5 RAW Superstars who should never move to SmackDown

Monday Night RAW has been and always will be WWE's staple brand. While SmackDown's ratings have often surpassed RAW since the move to FOX, there's no denying that the Red brand will always feel like WWE's flagship brand.

After all, it's been around for 27 years now and in nearly three decades, we've seen the rise of quite a few generations of Superstars, with iconic names such as Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, Triple H, 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, The Rock, John Cena, etc. all having made their names in a big way on RAW (or in Cena's case, he was established in SmackDown but dominated a decade on RAW).

Even today, there are a select few Superstars who define the brand and fewer who have never had a brand change since the re-introduction of the brand split in 2016. Let's take a look at five current RAW Superstars who should never go to SmackDown.

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#5. Becky Lynch

Becky Lynch

When Becky Lynch was the first woman drafted to SmackDown in 2016, it was the sign of good things to come. In the eyes of many, she was the most underutilized woman on the roster, with Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks constantly overshadowing her.

The move to SmackDown gave her the chance to break free from that, but it would take another two years before she could gain momentum on her side and take the ball and run with it.

Eventually, she won the 2019 Royal Rumble and would make the switch to RAW after in a bid to become RAW Women's Champion.

She would defeat Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair in the main event of WrestleMania 35 and become the face of WWE's women's division - a role that she still holds a year later.

She should become a permanent RAW fixture if she wants to continue to increase her star power.

#4. Randy Orton

Randy Orton found his stride in 2020

When looking at Randy Orton, one can't help but feel that so much more could have been done with his career. Sure, the last decade does include an impressive set of World titles won, a WrestleMania main event, a few significant feuds and more, but somehow, Orton never truly reached the peak that he could have.

Either way, he spent a good part of three years on SmackDown before making the shift to RAW in 2019, where he quietly turned face again. It took a returning Edge for him to turn heel - a role that fits him far better.

Even looking at the promos that he cut during the build, it's clear that he has an old-school heel character, particularly when you look at his overall psychology throughout his career. It seems as though he's found his place on Monday Night RAW and while he likely has another 4-5 years remaining (as per his contract), it's better for him to become a RAW mainstay.

He'll always be a reliable top heel if WWE ever needs a World title challenger.

#3. Ricochet

WWE's Resident Superhero

Ricochet has been established as one of the "Paul Heyman guys" backstage along with the likes of Aleister Black, Murphy, Drew McIntyre, etc. He's benefited big time from being a singles star on RAW post-WrestleMania 35 and he even has a short United States Championship reign to his name.

Although his momentum came to a screeching halt after losing to Brock Lesnar at WWE Super ShowDown 2020, he's not in a bad position where he can't be salvaged. All it takes to put him back on the right track is to give him a string of wins and start giving him more TV time. In such cases, WWE needs to carefully push and protect him, which we don't doubt that they will someday.

He doesn't feel ready for a main event push now anyway, so the best route to make him a top star in WWE is to keep him on RAW and actively feature him on TV. He can become a big name for the brand and become associated with it over the years. However, we don't see him being a RAW mainstay.

#2. Seth Rollins

The face of Monday Night RAW?

There's nobody in the last 5-6 years who defines Monday Night RAW more than Seth Rollins does. It goes back to much before the 2016 Draft as well. Between his main roster debut in November 2012 and November 2015, Seth Rollins didn't miss a single episode of Monday Night RAW.

It's a staggering statistic and 2015 was the year where he was WWE Champion for over six months. That was the time when he was far and away the best Superstar in WWE and one of the best in the world - carrying the entire company on his back in a year that saw a lack of creative direction and the end of John Cena's run as a full-time Superstar.

He's had countless moments since his return from injury in 2016 and his second-hottest run would come between early 2018-mid-2019, where he was the top babyface of Monday Night RAW, even taking Roman Reigns' spot. While he's been criticized a lot, he could go down as one of, if not the greatest Superstar in RAW history.

#1. Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar

It's crazy to think that Brock Lesnar's second stint in WWE has turned out to be four times longer than his first. While his first stint in WWE saw him dominate SmackDown and take the brand to the next level, his second run has been a largely different story.

He's been a Monday Night RAW staple, never wrestling on the brand once since his return. He did, however, have one match on free TV in the last 8 years - on the Friday Night SmackDown premiere on FOX in October 2019. That rare instance saw him capture the WWE Championship after ending Kofi Kingston's dream reign in a short 10 seconds.

While it seemed as though it marked Brock Lesnar's official return to SmackDown, he would quickly make the switch back to Monday Night RAW, with Bray Wyatt taking the Universal Championship to SmackDown.

He's been a RAW Superstar since 2012 and it should stay that way. Brock Lesnar always adds big star power to the show and will be a top star regardless.