Who Has Benefited Most From The Superstar Shake-Up? (Editorial)

WWE’s Superstar Shake-up was a few weeks ago and a bunch of talent switched brands. The change has certainly benefited some Superstars as they have been able to hit the reset button and were given new opportunities. For other Superstars, the brand switch has either done nothing for them or made matters even worse. Below is the list of every Superstar that switched brands after WWE’s Superstar Shake-Up and what they have done on their new show so far.

From SmackDown to RAW:

Bray Wyatt: Bray Wyatt was having a hell of a run on SmackDown until everything fell off the rails. He captured the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber, only to lose it rather quickly to Randy Orton at Wrestlemania 33. It took years for WWE to put a title on Bray Wyatt. They pulled the plug on his title run really quick and he is now feuding with Finn Balor on RAW. The change of brands may help Wyatt in the long run, but right now it is hard to take Wyatt seriously after the match at Wrestlemania 33 and the terrible House of Horrors match at WWE Payback.

The Miz & Maryse: The Miz had an excellent run on SmackDown. He was the Intercontinental Champion and had a terrific feud with Dolph Ziggler. There is no reason that he shouldn’t be able to continue that success on RAW as he is currently the #1 contender for the IC Title. The only down side of Miz joining RAW is that he will no longer be a guest on Talking Smack. His insane rants towards Renee Young and Daniel Bryan will be missed.

Dean Ambrose: Ambrose is currently the Intercontinental Champion, but absolutely needed a fresh start. Even though he is continuing his feud with The Miz from SmackDown, Ambrose was already more entertaining on this past week’s RAW than he was for the last month on SmackDown. Time will tell if Ambrose will grow stale again, but for now he has benefited from the Superstar Shake-Up.

Alexa Bliss: Alexa Bliss was terrific on SmackDown and has carried that over to RAW. She is the best female talent on RAW when it comes to promos. She also has great in-ring ability and always gets a reaction from the crowd. Alexa Bliss has already become RAW Women’s Champion and is the first female Superstar to hold both the Smackdown and RAW Women’s Championships.

Apollo Crews: Shockingly, Apollo Crews has actually benefited from the Superstar Shake-Up. It is hard to believe that becoming a part of the “Titus Brand” is an upgrade, but it actually is. Crews was doing absolutely nothing on SmackDown. At the very least, Crews is becoming a weekly part of RAW. Crews struggles with promos, so the idea of having Titus O’Neil manage him actually helps him.

Kalisto: Kalisto went from getting beatdown by Dolph Ziggler on SmackDown to getting destroyed by Braun Strowman on RAW. To be fair, Kalisto actually did defeat Strowman in a Dumpster Match, he also happened to get stuffed in the dumpster and shoved of the entrance ramp after the match.

Heath Slater, Rhyno & Curt Hawkins: Heath Slater and Rhyno were the first SmackDown Tag Team Champions. After losing the titles, they faded away into obscurity. Since joining RAW, they have essentially done nothing besides backstage segments. Tune in on Monday nights to see if Rhyno is eating cheese and crackers. Curt Hawkins was getting his ass kicked on SmackDown and the exact same thing is happening on RAW. I guess that is an improvement for Hawkins given that more people watch RAW.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGDC-DtppTY

From RAW to SmackDown:

Kevin Owens: Kevin Owens was the Universal Champion for a long time on RAW. However, it wasn’t the best version of Kevin Owens. He relied on Chris Jericho to win matches and consistently looked weak. Once Owens dropped the Universal Championship to Goldberg, he actually became more entertaining. Things really picked up when he turned on Jericho at the Festival of Friendship. Since joining SmackDown, Owens has been declaring himself the “Face of America”. He is back to being ruthless in the ring, while also showing off his impressive promo skills. I think the Superstar Shake-Up has benefited Kevin Owens. The United States Championship may be less important than the Universal Championship, but Owens is much more entertaining in his current role.

The Colons: Formerly The Shining Stars, The Colons have absolutely benefited from the Superstar Shake-Up. Even though SmackDown barely features their tag team division, The Shining Stars was just an awful gimmick and anything would be an upgrade from that.

Sami Zayn: Everyone was hoping for Sami Zayn to join SmackDown while he was on RAW. He was seemingly always coming up short on RAW and SmackDown felt like the perfect show for him. Zayn is gifted in the ring and people believed that he would shine on SmackDown. Unfortunately, that has not been the case at all so far. Zayn’s move to SmackDown has made no difference at all in how he is booked. He is back to losing matches and wrestling people much bigger than him. The Superstar Shake-Up has done nothing for Zayn so far as he seems to be stuck in the same role.

Charlotte Flair: Charlotte Flair is probably the best female wrestler on WWE’s roster. Her athleticism is insane and she can put on a terrific match with anyone. However, Charlotte’s character got old on RAW. Her promos eventually sounded robotic and the WWE Universe was starting to get tired of it. Since joining SmackDown, Charlotte has gone from a heel to a fan favorite. The crowd erupted when she made her way to the ring after being attacked backstage on this past week’s episode of SmackDown.

Jinder Mahal: Without a doubt, Jinder Mahal has been the Superstar that has benefited the most from the Superstar Shake-Up. It didn’t look like that would be the case after his SmackDown debut where he lost to Mojo Rawley. Mahal also took a beer to the face courtesy of Patriots’ tight end Rob Gronkowski. Mahal went on to win a Six-Pack Challenge to become the #1 contender for Randy Orton’s WWE Championship. He even stole Orton’s title and beat him down at WWE Payback. Mahal had an unsuccessful run with WWE and was released from the company. He made his WWE return last year and it looked like it was going to be more of the same. That clearly is not the case and he now has the chance to make a major name for himself heading into his WWE Championship match at WWE Backlash.

New Day, Rusev & Lana: New Day have yet to make their SmackDown debut due to Kofi Kingston being injured. New Day has been boring to me for a long time, hopefully the change of brands brings something fresh to their act. Rusev also hasn’t been on SmackDown yet as he is out with an injury. However, he has demanded a title shot at Money in the Bank. Time will tell if he gets his wish. Finally, Lana hasn’t made her SmackDown debut yet but she will be introducing a new gimmick as seen in the video below.

Discussion: Now that we are a few weeks into it, what are your thoughts on the Superstar Shake-Up so far? Which Superstar do you think has benefited from it the most?

Related
Opinions & Features

The Art of N64 Wrestling Games and an Interview with RGT85

The Nintendo 64 (N64) is often regarded as one of the greatest gaming consoles of all time, and for wrestling fans,...

Daniel Bryan Vs. Bryan Danielson: Who Has The Greater Legacy?

At All In 2024, Bryan Danielson defeat Swerve Strickland to, for the first time, capture the AEW World Championship. The victory...

Best Celebrity Matches in WWE History (Ranked)

WWE has always had a flair for the dramatic, blending athleticism with entertainment to create memorable moments. Over the years, WWE...
Top Stories

First Look: John Cena Guest Stars in The Simpsons Season 36 Premiere

John Cena is heading to Springfield. The 16-time WWE World Champion will guest star on The Simpsons Season 36 premiere, airing...

Watch: What Happened With Cody Rhodes After (9/20) SmackDown Went Off Air

Multiple top WWE stars including Liv Morgan, Cody Rhodes, and Drew McIntyre were in action in dark matches after this week's...

Roman Reigns’ In-Ring Return Match Confirmed For Bad Blood

Roman Reigns will be teaming up with an unlikely ally for his WWE return match against Bloodline at the upcoming Bad...
Guides

WWE Bad Blood 2024 Card: Every match taking place

WWE Bad Blood is making its long-awaited return after a 20-year hiatus, promising an action-packed night of intense rivalries and high-stakes...

WWE Bad Blood 2024 Tickets: Availability, price and more

WWE Bad Blood 2024 Tickets: Availability, price and moreWWE is bringing back a classic event with Bad Blood 2024, set to...

Kevin Owens WWE Contract: Rumored expiry, dates and more

As one of the company's most versatile performers, Kevin Owens and his contract status has become a hot topic in the...