WWE Superstar Shakeup season is upon us and the changes made on this week’s RAW and SmackDown shows from the Bell Centre in Montreal will go a long way in forming new storylines and rivalries over the course of the next year.
Unlike years past, the WWE’s television contracts will undoubtedly play a factor in this year’s division of talent. The Fox Network will take over broadcasts of SmackDown Live on Friday, October 19. Reportedly, Fox has asked for content to focus more around the athletes and athleticism of the performers and less about comedic skits and dramatic theatrics. Therefore, it’s only logical to assume the makeup of the SmackDown roster will reflect the demand for more wow factor when it comes to move sets, speed and strength.
On the other hand, there are some obvious associations already made with the USA Network which will continue to broadcast RAW that the WWE will want to maintain. Therefore, it makes sense to shift Superstars involved with that programming to the Red Brand. Furthermore, this would seem a great place to shift Superstars who rely more on their gimmick and mic skills than in-ring, technical ability.
With that in mind, I’ll make my predictions for top 5 impact brand trades and add one impact NXT callup prediction with a focus solely on male Superstars. Here are my picks on dramatic facelifts for each show that could keep us entertained with fresh entertainment options for the next year:
Top 5 RAW Brand Trades
1. “The New” Daniel Bryan – This would be a whopper of an acquisition for Stephanie McMahon. Why not pit the top face of the company – Universal Champion Seth Rollins – against the top heel in Bryan? The heat between the two could last all the way up until WrestleMania 36 if executed properly. None of the heels on RAW right now – Baron Corbin, Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre – are as charismatic and captivating on the mic as Bryan. Not only would Rollins benefit from his presence, but he would also play a top-notch black hat to other RAW roster members like Roman Reigns, Apollo Crews, Elias and possibly even Chad Gable if he and Bobby Roode are separated. Bryan could also do a great job of mentoring any possible NXT callups or Cruiserweights much like he did when SmackDown put Ali on its full-time roster.
2. The Miz – This move would blend a match with the needs of the RAW roster and business. As mentioned, RAW currently lacks heels who sizzle on the mic. Perhaps only Bryan can rival the work of The A-Lister in this department. Furthermore, The Miz has shown recently in his feud with Shane McMahon that he is versatile enough to gain the attention of the crowd as either a heel or babyface. In addition, this change would make sense to put Miz on the USA Network because of his family-based reality TV show The Miz and Mrs. It makes more sense to cross-promote RAW and Miz’s show on USA rather than have him working on another network. Miz would also provide a great rival to current Universal Champion Seth Rollins and Intercontinental Champion Finn Balor.
3. AJ Styles, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson – Consider this as a package deal with a Bullet Club reunification as a way for WWE to possibly entice The Good Brothers to stay. Though SmackDown has been The House that AJ Styles Built as his exclusive home since the brand split, he’s accomplished about everything he can on The Blue Brand. He held the WWE Championship for a solid year before “The New” Daniel Bryan defeated him prior to Survivor Series. With the conclusion of his feud with Randy Orton, Styles really has no rival with whom to work left on SmackDown. However, a move to RAW would give The Phenomenal One an opportunity to work against Rollins, Balor, Reigns and another whole group of fresh rivalries. Fans have salivated for more of Styles and Balor since their one-off match at the 2017 TLC pay-per-view show.
4. The Usos – Much like AJ Styles, Jimmy and Jey Uso have dominated SmackDown since the brand split. They are the record holders with four SmackDown Tag Team championship reigns and have worked against the top contenders on that show – The Bar and New Day – so many times that fans complain about great matches because the rivalries are stale. Meanwhile, the RAW men’s tag team division has languished as the worst on the main roster. The Usos would drastically alter that landscape. Their style fits against the opponents they would face on RAW – technical teams such as Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins, Bobby Roode & Chad Gable and The Revival. They could also elevate some of the bigger power teams on the rise like Heavy Machinery or Authors of Pain. This one move alone would dramatically change the quality of tag team matches on Monday nights. It also would open up the possibility of working with their cousin, Roman Reigns, and forming The Bloodline faction as a possible opponent for The Club if it comes to RAW.
5. Shinsuke Nakamura & Rusev – Both of these established veterans flopped on Tuesday nights. Neither Nakamura or Rusev did anything meaningful as United States Champions, leading them to be put together as a tag team. Though initially it seemed like a random pairing, the two exhibited some great chemistry as a heel team at WrestleMania. It would be a shame to not explore that further, but SmackDown is so chock full of great tag teams it’s unlikely these two would get a title run on that brand any time soon. A move to RAW would give them more of an opportunity in the tag team title picture and inject some fresh rivalries for both performers whether they are working a tag match or get an occasional singles match. Currently, RAW lacks a tag team physical enough to not be bullied by bigger teams like Heavy Machinery and AOP, but Rusev and Nakamura would change that.
Impact NXT Callup: Velveteen Dream – The mesmerizing NXT North American Champion checks the box as being athletic enough to work on Fox’s SmackDown broadcasts. Yet, much of his appeal comes from his quirky gimmick which Fox might not utilize to its fullest extent. Velveteen Dream’s rising stardom is growing too large for NXT, and his versatility extends beyond the traditional roles of babyfaces and heels. Whether he lined up against Rollins, Balor, Corbin, Elias, Apollo Crews or Chad Gable, Velveteen Dream would provide classic matches that would also make the most of the gimmicks of his opponents. Furthermore, WWE could begin grooming a new standard bearer for the company as Rollins, the former “Undisputed Future of the WWE,” stands atop the heap right now. A few years from now he should be perhaps the biggest Superstar in the whole company and that type of talent should be on the “A show.”
Top 5 SmackDown Brand Trades
1. Braun Strowman – WWE appeared to tease a move to Tuesdays for The Monster Among Men with his appearance on SmackDown at Barclays Center in Brooklyn following WrestleMania. After United States Champion Samoa Joe ambushed R-Truth and delivered a promo about his dismantling of Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania, Strowman’s music popped, he marched to the ring and promptly ran off Joe. If anyone needs a new lease on life, it’s Strowman. Though WWE didn’t want him to take another loss at the hands of Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble, their handling of the situation only made Strowman look weak and he’s come off as stale with fans since that time. Meanwhile, Joe’s best main roster feud came against another monster in Lesnar at Great Balls of Fire in 2017, so a matchup with Strowman could once again bring out the best in the current champ.
2. Drew McIntyre – The Scottish Pyschopath can talk all he wants about breaking The Shield and getting the best of Strowman, but he took his shots against the biggest names on RAW – Rolllins and Reigns – and came up wanting. A switch to SmackDown would allow McIntyre to re-establish himself as a top title contender. Should “The New” Daniel Bryan get shipped to RAW, McIntyre would vault to the top of the heel ranks on the Blue Brand. Given that WWE appeared to tease McIntyre coming to Tuesdays and challenging new WWE Champion Kofi Kingston last week, it seems like big plans are already in motion for brutish Scot. Considering Big E recently suffered an injury, McIntyre could even take credit for breaking New Day as well. Considering SmackDown has featured smaller male Superstars recently, McIntyre would form an imposing presence. I’m already looking forward to a feud with McIntyre and babyface Kevin Owens. Should AJ Styles not switch brands, McIntyre would also create a matchup of one of the company’s best heels against one of its best babyfaces.
3. Intercontinental Champion Finn Balor – As mentioned earlier, Fox wants to place an emphasis on athleticism and few Superstars in all of WWE are as impressive flying around the ring as Balor. Imagine the type of fun matches we could expect with Balor against the likes of Andrade, Rey Mysterio, Ali, “The New” Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton. In addition, you could have two of the best NXT Champions of all time, Balor and Kevin Owens, take on each other at some point down the line. Should AJ Styles not get switched, it could also set up a rivalry between them or a reunification of The Club which could have great battles with The New Day, Sanity or The Bar. This would also send United States Champion Samoa Joe to RAW which might fit his style better in among the giants on that show.
4. Bobby Lashley – Let’s face it. So far, the Lashley experience in his comeback to the WWE has flopped. He’s also in a similar boat with McIntyre in that he’s a heel who has already squared off against the RAW brand champions – Rollins and Balor – and come out of those rivalries on the short end of the stick. He did have two Intercontinental Championship reigns, but they were extremely short and everyone pined for Balor to take the belt off him both times. With his impressive physique, Lashley would certainly fit the athletic mold Fox said its desiring for its viewers who are used to watching UFC fights. A brand switch might give Lashley more of an opportunity in the main event scene. A matchup with WWE Champion Kofi Kingston would feature a great match along the David versus Goliath lines that Vince McMahon likes to book.
5. Buddy Murphy – After seeing his Cruiserweight Championship reign end just a few weeks shy of Neville’s record, the Aussie seems primed for an opportunity on one of the two main shows. Murphy accomplished everything he possibly can on 205 Live, and a promotion to either the Red or Blue Brand would give more opportunities to some of the other Cruiserweights to shine. Along the same lines as Balor, Murphy would gift us with incredible matches against Andrade, Mysterio, Bryan and Orton. It would also allow some of us to revisit the tremendous rivalry Murphy had with Ali on 205 Live. For those who don’t watch 205 Live, Murphy and Ali frequently made magic together in the ring as they chased Cedric Alexander for the title. Right off the bat, Murphy and WWE Champion Kofi Kingston would provide main event level theater. Out of all of these predictions, this is the one I hope comes true the most because Murphy deserves a chance to show a bigger audience his skills.
Impact NXT Callup: The Undisputed Era – If a battle between The Club and Adam Cole and the boys wouldn’t have you riveted to your seat, I’m not quite sure what would. Cole could mainly work singles matches while Bobby Fish, Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly rotate in the tag matches, similar to the New Day. This would simultaneously inject new life in both the singles title hunts and in a tag team division that has been somewhat stale at the top despite being stacked. It could also set up a torch passing moment initially with current SmackDown Tag Team Champs The Hardy Boyz possibly dropping the belts to young guns of The Undisputed Era. Meanwhile, Cole would provide tremendous feuds with Styles, Orton, Mysterio, Andrade, Ali and Kingston.
Top 5 NXT/NXT UK Impact Moves
1. Tyler Breeze – The former Fashion Police star went MIA after Fandango’s injury and got virtually banished from RAW TV in 2018, but he’s made waves this week in challenging current NXT North American Champion Velveteen Dream to a match. Lost in his pretty-boy gimmick, Breeze is a very talented, technically-sound wrestler. Triple H has hinted that he no longer views NXT as a subservient brand to RAW and SmackDown, but more of a third touring brand on the same level. As such, Breeze could help developmental talent on the NXT level while also providing some cache and drawing power at the box office. Not only would he have a great match with Velveteen Dream, but Breeze and NXT Champion Johnny Gargano would also put on quite a show.
2. The Bar – This is a prediction based on rumors that have already circulated that Cesaro and Sheamus may head to NXT from SmackDown. The six-time tag team champions would provide great mentors for the developmental talent and no doubt be a huge drawing card for shows. Given that both Cesaro and Sheamus now reside in Florida, the NXT brand would also afford them the chance to work mainly close to home. They could also help fill the void if a popular heel act such as The Undisputed Era receives a main roster promotion.
3. Sanity – No one could’ve predicted one of the hottest acts in NXT would seemingly never get a chance to make an impact on the main roster. At no point during the past year did Alexander Wolfe, Killian Dain and Eric Young ever receive anything close to consistent TV time. In fact, the group went long stretches with absolutely no mention at all. Since NXT UK is still establishing itself, it makes sense to infuse some star talent with whom fans in the United Kingdom are already familiar. There’s been no indication the group will have a change of fortune on SmackDown as recently the entire faction lost to The Miz in a Falls Count Anywhere match as a lead-in to The A-Lister’s WrestleMania showdown with Shane McMahon.
4. The Ascension – Few tag teams ran roughshod over NXT like Konnor and Viktor did, but they’ve been little more than squash-match, enhancement talent on the main roster. The only time the group received any buzz was when it was included in a comedic angle with the red-hot Fashion Police before Fandango suffered an injury. Over the past year, they’ve only sporadically appeared on TV, usually serving as the first opponent to a freshly promoted team or as filler in a contender’s match with other teams. Perhaps heading to NXT would allow The Ascension to reboot themselves or serve as enhancement to the developmental talent.
5. Bo Dallas – Sticking with the theme of Florida residents who appear dead in the water on the main roster, Dallas would seem like a good fit to return to NXT. I didn’t include Curtis Axel because he’s from Minnesota and might not be as willing to work almost exclusively from the South. The B Team got a title run after gaining some momentum from being part of “The Miztourage.” However, lately they are nothing more than a squash match for other teams the WWE tries to push. Unless The Miz comes back to RAW and gets the band back together, Dallas might benefit from a reboot down at the developmental level.