On Monday’s episode of Raw in Turin, Italy, WWE officially announced that Finn Balor has been traded to SmackDown.
The trade confirmed the suspicions of some members of the WWE Universe about Balor’s brand status after he was given the blue highlight in the 2026 King of the Ring bracket.
Balor is set to take on Jey Uso, LA Knight and Royce Keys in a Fatal 4-Way match in the first round of the tournament.
Backstage Update on Finn Balor Trade
GettyFinn Balor is introduced before the WWE Intercontinental Championship against Dominik Mysterio, Bron Breakker and Penta during WrestleMania 41 at Allegiant Stadium on April 20, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Speaking on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer explained the reason for Finn Balor’s move from Raw to SmackDown.
“They just moved him,” Meltzer said. “I think the idea is they just want to get him away from Dominik (Mysterio) and JD (McDonagh). He beat JD. Because if he stays on Raw, theoretically, how does he not work with those guys? They just figured that we’re done with that.
The insider added, “We’re done with Finn Balor doing that, and they wanted to give him a fresh start, and there you go. I mean, that’s kind of a lot of times they do that. They run a feud, it’s over. The nature of the feud is they just don’t want these guys interacting.”
Meltzer likened the decision to how the storyline between Dominik Mysterio and Rey Mysterio ended a few years ago.
Balor’s story appeared to be leaning toward the involvement of Roxanne Perez, but his trade to SmackDown pivots things.
Finn Balor Gets Fresh Start on WWE SmackDown
GettyFinn Balor is introduced before his match against Dominik Mysterio during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium on April 19, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
It has been nearly a decade since Finn Balor won the WWE Universal Championship at SummerSlam 2016. Balor vacated the title the following night on Raw after sustaining a shoulder injury.
Balor has yet to climb the mountaintop again, though he has been close over the past couple of years during his feud against Seth Rollins and CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship.
A move to SmackDown gives him a fresh start, which begins in the 2026 King of the Ring tournament.
If he wins KOTR, he’ll earn a title shot against Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam. It could be a full-circle moment for Balor to win the title 10 years after winning his first and only world title.
King of the Ring Bracket
Here’s the full participants and bracket for the 2026 King of the Ring:
- Penta vs. Oba Femi vs. Solo Sikoa vs. Carmelo Hayes
- Dominik Mysterio vs. Bron Breakker vs. Trick Williams vs. Damian Priest
- Seth Rollins vs. Je’Von Evans vs. Talla Tonga vs. Ricky Saints
- Jey Uso vs. LA Knight vs. Royce Keys vs. Finn Balor
Oba Femi already advanced to the semifinals after winning his bracket on Monday’s episode of Raw. He’ll be facing the winner of the Dominik Mysterio bracket.
Backstage Update On Why Finn Balor Was Traded To WWE SmackDown