On May 25th, 2016, the WWE announced that SmackDown will become a live show on Tuesday nights and will feature its own distinctive roster starting on July 19th, 2016. A few months have passed since that announcement and the speculation and anticipation for its execution has only increased as the time drew near. There were a multitude of rumors, reports, and even mock drafts circulating in anticipation for the return of the WWE Draft and by default, the Brand Extension. Some rumors were saying the Big Gold Belt was making a comeback, others were saying that former WWE superstars were coming back, and there was even a rumor that the Women’s Division would be unique to one show. Regardless of what fans thought of these rumors, they were all waiting for the WWE to reveal the rules of the brand split and the rosters they would feature. And while we still have some time before the rosters are revealed, the WWE has released a few rules in regards to how the Brand Split will operate.

There are only four current rules as well as an eligibility list, but all of it reveals some major implications based on what they state as well as what they do not state. Some of these facts are major news that will greatly benefit some of the talent currently on the WWE roster while others are somewhat unfortunate to hear.

So, to break it all down, this article will look at the 15 biggest takeaways form the WWE Draft Rules.

15. Raw Will Remain Three Hours

For anyone hoping that the WWE would reveal that Raw would revert back to two hours, those hopes have now been crushed by the WWE officially. Though most fans assumed Raw would remain the three-hour show it has been since 2012, some fans were genuinely hoping that the WWE would go back to being two hours so that the show would be easier to watch.

But according to the rules posted on WWE.com, only SmackDown will be two hours while Raw will remain three. Now on one hand, this means the WWE can continue to make major profits through advertising revenue on Raw, but on the other hand this comes at the dismay of the majority, if not all, of the WWE fanbase. The entire concept of the brand split was that the two brands were in some form of competition, but how can that be when one show is clearly longer than the other and could potentially have more stars?

14. 3:2 Ratio For Raw and SmackDown

As stated earlier, Raw will remain a three-hour program once the draft is over. Now many fans have speculated that SmackDown would be the better brand due to the show being live and the show being shorter than Raw, but the rules of the draft picks will ultimately favor Raw more than SmackDown.

According to WWE.com, not only will Raw have the first overall pick, but Raw will be able to get three picks for every two picks that SmackDown receives. This not only means the Raw show will get to pick a huge star right off the bat, but they could possibly draft three big stars or teams at once long before SmackDown does. The entire sense of competition between brands was already thrown off with a three-hour show competing against a two-hour show, but the fact that SmackDown won’t even be able to get the first pick clearly shows that the WWE will still value Raw much more.

13. Only 6 Picks For NXT

Though most of the rules for the draft focused on Raw and SmackDown, the developmental brand, NXT, will also be eligible in the upcoming draft. Per the draft rules, both Raw and SmackDown’s General Managers/Commissioners will collectively make only six picks off the NXT roster. And since gender was not specified amongst the draft rules, it can be safely assumed that the women of NXT will be amongst the picks made this Tuesday.

With all this in mind, NXT will more than likely see some major changes in the coming weeks. Some NXT fans have been speculating when Superstars like Finn Bálor, Bayley, American Alpha, Shinsuke Nakamura, and other NXT favorites would get their calls to join the main roster and it has been all but confirmed that some of those individuals will be headed for the main roster soon. Recently a video made the rounds on the internet with some of those individuals making the infamous “Too Sweet” symbol and if that wasn’t a strong enough indicator, this latest news should be.

12. A Tag Team Is Likely To Come To An End

One of the rules of the draft detailed that a tag team will count as one pick unless the authority figure wishes to only take one member of the team. This news means that some teams will be preserved after the draft has taken place, but this also means that the WWE can, and more than likely will, break up a tag team this Tuesday. And while teams like Gallows and Anderson, Enzo and Cass, and The Vaudevillians will more than likely not be affected, this will more than likely spell the end of The New Day.

The trio have become a merchandise machine for the WWE and are one of the biggest successes for the company in the last year. However, the time is slowly but surely approaching when this team will lose their luster with the fans. And if the breakup of The Shield was any indicator, the WWE isn’t beyond breaking up a team that’s widely beloved before the fans are ready for it.

11. Roman Reigns Is Eligible

It’s widely known by now that former WWE Champion Roman Reigns was suspended by the WWE for violating the wellness policy. This suspension will end before his title match at the Battleground PPV, but not before the draft takes place. These facts made it a slim possibility that Reigns may not get drafted until after the Battleground PPV and find himself in a similar role to Stone Cold Steve Austin in the initial brand split as a free agent.

But after looking through the list of eligible Superstars, Reigns is still eligible for the draft despite not being there to make an appearance. The WWE could do a free agent storyline anyway and not draft Reigns until after the PPV, but they could’ve left him off the list if that were the case. This isn’t really much of a surprise, but more so a fact that everyone assumed once the WWE made mention of Reigns’ suspension on WWE television.

10. Big Show And Mark Henry Are Eligible

For those of you wondering if the lack of Big Show and Mark Henry on WWE TV was an indicator that both wrestlers were slowly, but surely walking towards the doors of retirement, the WWE eligibility list has cleared all of that up. And while some will think this is beneficial, most fans will probably agree that this isn’t necessarily a good thing.

In the case of Mark Henry, the WWE has a former World Champion whose stock has fallen tremendously since the Hall of Pain storyline as well as being plagued with constant injuries. And in Big Show’s case, the WWE has a decorated champion and talent of both WCW and WWE who the fans have grown tired of to the point where audible “Please Retire” chants have been heard. Now if the WWE manages to somehow use these two individuals as a means of improving the WWE, then these two as draft picks could be a good thing.

But knowing WWE’s track record with stuff like this, this probably won’t work out.

9. The Women's Division Will Not Be Exclusive

As the WWE came closer and closer to the brand split, there was a rumor that the Women’s Division of the WWE could all become an exclusive part of either brand. If this were to be true and the women’s division were to remain on Raw, then the WWE would have much more time to develop the Women’s Division and develop the characters and storylines necessary to make the women matter to the show.

However, the draft rules have not indicated anything of this nature and instead revealed that the draft will involve individual members of the Women’s Division. This could honestly be perceived as either negative or positive news for the women of WWE. On one hand, women like Becky Lynch and others who are often neglected by WWE creative may have a better chance at shining on a different show, but the alternative means that they will have less time to wrestle and be featured as members of the SmackDown brand. Only time will tell if this decision will pay off.

8. No News On Past Wrestlers

Reports and rumors have been circulating amongst wrestling fans that past WWE Superstars were being contacted to be a part of the company once again and go to a particular brand. This news meant that talents like Shelton Benjamin, Carlito, MVP, Kurt Angle, and others could potentially make returns to the WWE. And while this may be the case, no news on this was revealed following the posting of the draft rules by WWE.

Most fans probably weren’t expecting any information on any of the old guard, but this doesn’t mean by any means that some possibly won’t return. If anything, this signifies that the WWE could be holding on to a few more surprises in regards to the brand split that may coincide with information about new champions and things of this nature. And while some fans have no desire to see WWE rely on past Superstars, there are still plenty of fans who would love to see a few guys make some returns.

7. No Tag Team Championship Information Was Revealed

One of the most well-known facts about the brand split is where the separate titles for each show will be on. From World Championships to even the Tag Team Championships, the WWE tried to have both shows have some degree of equality. The New Day are the current Tag Team Champions and are rumored to be split up in the near future. Still, the fact that no news whatsoever has been revealed about the Tag Team Championships could indicate a potential storyline for the New Day and their future challengers.

If the New Day were placed in a storyline where they were drafted to separate shows but the Tag Titles allowed them to remain together, then their matches could have that much more meaning. The WWE could have them defend the titles each week leading into SummerSlam and lose them there. That way the fans get a little more of the New Day while a tag team would get put over in a big way. A perfect scenario that could please just about everyone.

6. Commentators Seem Eligible

In the 2008 version of the WWE draft, the highly praised announce teams of Jerry “The King” Lawler & Good Ol' J.R . as well as Michael Cole and Taz were changed as both Cole and J.R were drafted to opposing shows. Doing so now would allow for some major changes in the WWE, as it would add some much needed change to the stale commentary of Cole, JBL, and Byron Saxton. Well...

Many fans were hoping for Corey Graves to become an announcer for SmackDown when the domestic incident took place with Lawler a few weeks ago, but with that issue now resolved, it seems like the Lawler is here to stay until he retires. We'll have to see what happens...

5. Brock Lesnar Is Eligble

As the biggest star the WWE has under contract currently, many fans were wondering what show, if any, would Brock Lesnar be drafted or if he would just go between shows due to his status. And according to the WWE draft rules, Lesnar is an eligible wrestler for the draft and can be potentially made to stay on to Raw or SmackDown.

Now if SmackDown had the first pick, then it would seem like a no-brainer that Shane McMahon would recruit the biggest star in the company to fight amongst wrestlers in the “New Era.” However, with Raw getting the first pick, there’s little to no chance that Lesnar ends up on any show other than Monday Night Raw. Now this would be a bit odd if the WWE were to make him the number one draft pick after his potential violation of the UFC’s drug testing, but Lesnar is the WWE’s biggest asset right now and would easily draw eyes to either brand. So whether he goes to Raw or SmackDown, there’s no doubt about that Lesnar will bring the ratings and viewership with him.

4. No New World Title Info Was Revealed

Perhaps the most notorious aspect of the WWE brand split was the two World Titles the WWE had until their unification in 2013. Raw became the home of the World Heavyweight Championship while SmackDown became the home of the WWE Championship for the first couple of years. And if the graphic change from the WWE World Heavyweight Championship to WWE Championship was any indicator, then the World Heavyweight Championship will be returning in some way, shape, or form.

However, no new information has been revealed per the WWE Draft Rules. This is either an indicator that the WWE are done referring to the title as the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, which is oxymoronic enough as it is, or it means that the WWE has no intention of returning to the two-World Title system they became synonymous for during the brand split. Now this may be a future revelation that the company makes going forward, but for now there is only one World Championship in the WWE.

3. NXT Will Lose Its Power

Over the past few years, the NXT Developmental Brand seemed like it had the potential to become a separate brand for the WWE as well as their version of an independent promotion. Many wrestlers known for their time in the independent circuit like Sami Zayn, Hideo Itami, Finn Bálor, Asuka, and others began to come into the promotion and made it bigger than it was ever supposed to be.

However, as with most developmental brands, the roster’s talent pool began to dwindle as Superstars were called up time and time again. With six picks being made from the NXT roster on Tuesday, it goes without saying that NXT will be reverting back to its roots as a developmental brand rather than a potential third brand. If all the big names and tag teams are drafted this week, then the roster will lose most of its talent in one fell swoop. And while Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and Sasha Banks have shown that they are willing to have Superstars go back and forth between the main roster and NXT, it will only be for a short amount of time.

2. Raw Will Have The Size Advantage

Per the rules of the WWE Draft, Raw will remain three hours, get three picks for every two that SmackDown makes, and pick first. This makes it abundantly clear that the roster for Raw will have an unquestionable advantage in their roster size. It makes sense so long as Raw remains a three-hour show, but it may also help to benefit Monday Night Raw as well.

Everyone was wondering how the WWE would manage when it came to splitting their roster with little to no legitimate stars, but these draft rules will make it so that the flagship show doesn’t lose too many stars. If the WWE is attempting to cater to two different audiences with these shows, then it would make sense to keep more wrestlers on Raw than SmackDown.

Casual wrestling fans look for star power, so more wrestlers could help in that aspect and hardcore fans look for match quality more, so perhaps NXT call-ups could work in that regard. Though it may seem like a downside as of right now, keeping more wrestlers on Raw may help both promotions.

1. SmackDown Will Have A Convenience Advantage

If this were a legit brand war, then it would go without saying that SmackDown has little to no chance of competing with Monday Night Raw, so long as one show is clearly longer than the other. And since no one wants to see them lengthen SmackDown, nor does the WWE wish to cut back on Monday Night Raw, these shows might be better in their current format for different ways.

As stated earlier, Raw will have a much steeper roster as they try to fill a three-hour void, but SmackDown will have the advantage of convenience by being only two-hours. If the WWE want to cater to two audiences, then having two hours and a smaller roster could work for them even better. With a smaller roster, the development of characters and intriguing storylines would be easier and would need to be more focused so that no time is wasted on the show. And as most fans would agree, two hours is much easier to get through than three. The SmackDown roster may not be as big, but if the right names are drafted and the creative team is focused, then this brand split may have a chance after all.