Many considered this past Friday's SmackDown episode to be one of the brand's strongest episodes of some time. The event featured significant moments such as Drew McIntyre's vicious beatdown of CM Punk in his hometown, Chelsea Green receiving a massive ovation from the WWE Universe as she qualified for Money In the Bank, and the shocking debut of Jacob Fatu as a new member of The Bloodline.

Fans may have credited the episode's quality to WWE putting in extra work this week to deliver strong content, especially following highly praised episodes of RAW and NXT. However, there might be more to it than just that.



According to a new report from Fightful Select, the blue brand has a new head writer at the helm. The outlet reports that John Swikata has been promoted to the lead writer position, replacing Ryan Callahan who Fightful Select noted has conversely parted ways with the company.

Some may remember Callahan after he was named in Britney Abrahams' wrongful termination lawsuit last year. Abrahams claimed that she was let go from the company as retaliation for her objection to "several offensive creative pitches." In the lawsuit, Abrahams alleged that Ryan Callahan had once suggested a storyline where then WWE Superstar Mansoor, who is Saudi Arabian, would have been revealed as the culprit behind 9/11. Abrahams Voluntarily Dismissed the suit in August of 2023.