WWE is reportedly planning to move several SmackDown stars to Raw within the next month as the company looks to balance its main roster following recent NXT call-ups.
According to Joey Votes of WrestleVotes, WWE is expected to shift talent from the blue brand to Monday nights after SmackDown added Tatum Paxley and is expected to receive Lola Vice. Asked during a recent Q&A whether WWE could move wrestlers in the opposite direction to accommodate the incoming NXT talent, Votes confirmed that the company intends to address the imbalance.
“They are gonna try to even out the rosters.”
Votes suggested the moves could happen within approximately the next month, although no specific names have been identified as potential candidates to switch brands.
Paxley officially completed her move to the main roster on the August 7 episode of SmackDown in Philadelphia. She appeared during the main event between Charlotte Flair and Jade Cargill, aligning herself with Flair and the returning Alexa Bliss.
Vice is also expected to join SmackDown following the conclusion of her time in NXT.
Bryan Alvarez of the Wrestling Observer reported last month that Vice had received her main roster call-up and was likely heading to the blue brand.
Vice appeared to bid farewell to NXT following her Underground match against NXT Women’s Champion Kendal Grey on August 4. After losing the match, she removed her gloves and left them in the middle of the ring before addressing the crowd once the show had gone off the air.
WWE also filed a trademark application for “Vice City” on the same day.
SmackDown’s Return To A Two-Hour Format Will Force WWE To Move Stars To Raw
SmackDown’s recent additions come after the show returned to a two-hour format, leaving less television time available for what was already considered the deeper of WWE’s two women’s divisions.
Raw, meanwhile, has the longer weekly runtime but currently operates with a thinner roster.
Injuries have further affected the situation on Monday nights. Rhea Ripley is currently sidelined after undergoing knee surgery, while Chelsea Green‘s status has also been uncertain following her recent injury.
For now, WWE has not announced which SmackDown stars could be moved to Raw or exactly how many roster changes are planned.
However, WrestleVotes expects the company to begin balancing the two brands within the coming weeks as more NXT talent makes the transition to the main roster.
