The landscape changing WWE Draft will take place on the first live SmackDown on USA Network on July 19.
Tuesday, July 19 is the day when the entire WWE landscape changes forever as on the first-ever live SmackDown on USA Network, WWE will be holding the 2016 WWE Draft.
The draft will be conducted by the as-yet unannounced General Managers of each respective brand (thought to be Shane and Stephanie McMahon), with the draft taking effect the following Monday night on Raw.
It still hasn’t been announced what will happen with championship titles and if there will be any more added to either brand. There have been rumours (which we have not reported) of two World Heavyweight Championships – one for each brand.
Kevin Dunn, Executive Producer of WWE said: ““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. We’re already hearing the excitement among WWE fans for SmackDown’s new live format, and our audiences are eagerly anticipating the live draft and what it means for their favorite Superstars”
As we’ve previously reported, each brand will feature distinct rosters, storylines, writing teams and monthly pay-per-view events.
A statement from WWE reads:
The destiny of all WWE Superstars will be determined when SmackDown goes live for the first time ever Tuesday, July 19, at 8/7 C on USA Network. A WWE Draft will be conducted by respective General Managers to select which Superstars will compete exclusively on Monday Night Raw or SmackDown.
For the first time in history on back-to-back nights, these two distinctive brands (Monday Night Raw and Tuesday’s SmackDown) will compete with each other for television ratings, live events and pay-per-views.
Where will your favorite Superstars end up? Find out Tuesday, July 19, when SmackDown goes LIVE!