8 Problems WWE Solved With The 2018 Superstar Shake-Up
Imagine NOT being excited about SmackDown now...
SmackDown fans must be licking their chops at the bright new future offered by the Superstar Shake-Up.
While Raw accumulated Vince McMahon's favourites, the blue brand went all in on excitement, trading the likes of Baron Corbin and Jinder Mahal for The Miz and Andrade Almas. Zayn and Owens are gone, but Samoa Joe and Jeff Hardy will compensate for their loss. Elsewhere, significant gains in the women's and tag divisions plus the departure of several directionless lower-midcarders make it hard to shake the feeling that SmackDown emerged stronger than its big red cousin.
Team Blue's triumphs are legion, but Raw wasn't without its own victories. Just like last year, WWE used the Shake-Up to address a broad range of issues with the product, and both shows looks fresher as a result.
New problems will inevitably arise as a direct result of the decisions made this week, and shoddy follow-up booking could stifle any short-term enhancements. We'll save those concerns for later, though. For now, let's take a look at the positive movements made in WWE's latest mini-draft, and how they'll impact the brands over the coming weeks and months.
8. The Failing US Title Division
SmackDown's midcard has been flagging for a while. Not only was it surprisingly thin prior to the Shake-Up (despite the brand's bloated headcount), but it was poisoned by poor creative direction in late 2017, and never recovered.
AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens should've been a fun feud, but was derailed by authority figure nonsense. Baron Corbin's reign was brutal. In throwing the belt down, Dolph Ziggler essentially told the audience it was worthless, and not worth caring about. The ensuing tournament was tedious, and afterwards, it was nought but bland resthold merchants, with Randy Orton, Bobby Roode, and Jinder Mahal trading title reigns.
Fortunately, those days are over. Jeff Hardy took the belt from 'The Maharaja' on Raw, and after being sent to the red brand with Roode, Mahal is no longer part of the division. The likes of Andrade Almas and Samoa Joe have taken their place, which should result in an immediate upswing in match quality.
Investment is key, and in Hardy, SmackDown fans finally have a United States Champion they can root for. He is pivotal in the division's rebuild, so let's hope WWE follow through.