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

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JBL has offered strong praise for Chad Gable following his recent match against Ludwig Kaiser at AAA Noche de los Grandes, calling him the best wrestler in the world.

Speaking on Busted Open Radio, JBL reflected on the mask vs. mask bout that took place in Monterrey, Mexico. The match saw El Grande Americano defeat the Original Grande Americano, who later unmasked to reveal himself as Gable. JBL, who was on commentary for the event, described the match as one of the best examples of professional wrestling.

“I think Chad Gable’s the best wrestler in the world. And I don’t think it’s close. That was absolutely amazing, what he and Kaiser did.”

JBL pointed to Gable’s ability to adapt as one of the most impressive aspects of the performance. He highlighted how different it is to work as a heel in Mexico compared to WWE.

“It’s easy to be kind of a campy heel like he was in WWE with the videos with the Varsity Club or whatever the heck it was. But then all of a sudden to try to get heat down in Mexico, that’s a different level. It’s not even the same business. He had a match down there with La Parka that was just phenomenal.”

Kaiser also received praise for his preparation and commitment to the role.

“Kaiser created all this. Kaiser created all this with learning the language. Not just learning the language, as we used to say in Texas, he wasn’t learning Spanish, he was learning Mexican. The local dialect was what he was learning, which was absolutely amazing, what he’s done.”

JBL also credited the crowd for elevating the match atmosphere.

“Mexican fans are just passionate fans. They love their lucha libre, and they love their stars, and they get into things, and they enjoy it. And that’s what you saw, them at their very best. And I thought you saw wrestling at its very best. I was absolutely blown away by what they did in the match.”

This is not the first time JBL has spoken highly of the storyline. On Something to Wrestle, he previously described the Kaiser vs. Gable angle as “the craziest shit I’ve ever seen in wrestling, ever.” His comments come as other veterans, including Jeff Jarrett, have also shared strong opinions about Gable’s current standing.

JBL Praises Chad Gable as “Best Wrestler in the World” After AAA Match With Ludwig Kaiser

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Foley said that he didn’t want to be in a position where his grandchildren were questioning what side of history their grandfather was on. He explained, however, that he loves WWE and wasn’t going to disparage the company, and he didn’t close the door on things entirely.

“But, it didn’t seem like a good fit,” he said. “Didn’t seem like a fit that would allow me to look myself in the mirror before I went to bed.”

He explained that the head of talent relations said he respected his decision, then he received a call from someone “really high up,” who he did not want to name, who seemed to try and reason with him. Foley said the person explained Paul “Triple H” Levesque was “just” on the president’s physical fitness board and that Linda McMahon, Trump’s Secretary of Education, hasn’t worked in WWE in years.

“I said, ‘Well, theoretically that’s the case, but I could have swore I saw Paul behind the president’s shoulder when he was making… policy,'” Foley said. “I said, ‘Whether Linda’s working for the company or not, her last name’s ‘McMahon’ and she’s associated with the company.'”

Foley said he did not hear from Levesque or anyone within the McMahon family, though said he did have a great relationship with Levesque and his wife, Stephanie McMahon, as well as Vince McMahon, and he knew the decision was probably going to impact those relationships. Foley also had a message to those listening regarding politics.

“It’s never too late to do the right thing,” Foley said. “The best time to have made your voice heard would have been earlier, but the second best time is now.”

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “The Ariel Helwani Show” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.