The first night of the 2023 WWE Draft is officially in the books. The two stars who main-evented WrestleMania 39, Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes, marked the first two picks in the Draft. Solo Sikoa was also included in the selection of The Tribal Chief.
Rounds Two and Three also had stars switching brands, with the Street Profits and Imperium moving to SmackDown and RAW, respectively, in Round Two. The blue brand also picked up Edge.
Many of the picks in the first three rounds made sense. However, things took a turn when it came to Round Four of Night One. Damage CTRL (Bayley, Dakota Kai, and IYO SKY) were picked first by SmackDown
The last two picks also featured current NXT Champions. Which picks in Night 1 of the 2023 WWE Draft could be flops? Here are three strange calls made during the opening festivities.
#3. SmackDown picked the current NXT Women's Tag Team Champions
#SmackDown gets the next pick in the
#WWEDraft:
#WWENXT Women's Tag Team Champions
@wwe_alba &
@IslaDawn 🤝
Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre won the NXT Women's Tag Team Titles from Fallon Henley and Kiana James at Stand & Deliver earlier this month.
NXT doesn't have many established women's tag teams in its ranks. This was further proven when the blue brand drafted Fyre and Dawn. They were immediately challenged to a match by Katana Chance and Kayden Carter for the next week.
If WWE was going to promote the women's tag team, the pick should have instead been Carter and Chance. They've been in NXT for almost four years and are former champions. Fyre and Dawn just won the titles and have defined characters.
Despite Fyre being ready for the main roster, the duo formed over the last few months and hasn't had an extended run atop the division.
#2. Damage CTRL and Bianca Belair are still on the same brand
Bayley and Belair have been at each other's throats for the last nine months.
The feud has done enough on RAW that it didn't need to spill over to SmackDown. On the surface, it makes sense because IYO SKY has the next title opportunity against Belair. However, WWE needs to move Bayley away from the EST of WWE.
The group's dissolution is on the horizon, possibly leading to it finally happening. Kai and SKY have grown frustrated with Bayley's decisions. If she wins the title, any scenario of betrayal could happen.
WWE Drafts should move feuding stars away from each other, and Belair and Damage CTRL have been at it since SummerSlam 2022. The group could have broken up with SKY going to SmackDown with Kai or as a singles star. Will they last much longer?
#1. NXT Women's Champion Indi Hartwell was picked in the 2023 WWE Draft
Fans were expecting certain female NXT stars like Zoey Stark, Roxanne Perez, or Chance and Carter to be a part of the 2023 WWE Draft. Instead, current NXT Women's Champion Indi Hartwell was the last pick of Night One. She was ready for a promotion late last year but won the championship at Stand & Deliver.
Hartwell retained her championship against Perez and Tiffany Stratton at Spring Breakin' earlier this week. Unfortunately, she was injured during the match and shown in a walking boot during the WWE Draft festivities at the WWE Performance Center.
Being drafted to RAW was an obvious way to pair her back with Candice LeRae, Johnny Gargano, and Dexter Lumis. Her injury, however, made the whole choice in the 2023 WWE Draft a headscratcher.
It's clear that Stratton is a future titleholder, and Perez deserved a longer run. If Hartwell was set to be picked, she should have lost at Spring Breakin.' All of NXT's female champions were drafted in the same round of the 2023 WWE Draft.
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