Becky Lynch To SmackDown And 5 Huge Moves That Must Be Made

WWE will be hosting its first draft since 2021 when the superstars of Raw, SmackDown and possibly NXT are up for grabs.

Triple H made the surprise announcement on Monday Night Raw a few weeks ago that the main roster would be overhauled for the first time in nearly two years. The last WWE draft took place way back in October 2021, and among the most notable picks were Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre moving to SmackDown while Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch shifted over to Raw.

Since then, SmackDown has consistently been a better show than its red counterpart despite having a smaller roster, and even though the brand split has been largely ignored in recent months, that should change with the draft set to take place starting on SmackDown. There could—and should—be plenty of big stars on the move, too, as numerous high-profile names are in need of a fresh start and a new world title is on the way.

Which stars need a do-over on a new show? Well, these blockbuster moves would go a long way toward refreshing both Raw and SmackDown.

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Bobby Lashley To SmackDown

Since returning to WWE in 2018, Bobby Lashley has spent his entire second stint with the company on Raw, where he’s had a ton of success as one of WWE’s biggest stars and a two-time world champion.

But now is the perfect time to move Lashley to SmackDown and give him a chance to do battle with top stars like Reigns while also giving the blue brand some more depth at the top of the card. Lashley has proven to be tremendous as both a heel and babyface over the past several years, and he comes across as one of the most legitimate tough guys on the roster.

SmackDown has thrived over the past year by focusing on fellow heavyweights like Reigns, Drew McIntyre, Sheamus and Gunther, and Lashley could fill a similar slot on Friday nights.

Gunther Swaps Shows With Austin Theory, Bringing Imperium With Him

Gunther has been one of WWE’s best booked stars under Triple H’s creative regime, but there is one problem: He is on the same show as Reigns, the unquestioned top star in the company.

No matter how great Gunther is—and he’s been amazing on SmackDown—and no matter how much he’s elevated the Intercontinental Championship, it’s difficult to envision him moving any higher up on the card if he’s on the same brand as Reigns. Of course, SmackDown is now the A-show in WWE, which means that Reigns is almost assuredly staying put on the blue brand.

That necessitates a move to Raw for Gunther, who could very easily be elevated to the world title picture. Especially if Reigns stays put as many expect, Gunther is a prime candidate to be the top heel on Monday nights.

Judgment Day Follows Rhea Ripley To SmackDown

Now the SmackDown Women’s Champion, Rhea Ripley is a virtual lock to make the official switch to SmackDown in the draft, but she shouldn’t go alone.

After a rocky start, Ripley and The Judgment Day finally began to click over the past few months, and if Imperium moves to Raw, then The Judgment Day is the ideal fit for SmackDown. Ripley’s association with Dominik Mysterio, Finn Balor and Damian Priest has done wonders for all four superstars, and though Ripley could thrive on her own, it’s too soon to disband this faction at a time when it’s finally working like a well-oiled machine.

By moving the entire stable to SmackDown, that would open a number of intriguing feud possibilies for Dom, Priest and Balor, and it would ensure that Ripley brings that much needed boost to the show’s stagnant women’s division.

Becky Lynch And Seth Rollins To SmackDown

Ronda Rousey’s injury—combined with her in-ring regression and diminishing star power—has really hurt SmackDown’s women’s division, which is also expected to be without Charlotte Flair for the foreseeable future as the 14-time world champion takes another hiatus from WWE.

The solution? Bring Becky Lynch to SmackDown. Despite some up-and-down booking over the past year, Lynch is still the biggest star in WWE’s women’s division and should be a cornerstone of WWE’s A-show. Lynch is reportedly set to face the legendary Trish Stratus at SummerSlam, but WWE could very easily just transition that feud from Raw to SmackDown.

In fact, that’s exactly what WWE should do. Lynch’s Raw run has stagnated, and SmackDown has really been hampered without a fully healthy Rousey and with only sporadic appearances by Flair. To replace those two stars, SmackDown needs someone like Lynch to join Ripley on the show to provide it with two consistent top stars it has sorely lacked for a long time now.

And wherever Lynch lands, her real-life husband Seth Rollins should follow. Rollins would also be a great fit as the top star on SmackDown given Reigns’ infrequent appearances on the brand.

Drew McIntyre To Raw

Drew McIntyre is reportedly at odds with WWE over both his contract situation and the booking of his character, making his future with the company a big question mark right now.

But WWE still has roughly nine months to get his contract situation together, and it’s unlikely that he will simply be put on ice during that timeframe. Simply put, McIntyre has been too valuable for WWE not to utilize him as a top star moving forward, with the Scottish superstar developing into one of the company’s most important stars since 2020.

McIntyre is a do-it-all performer and world championship material, but after WWE surprisingly chose not to have him beat Reigns at Clash at the Castle last September, there’s really nothing left for him to do on SmackDown. He’s clearly not going to be the guy to dethrone “The Tribal Chief,” so a move to the opposite brand is the best way to make the most of his talents and satisfy him creatively.