New Report Reveals Whether WWE Will Hold a Draft in 2026

Over the years, WWE has utilized a draft or draft lottery to shuffle the rosters on their WWE Raw, SmackDown, and NXT television shows. The company not only used the concept to change rosters, but they also treated the draft episodes as a can't-miss event.

WWE didn't hold a draft in 2025, though there were discussions at various points about doing so. ESPN reportedly wanted to host a draft, much like they do for the NFL, but the idea didn't get off the ground. Still, the company was able to shuffle talent around the shows with call-ups from NXT and trades.

A new report indicates the status of a WWE Draft in 2026. According to Bodyslam, WWE is not currently planning on having a draft this year. Like 2025, the company likely will restructure the television show rosters, but an actual draft broadcast doesn't have a date and isn't being planned at this time.

The last WWE Draft was held in April of 2024. The company executed this over the course of Raw, SmackDown, and NXT following WrestleMania 40.

WWE now has the perfect draft partner with ESPN

In 2025, WWE began a streaming partnership with ESPN. Beginning with the Wrestlepalooza event in September last year, ESPN became the exclusive domestic streaming provider for WWE PLE's. The deal between the two companies is for multiple years and is worth over a $1 billion.

Because of that partnership, a draft makes sense for the WWE now more than ever. Annually, ESPN hosts the NFL Draft across multiple days in April. The experience is massive for NFL fans around the country and now tours various NFL markets like Chicago, Green Bay, and elsewhere. This year, the NFL Draft emanates from Pittsburgh.

WWE is smack dab in the middle of its busiest time of year as a company. This weekend in Chicago is the last PLE stop on the road to WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas. The company presents Elimination Chamber from inside the United Center.

Announced matches for that show include both the men's and women's Elimination Chamber matches, CM Punk vs. Finn Balor for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and Becky Lynch vs. AJ Lee for the WWE Women's Intercontinental Championship.

As for WrestleMania 42, that emanates live for the second year in a row from inside Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on April 18 and April 19. The only official match for that show at this time is Stephanie Vaquer vs. Liv Morgan for the WWE Women's World Championship. If CM Punk retains his title this weekend, he'll face Roman Reigns for the championship in the WrestleMania main event.