To start 2026, there has already been a lot of roster turnover with stars arriving and leaving all three brands of WWE.
Whether it be Trick Williams and Jordynne Grace heading to SmackDown or Je’Von Evans signing with Raw, fans have seen several different brand switches over the past few weeks.
With talent being called up from NXT and new stars arriving as well, there should be a lot of different names swapping brands and making a name for themselves in the weeks to come.
Here are eight potential WWE brand switches coming soon.
8. Oba Femi Heads To Monday Night Raw
On the January 6 New Year’s Evil special of WWE NXT, Oba Femi defeated Leon Slater to retain the NXT Championship.
Post match, Femi vacated the NXT Championship by leaving the title belt in the center of the ring.
This signalled that Femi was on his way to the WWE main roster after weeks of vignettes airing to hype his eventual arrival.
Femi is someone who could immediately become a main event player, especially on Monday Night Raw where the World Heavyweight Title picture needing fresh talent right about now.
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7. Lola Vice Debuts On Friday Night SmackDown
While Oba Femi has shown that he is on the way to the main roster and others have already made the move, there have been other reports about other talent from the NXT brand leaving in the near future.
Looking at the NXT brand, no one has probably improved more over the past year quite like Lola Vice.
With her MMA background and natural charisma, Vice has been able to grow into a complete performer since signing with WWE in 2022.
Now with reports indicating a move to Friday Night SmackDown, Lola Vice could help bolster the women’s division in a major way.
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6. Aleister Black & Zelina Vega Move To WWE Raw
On the January 2 episode of Friday Night SmackDown, Damian Priest defeated Aleister Black in an Ambulance Match.
After suffering this loss, Black might need a change of scenery with his wife by his side.
Back in October 2025, Black aligned with his wife Zelina Vega and formed a partnership that should help both of their careers.
Black and Vega heading to Monday Night Raw could help them regain momentum and make their mark on the red brand in a more significant way than they have on SmackDown.
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5. Jacy Jayne Gets Called Up To WWE SmackDown
2025 was a career defining year for Jacy Jayne, who stepped up when WWE NXT needed her the most.
Defeating Stephanie Vaquer for the NXT Women’s Championship, Jayne was propelled to superstardom and sits atop of the brand.
Now a two-time NXT Women’s Champion, the Fatal Influence leader has more than proven herself to be a ready made main roster star.
With the lack of talent in the SmackDown women’s division, Jayne could get called up and immediately rise the ranks in short order against the top talent on the brand, such as Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss or Jade Cargill.
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4. Sol Ruca Goes From NXT To The Main Roster
Looking at the NXT women’s scene, there might not be a more popular female star on the level of Sol Ruca.
In 2025, Ruca was a double champion after winning the NXT Women’s North American and WWE Speed Women’s Championships.
Alongside ZARIA, Ruca has been featured on the WWE main roster and even picked up a victory over multi-time WWE Women’s Champion Bayley at the December 13 Saturday Night’s Main Event.
After this huge victory, Sol Ruca feels like someone who could skyrocket on the SmackDown brand and become a potential challenger for the singles gold on Friday nights.
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3. Rusev Returns On Friday Night SmackDown
In April 2025, Rusev made his return to the company for the first time since 2020 and made himself a name back on Monday Night Raw.
After reestablishing himself back in WWE, “The Bulgarian Brute” has not been featured all that much in recent months.
Since losing to Jey Uso in the Last Time Is Now Tournament on the November 21 SmackDown, fans have not seen Rusev on WWE television in recent weeks.
Rusev returning to the company could come on SmackDown where he could be positioned as a main event player on Friday nights moving forward.
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2. Penta Moves To SmackDown To Reunite With Rey Fenix
Ever since making his WWE debut in January 2025, Penta has taken the company by storm with his unique mix of lucha libre influence inside the squared circle and undeniable charisma.
Becoming a merchandise mover for the company in a significant way, Penta’s popularity has been unmatched for a newer talent on Monday Night Raw.
However, WWE has chosen to keep Penta apart from his brother Rey Fenix, who is over on the Friday Night SmackDown brand.
Wanting to reunite one of the best duos in all of wrestling, Penta could reunite the Lucha Brothers with Fenix on the blue brand where they can mix it up with some of the best tag teams in the company like DIY, Motor City Machine Guns or The Wyatt Sicks.
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1. Roman Reigns Returns To SmackDown
While Roman Reigns has been part of the SmackDown for the better part of six years, 2025 saw “The OTC” mostly featured on Monday Night Raw.
With the brand moving to Netflix at the start of 2025, Reigns has been highlighted on Mondays every time he makes his return to the company.
Considering recent reports have indicated that the former Bloodline leader will challenge for the Undisputed WWE Championship in the near future, Reigns might make his way back to Friday Night SmackDown sooner rather than later.
Reigns returning to SmackDown could see him become the one to dethrone Drew McIntyre or set up a third showdown at WrestleMania against Cody Rhodes this April.
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