| 2005 WWE draft lottery | |
|---|---|
 John Cena, the first draftee in the 2005 WWE draft. | |
| General information | |
| Sport | Professional wrestling |
| Date | June 6–30, 2005 |
| Overview | |
| League | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| Teams | Raw SmackDown! |
The2005 World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) draft lottery, the thirdWWE draft, took place over a four-week period from June 6–30.
Every wrestler from Raw and SmackDown! was eligible to be drafted, includingannouncers,commentators, andgeneral managers.[1] There were ten draft picks and an eleven-person trade conducted between thepromotion's two main brands:Raw andSmackDown!, where twenty-two wrestlers were drafted and traded overall.[2] Draft picks were drawn at (kayfabe) random onWWE's two-hour main television programs, each Monday onRaw (onSpike TV) and each Thursday onSmackDown! (onUPN).[1] Post-draft trades were revealed on WWE's official website, wwe.com.[2][3]
On the April 18, 2005, episode ofRaw, WWE chairmanMr. McMahon scheduled a draft lottery for the following month in May.[4] However, on the May 16 episode ofRaw, McMahon postponed the draft to June.[5] He noted that there were no exceptions from the draft, including the injured and thechampions.[5]
| Pick No. | Brand (to) | Wrestler | Role | Brand (from) | Day of selection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raw | John Cena (then-WWE Champion) | Male wrestler | SmackDown! | June 6 (Raw) |
| 2 | SmackDown! | Chris Benoit | Male wrestler | Raw | June 9 (SmackDown!) |
| 3 | Raw | Kurt Angle | Male wrestler | SmackDown! | June 13 (Raw) |
| 4 | SmackDown! | Randy Orton | Male wrestler | Raw | June 16 (SmackDown!) |
| 5 | Raw | Carlito | Male wrestler | SmackDown! | June 20 (Raw) |
| 6 | SmackDown! | Muhammad Hassan andKhosrow Daivari | Male wrestlers | Raw | June 23 (SmackDown!) |
| 7 | Raw | Big Show | Male wrestler | SmackDown! | June 27 (Raw) |
| 8 | Raw | Rob Van Dam | Male wrestler | SmackDown! | |
| 9 | SmackDown! | Christian | Male wrestler | Raw | June 30 (SmackDown!) |
| 10 | SmackDown! | Batista (then-World Heavyweight Champion) | Male wrestler | Raw |
| Pick No. | Brand (to) | Wrestler | Role | Brand (from) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raw | Male/female wrestlers | SmackDown! | |
| SmackDown! | Male/female wrestlers | Raw |
This was the first draft in which champions brought their titles to their new show if they were selected. AfterJohn Cena was drafted to Raw, along with theWWE Championship, SmackDown! was left without aworld title for the remainder of the month of June.[6] As a result, on the June 23, 2005 episode,General Manager,Theodore Long, announced the creation of new world title, called the SmackDown! Championship.[6][7] The new champion would have been determined in a six-man elimination match betweenThe Undertaker,Muhammad Hassan,Christian,Booker T,John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) andChris Benoit, which JBL won on the June 30, 2005 episode ofSmackDown!.[8][9] After JBL won the match, Long declared that the SmackDown! Championship was not needed because the then-World Heavyweight Champion,Batista, had been drafted to SmackDown!.[8][9]