With WWE SmackDown moving from two hours to three, 2025 is set to be a year of a change and new possibilities on the blue brand.
With more TV time, opportunities should present themselves for stars up and down the roster, with the ongoing transfer window adding to the excitement.
Here are six WWE SmackDown changes coming in 2025.
6. Underused WWE Mid-Card Stars Get Spotlight
As reported by Sportskeeda’s Dr. Chris Featherstone, a “major focus” of WWE SmackDown following its move to three hours will be to put an increased spotlight on the blue brands more underutilized stars.
One name specifically mentioned in the report was Blair Davenport, someone who has been largely forgotten since being called-up from WWE NXT to SmackDown in last year’s draft.
Davenport is simply one of many however, with the likes of Apollo Crews, Legado Del Fantasma and Pretty Deadly all struggling to get consistently used on TV.
There’s also the possibility for stars in a similar situation on Raw and NXT to move over to Friday nights in the hope of increased opportunities.
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5. Giovanni Vinci Re-Debuts
Getting his own dedicated entry is Giovanni Vinci, someone who very much meets the criteria of an underutilized talent.
In fact underutlized is an understatement, as Vinci has been M.I.A. on SmackDown since losing two straight matches to Apollo Crews back in September, save for a cameo appearance during a segment involving Cody Rhodes and Carmelo Hayes on the November 22 episode.
However, with SmackDown moving to three hours there is frankly no excuse for WWE to pick up where they left off and give Vinci yet another reintroduction to the audience.
Whether it be a full blown gimmick change or continuing with his current persona, hopefully Vinci gets a chance to spread his wings on the three hour show.
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4. Trick Williams & Carmelo Hayes Resume Rivalry On The Main Roster
When a new year begins it’s always exciting to think of what NXT call-ups we could potentially see in the next 12 months.
While names such as Roxanne Perez, Fraxiom and Oba Femi will be the top of most lists, another name right there with them has to be Trick Williams.
Much like Carmelo Hayes did in 2024, expect Trick to show up on WWE’s main roster in the early months of 2025, perhaps even making his big debut in the 30-man Royal Rumble match.
A move to SmackDown would be especially intriguing given his history with the brand’s number one draft pick, something they can immediately pick up if Trick moves to Friday nights.
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3. Nick Aldis In-Ring WWE Debut
One underrated positive that Triple H has brought in the last year or so is with two strong authority figures on Raw and SmackDown.
Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis are frankly among the best GM pairing WWE has had in a long, long while, and up to now they make sure to keep to business rather than directly get involved in the action.
However, with Aldis still in phenomenal shape and still aged only 38, you’ve got to think that he will transition into an in-ring role at some point.
Perhaps 2025 is the year that a particular WWE star pushes the former NWA and TNA World Champion too far, leading to Aldis dusting off his boots and making his long-awaited WWE debut.
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2. GUNTHER & Cody Rhodes Swap Brands
After five years as WWE’s ‘A-Show’, SmackDown will find itself pushed back down to second place once again as Raw begins life on Netflix.
With all the buzz surrounding Raw, one would expect that many of WWE’s top stars will make the move to Monday nights, including Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes.
Rhodes is the current face of WWE and has been heavily featured on advertisements for WWE Raw on Netflix ahead of its premiere on January 6.
With Netflix reportedly keen to have The American Nightmare featured on Monday nights, perhaps we see a swap between Rhodes and World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER in the ongoing transfer window.
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1. The Bloodline Saga Moves To WWE Raw
When SmackDown first moved to FOX back in 2019, Roman Reigns made the jump to the blue brand also and has been positioned as the face of the brand ever since.
The Bloodline and SmackDown have gone hand-in-hand, and its difficult to imagine the familial drama not taking place every Friday night.
However, Raw is the new ‘A-Show’, and Reigns is the biggest name in the wrestling industry, so it seems likely that we see The OTC and Jimmy Uso move over to Monday nights joining fellow OG Bloodline members Sami Zayn and Jey Uso.
If WWE plan to continue to The New Bloodline vs. OG Bloodline war, then perhaps Solo Sikoa and company can also move brands, bringing the entire storyline away from SmackDown for the first time.
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