The modern ‘SmackDown Six’: WWE could create something incredible with current Raw roster

WWE

Back in the early 2000s, WWE SmackDown under Paul Heyman was considered the must-see show compared to WWE Raw.

Most of that came due to the success of six wrestlers, now retroactively known as the ‘SmackDown Six’, whose incredible ring work stood out from anything else on Monday Night Raw.

Over two decades later, and after countless years of fans speculating about potential modern line ups, WWE could finally create a new version, this time on Monday Night Raw.

Here is the potential modern ‘Raw Six’.

Chad Gable

The most obvious name to be featured on this list, Chad Gable has had arguably the run of his career since his return from injury back at the Royal Rumble.

From his AAA matches as the Original El Grande Americano, including the instant classic Mask vs. Mask match, to his run with the Intercontinental Champion putting on some of the best matches every week, Gable is arguably in the running for WWE’s wrestler of the year this year.

An Olympic wrestler putting on some of WWE’s best matches of the year? Luckily for us, the original SmackDown Six had one of those too!

Dragon Lee

2026 has also arguably been Dragon Lee’s best year since he signed with WWE in late 2022.

Coming off his own incredible clash with Gable for the Intercontinental Championship in Mexico City, Dragon Lee would benefit greatly from being featured in a line up like this.

With Lee’s WWE contract reportedly coming up soon, WWE must do everything it can to keep him around.

Penta

Already very popular, Penta has found himself becoming a beloved WWE star over the past month in the build up to his World Heavyweight Championship clash with Roman Reigns in Mexico City.

Having had main event level credibility recently, Penta would be one of the more established names in this line up, taking up a similar role to Eddie Guerrero in the original SmackDown Six.

Je’von Evans

At just 22 years old, Je’von Evans will almost certainly go on to be a key player in the future, and he’s already found a decent amount of success in the company, just without the title reigns to show for it.

A ‘Raw Six’ would be the perfect way to spotlight Je’von in a way that would finally get him to that next level, sharing the ring weekly with some of the very best in WWE.

Ethan Page

A more low-key pick for this line up would be Ethan Page, who has continued to chase the Intercontinental Championship since his call up to Raw after WrestleMania 42.

While Page’s strengths are mostly on the microphone and character work, he has more than proven that he can hang with the very best during his time in WWE, and brings a different style to the ‘Raw Six’ line up.

A charismatic Canadian wrestler working with some of the best and hanging with them all, Page would take up the Edge role of the group.

Rey Mysterio

It is 2026, and Rey Mysterio is moving like it is still 2002, recently having an incredible match with Chad Gable on Raw for the Intercontinental Championship.

Rey can realistically keep going for a while longer, and a late career run of this calibre is something that should definitely be celebrated.

One of the last of his generation, Rey Mysterio being in both the original SmackDown Six and the modern ‘Raw Six’ would be a nice detail.

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