10 WWE Roster Trades That Must Happen In 2017

2016 was a year of huge transformation for the WWE roster. The revived brand split reshuffled the deck and gave wrestlers like The Miz and Dolph Ziggler to completely revitalise their previously struggling careers. AJ Styles debuted in the Royal Rumble and promptly became one of the biggest stars in the company, NXT benefited from a slew of new signings, dozens of wrestlers were called-up, and dozens more were released.

From Raw and SmackDown to NXT and 205 Live, WWE's talent pool looks completely different to what it was a year ago. WWE have become increasingly aggressive in their roster transactions, and if recent rumours are anything to go by, this is set to escalate in 2017.

The widescale upheaval hasn't been entirely beneficial, however. The facelift has left several WWE superstars lost at sea, and without any prospects of advancing on their current brand. Fortunately, there's nothing that a quick roster trade can't fix, and while Jack Swagger is the only wrestler to switch brands thus far, there'll likely be a number of big trades this year.

Daniel Bryan's move to SmackDown in 2011 helped clear his pathway to title contendership and effectively kickstarted his WWE career, The Miz became WWE Champion not long after moving to Raw in 1999. They provide clear examples for WWE's struggling stars to follow, and should have them praying for a switch this year.

Here are 10 WWE roster trades that must happen in 2017.

This should be a no-brainer. Kalisto had the opportunity to become Cruiserweight Champion and bring the entire division to SmackDown when he faced Brian Kendrick at Survivor Series, but he failed. Baron Corbin interfered for a DQ finish, and while his fellow sub-205lbs wrestlers stayed on the red brand, Kalisto was left stuck on SD.

A baffling decision at the time, particularly given the Cruiserweight division’s complete lack of star power. 205 Live has perked up somewhat with Rich Swann’s emergence and Neville’s heel turn, but it’s still in dire need of some well-known faces. Kalisto is the perfect candidate for such a role: he’s one of the best high-flying wrestlers in WWE, and a tremendous underdog babyface. He’d put on excellent matches with the likes of Swann, Neville, and TJ Perkins, but it seems like he’ll never get that opportunity.

As it stands, Kalisto is no more than cannon fodder for SmackDown’s larger wrestlers. He’s fine in this role, but there’s only so many times Baron Corbin can beat the snot out of Kalisto before he loses his value. If he’s not going to be pushed on SmackDown, WWE should do the right thing and move him to Raw, thus opening up the possibility of 205 Live.