According to Dave Meltzer, Finn Balor’s move from Raw to SmackDown was not part of a formal WWE Draft, but rather a creative decision designed to separate him from his former Judgment Day rivals.
Balor’s brand switch was announced during the June 1 episode of WWE Raw from the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy.
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer explained that WWE viewed Balor’s feud with Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh as finished and wanted to move him into fresh programs.
“I never heard anything about a draft. The idea is they just want to get him away from Dominik Mysterio and JD.”
Meltzer pointed out that after Balor defeated McDonagh, continuing to keep all three performers on the same brand would naturally raise questions about why they weren’t still interacting.
“He beat JD, and if he stays on Raw, theoretically, how does he not work with those guys?”
As a result, WWE reportedly chose a clean break.
“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.”
Meltzer added that this type of move is common when WWE believes a rivalry has reached its natural conclusion.
“A lot of times they do that, they just run a feud, it’s over, and the nature of the feud is they just don’t want these guys interacting.”
The move effectively closes one of the most significant chapters of Balor’s WWE career.
Since joining The Judgment Day, Balor has been a central figure alongside Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio, Rhea Ripley, and later McDonagh. The faction became one of WWE’s most successful acts, helping elevate Dominik into one of the company’s top heels while producing multiple championship reigns.
Despite the brand change, Balor remains active in the ongoing King of the Ring 2026 tournament.
He is scheduled to compete in a first-round Fatal Four-Way match against:
Jey Uso
LA Knight
Royce Keys
The tournament finals will take place at WWE Night of Champions 2026 on June 27, with the winners of both King and Queen of the Ring earning championship opportunities at SummerSlam 2026.
Balor also arrives on a SmackDown roster loaded with potential opponents, including:
Cody Rhodes, the Undisputed WWE Champion
Gunther
Randy Orton
Kevin Owens
Solo Sikoa
With the Judgment Day story seemingly behind him, Balor’s move to Friday nights appears designed to give the former world champion a completely fresh direction heading into the second half of 2026.
