This past Monday Night Raw, the first edition after Wrestlemania, was a unique episode to say the very least. The raucous crowd’s energy topped any previous year’s night after Mania. The crowd didn’t show mercy on anyone, even World Wrestling Entertainment Chairman, Vince McMahon. In a not too shocking announcement, McMahon stated that it’s time for a “good old fashioned shakeup”. Said shakeup will take place next week. There haven’t been any subsequent details. However, anyone who’s been watching WWE for years can smell a potential draft or series of trades between the Raw and SmackDown rosters. This is a good idea that will help to freshen up both brands. After much deliberation, here is who I would draft from Raw to SmackDown and vice versa, in this superstar shakeup next week.
Raw to SmackDown
Sami Zayn: My first choice is an obvious one. Sami Zayn was one of the biggest stars on the NXT roster, but since his call up over a year ago, he has been completely mistreated by booking and creative. His treatment worsened after the brand split as Raw General Manager Stephanie McMahon went to uncanny lengths to emasculate Zayn and make him look like a total geek. If Zayn were to get drafted to SmackDown, Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan would give Zayn the ball and let him run with it, even to an immediate Intercontinental championship reign.
Cesaro: As entertaining as the tag team of Cesaro & Sheamus was, it’s obvious that it was a ploy by TPTB to use Cesaro to give Sheamus the rub and get him back over with the fans, something Sheamus hasn’t been able to do these past three years. Cesaro voiced his displeasure of getting drafted to Raw on more than one occasion. I envision a breakup of this makeshift tag team and Cesaro gaining new heights and immediately getting into the main event of the blue brand.
Sasha Banks: The Boss hasn’t felt like one over the past several months. From the constant belittling of her “boss” status by Stephanie McMahon (there’s a recurring theme) to her getting completely lost in the shuffle once Bayley got called up to the main roster, Banks is at an empasse right now. Banks’ character has two options to get a refresh. Either Sasha needs to go heel (which I don’t see happening since the Raw women’s roster is heel heavy right now), or she needs to go to SmackDown. I vote for the latter.
Rusev & Lana: Ever since Rusev hit the adamantium ceiling, otherwise known as a feud with John Cena, he’s been in eternal mid-card hell. The debacle behind his marriage to Lana going public and pissing off TPTB as well as him allegedly getting heat because he cut his hair without letting upper management know left the Bulgarian Brute in the hot seat. He and Lana will return soon. When they do come back, I would like to see them on SmackDown Live. Rusev in a feud with Randy Orton or whoever is champion at that point would be a welcome sight.
The New Day or Enzo & Cass: I cannot decide which of these fan favorite teams should move to Tuesday nights, but one of them needs to go. The antics of either team are tolerable at best. However, both teams on the same show leads to goofy comedy segment after goofy comedy segment after goofy comedy segment. This has gotten old, fast. SmackDown needs some teams who have energy and can cut decent promos. Either one of these teams could shakeup SmackDown’s plentiful, but lackluster tag team division.
SmackDown to Raw
Dolph Ziggler: Words cannot do justice to how far this guy has fallen. Whoever he angered backstage must still be sticking it to him. I hoped that when the brand split occurred, Ziggler would finally get the push he deserved. Instead, he went on a horrendous losing streak. But then Dolph turned heel…and said losing streak continued. Ziggler mixing it up with some new opponents over on Raw, maybe winning the U.S. Title his first night back on Raw, could make the Show Off relevant again.
Alexa Bliss: Though I love Bliss as one of the top heels on the show, I just have a strange feeling that Sasha Banks is coming to SmackDown and is due for a heel turn. Their characters as heels are so similar and are both short firecrackers that there’s a bit of redundancy with them. I also feel that Charlotte cannot stay heel forever and might turn face within the next year or so. Once she does, Raw will need strong heels. And Alexa mixing it up with Charlotte could give her the much needed experience to help her go from being a damn good worker to an amazing one.
American Alpha: These guys, like so many other NXT call ups, floundered once they made it to the main WWE roster. This is through no fault of their own. They’re forced to cut promo after promo after promo. But the microphone is not their strength. They are collegiate mega-stars and the focus should always be on their matches. The Raw tag team division doesn’t have many teams so keeping the division interesting has been a challenge. Jason Jordan and Chad Gable feuding with The Club, having great matches against the Hardys, or being forced to verbally spar every now and then with either the New Day or Enzo & Cass could cause these guys’ stock to rise.
The Miz & Maryse: Over the past year, The Miz has gone from someone who I had no desire to see in a match or promo to one of the best acts on the SmackDown roster. Maryse returning to WWE as a part of his act has only enhanced it. With John Cena leaving for the foreseeable future, Miz will not have much to work with promo-wise. He will need some new targets to verbally eviscerate. The red brand will open up a whole new world of promos for the Hollywood A-lister.
Bray Wyatt: As much as I used to like Wyatt, he’s not been doing it for me lately. His long winded promos and overly gimmicky segments and even matches (Wrestlemania) make him an awkward fit for the blue brand. SmackDown brand is less about talking, more about fighting. Wyatt would be a welcome return to Raw. That show has three hours it needs to fill. The longer Wyatt promos fit much better there. Also, a potential feud between Wyatt and his former minion, Braun Strowman, could prove interesting.
In the end, these picks could wind up being way off from what WWE will ultimately decide on. My focus, however, is on rehabilitating superstars that need a fresh start more than anyone else on the roster. Are you in agreement with these choices for this WWE Superstar Shakeup? Do you vehemently disagree? We want to hear your thoughts and feedback. Leave a comment and let your voice be heard.
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