PARKS’S TAKE: Analysis of the key WWE roster moves in the transfer window period including Logan Paul, McIntyre, Styles, Braun, Logan, Bayley, Priest

WWE’s transfer window, allowing wrestlers to change brands outside of the draft, was open for about two months. It recently closed as WWE nails down its WrestleMania plans. I wanted to take a look at some of the key players that were on the move during this period, and the effects that movement could bring.

Drew McIntyre, Smackdown: McIntyre seemed to have beef with every top babyface (and some top heels) on Raw, making this a curious move. By giving him distance from the others, some of whom he’s been feuding with for a long time, it allows WWE to revisit those feuds down the line without having to address it on a weekly basis and risk watering them down. McIntyre has a host of new players to antagonize on Smackdown, most notably the champion, Cody Rhodes, and the Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns.

Damian Priest, Smackdown: This one felt like the right move in getting Priest away from the Judgment Day. After breaking away from the group and feuding with its new top dog, Finn Balor, Priest needed some space from them to explore becoming his own man. His switch to Smackdown, along with that of Drew McIntyre, keeps the rumored McIntyre vs. Priest Wrestlemania match alive. Priest may not reach the heights on Smackdown that he did on Raw with more top babyfaces ahead of him on the depth chart, but that experience atop Raw will come in handy as fans view him now as a main eventer.

A.J. Styles, Raw: This is an interesting one as Styles just made his return from injury at the Royal Rumble. Styles has been booked all over the map by WWE so it’s hard to see where they see him in 2025, especially on a new brand. If nothing else, he should continue to be a workhorse, even at 47 years old, helping to prop up Monday nights from an in-ring perspective. A Styles vs. Gunther feud wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, even if it’s just over the short-term.

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Braun Strowman, Smackdown: The Friday night show will continue to be three hours into the spring, so WWE seems to have stocked up on talent to help pad out those shows, at least until the draft shakes out the numbers again. This move puts Strowman firmly in the cross-hairs of Jacob Fatu and the rest of the evil Bloodline. It’s hard to not see them involved in some way at Wrestlemania now with this move. Strowman just needs to stay healthy and regain some of the mobility he lost in his last injury.

Logan Paul, Raw: This will certainly have an effect on the Wrestlemania build as Paul is likely to be in a top match with someone on the Monday night crew. Despite Paul’s previous statements that he is a full-time wrestler now, his TV schedule recently says otherwise. How much Paul will be around in the aftermath of Wrestlemania is a real question and limits any kind of predictions about what he’ll be doing in the post-Mania landscape. That said, it’s no surprise that someone with the popularity and name value of Paul among younger fans moves to the brand on Netflix.

Bayley to Raw: Bayley feels like she’s constantly on the move, trying to find her place in this era of WWE. It hasn’t been smooth sledding in that regard. In a world full of Strattons and Ripleys, Bayley does feel like a relic of a past generation. She’s had her moments – she was an MVP of the shows at the beginning of the pandemic and the early run of Damage CTRL was interesting – but it doesn’t seem like she can sustain that interest among fans over the long-term. She’ll try to regain her footing on Raw. Bayley was an important cog in Triple H’s NXT taking hold, so there’s a level of job security that she has.