WWE confirms Raw wrestler ‘traded’ to SmackDown
We now have official confirmation that Finn Balor is a member of the WWE SmackDown roster.
When the King of the Ring 2026 bracket was unveiled, Balor was curiously listed as a member of the SmackDown brand. That was addressed during today’s Raw in Turin, Italy, where WWE stated that Balor has been “traded” to SmackDown. The announcement was made during a commercial break segment where Byron Saxton was interviewing Judgment Day’s Dominik Mysterio & JD McDonough.
It wasn’t stated if Raw will be receiving a SmackDown wrestler in return for Balor.
Balor was formerly a member of Judgment Day before splitting off from the faction and turning babyface. Joining SmackDown moves Balor away from that Judgment Day story and into a new direction.
Finn Balor in WWE King of the Ring —
Balor’s first-round match in King of the Ring will pit him against Jey Uso, LA Knight, and Royce Keys. The winner advances to face either Seth Rollins, Je’Von Evans, Talla Tonga, or Ricky Saints in the semifinals.
Oba Femi is the only wrestler to have advanced in the tournament so far, winning a fatal four-way match on Raw today.
The winner of King of the Ring earns a World Championship shot at SummerSlam. On SmackDown, Cody Rhodes currently holds the Undisputed WWE title.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.