Following WrestleMania 42, WWE will go into a new season of the year that will offer different stories and opportunities for the Raw roster.
Whether it be needing fresh scenery in order to explore new possibilities, or simply to fill vacant spots on SmackDown and NXT, several stars could leave Monday Night Raw for greener pastures.
Here are eight WWE stars to potentially leave Raw after WrestleMania 42.
8. Rhea Ripley
At WWE Elimination Chamber 2026, Rhea Ripley defeated Tiffany Stratton, Raquel Rodriguez, Asuka, Kiana James and Alexa Bliss to win the Women’s Elimination Chamber and advance to face Jade Cargill for the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 42.
Ripley’s quest to get back on top will see her head to Friday Night SmackDown to build up her bout with Cargill at Mania.
However, “Mami” is still listed as a Monday Night Raw star and might resume her role there if she does not win the championship at “The Show of Shows.”
Ripley becoming part of the SmackDown roster will make a ton of sense since the brand does not have a cornerstone female star of her stature currently, with her move potentially shifting some of the balance in the women’s division on the main roster brands.
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7. Chad Gable
Chad Gable made his return from injury at WWE Royal Rumble 2026, but he did so under The Original El Grande Americano mask.
This has led to a rivalry forming between the two different El Grande Americanos about which one deserves the moniker.
The Original El Grande getting unmasked might lead to Chad Gable making a formal return to WWE down the line.
Gable making a comeback could lead to the former Olympian moving from Monday Night Raw to Friday Night SmackDown following WrestleMania 42.
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6. The Creed Brothers (Julius & Brutus Creed)
Speaking of Chad Gable, his new alias of The Original El Grande Americano has led to his American Made stable falling by the wayside.
In the aftermath of his injury last summer, Gable’s stablemates Julius and Brutus Creed have been featured less and less on WWE TV.
The Creed Brothers were once viewed as the future of tag team wrestling in WWE, but they have not been consistently featured on the company’s programming over the past year.
Moving to Friday Night SmackDown after WrestleMania 42, The Creeds could bolster the tag ranks on the blue brand and set up some exciting matches against the likes of Motor City Machine Guns, The Wyatt Sicks and Fraxiom.
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5. The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods)
Another tag team that has been given a featured role on Monday Night Raw over the past year is The New Day.
Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods came into 2025 with plenty of heat and attention after their dramatic heel turn on Big E.
While they felt like one of the biggest heels on Raw at the start of the year, The New Day ended 2025 on the outside looking in on the World Tag Team Championship scene.
The New Day heading to Friday Night SmackDown might open things up for the legendary duo to challenge for the WWE Tag Team Championships sooner rather than later.
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4. Rusev
Making his return to WWE in April 2025, it seemed like Rusev was in line for a significant push upon his comeback to Monday Night Raw.
“The Bulgarian Brute” was featured regularly at the start of his return run, but he has recently taken a backseat to other stars on the roster.
While he is currently feuding with Oba Femi, this feels like a short term story for Rusev to put over the former two-time NXT Champion.
Rusev moving to SmackDown after WrestleMania 42 could give the former AEW star a chance to earn a top spot in the main event picture on the blue brand before long.
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3. Rey Mysterio
Rey Mysterio has become an established legend on the active WWE roster and has already been inducted into the Hall of Fame.
While he is part of the Monday Night Raw roster, Mysterio is more featured on Lucha Libre AAA as a color commentator.
The WWE Hall of Famer could be of better value if he makes the jump from Monday Night Raw to Friday Night SmackDown following WrestleMania 42.
Mysterio heading home to the blue brand could help to further build up the main event picture on WWE SmackDown after “The Showcase of the Immortals” has concluded.
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2. GUNTHER
GUNTHER is easily one of the biggest stars on the WWE roster today as a former two-time World Heavyweight Champion and the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion.
Over the past year, GUNTHER has earned himself the new moniker of “Career Killer” after ending the careers of Goldberg, John Cena and AJ Styles.
After winning the World Heavyweight Championship twice and standing atop of WWE Raw for the past few years, it might be time for GUNTHER to get some new scenery following this year’s WrestleMania 42.
GUNTHER moving from Raw to SmackDown would present some fresh new opportunities and opponents that he has not yet been able to get to during his run in WWE over the past seven years.
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1. Finn Balor
At WWE Elimination Chamber 2026, CM Punk defeated Finn Balor to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. After the match, Balor shook hands with Punk in a show of respect.
Wanting his Judgment Day stablemate to do things on his own like he did, Balor stopped JD McDonagh from helping Dominik Mysterio cheat to defeat Penta on the March 2 episode of Monday Night Raw, which cost him the Intercontinental Championship.
This should lead to the dissension and tension within The Judgment Day coming to a head with Balor clashing with “Dirty Dom” in a singles bout at WrestleMania 42.
Following “The Show of Shows,” it could be time for Balor to go out on his own without The Judgment Day and head back to SmackDown where he should easily find a spot in the upper echelon on Friday nights.
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