# @wrestlingnewsco on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DWiisLLDh6N
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/62213847-wrestlingnewsco-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/2d32283ae3.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-03-31T07:02:51.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Wrestling News - WWE, AEW (@wrestlingnewsco) — https://gondola.cc/wrestlingnewsco

## Caption

The first WWE Draft took place on March 25, 2002 at Penn State University, televised live on Raw. The brand split was created largely because WWE had absorbed so much talent from WCW and ECW that the roster had doubled in size and needed to be divided between two shows.

Vince McMahon represented SmackDown. Ric Flair represented Raw. McMahon won a coin toss to determine who picked first.

With the first selection in the history of the WWE Draft, Vince McMahon chose The Rock.

Stone Cold Steve Austin was made exempt from the draft entirely. 

Sixty wrestlers were drafted in total. The Rock went on to win the WWE Championship on SmackDown that same year.

#WWE #Wrestling #WWEDraft #TheRock #ProWrestling WWEHistory

## Stats

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## Tags

prowrestling, therock, wwedraft, wrestling, wwe

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