The stakes of the 2026 Draft

Triple H has a massive headache coming down the pipe. With the 2026 WWE Draft approaching, the rumor mill is spinning about whether Cody Rhodes should finally jump back to Monday Night Raw. It feels like 2002 all over again, with brand splits threatening to dilute the star power of the world title.

If Cody moves, SmackDown becomes a barren wasteland. Without the American Nightmare, the Friday night main event scene looks disturbingly thin. Who carries the load? Kevin Owens is a workhorse, but he has been positioned as the perennial challenger for years. Solo Sikoa has improved, but he is not the draw that sells out arenas in Des Moines or London on a weekly basis.

Why the move is a trap

People keep pointing to the ratings decline on Raw as a reason to send Cody over. They argue that putting the undisputed face of the company on the flagship show will solve everything. That is short-sighted booking.

Remember when John Cena was the face of Raw during the original brand split? It meant SmackDown suffered for years until Edge and Batista finally found their footing. Moving Cody now would repeat that mistake. SmackDown currently holds the prestige of the legacy titles, and Cody is the anchor. If you pull the anchor, the ship drifts into irrelevance.

The Solo Sikoa problem

We need to talk about the booking of the Bloodline. While Sikoa has been a solid heel, the creative team has leaned too hard into the interference spots. In his last title defense, the match featured three outside interruptions that completely sucked the air out of the building.

If Cody stays on SmackDown, he provides the legitimacy needed to elevate younger talent like Carmelo Hayes or Bron Breakker. We saw what happened when he worked with AJ Styles at Backlash; it was a masterclass in psychology. Cody is the only one who can effectively sell these new stars to a massive audience.

The Raw alternative

Raw is already packed with talent. Seth Rollins, Gunther, and Drew McIntyre are more than enough to carry the red brand. Does Raw really need Cody? Or does it just need better writing for the mid-card?

If Triple H moves Cody, he is admitting that Raw’s current booking team cannot get the job done with the roster they have. It would be a surrender. A true test of the current creative era is whether they can build stars without relying on the same top-tier talent every single week.

  • Cody has held the undisputed championship for over 400 days.
  • SmackDown ratings historically dip by 15 percent when the top champion is absent.
  • The current roster depth on Raw is actually higher than on SmackDown.

Ultimately, the brand split only works if both shows feel like distinct, top-tier products. Moving your biggest babyface to the show that is already thriving is just bad math. Keep Cody on SmackDown, let him finish the program with the Bloodline, and let the rest of the roster earn their spots on their own merits.