WWE stars returning to SmackDown soon: Three absent names coming back into the fold on Friday nights

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Since WWE SmackDown went from back to two hours in July, there has been more competition for TV time and several stars have found it difficult to nail down a consistent spot on the show.

While the show is expected to remain at its current length until switching back to three hours in January 2027, WWE should make the effort to bring back some of the names that have fallen by the wayside.

Here are three WWE SmackDown stars who should be returning soon.

Carmelo Hayes

Carmelo Hayes’ 2026 has been a frustrating watch for fans. The Boston native began the year as United States Champion and was delivering consistent match of the week contenders every Friday night.

Rather than rewarding Hayes with the opportunity to defend his gold at WrestleMania 42 however, WWE instead put the belt on Sami Zayn less than a month before ‘The Grandest Stage of Them All,’ and Zayn was the one who got a one-on-one match with Trick Williams at the show rather than his former tag team partner.

Hayes has failed to recapture the gold since, with his most recent TV appearance being an August 14 loss to then US Champion Baron Corbin.

While there has been little word on when Hayes will be back in action, Trick Williams and Baron Corbin’s feud appears set to finally come to an end on the Friday, September 25 episode of SmackDown, so perhaps we will see Hayes brought back into the fold afterwards.

Jordynne Grace

While Carmelo Hayes’ six week absence is far from ideal, spare a thought for Jordynne Grace, who hasn’t been seen on SmackDown since April 17.

Disappearing off TV after only three months on the main roster isn’t ideal, but it appears as if ‘The Juggernaut’ could be on her way back soon, and with a new tag team partner to boot.

Recent reports have suggested that a new team of Grace and fellow WWE absentee Ivy Nile has been pitched behind the scenes.

While it’s not yet known what brand the pair could appear for, it certainly sounds like a good use of the two highly athletic superstars, especially given the lack of challengers stepping up to WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Fatal Influence lately.

Drew McIntyre

Unlike our two previous entries, Drew McIntyre is, as far as we know, not off TV due to a lack of creative ideas or TV time, rather ‘The Scottish Warrior’ has been away for the past five months due to opportunities in his acting career.

McIntyre filmed a role in the reboot of Highlander around WrestleMania 42, and was later cast in a role in upcoming action movie The Last Druid.

Back in June, when news broke of McIntyre’s role in the film, it was reported that he likely wouldn’t be back in WWE “anytime soon.”

However, given that a further three months have now passed, one would think a return should be approaching in the near future, or at least fans would hope so. With the SmackDown main event scene more stacked than ever, seeing McIntyre join the fray would make for an exciting plot twist.

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