There’ve been rumors of another Superstar Shake-Up to come since SummerSlam, and they’ve yet to die down. Now seems like the perfect time, with Survivor Series over and the build-up to WrestleMania 34 just beginning. I don’t know what the future holds, but like every wrestling fan on this internet, I have no shortage of opinions. So here are the moves that I’d love to see happen.
Remember when Finn Bálor was the first Universal Champion and seemed like he had a rocket strapped to his back the moment he arrived from NXT? He hasn’t gotten any worse since then, but his push has fizzled out to a sad degree. Maybe moving him to Smackdown, giving him new opponents and tweaking his character a bit, might be just the thing he needs.
Then there’s Baron Corbin, who’s currently holding the United States Championship, and still struggles to seem like he matters. A move to Raw would give him the chance to look strong in the ring against other big men like Strowman and Lesnar, and maybe give him the space to develop a character beyond “petulance.”
Becky Lynch has been with Smackdown from the beginning, but it seems like time for a change. She’s always going to be overshadowed by Charlotte while they’re on the same show, whereas on Raw she could get in the ring with fresh opponents like Asuka and Nia Jax. Plus, she has a longer history with Paige than anyone else in WWE, and they could have an amazing feud.
As Brandon previously pointed out, Dana Brooke seems almost redundant on a roster with Mandy Rose, and she’s in danger of being known entirely as “the woman Asuka murders.” Put her on Smackdown, let her get trucked by Ruby Riot and Sarah Logan for a bit, and maybe she’ll find something to get herself over.
Cedric Alexander needs out of the Cruiserweight Division more than anyone else. He has star quality to spare, and deserves better than co-starring on The Enzo Show. Moving him to Smackdown will be a cleaner break than just moving him up to the main Raw roster, and a debut match against Sami Zayn would go a long way toward getting him over.
Look, sometimes things don’t work out. Jinder Mahal tried his hardest, but his divisive run as WWE Champion has come to an end. Moving him back to Raw will make it easier to put all that behind him, scrub some of the racism out of his gimmick, and let him be the midcard heel he’d be so great at portraying.
The longer the Hype Bros languish in the midst of a slow-motion breakup angle that’s never allowed enough time to happen, the harder it is to stay hype. Whether they stay together or go solo, they desperately need a change of scenery.
Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson have been wasted on Raw, and outside of Southpaw Regional Wrestling, the last good thing they had going was their alliance with AJ Styles. Whether they rejoin him or do something new, a switch in venue and a bit of a repackage can only help. Also, let’s be honest, if WWE’s going to aggressive reclaim their trademarks from the Bullet Club, now’s the time to pull that “Bullet Club in WWE” if you’re ever going to. Turn Bálor heel, team him with these guys, and have them aggressively try to recruit a still-babyface AJ.
Let’s just get Mickie James away from Alexa Bliss and that locker room full of adult diapers. A WWE veteran like her would make a great foil for those invading NXT upstarts, and seeing her work with Sarah Logan (the new generation of Hardcore Country) would be particularly exciting. And for the love of god, can we get her some new gear?
Speaking of veterans who desperately need a ring gear upgrade, Natalya could also use a change. I’d rather see her fight her old enemy Paige and new enemy Asuka than do anything more with Charlotte or Naomi. I could also see her moving into a manager position for one or more women, and there’s more room for that on Raw.
Who would you like to see shaken up? Let us know in the comments below.
