#4.) Finn Balor becomes a first-round draft pick without even debuting
It’s safe to say that till date, Finn Balor was the most highly-anticipated main roster call-up in WWE history. At no point in time were WWE fans as well-connected with the “developmental” system and Balor’s raging success in NXT made fans believe that he would be an instant success on the main roster.
WWE seemed to think so as well at first. When the brand split was brought back in 2016, WWE held a draft before Battleground to establish the rosters. The first round surprisingly didn’t even involve Roman Reigns, John Cena and Brock Lesnar – the company’s 3 biggest stars. Instead, they chose to focus on the more current and younger superstars, including a female pick in Charlotte Flair.
However, the biggest surprise was when Mick Foley announced that “with an eye to the future”, RAW chose the former NXT Champion Finn Balor. It was a big payoff to a long-anticipated call-up. And to be picked over Lesnar, Reigns and Cena is no small feat.
Next Page: 5 Most Surprising Draft Pick Moments In WWE History
