The second round of announcements for the 2021 WWE Draft came with a few surprises. Chief among them was the announcement made by WWE official Sonya Deville. In the first of potentially multiple names called up from NXT, the entirety of Hit Row was drafted to SmackDown. All four members – Ashante “Thee” Adonis, Top Dolla, B-FAB, and NXT North American Champion Isaiah “Swerve” Scott will become regular performers on the blue brand.
🎶 HIIIITTTT ROOWWWWWW 🎶
From #WWENXT to the blue brand! #HitRow have been drafted to #SmackDown! #WWEDraft @swerveconfident @AJFrancis410 @TheeAdonisWWE @BFabwwe pic.twitter.com/8Ms9FUyexJ
— WWE (@WWE) October 2, 2021
Hit Row Drafted to Friday Night SmackDown
As stated earlier, Hit Row are the first names from NXT to be part of the 2021 WWE Draft. On NXT, they’ve been involved in a feud with Legado Del Fantasma, led by former NXT Cruiserweight Champion Santos Escobar. Most recently, B-FAB took on the newest member of Legado Del Fantasma, Elektra Lopez, in a losing effort.
The formation of Hit Row goes back to October of 2020. At NXT TakeOver: 31, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott challenged Santos Escobar for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship. During the match, other members of Legado Del Fantasma interfered. This prompted Ashante “Thee” Adonis to interfere on behalf of Scott, who ultimately lost the match.
The following year, Scott would befriend future Hit Row members Top Dolla and B-FAB. Along with Adonis and Scott, the four became known as Hit Row. The group would eventually find success this past June, as Scott defeated Bronson Reed for the NXT North American Championship. With his recent draft to SmackDown, the fate of the North American Championship is currently unknown.
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