Key WWE Superstars/Tag-Teams Who Were Surprisingly Left Out Of The WWE Draft, But Signed Backstage

• AOP signs for Monday Night RAW
• The Usos could pick a brand soon
• Crews and EC3 might leave WWE

The recent WWE draft that concluded on the latest edition of Monday Night RAW, sealed the fates of the superstars on either The Red or The Blue brands respectively. The stars would be exclusive to The US or Fox networks and would only appear on either show. What followed post the two-night event, was a 24hr window where most of the left-out superstars were signed by either brand, based on reputation and capability.

Despite the events that follow, some key superstars and tag-teams were left out. These top players were chosen by neither networks and will still be free-agents to sign with either brand. Though the possibility of not being picked yet seemed irrational, some suggest that the company was to use them as a wild-card.

Here are three WWE superstars/tag-teams that were surprisingly left completely out of the Televised version of the draft, but signed later backstage-

Apollo Crews

A favorite of WWE boss Vince McMahon at one point of time, Crews failed to live up to any sort of expectations. He was rushed onto the main roster and though he had all the talent in the world, things just did not work out well for Apollo. He was always a hard-working talent, who had no idea what he was doing on the main roster and was just used improperly.

The creative team of the company too did not help his cause and he fell harder than he could rise in the company. Due to this, he suffered loss after loss and his credibility were eventually lost. On the eve of the draft as well on RAW, Crews put on a timid performance against Ricochet and before the match could momentum, he had already been pinned.

This once again proved that there was no place for him in the company’s long-term plans and it was no surprise that he was missing from the draft. However, WWE.com confirmed that he was signed by SmackDown off the air.

Ethan-Carter III (EC3)

It’s all about your relationship with Vince and the higher officials, when it comes to deciding your fate in the WWE. Very few superstars have rubbed the boss the wrong way and have lived happily-ever-after to tell the tale. Unfortunately, EC3 is not one of those superstars.

Rumours previously had circulated that Ethan-Carter III had rubbed the Chairman of WWE the wrong way, due to which any push that he had was cut-short. From a potential main-event push, he was made into a jobber and things have not been so bright for him ever-since. Also, he was nowhere to be found on the nights of the draft, which possibly meant for the fans that his WWE career was probably over for a second time. The only slight of hope of a revival that they eventually got was when he was later signed back-stage by RAW. Is there a plot twist here?

AOP (Akam & Rezar)–

AOP was initially left out of the draft as well, but it was due to a storyline plot that they were part of. The WWE wanted to maintain a level of surprise for their next appearance and did not want to make it clear, as to which show they would appear on. Their recent character change showcased pure dominance and they were one of the hottest free-agents in the company.

However, the suspense did not last too long and they have now been signed by Monday Night RAW as confirmed by WWE.com. They will be a huge addition to the main-roster and it is only a matter of time before they regain the tag-time titles of the brand.

Additional WWE Draft picks-

Apollo Crews — SmackDown

Drew Gulak — SmackDown

EC3 — Raw

Eric Young — Raw

Heath Slater — SmackDown

Sin Cara — Raw

Tamina — SmackDown

The B-Team — SmackDown