianca Belair was the #1 pick during Night One of the draft. 

BIG 3 on BLUE BRAND BABY! ?? @BiancaBelairWWE @TheTrinity_Fatu ???? #SmackDown

— Jade Cargill (@Jade_Cargill) April 30, 2024

The Pride, consisting of Bobby Lashley, the Street Profits, and B-Fab will be staying on SmackDown. Lashley gave an ominous message to those on the blue brand. 

#ThePride stays blue…and we’re coming for it all! ?? @WWE pic.twitter.com/vs0RZETRYj

— Bobby Lashley (@fightbobby) April 30, 2024

Montez Ford was similarly excited to remain with the rest of The Pride on the SmackDown brand. 

GANG.GANG.

WHERE’S YO PRIDE?!#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/fEeg3XwP7o

— ???? ??? (@MontezFordWWE) April 30, 2024

Tiffany Stratton is pleased that she’ll continue to appear on SmackDown after being selected in the second round of the draft’s second night. 

Friday night tiffy time continues. See you Fridays! ? pic.twitter.com/yzgy08zj9u

— Tiffany Stratton (@tiffstrattonwwe) April 30, 2024

Braun Strowman was selected by Raw and made his first WWE TV appearance in months following an injury. The Monster Among Men confronted U.S. Champion Logan Paul on Raw and had a warning after his appearance.

Immmmmmmm Baaaaaaaacccckkkkk!!!#MonstersAreReal #GetTheseHands pic.twitter.com/rw4SBL4jpz

— The Monster of all Monsters (@Adamscherr99) April 30, 2024

The new rosters will officially come into effect following the WWE Backlash: France Premium Live Event on May 4. There will also be the Supplemental Draft: Night Two that will see more Superstars be chosen. Anyone who isn’t picked after the Supplemental Draft will be considered a free agent and eligible to be picked down the line. 

More on the 2024 WWE Draft

Here are some recent articles regarding the 2024 WWE Draft as the landscape of WWE continues to change: 

Monday’s April 29 episode of WWE Raw from Kansas City kicked off with some serious star power. United States Champion Logan Paul showed up in a Rolls Royce and had a special guest in with him: NFL Super Bowl champion quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

HOLD UP!#USChampion @LoganPaul brought @PatrickMahomes of the @Chiefs to the #WWEDraft on #WWERaw RIGHT NOW on @USANetwork! pic.twitter.com/TssyXyj8Yg

— WWE (@WWE) April 30, 2024

Mahomes and Logan Paul were enjoying themselves backstage at Raw with their hardware:

Champs @PatrickMahomes pic.twitter.com/WY6Nf6RDNx

— Logan Paul (@LoganPaul) April 30, 2024

Triple H also welcomed the Super Bowl champ to the show:

Always good to have an extra champ in the house. @PatrickMahomes @Chiefs #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/0gowJbBT8H

— Triple H (@TripleH) April 30, 2024

28-year-old Patrick Mahomes is considered one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks ever. He’s won the Super Bowl three times, including this year’s and he was the MVP for two of those victories. His performance has also earned him the NFL Most Valuable Player award twice, in 2018 and 2022.

Mahomes also released a special edition of Logan Paul’s Prime drink. It dropped just in time for Super Bowl LVIII and featured Kansas City Chiefs colors.

Patrick Mahomes got involved in the action later on, in a manner of speaking. During Logan Paul’s time in the ring, Jey Uso came down to confront him, and that is when Finn Balor and JD McDonagh surrounded him. 

After Uso was taken down, Mahomes gave Logan a few of his Super Bowl rings to use on his fist against Uce. This didn’t work out as he planned, because Uso ducked and JD took the brunt of the punch.

Patrick Mahomes le da tres anillos de SuperBowl a Logan Paul para atacar a Jey Uso… PERO LE DA A JD MCDONAGH

SJSDJHSDJSDHDSH #WWERAW pic.twitter.com/tmLH41pk3t

— LuigiWrestling (@LuigiWrestling) April 30, 2024

Braun Strowman made his big return to WWE RAW, as he was drafted in the previous round. After the Monster of all Monsters chased off Judgment Day, he had some words with Mahomes for helping the United States Champion in his heel tactics.

Was @PatrickMahomes about to GET THESE HANDS from Braun Strowman during the #WWEDraft on #WWERaw?! pic.twitter.com/MviEP9ZNeR

— WWE (@WWE) April 30, 2024

WWE is mixing up their rosters with another Draft, and now it’s the red brand’s turn to host the festivities. Fans should brace for surprises, as this year promises to be no exception.

The 2024 WWE Draft is scheduled for Friday, April 26 during SmackDown and Monday, April 29 during RAW. We already saw SmackDown’s draft go down last week, and those results can be found here.

We saw Kiana James and Carmelo Hayes get called up from NXT during SmackDown. Still, a concern exists that WWE may pick their developmental brand clean after this year’s draft. Ilja Dragunov’s name hasn’t been called, so we’ll have to see who ends up on which brand this time around.

We are providing live coverage of the 2024 WWE Draft. So, please keep refreshing this article and we will update as picks are made

Round One

Presented by Stephanie McMahon

RAW:

Imperium (GUNTHER & Ludwig Kaiser)

Damage CTRL (IYO Sky, Asuka, Dakota Kai, & Kairi Sane)

SmackDown:

Jade Cargill

Kevin Owens

Here are your first round #WWEDraft picks… 👀@WWEgames #WWE2K24 #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/sjOUa7Cx0N

— WWE (@WWE) April 30, 2024

Round Two

Presented by Logan Paul & IShowSpeed

RAW:

CM Punk

Braun Strowman

SmackDown:

The Pride (Bobby Lashley, Street Profits, B-Fab)

Tiffany Stratton

Round Three

Presented by Ron Simmons & JBL

RAW:

LWO (Rey Mysterio, Dragon Lee, Zelina Vega, Carlito, Cruz Del Toro & Joaquin Wilde)

Drew McIntyre

SmackDown:

Legado Del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Angel, Humberto, & Elektra Lopez)

Shinsuke Nakamura

Here are your second round #WWEDraft picks… 👀@WWEgames#WWE2K24 #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/7voguHQ0SV

— WWE (@WWE) April 30, 2024

Round Four

Presented by Teddy Long & Alundra Blayze

RAW:

Judgment Day (Dominik Mysterio, Finn Balor, JD McDonagh)

Ilja Dragunov

SmackDown:

Naomi

Chelsea Green & Piper Niven

Here are your third round #WWEDraft picks… 👀@WWEgames#WWE2K24 #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/XuL00AGtMr

— WWE (@WWE) April 30, 2024

Round Five

Presented by Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley

RAW:

New Day

Lyra Valkyria

SmackDown:

Pretty Deadly

Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell

Round Six

Presented by Nick Aldis & Adam Pearce

Raw:

Final Testament (Karrion Kross, Scarlet, Paul Ellering, AOP)

Bronson Reed

SmackDown:

DIY (Tommaso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano)

Blair Davenport

Supplemental Draft

RAW:

Diamond Mine (Brutus Creed, Julius Creed, and Ivy Nile)

Kayden Carter and Katana Chance

Natalya

Dijak

New Catch Republic (Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate)

Odyssey Jones

SmackDown:

Apollo Crews

Giovanni Vinci

Tegan Nox

WWE NXT Call-Ups:

This installment of the 2024 WWE Draft saw Dijak, Blair Davenport, and Lyra Valkyria have their names called. Of course, the biggest was former NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov, who is going to RAW.

Davenport and Valkyria were legitimately surprised by their call-ups, because WWE doesn’t let anyone know this in advance. This will be Dijak’s second run on the main roster, as his first was as T-Bar, a masked force who lived on long after the Retribution stable disbanded.

Carmelo Hayes and Kiana James were called up during SmackDown to the blue and red brand, respectively.

2024 WWE Draft Rules:

The 2024 WWE Draft will distribute 16 picks across four rounds to SmackDown and 24 picks across six rounds to RAW, based on RAW’s longer airtime. Champions are not included in the draft, except for the Women’s Tag Team Champions who are not part of the Draft Pool.

SmackDown will make its first selection on Friday, and RAW will make its first pick the following Monday. The final rosters will be confirmed by May 6th.

Following new television contracts, SmackDown will move to the USA Network and RAW to Netflix. The impact of RAW’s transition to Netflix will become apparent from October 2025. These rosters will start the new media rights agreements unless there is a change in the roster.

This Summer, it will be a little more expensive to be a WWE fan. NBC Universal’s streaming platform Peacock is set to increase its subscribers’ prices. The price hike is expected to start on July 18, ahead of one of WWE’s biggest premium live events of the year, WWE SummerSlam, on August 3. 

Variety’s Todd Spangler has reported that Peacock plans to increase its monthly plans by $2. Peacock Premium (with ads) will increase from $5.99 to $7.99, while Peacock Premium Plus will move from $11.99 to $13.99. The timing of the decision comes not only ahead of WWE SummerSlam but also the 2024 Summer Olympics starting July 26. 

The report states that “The new prices will be effective starting July 18 for new Peacock customers and for existing subscribers with their next billing date on or after Aug. 17.” 

In addition to the monthly fee surge, the yearly plans will increase by $20. Peacock Premium’s annual price jumps to $79.99, and the Premium Plus yearly subscription will be $139.99 for new members after July 18. For subscribers who are currently subscribed to a yearly plan, the increase will not go into effect until it’s time to renew. 

The report notes that Peacock had 34 million subscribers in the United States, with a net gain of 3 million added members in the first quarter of this year. While it’s fewer than competitors like Netflix or Disney+, the NBC Universal streaming service is up 55% year-over-year. 

It’s unclear if the new subscription price will decrease the number of Peacock members. However, WWE fans may stick around for WWE SummerSlam, which occurs two weeks later. 

More On WWE SummerSlam 

WWE’s ‘The Biggest Party of the Summer’ will be held at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. Tickets for WWE SummerSlam will go on sale to the public on May 9. The company is currently accepting requests from fans to receive exclusive pre-sale information on its website. 

Although no matches have been announced yet, Ohio native Logan Paul is expected to be featured at the premium live event. He is currently the WWE United States Champion and has been promoted on the WWE Summerslam poster. 

Paul has already called for some big appearances, like NBA megastar LeBron James being in attendance. While it’s unclear if it will come to fruition,  wrestling fans may want to keep Peacock to avoid missing what WWE has planned for SummerSlam. 

The Undisputed WWE Championship reign of Cody Rhodes will differ greatly from that of his predecessor Roman Reigns, according to The Undertaker. 

Rhodes won the gold and finished his story at WrestleMania 40 and in doing so ended the 1,316-day reign of the Tribal Chief. While Cody has been a regular on WWE Raw and SmackDown since his monumental win in Philadelphia, Reigns has been absent from programming (but has been working on a non-WWE project.)

Cody Rhodes: The Workhorse Champion

Rhodes’ win at WrestleMania did not come without some help and The Undertaker was part of the group of stars who kept The Bloodline at bay. On his Six Feet Under podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer spoke of what Rhodes has to look forward to. 

“He’s going to work a lot because he wants to, too, if that makes sense. So he’s not going to be a champion that… No offense to Roman, but Roman didn’t have a lot of matches as champion.”

The Undertaker made clear that Reigns’ sporadic in-ring schedule was part of his “story” and helped give the Tribal Chief character an air of dominance. With that said, the Phenom is looking forward to seeing plenty of matches from the American Nightmare. 

“I think he’ll be a working champion. I think he’s going to be a workhorse, actually. I think he’s going to defend the title a lot… He’s going to be wanting to walk out there and show people why he’s the world champion.”

What’s to Come? 

When asked about potential opponents for Rhodes, The Undertaker named Seth Rollins and GUNTHER as dream adversaries for the Undisputed WWE Champion. Before that, however, Rhodes will defend against AJ Styles at WWE Backlash: France. The bout will be part of WWE’s first PLE in the country and will take place on May 4.

More on Cody Rhodes

Here are some recent articles about Cody Rhodes as the Undisputed Champion continues to lead WWE in its new era:

WWE returns to Kansas City, Missouri tonight for WWE RAW at the T-Mobile Center. Nearly 9,000 fans will be in attendance as WWE continue the 2024 Draft and looks ahead to WWE Backlash: France on Saturday, May 4. Here’s a quick preview, followed by our detailed breakdown of what to look forward to:

Matches:

• Judgment Day (Damian Priest, JD McDonagh & Finn Balor) vs. Jey Uso, Andrade & Ricochet

Segments: 

• United States Champion Logan Paul appears
• 2024 WWE Draft continues

Six-Man Tag:  Judgment Day vs. Jey Uso, Andrade & Ricochet

Before Jey Uso and Damian Priest battle over the World Heavyweight Championship at WWE Backlash this weekend, the two will share the ring in six-man tag team competition on tonight’s episode of WWE Raw.

Last week, Andrade and Ricochet defeated JD McDonagh and Santos Escobar (who replaced an injured Dominik Mysterio) much to the dismay of Priest. Coming off that victory, Andrade and Ricochet will now team up once more as they, alongside Jey Uso, take on The Judgment Day’s JD McDonagh, Damian Priest, and Finn Balor. 

This six-man tag match also comes two weeks after Uso beat Balor in singles competition, and five days before Uso challenges Priest for the aforementioned WWE World Heavyweight Championship. 

Logan Paul Returns

Earlier today, WWE confirmed that tickets for SummerSlam – “The Biggest Party of the Summer” – will go on sale on Thursday, May 9. This premium live event, of course, will take place in the city of Cleveland, Ohio, which stands as the hometown of several WWE Superstars, including The Miz, Johnny Gargano, and United States Champion Logan Paul.

Fresh off this announcement, Logan Paul will return to WWE Raw tonight. What will he have to say?

2024 WWE Draft Continues

The landscape of WWE will continue to change as night two of the 2024 Draft officially commences later tonight. For this occasion, draft picks will span six rounds.  Each brand will make two selections each round for a total of 24 picks (12 for Raw and 12 for SmackDown). The remaining draft picks will then be revealed via social media.

Much like night one of the WWE Draft on SmackDown, tonight’s episode of WWE Raw will feature a select pool of talent (from the main roster and NXT) that are available to be drafted. 

Tonight’s draft pool is as follows:

• DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa)
• Apollo Crews 
• Braun Strowman 
• Bronson Reed 
• Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell
• Chelsea Green and Piper Niven
• CM Punk
• The Creed Brothers (Julius Creed, Brutus Creed and Ivy Nile) 
• Damage CTRL (IYO SKY, Dakota Kai and Kabuki Warriors) 
• Drew McIntyre
• Final Testament (Karrion Kross, AOP, Scarlett and Paul Ellering)
• Giovanni Vinci 
• Imperium (Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser) 
• Jade Cargill
• Judgment Day (Finn Bálor, Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh)
• Kayden Carter and Katana Chance
• Kevin Owens
• Legado del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Angel, Berto and Elektra Lopez)
• LWO (Rey Mysterio, Carlito, Dragon Lee, Cruz Del Toro, Joaquin Wilde and Zelina Vega)
• Naomi
• Natalya
• New Catch Republic (Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate)
• New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods)
• Odyssey Jones
• Pretty Deadly (Elton Prince and Kit Wilson)
• Shinsuke Nakamura
• Tegan Nox
• The Pride (Bobby Lashley, Street Profits and B-Fab)
• Tiffany Stratton

Even if he doesn’t win King Of The Ring, Gunther feels like one in the Paul Levesque Era of WWE.

In a new interview with Gorilla Position, the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in company history was asked if he thought he’d have that same opportunity to make history under the old Vince McMahon regime.

“I don’t know, but it was one of the reasons why, for a long time I didn’t want to go to the US. The product before Triple H was not what I enjoyed. I just didn’t want to be part of that. I am who I am and that’s what I can do best. A big part of that is I need to have my time in the ring and have that time to put on the matches I can put on. That chance would not be there under the old regime.”

Gunther lost his title to Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 40 and the 4/22 episode of RAW is when he made his return, “thanking” Zayn for freeing him to be “the hunter” instead of “the hunted.” That’s when he staked his claim for the King of The Ring crown.

Gunther Trusts In Triple H

The Intercontinental Title reign has put Gunther in the upper echelon of talent in WWE and he knows that he has Creative Content Officer Triple H to thank for that.

“With Triple H, he always saw that in me, and he always had that vision for me. I got lucky that a lot of things in my career took place at the right time. It was a little bit of a leap of faith when I first made the move over. Everything worked out in the end.” 

What didn’t work out in the end is the Imperium pairing of Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci as Kaiser brutally attacked Vinci after they lost a tag match to New Day on that very same episode of RAW.

Former WWE star Maven Huffman made his comeback to pro wrestling over the weekend. The Tough Enough alum competed for Reality of Wrestling in a 30-man Last Stand Rumble match. It was his first time in the ring since July 2023.

Maven’s surprise debut WWE Hall of Famer Booker T’s promotional came when he entered the high-stakes rumble at #21. He received a great ovation from the fans in attendance. Maven threw punches at every wrestler in sight. He also hit a dropkick but in an amusing moment, he lost his shoe. Fans soon showered him with ‘You still got it’ chants and Maven was visibly touched by the warm response. 

He eliminated Inferno Tiger before getting eliminated by Quentin Wynters. 

“You Still Got It” ???#MavenHuffman pic.twitter.com/Oz5fQy6jRh

— Reality of Wrestling (@TheOfficialROW) April 29, 2024

Maven in WWE

Maven signed with WWE after being a co-winner of the inaugural season of WWE Tough Enough. He went on to have a successful run with the company and had captured the Hardcore Championship three times.

Maven has competed in a handful of battle royals and one of the biggest moments in his career took place during the 2002 Royal Rumble match. That night, he pulled off a shocking upset when he eliminated The Undertaker. 

Post WWE

After parting ways with WWE, he had a short run in other companies and then retired from pro wrestling. The 47-year-old star returned to the indie circuit in 2015 and has been making sporadic appearances ever since.

Maven’s Podcast

Outside of pro wrestling, Maven has a successful YouTube channel that boasts 377K subscribers. On his channel, he talks about WWE, what goes behind the scenes, and much more. 

Maven had a chance to make his return to WWE but he still regrets that the move didn’t materialize. He previously discussed how the pandemic impacted the return.

Watch the full Reality of Wrestling 30 Man Last Stand Rumble:

Charly Arnolt may be best known for her tenure with WWE, as she hosted segments and shows for WWE. Now, she is making history in the UFC as the company’s female first-ever in-ring announcer.

On April 27, 2024, Chary made history as the first female ring announcer in UFC, stepping in temporarily for Joe Martínez, who was ill.

Charlie owned the microphone as she announced the fighters, and she received praise as well. Many commented on her poise and show well she adapted to the situation.

Congratulations to the talented Charly Arnolt on becoming the first female Octagon announcer in UFC history at #UFCVegas91

Excellent first impression @CharlyOnTV 👏🏼 pic.twitter.com/JcOxrNTvNy

— AlAudhli 𝕏 العوذلي (@alaudhli) April 28, 2024

Charlie Arnolt’s WWE Entry & Departure

Interestingly enough, Arnolt entered WWE thanks to Tony Khan. The AEW President invited her to a WWE SmackDown show in Indianapolis in 2016 to get her foot in the door.

During the event, Arnolt met WWE’s Senior Director of Talent Relations, Mark Carrano, who introduced her to Michael Cole. The rest is history, as they eventually offered her a job with the company.

WWE did offer her a new contract, which she declined in 2021. Following her rejection of that new deal, she was removed from television broadcasts. She eventually left WWE for a full-time position at ESPN.

Some rumors emerged about her having heat in WWE prior to her departure. While speaking to Scott Fishman for TV Insider, Charly stated that she had no issues when she was with the company.

“There is always going to be chatter. The contract was coming up. Instead of renewing, I’m moving on. Everyone is going to have their own opinions regardless. I never had any issues while I was at WWE.”

“Nothing bad happened. As far as I’m concerned, I’m leaving on a positive note and beginning what I believe to be the next step in my career.”

In April 2023, Arnolt announced that she would be leaving ESPN for a position with OutKick. Despite her ESPN departure, Charly continues to appear for the UFC broadcasts on the network. 

Drew McIntyre will remain with WWE for years to come after signing a new deal, but fans shouldn’t expect him on programming just yet. 

The three-time former WWE World Champion’s new contract deal comes after close to a year of speculation about his future in the ring. News of McIntyre’s new contract was shared by TKO’s Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, who had a special gift in store for the Scottish Warrior. 

McIntyre and WWE engaged in “a lot of back and forth” during the negotiation process, PW Insider reports. The deal has been described as a “multi-year, big money” contract that one source believed to be for three years. If so, it’ll keep McIntyre with the promotion until April 2027 unless he is released. 

The video shared by The Rock on Instagram was actually shot well before the deal between McIntyre and WWE was signed. The actual discussions between the two sides wasn’t concluded until a few days ago but WWE wanted the video to be ready to publish as soon as a contract was signed.

Missing From the Ring

While McIntyre will remain with WWE for years to come, he won’t be wrestling just yet. The Scottish Warrior is still recovering from a badly hyperextended elbow he suffered at WrestleMania 40. The Scottish Superstar received “a lot of respect” from those in WWE for his efforts during the recent WWE tour of the UK. 

Hopefully McIntyre will be healed and able to compete in time for WWE Clash At The Castle: Scotland. The June 15 show will be in Glasgow and fans in the country are eager to see the former World Champion on the card. 

More from Drew McIntyre

Here are some recent articles featuring Drew McIntyre as the Scottish Warrior has plans to do big things in WWE in the years to come:

WWE U.S. Champion Logan Paul and his fiancée Nina Agdal have revealed the gender of their upcoming child in the art form that is pro wrestling. 

Paul and Agdal revealed they were expecting a child in April of 2024. This is the first child for the couple who are set to become parents this fall. Agdal is a Danish supermodel who has appeared on TV and on magazine covers. The couple began dating in 2022 and got engaged in Italy in the summer of 2023. 

Like many couples, Paul and Agdal spared no expense with their elaborate gender reveal party. With their family and friends as attendees, the couple hosted a wrestling match with one competitor in blue and the other in pink. The reigning WWE United States Champion didn’t compete in the match but watched on as the pink wrestler got the win, revealing that Paul and Agdal are expecting a baby girl. 

pic.twitter.com/WH9cXISbzJ

— Team Maverick (@jhoana_n1) April 27, 2024

Both Paul and Agdal wore Pink for the match, indicating that they were hoping for a girl. Now the couple are ready to take their next steps into becoming parents. 

Baby Fever

The Maverick and his fiancee aren’t the only couple to have hosted a wrestling-themed gender reveal party. A recent gender reveal went viral as a pair of wrestling fans told the world that they too are expecting a baby girl. 

There’s ‘baby fever’ among other Superstars in WWE. Luke Gallows recently became a father for the fifth time following the birth of his son Thomas. Erik and Valhalla are set to become parents for the second time after recently revealing that they are expecting. The couple welcomed their first child, a boy, into the world in 2021. 

More from Logan Paul

Here are some recent articles about Logan Paul as the reigning WWE U.S. Champion continues to make headlines in and out of the ring: 

Drew McIntyre has signed a new contract with WWE, putting an end to months of speculation about the possibility of him testing the waters of free agency. 

The Rock was the man who broke this news as he publicly congratulated Drew McIntyre for signing his new WWE contract. He did so by presenting him with a claymore sword while the former WWE Champion was out at dinner.

As we talked about after your #WrestleMania match, I know this Scottish Claymore represents everything that you, your family and your country embody.

The TKO board member went on to say that he wanted to hand-deliver this gift, but he “had warm cheat meals and chilled tequila waiting.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/p:C6SPdjevxll

The Rock has admired McIntyre’s work for years. In a company with no shortage of talented wrestlers vying for the spotlight, the Final Boss named McIntyre as the ‘Next Big Thing’ back in 2019.

The Rock was asked in 2019 for who could be “The Next Big Thing” in WWE.

His answer? Drew McIntyre.

Respect. pic.twitter.com/EwlKWrdbrZ

— Two HEADS, One TABLE☝🏾☝🏽 (@TwoHeadsPodcast) April 28, 2024

Drew McIntyre’s Contract Situation With TKO

Drew McIntyre just got off a wild road to WrestleMania, one that saw him beat Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, where he held the title for only five minutes before Damian Priest cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase.

He did all that with a contract that was expiring in a matter of weeks. While McIntyre’s WWE contract situation had a big question mark above it for a while, now we can put that to rest.

How TKO handled Drew McIntyre’s contract situation is a very interesting situation. It may set a precedent for how all future contracts will be handled, as they waited until very late in the game to nail down a deal.

Becky Lynch’s WWE contract is also running out in a matter of months. She spoke openly about this fact, but she is not worried about it. 

Kenny Omega isn’t afraid to acknowledge Roman Reigns. 

‘The Cleaner’ is a man who happily gives his thoughts on pro wrestling during his livestreams on Twitch and this week one fan in the chat was hating on what Roman Reigns does in WWE. Omega pushed back at that notion, appreciating what ‘The Head Of The Table’ brings to the one true sport.

“I really think he’s incredible. I don’t think he’s boring either. I actually would say I’m pretty jealous because Roman Reigns is presented the exact same way that I would love to be presented. He’s presented as the man who’s the champion to have big matches on PPV where you’re really cheering for him or you’re cheering for someone else. That’s professional wrestling. He’s getting to do what I did in New Japan so I can’t be a hater on that. I’m a fan.”

WWE fans haven’t seen Roman Reigns since he dropped the WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes night two at WrestleMania 40 and Omega has been on his own extended hiatus due to a diverticulitis diagnosis. 

However, wrestling fans will at least get to see Kenny Omega return to television next Wednesday on AEW Dynamite as the show will hail from his hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

It will be interesting to see how Omega is utilized as he was “fired” from his EVP position by The Young Bucks and a ripple was added into the storyline with them also attacked AEW President Tony Khan.

Night One of the 2024 WWE Draft didn’t feature a ton of Superstars changing brands, but there’s a reason behind this booking decision. 

The 2024 WWE Draft kicked off on the April 26, edition of WWE SmackDown but the show was not the massive shake-up fans were hoping to see. Out of the total 16 on-air picks, more than half saw Superstars be selected by the brand they’d previously been signed to. The Supplemental Draft picks saw just two of the seven picks be moved to a different brand. 

Despite the draft, WWE intends to maintain a level of familiarity with its Raw and SmackDown rosters, Fightful Select reports. WWE wants to retain well-known talent on their existing brands to ensure a smoother viewing experience for audiences. This is why the likes of Randy Orton and Seth Rollins were chosen by SmackDown and Raw respectively. 

Part of the reason for these somewhat underwhelming draft picks is that WWE wishes to avoid significant disruptions in current storylines. For example, it would have made no sense for Jey Uso to move to SmackDown given that he is the number one contender for Raw’s World Heavyweight Championship. ‘Main Event Jey’ was a first-round pick for Raw and will challenge Damian Priest at WWE Backlash. 

What’s to Come? 

The second night of the WWE Draft will take place on the April 29, Raw and will also feature a Supplemental Draft after the show. Fightful was told that fans should expect more swaps on Raw. It’s also noted that fans can expect more talent from WWE NXT to be called up for this second portion of the draft. The new rosters will come into effect on May 6 following the WWE Backlash: France event two days earlier. 

WWE Draft 2024

Here are some recent articles about the 2024 WWE Draft. Keep checking in with SE Scoops for all your draft news.

CM Punk had a run-in with Chad Gable after this week’s episode of SmackDown.

The Blue Branded Show came live from Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati, Ohio featuring night 1 of WWE Drafts 2024.

The Straight Edge Star was advertised locally for the episode. While he didn’t appear on the broadcast, the former world champion came out after SmackDown went off air.

He first provided an update on his health confirming that his triceps is not 100% yet but he is on track. The WWE star then endorsed hometown hero Pete Rose for MLB Hall of Fame.

Before he could finish his promo, however, CM Punk was interrupted by Chad Gable and the rest of the Alpha Academy. Gable challenged Punk for a fight but the former AEW star refused on account of his injury.

He offered to introduce a friend of his who had recently returned from the injury for the proposed fight and it turned out to be Sheamus.

What Happened On SmackDown

The Celtic Warrior then had a singles match with the former Olympian. This wasn’t the only dark match of the night as The Miz and R Truth also defended their tag titles against Judgment Day’s Finn Balor and JD McDonagh after the show.

Elsewhere in the night, we saw a contract signing segment between the Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and his Backlash challenger AJ Styles. Rhodes also competed in the main event of SmackDown against Carmelo Hayes.

WWE had brought in a number of Hall of Famers to announce the Draft results. You can check our Draft Tracker to find out which stars were picked up during Night 1.

The 2024 WWE draft continued after the April 26, episode of SmackDown with supplemental picks affecting Raw, SmackDown, and WWE NXT. 

SmackDown marked Night One of the annual draft and saw 16 picks made overall across four rounds. Bianca Belair holds the honor of being the #1 pick across the entire draft as the EST of WWE was chosen by SmackDown. 

WWE Draft Night One Supplemental Results

On social media, WWE shared news from their supplemental draft picks after SmackDown went off the air. The picks are as follows: 

It’s interesting to see Corbin moved to SmackDown given that Bron Breakker was drafted to Raw. The Wolf Dogs had been an impressive unit in WWE NXT. It had even been suggested that the pair would be brought to the same roster to continue teaming, though that will obviously not be the case. 

What’s to Come? 

The second night of the 2024 WWE Draft will commence on the April 29, episode of Monday Night Raw and supplemental picks will happen after the show. The new rosters will come into effect on the May 6, episode of Raw, the first show following next weekend’s WWE Backlash: France Premium Live Event. 

WWE is shaking up their rosters once again with another Draft. Fans have come to expect the unexpected, and this year will be no different.

The 2024 WWE Draft is scheduled for Friday, April 26 during SmackDown and Monday, April 29 during RAW. To streamline the process, the rosters were divided into two Draft Pools.

Through all the excitement, there is also some worry within NXT. A concern exists that WWE may pick their developmental brand clean after this year’s draft. Ilja Dragunov is the only name that has been announced for the draft, but each nigh is likely to include new NXT call-ups.

To start things off, Paul Heyman revealed that Roman Reigns pulled himself from draft eligibility. He said that Roman is not returning in the immediate future, so he will not be anyone’s first draft pick this year.

JUST ANNOUNCED BY @HeymanHustle: @WWERomanReigns has voluntarily withdrawn himself from the 2024 #WWEDraft… 😳#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/ZuL8du6CWQ

— WWE (@WWE) April 27, 2024

Round One

*Announced by Triple H & Cody Rhodes

RAW

Jey Uso

Seth “Freakin'” Rollins

SmackDown

Bianca Belair

Carmelo Hayes

Here are your first round #WWEDraft picks… 👀@WWEgames #WWE2K24 #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/p0j5MTuD3q

— WWE (@WWE) April 27, 2024

Round Two:

*Announced by Torrie Wilson & Michelle McCool

RAW:

Bron Breakker

Liv Morgan

SmackDown:

Randy Orton

Nia Jax

Here are your SECOND ROUND #WWEDraft picks… 👀@WWEgames #WWE2K24 #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/O7CEYNJs1u

— WWE (@WWE) April 27, 2024

Round Three:

*Announced by Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley

RAW:

Ricochet

Sheamus

SmackDown:

LA Knight

The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa, Tama, & Paul Heyman)

Here are your THIRD ROUND #WWEDraft picks… 👀@WWEgames #WWE2K24 #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/MUBnprhXD0

— WWE (@WWE) April 27, 2024

Round Four:

*Announced by Teddy Long & JBL

RAW:

Alpha Academy (Chad Gable, Otis, Maxxine Dupri, Akira Tozawa)

Kiana James

SmackDown:

AJ Styles

Andrade

Here are your FOURTH ROUND #WWEDraft picks… 👀@WWEgames #WWE2K24 #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/UIAZ6wVN4c

— WWE (@WWE) April 27, 2024

Supplemental Draft Picks

RAW:

Alba Fye & Isla Dawn

Ivar

Shayna Baszler

Zoey Stark

SmackDown:

Baron Corbin

Cedric Alexander & Ashante ‘Thee’ Adonis

The OC (Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, Michin)

NXT Call-Ups

WWE usually calls up a few NXT Superstar with their draft. This year was no exception. Carmelo Hayes and Kiana James were called up to the main roster. Hayes was in the building for SmackDown, where he got right to business by challenging Cody Rhodes.

2024 WWE Draft Rules

The 2024 WWE Draft will allocate 16 picks over four rounds to SmackDown and 24 picks over six rounds to RAW, reflecting RAW’s longer runtime. Champions are exempt from the draft, except for Women’s Tag Team Champions, who are excluded from the Draft Pool.

SmackDown will pick first on Friday, and RAW will get its first choice the following Monday, with final rosters set by May 6th.

Following new TV deals, SmackDown is moving to the USA Network and RAW to Netflix. The full effects of RAW’s switch to Netflix will be seen from October 2025. Unless WWE plans a roster shake-up, these rosters will initiate the new media rights agreements.

WWE operates on many layers, because there is a complicated business world behind the sports entertainment lights. Nick Khan has been responsible for ushering WWE into a new era, but he is now selling out his remaining shares.

It was revealed on Friday that McMahon is selling up to 8.02 million shares he owns, per Sportico. The shares Vince McMahon has listed for sale are valued at over $776 million, based on TKO’s closing price of $96.76 on Friday. He is not the only person who is unloading a ton of stock, because Nick Khan is also listing all of his remaining TKO shares.

WWE president Nick Khan is also listed as a seller in the prospectus. He plans to sell his entire stake of 234,424 shares, including restricted stock units he has accumulated over time.

Despite these sales, Khan will continue in his current role at the company, as confirmed by a source familiar with the transaction who wished to remain anonymous and was not authorized to speak publicly on his behalf.

It’s important to understand that the filing only makes these shares eligible for sale; it doesn’t necessarily mean they will be sold. However, in the corporate world, such filings typically precede the actual sale of the shares soon after. Generally, in the business sector, when shares are listed like this, they tend to be sold.

Nick Khan’s Life Prior To WWE

Before joining WWE, Khan served as Co-Head of Television at CAA, where he represented top figures and organizations in sports media, negotiating media rights deals worth billions of dollars. Khan came on board at WWE in 2020 and played a pivotal role in driving the company to achieve record revenue and profitability.

He started his career as a practicing attorney, so he understands the intricacies of contract talks. Nick Khan and The Rock have also been friends since childhood, giving another strong connection to the pro wrestling business.

It will be interesting to see what his next move is, especially if he sells all of his stock, but remains with the company.

SEScoops will have more on this still-developing story as additional information is made known.

Vince McMahon is selling his remaining shares in TKO Group Holdings, marking the end of his over 50-year association with the pro wrestling business.

It was revealed in a prospectus on Friday that McMahon might sell up to 8.02 million shares he owns, per Sportico. These shares are valued at more than $776 million, based on TKO’s closing price of $96.76 on Friday.

It’s important to note that the filing simply makes the shares eligible for sale and does not guarantee that they will be sold. However, in the corporate world, such filings generally lead to the actual sale of the listed shares shortly thereafter. That being said, in the business world, shares put up like this usually sell.

McMahon has been inching toward a full departure from WWE for quite some time. Before the announcement on Friday that he might sell all his TKO stock, McMahon had sold $1.365 billion of TKO stock since November. If he sells his remaining shares at market value, he will have made over $2 billion from TKO stock in six months.

If you’re wondering if Vince will start a new pro wrestling company, that doesn’t seem to be in the cards. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports, while Vince is interested in pursuing new business opportunities in the future, starting a new wrestling promotion is not on his agenda. The general consensus in the wrestling community is that it would be impractical for him to start from scratch and compete against an established giant like WWE.

McMahon isn’t the only person selling all of their TKO stock, because WWE President Nick Khan is doing the same.

Vince McMahon’s WWE Exit

McMahon has been with WWE for decades, first entering the company in the 1960s. After taking ownership from his father, Vince led the company into a global superpower. Bill Simmons’ upcoming Netflix docuseries will undoubtably tell that story in full.

In 2022, McMahon resigned from WWE after it was revealed that the company had made payments to settle sexual misconduct claims against him. However, as the main shareholder, he reappointed himself as chairman at the end of the year to help sell the company. In September, Endeavor Group Holdings, the company that owns UFC, bought WWE and formed a new publicly traded company called TKO.

McMahon resigned from his position as executive chairman of TKO in January following a sex trafficking lawsuit that accused him and other executives of sexual coercion and other serious acts. Slim Jim pulled their sponsorship just prior to the 2024 Royal Rumble premium live event, causing TKO CEO Ari Emanuel and TKO President and COO Mark Shapiro to urge McMahon’s resignation. 

TKO Group Holdings was created after Endeavor Group Holdings acquired WWE the previous year.

AEW has not been shy about taking shots at WWE whenever they can. During a recent appearance to promote the NFL Draft, Tony Khan took another chance to shade the competition.

Tony Khan appeared on the NFL Network to discuss the Jacksonville Jaguars’ next move in the NFL Draft. While on the show, the fact that he was wearing a neck brace took center stage.

While explaining how the Young Bucks assaulted him, Khan was sure to plug AEW’s shows on TBS and TNT as much as he could. Then the conversation steered toward his company’s biggest competition as Khan made a controversial comparison.

“There has not been a challenger brand that has gained market share like this in many, many, many years. We’re like the Pepsi of pro wrestling, and we’re against a really evil Juggernaut. WWE is our competitor, that’s who we’re facing. AEW is like the Pepsi of pro wrestling and WWE is like the Harvey Weinstein of pro wrestling, and I’m very proud of what we do down here.”

Tony Khan discusses taking the TK Driver from the Bucks and compares WWE to Harvey Weinstein pic.twitter.com/borodQ1GiF

— CJ Fogler ? (@cjzero) April 26, 2024

When Khan dropped his Weinstein line, the hosts of the show laughed and stopped him from going further. He said that fans will have to tune into AEW’s television shows if they want an update on his neck injury.

The fact that he called AEW the “Pepsi of professional wrestling” was an obvious dig at CM Punk. His Pepsi tattoo is a huge part of his image, which even brought Danhausen to refer to him as “Pepsi Man.”

Tony Khan’s Previous Controversies 

Tony Khan has taken many shots at WWE over the years, from the company’s production to their booking. Digs at Vince McMahon’s company eventually became a trademark for All Elite Wrestling.

The allegations against Vince McMahon have also not been ruled out of play when it comes to Tony Khan. He has used McMahon’s current lawsuit situation as fodder to fire at WWE in the past.

If Sir Vince McMahon said this, it would be the least of his alleged misdeeds. #AEWTitleTuesday on TBS
Tuesday #AEWDynamite Tonight!

— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) October 10, 2023

Being The Elite was full of jokes about WWE as well, and Tony Khan has taken many opportunities to defend his company from critics like Eric Bischoff. Khan also rubbed it in when Bischoff cancelled his “Strictly Business” podcast to add more fuel to the fire.

WWE’s 40th WrestleMania event packed Lincoln Financial Field on April 6 and 7. The star-studded spectacle attracted a ton of attention and also raked in a ton of cash.

The Rock’s return to a WWE ring was expected to draw a big box office. They already achieved impressive growth in virtually every metric there is at this point. 

• WrestleMania 40 attendance reached 145,298 over two nights, surpassing the previous gate record by 78%.
• Viewership for WrestleMania 40 increased by 41% over both nights compared to WrestleMania 39.
• Social media views for the event exceeded 660 million, setting a record as the most socially viewed WrestleMania ever.
• Merchandise sales rose by more than 20% from the record set at WrestleMania 39.
• WWE’s YouTube channel experienced its most viewed day in history with over 67 million views on WrestleMania 40 Sunday.

WrestleMania XL became WWE’s most watched event in history, surpassing the viewership record set at WrestleMania XXXIX last year by 41%, per John Wall Street.

This two-night event also established a new WWE record for a gate, generating $38.5 million in ticket sales, which represents a 78% increase from the previous year and a 147% increase from 2022.

Future WrestleMania Events

WrestleMania brings a ton of outside money to their host city every year. This is why hotspots all over the world are vying to host the show of shows.

Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has expressed interest in bringing WrestleMania to the UK’s capital city.
While campaigning for the upcoming mayoral election on May 2, Khan, who is not related to WWE’s Nick or AEW’s Tony, mentioned WWE’s flagship show in a press release, discussing London’s potential as a major sports hub. The 54-year-old Labour Party member is among those hoping to host the event in London.

At the moment, Las Vegas is a front-runner to host WrestleMania 41. Although Minneapolis may have thought hosting the Mania was a lock, and they put in a bid for it, nothing has been confirmed by WWE yet.

WWE President Nick Khan stated that the company intends on keeping WrestleMania and the other big five premium live events within the confines of the United States until further notice, but they are very open to bring all other events overseas. 

The 2024 WWE Draft will certainly shake up the rosters, but there are some serious concerns regarding the NXT brand. 

WWE has revealed which Superstars from Raw & SmackDown will be eligible for each night of the draft, but talent from NXT will also be available to be called up. Fightful Select reports that there is a concern that the gold brand will be “depleted” due to the draft and will lose its top stars. 

Former WWE NXT Champions Carmelo Hayes and Ilja Dragunov are said to be a ‘lock’ to be called up in the draft. WWE has a history of NXT being hit hard by the draft. In 2023, the gold brand lost both its NXT Women’s Champion Indi Hartwell, and its Women’s Tag Team Champions Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn to the main roster. 

NXT talent are said to be concerned about being drafted to the main roster without a clear direction for their character. While call-ups like Finn Balor (a first-round pick for Raw in 2016) have thrived on the main roster, the same can’t be said for everyone. Cameron Grimes was called up in the 2023 draft and was recently released from WWE following an underwhelming time on the main roster. 

Though the draft is expected to go one way, WWE Raw & SmackDown talent are eligible for a move to NXT. The prospect has been met with a mixed response by those currently on the main roster. While some would see it as a demotion, others believe it could benefit them. 

WWE Draft 2024

Here are some recent articles about the 2024 WWE Draft. Keep checking in with SE Scoops for all your draft news.