Longtime WWE writer John Swikata has replaced Ryan Callahan as the show’s head writer, according to Fightful.com. Callahan, who was said to have left the company, had been SmackDown’s Vice President since February 2023 and served as the show’s lead writer since June 2020.
Swikata is said to be a popular member of the creative team. He worked as a senior writer for the company for many years and is believed to have started in his new role last week.
WWE sources told Fightful that Friday’s SmackDown episode was one of the biggest since WrestleMania 40. The event received critical acclaim from fans, earning a 9.25 rating on the Cagematch wrestling database, and is currently the second highest-rated episode of SmackDown on the site.
