With WWE moving one of its two biggest shows to Fox, a major shift was made in how professional wrestling and other major sports are compared. The higher-ups at the network have been saying they want more of a professional sport feel to Friday Night SmackDown and some big names to go with it. That is one of the reasons that Brock Lesnar was moved over to the blue brand, but it was either him or another popular superstar on the roster.
On the premiere of SmackDown on Fox, there were a number of huge stars from both wrestling and Hollywood. October 4, 2019, was a huge day for WWE and for Lesnar as well as he went out, squashed Kofi Kingston, and captured the WWE Championship once again.
It was that same night that former UFC star Cain Velasquez made his debut with the company and it has led to a major feud between the two former MMA fighters.
About two weeks later, Lesnar was one of the top picks made in the WWE Superstar Draft and he was selected to Friday Night SmackDown . It was a huge move as he has been a member of the Monday Night Raw roster for a very long time and he’s one of the top stars in the world.
Well, it appears as if the move was the call of Fox and it was either Lesnar or Ronda Rousey heading to Friday nights.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter , by way of Wrestling Inc. , Fox officials told WWE that they wanted a “big sports star” for their show. With that being said, it came down to either Lesnar or Rousey being moved to SmackDown during the draft.
Obviously, the card was played and it ended up being Lesnar who was moved to SmackDown , which ended up being not totally unexpected. It is now rumored that this move was decided on weeks before it happened, which may explain why “The Beast” defeated Kofi for the WWE Championship, which is a blue brand title.
Ronda Rousey was not selected in the draft by either brand and she is still considered a “free agent,” as far as WWE’s new draft storyline goes. She also hasn’t been seen since WrestleMania 35 , when she lost in a Triple Threat Match to Becky Lynch in the main event.
It is not known when Rousey will return to action in WWE, but it is expected to come sometime before next year’s WrestleMania . Brock Lesnar is now a member of the Friday Night SmackDown roster for Fox and he is preparing to face Velasquez in a big match at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia.