WWE SmackDown Star To Join Raw Roster

WWE

With WWE seemingly doing away with their annual WWE Draft, we have seen stars swap between Raw and SmackDown at random points throughout 2026.

While the likes of Roman Reigns, Jacob Fatu and Solo Sikoa traded blue for red, we have seen SmackDown gain it’s fair share of big names also – with CM Punk, GUNTHER and Finn Balor being pushed as top stars in the main event scene on Friday nights.

With the SmackDown roster getting more crowded, and there being an hour less of TV time on offer, we could see some names leave SmackDown behind in favor of Monday Night Raw.

Here are three WWE SmackDown stars to potentially join the Raw roster.

Damian Priest

When it comes to stars in need of a creative change, Damian Priest ranks pretty high on that list.

The Judgment Day’s former muscle has failed to get back to the world title picture since moving to SmackDown in early 2025, and has instead been spending his 2026 teaming with R-Truth in a comedic odd couple pairing.

Their tag run has been fun for sure, but as Priest has indicated on WWE TV, it’s time for him to refocus on his singles career. While a heel turn could give Priest a brand new start on SmackDown, so too could a move back to Monday Night Raw.

With Priest’s real-life girlfriend Lola Vice also debuting on the red brand on Monday (September 14), WWE could move him to Raw in order to keep them together – as they typically do with couples on the roster.

Rey Fenix

Speaking of keeping people together, that has certainly not been WWE’s MO when it comes to The Lucha Brothers.

Since Penta and Rey Fenix joined WWE in 2025, the company has had them on separate brands rather than allowing them to build upon their legacy as a tag team, and so far, it certainly has proved to be a smart move.

Penta has become one of WWE’s most popular stars, and does not look even remotely out of place in challenging Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship this coming Monday on Raw. WWE has also done a much better job building up Fenix in recent months than they had been doing for much of 2025, and his popularity is growing on his own as well.

While WWE can certainly keep going the way they’re going, eventually it feels like a reunion of Penta and Fenix has to be on the cards. The WWE World Tag Team Title division is in dire straits right now, and would be aided massively by the presence of the Lucha Bros.

Drew McIntyre

WWE has had no shortage of big returns lately, with Bronson Reed and Bayley making headlines over the past week. However, one name who remains off TV, and without any up to date news on his whereabouts is Drew McIntyre.

McIntyre has been gone from WWE since his WrestleMania 42 loss to Jacob Fatu, and in that time he has been filming roles for a pair of Hollywood action blockbusters: Highlander and The Last Druid – both of which star Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe.

Given how stacked SmackDown’s main event picture is right now, McIntyre’s chances of reclaiming world championship gold may fair better on Raw than on the blue brand.

He also has a lot of unfinished business with The Bloodline from four years ago, so after Roman Reigns finishes up with LA Knight, we could potentially see McIntyre step up to ‘The OTC.’

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• RAW
• wwe
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