8 Problems WWE Solved In The Superstar Shake-Up

5. SmackDown's Flimsy Midcard

Kevin Owens
WWE.com

SmackDown became WWE’s most enjoyable weekly show shortly after the 2016 draft, but it was always blighted by a threadbare roster. The problems were particularly prevalent in the upper-midcard area, which forced SD to call upon long diminished acts like Dolph Ziggler to play major roles.

Fortunately, the Superstar Shake-Up has taken care of this.

SmackDown is now blessed with a number of wrestlers who can drift in and out of the United States Title scene at will, and even push into a main event program when required. If Kevin Owens’ opening promo is anything to go by, he’s going to be a huge presence on SmackDown, and along with Rusev and Sami Zayn, he brings an incredible workrate to the blue brand.

Shinsuke Nakamura and Tye Dillinger were picked-up prior to the Shake-Up, but when you throw them into the equation, SD’s roster starts looking very impressive. Sure, they’re still a little short on numbers, but the show’s matchmaking possibilities just went through the roof. The blue brand should finally build an upper-midcard scene worth caring about, and while it’d be nice to still have The Miz around, there’s little else to complain about.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.