Finn Bálor’s move to SmackDown may not have been part of a major draft situation after all, as WWE just wanted him away from Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh.
While speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer explained that WWE moved Bálor to Friday Night SmackDown because the company wanted to get him away from Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh after their recent feud on RAW.
“I never heard anything about a draft. The idea is they just want to get him away from Dominik Mysterio and JD.”
Bálor last competed as a RAW star on the May 18 episode, where he defeated JD McDonagh. After that, WWE apparently faced a simple problem: if Bálor stayed on RAW, it would be hard to keep him away from the former Judgment Day members.
“He beat JD, and if he stays on Raw, how does he not work with those guys? So they just figured they’re done with that—they’re done with Finn Bálor doing that—and they wanted to give him a fresh start.”
The explanation also compared Bálor’s move to the way WWE previously separated Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio after their feud had run its course. The comparison continued with Rey and Dominik, who were also moved apart after their storyline.
“A lot of times they do that—they run a feud, it’s over, and the nature of the feud is they just don’t want them interacting anymore. Like when Rey Mysterio and Dominik were done, they did the same thing. They moved Rey over, and they weren’t supposed to interact—even though they are now, or about to.”
Bálor’s trade to SmackDown was announced during the June 1 episode of Monday Night RAW. JD McDonagh reacted by saying Bálor would not be missed and claimed he ran away because Judgment Day would have ended his career if he stayed on RAW.
The move also gives Bálor a fresh path in the King of the Ring tournament, where he is scheduled for a first-round Fatal 4-Way against Royce Keys, LA Knight, and Jey Uso. For now, Bálor’s SmackDown move appears to be less about a full roster shakeup and more about giving him space from Judgment Day after WWE finished that chapter on RAW. Whether that leads to him winning the tournament remains to be seen.
What do you think about WWE moving Finn Bálor to SmackDown to separate him from Judgment Day? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comments.
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