WrestleMania 35 has come and gone and that means it’s time for another WWE Superstar Shake-Up! These have happened annually since the brand split in 2016 as a way to freshen up the Raw and Smackdown rosters by moving some main roster superstars from Monday to Tuesday and vice versa and by introducing new call-ups from NXT. Last night was the Raw half of the Shake-Up, and tonight was Smackdown’s turn.
Who joined Monday Night Raw in 2019? Here’s a full list of the wrestlers who are definitely moved to the A-show tonight:Finn Bálor arrived with the Intercontinental Championship, which will now live on Smackdown once again. He defeated Ali in a non-title match, and they shook hands afterward. Finn’s arrival with the IC belt means that United States Champion Samoa Joe will surely be on Raw when he gets over the flu that kept him home this week.
- After Carmella lost a match to Charlotte, Lars Sullivan came out and brawled with R-Truth, who was no match for him. Although he previously appeared on both brands, Sullivan is now a member of the Smackdown roster.
- Becky was cutting a promo about how her two belts mean she can fight anyone on any brand. Ember Moon interrupted and an announced her arrival on Smackdown. Then they were interrupted by Bayley, who declared that she’d “gotten all her hugs out” on Raw. She declared herself a singles competitor and made it clear that she’s after Becky’s title(s). Then the IIconics came out to made fun of Bayley, but were in turn interrupted by Paige, who reminded them that she had a new team to introduce. Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville entered, making everybody think they were Paige’s team, but then Paige introduced her actual team, Asuka and Kairi Sane. Paige sent her team to the ring and everyone brawled. After a commercial break, Becky was gone and the brawl had became an 8-woman tag match, in which Asuka, Kairi Sane, Ember Moon, and Bayley defeated the IIconics, Mandy Rose, and Sonya Deville.
- In a short video, former Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy announced that he’s coming to Smackdown.
- In the main event slot, Vince McMahon introduced Elias as the most important new member of the Smackdown roster. The crowd was less than impressed. Elias began to play his guitar, and was interrupted by Roman Reigns, who took him down with two punches (regular and Superman), and then Superman-punched Mr. McMahon for good measure. Roman declared Smackdown Live to be his yard.
- UPDATE: Although none of them appeared on the show, WWE.com revealed that Liv Morgan, Chad Gable, Apollo Crews, and Mickie James have also joined the Smackdown roster.
There’s always the possibility of random surprises, but it looks like that’s pretty much it for the Superstar Shake-Up.
