7 Reasons Why SmackDown Is Suddenly Looking Like WWE's Best Over Raw
It's been a while since SmackDown was last considered consistently strong, and even longer since it was seen as WWE's superior show.
The blue brand has experienced a steady decline in recent years. The Bloodline breathed new life into the show when the group was at its apex, but much of WWE's focus shifted to Raw once SmackDown left Fox for USA Network in January 2025 while the red brand joined the Netflix family.
SmackDown also expanding to three hours at that time hardly helped matters, making it clear that the show isn't a priority for WWE. However, the latest episode on Friday did show some signs of promise, especially with CM Punk now at the helm as undisputed WWE champion.
It will take more than one good week for SmackDown to be salvaged, but the building blocks are there. The tag team scene in particular needs major restructuring, and Danhausen's presence must be kept to a minimum, but there is still plenty to be excited about on Friday nights.
Here are seven reasons why SmackDown is suddenly looking like WWE's best over Raw.
CM Punk and Cody Rhodes Can Carry the Main Event Scene
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Only in the last month or so has SmackDown's main event scene started to get interesting again.
For as perfectly cast as Cody Rhodes is as the face of the franchise, he's grown stagnant in that spot. Winning and losing the Undisputed WWE Championship three times in the space of two years without taking an extended break from the top title picture has caused his crowd reactions to become a bit more divided.
WWE shouldn't rush into turning him heel until it's absolutely necessary or until it makes storyline sense to do so, but he did need some sort of an overhaul to feel fresh again. Pairing him up with someone he has never had a major feud with in CM Punk should theoretically accomplish that.
Of course, the long-term plan should be to elevate newer names into the championship mix on both Raw and SmackDown, but running with Rhodes vs. Punk while it's still a marquee match is a smart move.
In addition to it being a worthy attraction for SummerSlam, there's a likely possibility that one of them will be turning heel coming out of it, which should make for a fascinating few months at the top of the card.
Nick Aldis Returning to the Ring Is Intriguing
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Gunther losing in three consecutive shots at the Undisputed WWE Championship significantly hindered his momentum coming out of his Career Killer run from earlier in the year.
Therefore, it was imperative that WWE find him something substantial to do at SummerSlam.
The originally rumored match with Royce Keys (per Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter) would have been a fine use of Gunther at the event, but pitting him against SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis is far more intriguing.
Aldis debuted for WWE as an on-screen authority figure for SmackDown nearly three years ago, but he has yet to compete in any capacity. Of course, he is best known for his successful stints in TNA and NWA prior to signing with WWE.
Gunther unleashing his frustration on Aldis is logical and affords the GM the opportunity to showcase his skills inside a WWE ring for the first time. Their story has been well told thus far, and the announcement of a match at SummerSlam should be imminent.
Regardless of whether Aldis becomes a full-time member of the active roster, having the general manager wrestle isn't something we've seen on WWE TV in ages, so it is a compelling program heading into SummerSlam.
The Women's Division Is Finally Heating Up
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The SmackDown women's division was depleted for a long time, or at least completely devoid of fresh feuds and ideas.
Rhea Ripley besting Jade Cargill in a sleeper at WrestleMania 42 was a step in the right direction, but most of the recent renaissance of the blue brand's women's division has had a lot less to do with Ripley and more to do with everyone else who's been around in her absence.
Jade Cargill and Charlotte Flair are finally waging war, and it's created genuine interest in a non-title bout between them at SummerSlam. Meanwhile, Tiffany Stratton has been teasing an alliance with Chelsea Green, which could (and should) lead to Stratton reverting to her roots as a heel and betraying her.
Blake Monroe has also arrived on Friday nights and made an enemy out of Giulia, who was wisely turned babyface last month. Plus, Fatal Influence have their sights set on both the WWE Women's Championship and the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship.
The same can't be said for the Raw women's division these days. There's been a lot less variety lately and Liv Morgan going months without defending the Women's World Championship despite being perfectly healthy has been inexcusable.
Baron Corbin Joins a Busy U.S. Title Scene
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Trick Williams was on the ascent on SmackDown well before he won the United States Championship at WrestleMania 42, so while his title defenses haven't been nearly as frequent as past champs, the belt has benefited from being around the waist of a star who's over with the audience and prominently featured.
He's fresh off a successful title defense against Ricky Saints at Night of Champions and appeared to be primed to be working exclusively with longtime foe Carmelo Hayes heading into SummerSlam, only for Baron Corbin to reemerge on the July 10 edition of SmackDown and emphatically lay out both men.
Corbin was last seen on SmackDown in the summer of 2024 where he was banished to undercard purgatory. The fashion in which he was brought back, however, indicates he'll be utilized in a much more meaningful manner this time around.
A former U.S. champion in his own right, Corbin brings credibility to the scene and can be a valuable asset in the right role. He's a great get for SmackDown's midcard and an appealing opponent for Williams straight out of the gate.
The Intercontinental Championship picture has had the United States Championship picture beat for a few months now, but SmackDown's renewed emphasis on the star-spangled prize could change that.
A Slew of Stars Should Be Back Soon
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SmackDown boasts a pretty deep roster of talent as it is, and that's not even counting the slew of stars that are due back before long.
Randy Orton has been noticeably absent from SmackDown since WrestleMania 42, where he lost to Cody Rhodes yet hit him with a punt kick afterward. A back injury is believed to be what's keeping him out of action at the moment, per Wrestling Observer Radio, though Orton himself took to X in May to dispute that report.
Either way, he'll be returning eventually, presumably to pick up where he left off with Rhodes.
Joining him should be Drew McIntyre, who took time off following his loss to Jacob Fatu at 'Mania to honor his Hollywood commitments (h/t PWInsider). It's unknown where he'll factor in once he's ready to return, but he'll be another welcome addition to the roster.
Kevin Owens teased being cleared soon, and having him do virtually anything with Sami Zayn's current character would make for must-see television. Ilja Dragunov has inexplicably been gone for months as well, so getting him and the rest of these notable names back would further bolster the blue brand.
The Tighter Runtime
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SmackDown is in its element as a two-hour program. Expanding it to three hours mere months into its move to USA Network two years ago was the wrong call yet clearly one that came from up above.
What's hurt the show is having it fluctuate between two and three hours every six months. It was only three hours for the first half of 2025 and 2026 and will be two hours again for the remainder of the year at the earliest.
The blue brand isn't automatically a top-tier television show because of its shorter runtime, but it does force WWE to trim the filler and pack the two hours with more engaging content. It's much less of a chore for fans to tune into and it encourages the roster to make the most of the limited time they have.
Raw is slightly longer at two-and-a-half hours and that seems to be the sweet spot for that show, but SmackDown has the advantage right now at only two hours long.
Taking the less-is-more approach can work wonders for the blue brand if it uses its runtime efficiently.
The Bloodline Don't Have as Much of a Presence
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Having The Bloodline was at one point the best thing that could be said about SmackDown, but now the show's greatest strength is not having to rely on that lore remotely as much.
In 2026, The Bloodline are a tired group, and although they recently added Jacob Fatu to their ranks, getting the group back together has been a huge step backward for everyone involved from a character development standpoint. It's a crutch for Raw to build its entire main event scene around The Bloodline.
SmackDown has featured its fair share of Bloodline drama this year, specifically with Solo Sikoa and Royce Keys. WWE can't help but ensure that they have a presence on the program, but it's limited compared to how central they are to the storylines on Raw.
Disbanding the failed faction that was The MFTs (seemingly, anyway) was another step in the right direction for SmackDown, as having less stables should result in a renewed focus on the roster as a whole and more streamlined storytelling.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.
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