With the WWE Draft coming up, we’re taking a look back at some of the most iconic draft moments of all time. Today, we’re looking into the 2011 WWE Draft. When John Cena was drafted twice in one night. First from Smackdown to Raw, which blew people’s minds. Then from Smackdown to Raw. All within the same night. You see in 2024, Smackdown is the A show but in 2011 it was very much the B show. The idea of John Cena going to the show with less viewers didn’t make any sense.
They accomplished what they wanted with the angle. They got the “OMG” moment from fans like myself who started thinking about all the repercussions for WWE if John Cena goes to Smackdown.
The first match of the show was a 20 man battle royal for one draft pick. It was an equal mix of wrestlers from Raw and Smackdown. Big Show and Kofi from Smackdown lastly eliminated Mason Ryan from Raw. The draft pick that was announced? John Cena! It looked like John Cena was moving to Smackdown. From the A show to the B show. It shocked fans watching at the time because nobody expected Smackdown to get John Cena. Although it did kind of make sense. Smackdown’s roster was depleted following the retirement of Edge. Undertaker’s appearances dwindled down and his feud with Triple H at that year’s Wrestlemania had mainly taken place on Raw. Smackdown needed a big name and they would get it. But it’s not who you would think.
Kofi Kingston picked up his second victory of the night, this time in a singles match against Sheamus. Kofi’s victory resulted in another draft pick for Smackdown. This time? Another one of WWE’s biggest stars, “The Apex Predator” Randy Orton. John Cena and Randy Orton both on the B show?! I was in complete disbelief at the time. It’s not like Raw’s roster was that stacked either at the time. Wrestlers like R-Truth and John Morrison found themselves in the main event picture on Raw. We didn’t realize the superstar that CM Punk would become later in the summer. With both Cena and Orton, Smackdown on that one night in 2011 was looking like the A show.
Here’s where the swerve comes. In the show’s main event Raw’s CM Punk, The Miz and Alberto Del Rio (who was drafted to Raw earlier in the night) defeated Smackdown’s John Cena, Christian and Mark Henry. Smackdown received one final pick on the official draft show, and that man was John Cena.
John Cena started off the night on Raw, got drafted to Smackdown, wrestles as a Smackdown wrestler and gets drafted back to Raw in the same night. I remember not exactly loving it at the time. I was a big Smackdown fan though and they still did acquire a superstar. Cena may have gotten drafted back to Raw but Orton remained. He would feud with Christian through the summer of 2011. Smackdown also ended up getting Daniel Bryan in the online draft and he blossomed into a big star for the brand.
What did you think of the big draft swerve? I was fired up at the time but it’s not like I could do anything about it. I would have rather they just not draft John Cena.
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