On the Monday Night Raw after WrestleMania special, WWE announced that next week the Superstar Shake-Up will be returning.
General Managers Kurt Angle and Paige will sit down next week and decide who will go where. This is a list of ten superstars that we want to see change brands.
10. Sonya Deville
With Paige officially announcing her retirement from in-ring competition and becoming SmackDown Live General Manager, Absolution seems to be over. In Paige’s absence, Deville has stepped up and really made a name for herself with weekly matches on Raw and a strong performance in the first ever Woman’s Elimination Chamber match. With UFC superstar Ronda Rousey on Raw, the MMA-based Deville should find her own niche on SmackDown Live.
9. Randy Orton
Randy Orton’s had a weird year. He won the WWE championship and the United States championship but it still felt like he didn’t do anything. Part of this is because he was in lackluster feud with Jinder Mahal (a feud that is continuing but with the United States Championship) but besides that, his matches also just weren’t very good. Orton is caught between being an anti-hero/face character when his strength is being a cold blooded bad guy. Orton needs a jump start and being sent to Raw could reinvigorate the Viper.
8. Tommaso Ciampa
Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano had a match for the ages at NXT Takeover: New Orleans. With Gargano winning and getting reinstated, that leaves Ciampa free to move on from NXT and graduate to the main roster. However, I don’t want to see Ciampa on Raw or Smackdown Live. I want to see him on 205 Live. Cedric Alexander was crowned the new Cruiserweight champion at WrestleMania 34 and while there are many incredible crusierweights, 205 Live is currently lacking a top heel. Ciampa’s cold, psychopathic look is perfect for what 205 Live is becoming and when Gargano gets called up, those two can continue to fight forever.
7. Gallows and Anderson
The Good Brothers are in a tough spot right now. Clearly one of the most talented tag teams in the world, Gallows and Anderson haven’t been able to climb back into the title picture in 2017 once the Hardy Boyz returned and the Shield reunited. With the Bludgeon Brothers now the SmackDown Live Tag Team Champions, they could use a big brawling tag team like Gallows and Anderson to feud with.
6. Becky Lynch
Becky Lynch is one of the best woman’s wrestlers in the world but ever since losing her title to Alexa Bliss at TLC: Tables, Ladders, and Chairs in 2016, Lynch has been out of the title picture. While being one of the best world, Lynch is also one of the most popular WWE superstars in the company which makes her burial that much more surprising. It’s time to bring straight fire to the Fed Brand.
5. Finn Balor
You can’t break up The Club, right? If Gallows and Anderson are off to SmackDown Live, I want to see Balor go too. After failing to capture the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 34, Balor has now gone without gold since being forced to relinquish his Universal Championship due to injury the night after Summerslam in 2016. Balor is one of the most popular and respected wrestlers in the world who currently holds a recent win over current WWE champion A.J. Styles. If Balor goes to SmackDown Live, I’d expect him to vault to the top of the card and feud with Styles and his old NXT foe and recently turned heel, Shinsuke Nakamura.
4. Cesaro
Cesaro is one of the greatest wrestlers in the world but has been spent more than a year teaming with Seamus on Raw. While the two have been very successful and very good together, it seems like they, especially Cesaro, are destined for more. SmackDown Live is currently home to some of the best technical wrestlers in the world with the likes of WWE champion A.J. Styles and Daniel Bryan. I could easily see Cesaro vs Bryan having a match that is similar stylistically to when Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit locked horns at WrestleMania X-7.
3. Baron Corbin
Baron Corbin lost all of his momentum when he cashed in his money in the bank contract but failed to capture the WWE Championship against then champion, Mahal. Corbin has an impressive list of accomplishments so far in his short tenure in WWE which includes the aforementioned money in the bank contract and a strong United States Championship run. This has all come in the last year but Corbin seems to be sputtering right now. A move to Raw would be ideal for the Lone Wolf to get back on track.
2. Jeff Hardy
Brother Nero! I knew you’d come! The former WWE champion is back after suffering a torn rotator cuff. With his brother Matt now teaming with Bray Wyatt, that leaves Jeff open to go on a singles run. Hardy could be immediately put in the United States title picture and have an extended feud with US champion, Jinder Mahal. If Hardy were to win the United States Championship, he would become a Grand Slam Champion meaning that he has won the WWE Championship, a Tag Team Championship, the Intercontinental Championship, and the United States Championship. If WWE doesn’t want to go that route, that could insert Hardy into the WWE Championship picture against the likes of A.J. Styles, Shinsuka Nakamura, and Daniel Bryan.
1. The Miz
The Miz is one of the best performers in the company right now and this big shift in his persona culminated when he went off on Smackdown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan on an August 23rd episode of Talking Smack. Miz mocked Bryan for being unable to wrestle and for criticizing his wrestling style which led to Bryan walking off the set. Last year, The Miz was sent to Raw during the first ever Superstar Shake-Up but since Daniel Bryan was cleared to wrestle, his #1 dream opponent in WWE might just be the A-Lister. No matter what happens, just please put Daniel Bryan and The Miz on the same brand.
Follow Matthew on Twitter @matthewwgilpin
More predictions at Doc’s Sports.
(Photo Credit: WWE)
