10 Predictions For WWE SmackDown Superstar Shake-Up Tonight
Kurt Angle pillaged SmackDown last night: now, it's Daniel Bryan's turn.
The first round of WWE's Superstar Shake-Up took place last night, and it saw a number of major players jump ship from Raw to SmackDown. Current Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose and Bray Wyatt stand as Raw's most notable acquisitions, and they were joined not only by a host of former title-holders, but also lower level wrestlers like Kalisto and Curt Hawkins.
Essentially taking the form of a mini draft, the Shake-Up brought more changes than anticipated, with a total of 13 different wrestlers and personalities swapping brands. This included announcers David Otunga and Byron Saxton, showing that no individual is completely safe, regardless of their role in the company.
The Shake-Up continues on tonight's SmackDown, and after being pilfered last night, the blue brand has a lot of catching up to do. Raw's moves have left SD's roster barren, particularly in the women's division and upper midcard, where the likes of Alexa Bliss and The Miz will be sorely missed. Fortunately, General Manager Daniel Bryan has the opportunity to address these shortcomings and rebuild his roster's depth tonight.
Can SmackDown restore parity, or will they be given the short end of the stick like last year? Let's take a look...
10. Jinder Makes The Jump
Raw’s Superstar Shake-up saw a surprising number of low-tier wrestlers swap brands, with Apollo Crews, Curt Hawkins, and Kalisto jumping to Monday nights. Their departures leave SmackDown’s already depleted lower midcard scene looking absolutely barren, and creates a new problem for WWE to address on SmackDown tonight.
Every show needs a jobber or two, and SmackDown just lost most of theirs. Such wrestlers play a quietly important role, and without them gifting quick squash victories as a means of building momentum for more celebrated wrestlers, SD have nobody to prop their cards up. Thus, they need to swoop for one of Raw’s resident goofballs, with Jinder Mahal a likely target.
Jinder is a woefully ineffective wrestler, but he’s not employed to win matches and embark on lengthy title reigns. He’s here to lose two-minute TV matches and put the other guy over, which is exactly what he’s been doing since returning to Raw. With Hawkins & co. gone, Jinder would make the perfect replacement, and while his trade wouldn’t exactly be the night’s most memorable moment, it definitely makes sense for SD's current roster composition.