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Born in Harlem, New York and now living in the Bronx, Sid Pullar III aka SP3 is a lifelong wrestling fan who has been covering the industry for over nine years as a podcaster and writer. His passion for the industry has been documented with over 3,000 videos on YouTube and 8,000 written pieces across multiple outlets, such as WrestleTalk, Sports Illustrated and more.
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WWE
There has been a ton of crossover between Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown with various WWE stars showing up on both main roster shows.
With WWE SummerSlam 2026 looming, there could be several SmackDown names that make the move and leave the show in the coming weeks and months.
From former champions to up-and-coming talent who need a new scenery, these moves would help the stars themselves as well as both brands by balancing out the rosters in a more sustainable way.
Here are seven WWE SmackDown stars to potentially leave the show.
7. Ilja Dragunov
Ilja Dragunov is a former NXT UK, NXT and WWE United States Champion
In October 2025, Ilja Dragunov returned from over a year on the sidelines with a torn ACL to defeat Sami Zayn and win the WWE United States Championship.
‘The Mad Dragon’ went on a memorable reign where he adopted the US Open Challenge reintroduced by Zayn and successfully defended the title seven times until losing the gold to Carmelo Hayes on the last SmackDown of 2025.
Since losing his rematch for the title, Dragunov has not been featured on WWE television consistently.
Needing a new home to showcase his skills, Dragunov could make the move back to Monday Night Raw where he has the chance to mix it up with the likes of Seth Rollins, LA Knight or even Oba Femi.
6. Carmelo Hayes
Carmelo Hayes won the 2025 Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Carmelo Hayes kicked off 2026 as the WWE United States Champion and held the title for 91 days with eight title defenses.
While he is still a presence on Friday Night SmackDown and in the US Title picture, Melo’s role has been somewhat diminished after losing the gold ahead of WrestleMania 42.
Since getting called up to the WWE main roster, Hayes has mostly been on the blue brand and could be in need of a change.
Hayes joining the likes of Penta, Je’Von Evans and Chad Gable in the Intercontinental Championship scene would bring some exciting matches that would put the spotlight on ‘HIM.’
5. Giulia
Giulia is a former NXT Women’s Champion and two-time Women’s United States Champion
After nearly a year together, Giulia finally split from Kiana James and defeated her former representative in a singles match.
‘The Beautiful Madness’ is a two-time WWE Women’s United States Championship, but she still feels like someone who has been underutilized on Friday Night SmackDown.
Despite starting a rivalry with Blake Monroe, it might be the right time for Giulia to make the move to Monday Night Raw for the first time since moving to the main roster.
Giulia on Raw presents some brand new matchups with the likes of Liv Morgan, Bayley, Lyra Valkyria and IYO SKY as well as rekindling rivalries with Roxanne Perez and Stephanie Vaquer, so it feels like a good move for everyone including the fans.
4. Royce Keys
Royce Keys teams with LA Knight and Solo Sikoa against The Bloodline at SummerSlam 2026
Over the past few months, Royce Keys has been becoming more and more prominent on WWE TV.
The former Powerhouse Hobbs in AEW came into WWE at Royal Rumble 2026, but he has made his presence felt on SmackDown in The Bloodline storyline.
Playing off his history with the Samoan family dynasty, Keys has found himself on the opposite side of The Bloodline in a six-man tag team match with Solo Sikoa and LA Knight against Jacob Fatu and The Usos at WWE SummerSlam 2026.
Keys moving from SmackDown to Raw would be interesting to see him rise to prominence in WWE through working with the likes of Roman Reigns, Jimmy and Jey Uso on a consistent basis.
3. The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax & Lash Legend)
The Irresistible Forces have been together since Lash Legend’s WWE main roster call-up
At the tailend of 2025, Lash Legend got called up to the WWE main roster and aligned herself with Nia Jax to form The Irresistible Forces.
Legend and Jax have made themselves into one of the most formidable duos in the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship picture.
Wanting to mix things up for both brands, The Irresistible Forces would immediately add a different dynamic on Monday Night Raw.
Whether it be in the tag team scene or in the singles division, Lash and Nia have the opportunity to be thrusted into the spotlight in a significant manner on WWE’s flagship show.
2. Tiffany Stratton
Tiffany Stratton is a former WWE Women’s Champion and the current Women’s United States Champion
On the April 24 WWE SmackDown after WrestleMania 42, Tiffany Stratton defeated Giulia to win the WWE Women’s United States Championship.
Stratton has defended her title against the likes of Kiana James and Jade Cargill in recent months.
When the company wants to switch things up, different titles change brands and could see Stratton move to WWE Raw for the first time in her career.
Having the opportunity to work with Becky Lynch, Sol Ruca and Nattie, Stratton will continue to be one of the premier stars in the WWE women’s division.
1. Solo Sikoa
Solo Sikoa is now faction-less for the first time since his run in NXT
Solo Sikoa has become one of the WWE stars who has been featured on both Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown.
After Roman Reigns sent him the invite to come home to The Bloodline, Sikoa has been sending a message to ‘The OTC’ and his family by refusing to bend the knee.
Now that Sikoa will be teaming with LA Knight and Royce Keys against Jacob Fatu and The Usos at WWE SummerSlam 2026, it feels like the company should just officially move the former MFTs leader to Monday nights.
Sikoa joining WWE Raw could see him further his current babyface turn as an ‘anti-hero’ who is willing to fight back against The Bloodline’s current takeover of the red brand.
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