5 Big Ways WWE Shook Things Up In The 'Superstar Shake-Up'
Raw and SmackDown Live!'s futures assessed following 2019's trades...
The 'Superstar Shake-Up' has, thankfully, finally taken place, and whilst WWE may have botched the application of the shuffle, all is not lost.
With 'The Superstar Shake-Up', WWE gets a chance to hit the refresh button and mix up the rosters. Due to the brand split, we often get the same matches on repeat week after week. 'The Superstar Shake-Up' brings an end to this repetition. This is a chance to refresh almost-stale acts such as The Riott Squad, Bayley and Andrade.
Michael Cole dubs this "a shift in the landscape of WWE". Partially at least, he is right.
This new line-up of rosters can even rejuvenate a champion's reign, or even the championships themselves. Last year saw the United States Championship receive significant time appearing on both Raw and SmackDown Live! in the same week - this year Intercontinental Champion Finn Bálor was gifted the same split-show presence.
This year hasn't yet had the desired effect on creating excitement for WWE moving forward. WWE have not announced numerous superstars moving brands or simply just announced the move on social media. Despite the negativity, can still salvage the mess they have put themselves in?
5. Women's Division Focus
Since SummerSlam 2018, the Women's division has been the hottest part of WWE. In a look to keep this momentum going, WWE have shaken things up.
A number of stars switched brands to rejuvenate their career, with Bayley being the biggest star of note to make this transition. This has returned her to singles competition due to The Boss 'n' Hug Connection's recent split.
SmackDown Live! looks to be the big winner coming out of 'The Superstar Shake-Up' in the Women's division. The blue brand has gained Bayley, Ember Moon, Kairi Sane, Liv Morgan, Mickie James and Nikki Cross. This feels like a huge win for the Tuesday night show, who have put together an impressive Women's Roster. Not only this, Charlotte Flair remains on SmackDown Live! which is a huge addition to an already strong roster.
With Becky Lynch set to compete on both brands, she will have to defend both titles against the odds. Her first challenger from Raw is going to be Lacey Evans with Charlotte Flair lining up against her on the blue brand.
With 'The Man' set to defend against two challengers at Money In The Bank, could WWE continue to 'shake-up' the Women's Division?