On the August 15 edition of WWE SmackDown, Sami Zayn officially became part of the blue brand’s roster.
Following his surprise appearance on the show the prior week — where he pinned United States Champion Solo Sikoa — and Sikoa’s subsequent appearance with the MFT faction on Raw to beat Zayn down, Zayn confirmed he had moved to SmackDown full-time and now had his eyes firmly on Sikoa’s title.
With Zayn making the move, the question becomes: who could we see head in the opposite direction?
Here are five current SmackDown stars who could move to Raw.
5. Damian Priest
Sami Zayn’s departure from WWE Raw leaves a spot near the top of the card, with a significant SmackDown star needed to fill it.
Damian Priest could be that upper echelon name to step into the role.
The 43-year-old is currently in a television feud with Aleister Black but has lacked real direction since his protracted rivalry with Drew McIntyre ended in May at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
A move to Raw could give the former World Champion renewed focus, positioning him as a fresh opponent for The Vision faction and setting up big-man singles clashes with Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker.
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4. Carmelo Hayes
Carmelo Hayes’ odd-couple tag team with The Miz appears not long for this world.
On the August 15 edition of SmackDown, they had their first bout together against Fraxiom following Miz’s return to television — with Hayes visibly irked at Miz tagging himself in despite the team picking up the win.
Hayes is one of WWE’s most athletically gifted stars and remains underutilised in the promotion, with his clear star potential demonstrated during his NXT run.
An inevitable breakup with The Miz and a move to Raw could allow for a hard reset and the chance for Hayes to finally showcase that potential on WWE’s main roster.
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3. LA Knight
WWE SmackDown star LA Knight remains locked in a feud with WWE Champion Seth Rollins over on Raw.
The rivalry began in June during the Money in the Bank match, carried through to Saturday Night’s Main Event where Knight picked up the victory after Rollins feigned his, now infamous, knee injury, and is set to continue at Clash in Paris on 31 August in a four-way for the title alongside CM Punk and Jey Uso.
Given Knight’s ongoing feud with Raw’s top heel star, a move across brands feels logical.
We could soon see Knight officially switch to Raw, taking Sami Zayn’s vacated spot on the roster.
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2. Apollo Crews
Sami Zayn’s departure from WWE Raw could open up a spot on the roster for another talented underdog: Apollo Crews.
The SmackDown star has been out since January with a torn pec.
However, as revealed on social media the 37-year-old is now back training in the ring for his return.
His comeback could be paired with a move to Raw, offering a fresh start for the talented yet underutilised star.
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1. Jacob Fatu
On Zayn’s first night as an official SmackDown roster member, he teamed with Jacob Fatu and Jimmy Uso in the main event to defeat the MFT team of Solo Sikoa, Tonga Loa, and J.C. Mateo.
With Zayn now clearly positioned as the challenger for Sikoa’s US Title, it appears that former champion Fatu’s feud with MFT is over.
Fatu has had a breakout year, becoming massively over with the WWE audience and demonstrating clear main event potential.
A move to Raw could see him pushed into the main event scene, joining the war against The Vision faction.
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