Finn Balor’s move to WWE SmackDown was not part of any formal draft process. Instead, it was a creative decision made to close out his recent storyline on WWE RAW and shift him into a fresh direction.

According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE officials wanted to separate Balor from Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh following the conclusion of their feud. After Balor scored a win over McDonagh, there was little storyline reason to continue interactions between them if he remained on RAW.

“I never heard anything about a draft. The idea is they just want to get him away from Dominik Mysterio and JD. He beat JD, and if he stays on Raw, theoretically, how does he not work with those guys? So they just figured they’re done with that, they’re done with Finn Balor doing that, and they wanted to give him a fresh start, and there you go. I mean, that’s kind of a lot of times they do that, they just run a feud, it’s over, and it’s the nature, the nature of the feud is they just don’t want these guys interacting.”

The move was announced during the June 1 episode of RAW from the Inalpi Arena in Turin. McDonagh responded on-screen by taking shots at Balor, claiming he would not be missed and suggesting that Judgment Day could have ended his career if he had stayed.

Balor’s run on RAW marked a significant chapter in his WWE career. As part of The Judgment Day alongside Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio, and Rhea Ripley, he remained a central figure in the group’s success. His involvement helped elevate Mysterio and contributed to multiple title reigns tied to the faction.

Despite the brand change, Balor remains active in the ongoing King of the Ring tournament. He is scheduled to compete in a first-round match against Jey Uso, LA Knight, and Royce Keys. The tournament finals are set for Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia on June 27, with both the King and Queen winners earning title opportunities at SummerSlam 2026.

The transition to SmackDown places Balor into a new environment filled with top-level competition. The brand currently features Cody Rhodes as Undisputed WWE Champion, along with GUNTHER coming off a major title match at Clash in Italy.

Balor arrives on SmackDown with momentum and immediate stakes, as WWE looks to reset his direction following the end of his RAW storyline.

Backstage News On Finn Balor WWE SmackDown Move

AdvertisementAdvertisement