WWE Friday Night SmackDown has seen a lot of roster turnover to kickstart 2026 with NXT talent debuting and established stars making their return.
Looking at the current roster, there could be some talent that leave the show in the coming weeks to make room for incoming stars.
WWE could shake things up even more on the blue brand by having some names leaving in the near future.
Here are seven WWE SmackDown stars to potentially leave the show.
7. Tommaso Ciampa
On January 21, Tommaso Ciampa officially announced that he will be departing WWE at the end of his contract, which is set to expire soon.
The former two-time WWE Tag Team Champion has been a mainstay on the SmackDown brand as part of DIY alongside Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae.
Seemingly more motivated than ever, Ciampa is looking to continue his career for the next 10 years.
This is the most obvious upcoming departure from the SmackDown brand with Ciampa still listed on the roster page at the time of this writing.
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6. Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley)
When they first debuted in WWE, The Motor City Machine Guns came in and made an immediate impact.
Winning the WWE Tag Team Championships in their third match in the company, Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley lived up to the hype and legacy they have been building for themselves over the past two decades as a unit.
The Motor City Machine Guns should have been established as WWE’s premier tag team, but they have lacked a consistent role on the company’s programming over the past 12 months.
With the recent announcement that they will be appearing on the upcoming AAA on FOX episode, The Motor City Machine Guns could be heading to Lucha Libre AAA for a period of time and leaving Friday Night SmackDown.
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5. Rey Fenix
Making his debut in April 2025, Rey Fenix looked like he could become a breakout star on WWE SmackDown.
While he has amazed fans with his exciting, high flying style in the ring, Fenix hasn’t really had the most consistent presence on Friday nights throughout the past year.
With everything he can do inside the squared circle, it is clear that Fenix can get the job done on his own, but the former AEW star might be better utilized in a tag team with his brother Penta.
Leaving SmackDown and heading to Monday Night Raw, Fenix could reunite with Penta and become the Lucha Brothers again where they have everything it takes to revolutionize the WWE tag team division.
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4. Aleister Black & Zelina
On the January 2 edition of Friday Night SmackDown, Damian Priest defeated Aleister Black in an Ambulance Match.
This put a close to their six-month rivalry that saw Priest and Black at each other’s throats non-stop.
Now that this feud is in the bed, Black and Zelina have been held off television over the past few weeks to restore their momentum.
Black and Zelina making their way to WWE Raw would give them the spotlight once more and allow them to establish themselves as an act on the company’s flagship show.
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3. Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins)
Another pair of WWE stars who have been held off of the company’s programming are The Street Profits.
Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins are one of the best tag teams in all of WWE today and multi-time Tag Team Champions.
After several months away from WWE TV, Street Profits should return soon and immediately position themselves as a top duo on Raw or SmackDown.
Leaving SmackDown will freshen up Ford and Dawkins’ potential matchups that will once again put them in a prominent spot on WWE television again.
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2. Tiffany Stratton
Back on the November 1 edition of WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, Jade Cargill defeated Tiffany Stratton to win the WWE Women’s Championship.
Following this loss, Stratton has been off of WWE TV with reports recently circulating that she is expected to make her return in the near future.
Considering that WWE Royal Rumble 2026 is around the corner, Stratton should be back and position herself for a significant role on the road to WrestleMania 42.
Making her way from SmackDown to Raw, Stratton could open the door for some new, fresh bouts against the stacked women’s division on Monday nights.
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1. Roman Reigns
Throughout 2025, Roman Reigns has been featured more often than not on Monday Night Raw than on Friday Night SmackDown.
Despite his presence on WWE Raw, Reigns is still listed as a star on the SmackDown roster.
While reports indicated that Reigns was on the road to a rematch with Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 42, it seems plans have changed following Drew McIntyre winning the Undisputed WWE Championship.
“The OTC” officially becoming part of the Raw roster would set up a potential showdown against either CM Punk or Bron Breakker for “The Show of Shows” and allow him to start anew on WWE’s flagship show.
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