With the calendar changing to 2025, there is a lot of change being made to the format and presentation of WWE’s weekly programming.
Whether it be Monday Night Raw moving to Netflix or SmackDown increasing to three hours, the company has been undergoing a lot of adjustments, including with the stars on each program.
Ahead of the Netflix premiere, a transfer window was introduced to give talent the opportunity to move between all three brands.
Looking at the names from Raw and NXT in need of a new home, here are seven new WWE stars to join SmackDown.
7. The Wyatt Sicks (Uncle Howdy, Erick Rowan, Nikki Cross, Dexter Lumis & Joe Gacy)
On the January 13 edition of WWE Raw on Netflix, Karrion Kross informed The Miz that The Wyatt Sicks had moved to the SmackDown brand in the transfer window.
Uncle Howdy and his band of misfits have not been featured on WWE television since suffering a loss to The Final Testament in December.
With their arrival on the blue brand, The Wyatt Sicks will have to make an impact on the roster by going after one of the top acts.
Because of their betrayal of their family, Solo Sikoa and The New Bloodline seem like the perfect option for The Wyatt Sicks to target for their sins on SmackDown.
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6. American Made (Chad Gable, The Creed Brothers & Ivy Nile)
On the December 6 edition of Friday Night SmackDown, WWE Raw’s Chad Gable and American Made appeared on the show and introduced the idea of the transfer window.
Since forming as a faction on Monday Night Raw, American Made have lacked momentum after suffered losses to The Wyatt Sicks and an array of luchadors.
To attempt to find some footing in WWE, Gable may need to bring his group over to SmackDown where there is a chance for upward mobility for all four members.
From The Creed Brothers joining the litany of talented duos in the tag team division, to Chad Gable and Ivy Nile going after the Men’s or Women’s United States Championship, American Made on SmackDown just makes a lot of sense.
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5. Lola Vice
When looking at the NXT women’s division, there are several ladies who feel ready for a main roster call-up.
Lola Vice has continued to be prominently featured as a rising star on the WWE NXT brand over the past two years.
As far as her confidence, character work and in-ring ability, the growth for Vice has been obvious to see and should lead to further improvement when she makes the jump to the main roster.
With SmackDown’s women’s division recently adding the WWE Women’s United States Championship, adding an up-and-coming talent like Lola Vice could help to bolster the depth of the roster.
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4. The Judgment Day (Finn Balor, JD McDonagh, Dominik Mysterio, Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez & Carlito)
While several top stars will be making the jump to Monday Night Raw after the recent Netflix premiere, there are many heavily featured acts on Raw that need a new home.
The top faction on the red brand over the past few years is The Judgment Day. Finn Balor, JD McDonagh, Dominik Mysterio, Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez and Carlito are regularly given the spotlight on Raw each week.
The story with the group has been focused on the growing dissension that has been simmering between Balor, Mysterio and Morgan.
There should be different twist and turns that can develop in The Judgment Day that can give SmackDown a must watch feel that is needed with the increased spotlight on WWE Raw on Netflix.
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3. Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn remains one of the most popular and endearing WWE stars in the company today.
With the likes of Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Jey Uso and Seth Rollins being featured as top babyfaces on Monday nights, it may be time for Zayn to make a change.
The four-time WWE Intercontinental Champion has been on a quest to win his first world championship, which seems more likely to happen over on SmackDown.
Zayn moving to SmackDown could further advance Kevin Owens recently attempt to convince his best friend to help him defeat Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship in a major way.
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2. Seth Rollins
After losing to CM Punk on the WWE Raw on Netflix premiere, Seth Rollins has been looking for revenge and redemption.
Now declaring for the Men’s Royal Rumble Match, Rollins will look to earn his way to the main event of WrestleMania 41.
However, it feels like whether it is Punk, Sami Zayn or his obsession with Roman Reigns, something will deny Rollins what he wants on the February 1 show.
Seth Rollins moving to the SmackDown brand could allow WWE to really hone in and develop a slow burn heel turn that could be a new top heel character.
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1. GUNTHER
After his record-breaking Intercontinental Championship reign and winning the King of the Ring tournament, GUNTHER proved himself as a top star in WWE.
The Ring General winning the World Heavyweight Championship should have pushed him to bigger heights, but it unfortunately has not worked out that way.
Since suffering a loss to Cody Rhodes at Crown Jewel, GUNTHER has experienced a conflict of confidence and doesn’t always feel like the character who rose the ranks over the past few years.
Making a transition to SmackDown would allow WWE to rebuild GUNTHER as the dominant persona he once was and give him the opportunity to mix it up with the top stars, such as Cody Rhodes, LA Knight or Roman Reigns.
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