10 Problems WWE Solved With The 2019 Superstar Shake-Up
7. Saving Buddy Murphy
Buddy Murphy was too good for 205 Live.
Roped into last year's post-Enzo Amore Cruiserweight Title tournament seemingly as an afterthought, he soon became the purple brand's most interesting prospect. The weight-cutting angle gave him an immediate character hook. Afterwards, it became apparent that Murphy was far from the NXT burnout many wrote him off as, but an explosive, dynamic athlete desperate to prove himself, and prove himself he did. Matches with Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali placed highly on many a WWE Match of the Year ballot. Not only that, but he emerged as a fully-formed, three-dimensional personality with underrated microphone skills, and 205's undisputed franchise player.
Buddy outgrew the brand a long time ago. Now, after 12 long, hard months bumping his backside off on a show fans have been conditioned to not care about, he has a taste of the big time.
Murphy must work as hard as he did on 205 if he's to succeed in this more crowded pond, making his 2019 roadmap one of the most exciting in the entire company. Let's see if he can repeat his small stage success on SmackDown.