Several wrestlers were notably absent from the WWE Draft, and Fightful Select has provided an update on their statuses. Bray Wyatt, who has been absent since before WrestleMania, was not included in the draft. According to the report, Wyatt was recovering from an illness during WrestleMania weekend, but he has been telling friends he is excited to get back to work when he can.
Other wrestlers, including Big E, Randy Orton, R-Truth, and Robert Roode, were not drafted due to injuries. Truth and Roode are expected to miss most, if not all, of 2023 due to injuries. Big E suffered a broken neck, and Orton has been dealing with back issues, making their returns uncertain.
Several wrestlers, such as Aliyah, Carmella, Alexa Bliss, Shanky, and Uncle Howdy, were absent from TV and were not drafted. Shanky has not been used since Triple H took over, Aliyah has been out since September due to injuries, Bliss was out due to skin cancer treatment and is not part of any creative plans, Uncle Howdy is unlikely to return until Wyatt does, and Carmella’s absence has not been explained.
Part-timers, including Lita, Logan Paul, and Maryse, were also absent from the draft. Lita is currently selling a storyline injury and is not expected to be in the ring frequently. Logan Paul is considered a free agent and will appear wherever WWE needs him to. Maryse will only appear whenever her husband, The Miz, does, and he was drafted to RAW in the first round.
