Finn Bálor’s move to SmackDown appears to have been made with one clear goal in mind.

Following WWE’s announcement of the King and Queen of the Ring tournament brackets after Clash in Italy, fans quickly noticed that Bálor was listed as a member of the SmackDown roster. The change was later confirmed during RAW when Byron Saxton informed Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh of the trade during a commercial break segment.

According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE’s primary motivation for the switch was to separate Bálor from his former Judgment Day allies.

Meltzer explained that there had been no indication of an upcoming draft and suggested the move was specifically designed to distance Bálor from Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh following recent storyline developments.

With Bálor recently defeating McDonagh, WWE reportedly felt there was little reason to continue crossing paths with members of The Judgment Day on RAW. Moving him to SmackDown allows the veteran star to move forward in a new direction without being tied to his former faction.

Meltzer added that WWE viewed the transfer as an opportunity to refresh Bálor’s character and create new storylines away from the group he had been associated with for years.

He also pointed out that WWE has taken a similar approach in the past when major rivalries reached their conclusion. One example was the fallout from the feud between Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio, where a roster move helped keep the two competitors apart once their storyline had run its course.

Bálor is now set to compete in the opening round of the King of the Ring Tournament, where he will face Royce Keys, Jey Uso, and LA Knight in a Fatal Four-Way Match as he begins his new chapter on SmackDown.