5 Problems with WWE SmackDown right now and how to fix them

WWE made a huge deal of moving SmackDown to FOX in October of 2019. They loaded up with big names like Brock Lesnar, Charlotte Flair, and Roman Reigns to make the blue brand feel equal to RAW.

After moving to the USA Network, the results have been a mixed bag. Cody Rhodes assumed Reigns' spot as the top star, even though John Cena had a brief run with the Undisputed WWE Title.

Most of the action has been great, especially in the tag team and United States title picture. Exciting stars like Rey Fenix and Aleister Black joined the ranks.

Despite those factors, the blue brand still has many issues to address. The problems on SmackDown can be fixed in the next five ways.

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#5. Stop recycling Tiffany Stratton's feuds

Winning the WWE Women’s Championship did wonders for Tiffany Stratton. Beating Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania made her a legitimate force in the women’s division.

The issue with her title reign, however, has been the consistent need to put her against Nia Jax. The Annihilator already fought Stratton three times and lost. She gets another crack on SmackDown, only with Jade Cargill involved this time.

Bookers need to find different challengers. Without a draft in 2025, the easiest way to do this is to move some talent between RAW, SmackDown, and NXT.

Rhea Ripley or Roxanne Perez could move to the blue brand. Jordynne Grace, Fallon Henley, and Lash Legend are ready for the main roster.

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#4. Balance out the tag team divisions

Along the lines of roster shuffling is balancing the tag team divisions on both RAW and SmackDown. The blue brand is so stacked that it's hard to regularly feature many of the talented teams.

Along with the Wyatt Sicks, SmackDown boasts DIY, the Motor City Machine Guns, the Street Profits, Fraxiom, and Los Garza. All but Fraxiom and Los Garza are former champions.

Sending one or two of those teams to RAW would help out the red brand's struggling tag division. The Judgment Day hasn’t defended their titles in almost two months.

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#3. Find a consistent spot for Rey Fenix on SmackDown

One disappointing facet of SmackDown in 2025 has been the inconsistent use of Rey Fenix. He joined WWE with a lot of fanfare right before WrestleMania 41, even filling in at the event for an injured Rey Mysterio against El Grande Americano.

He’s been in and out of random feuds all year and was put in the already stacked tag team ranks with the recently released Andrade.

The duo competed for the titles in a TLC match at SummerSlam. Fenix disappeared for several weeks before re-emerging to challenge Sami Zayn for the US title.

Just give him a match or a backstage segment each week instead of forgetting him for weeks on end.

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#2. A bigger and better spotlight on Giulia

The ongoing trend with SmackDown involves inconsistent use of specific stars. Giulia came to NXT and then SmackDown with a lot of hype. After a short stint in NXT, she joined the blue brand and won the Women’s US title from Zelina Vega.

Her booking as champion has been massively underwhelming, facing Vega and Michin. Michin is a perfectly fine opponent, but B-Fab isn't a title-worthy competitor.

With so little depth in the division at the moment, her feuds haven’t helped elevate her or the title. Roxanne Perez and Alexa Bliss would be great foes for The Beautiful Madness.

Bookers also don't utilize her weekly. She usually pops up backstage only to disappear for a few shows. It's hard for fans to invest in the Japanese star if she isn’t a consistent presence on SmackDown.

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#1. Treat Solo Sikoa like he was still part of the OG Bloodline

There was a time when Solo Sikoa was considered a future WWE World Champion by many due to his status as the Bloodline's silent muscle.

Once the faction broke up and he created his own group, it felt like he'd finally move up the card. Instead, he lost every marquee match in which he was booked, including two big losses to Cody Rhodes.

Solo fell to Roman Reigns in both WarGames and Tribal Combat. Winning the United States title didn’t do much for his prospects, as he lost more matches than he won.

If he's going to be a player for the future, bookers need to give him signature wins in big moments against meaningful opponents. He also needs to stand alone as a singles star instead of leading a faction.