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Last night was the first stage of the Superstar Shake-up and Raw tuned up its roster with a couple of huge names coming from SmackDown as well as a notable NXT call up that already got the infamous "main roster treatment."
The red brand was in a dark age last year and badly needed a tune up at the very least. How well did it do in the Shake-up? How well did the superstars who came over do in the Shake-up?
Let's take a look at who got the most and least from Raw last night.
Winner: The Raw tag team division (losers: the "Viking Experience")
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The Raw tag team division got the most radical overhaul of any of the divisions last night. Suddenly, the division that had been the worst in the company for the past year now looks like it's one of the best.
With The Usos coming over, Aleister Black and Ricochet staying, and a new NXT call up, things look good. Don't expect Hawkins and Ryder to carry those titles for long.
And yet...I join almost everyone in panning the "Viking Experience." The name change already makes the current NXT tag team champions feel like dopes. Their personal name changes to Ivar and Erik are just as bad.
It's like Vince McMahon took one look at them, decided the word "war" was unacceptable for some odd reason that only he knows, and decided to use a silly 80s trope that would never get over in today's world.
As a result, the "Viking Experience" already feel like they're DOA even though they performed well last night.
It's also concerning that Aleister Black and Ricochet are staying together as a tag team, even though they should be going their separate ways as singles competitors by now, but we'll just need to see where it goes.
However, the tag team division itself is going to improve markedly.
Winner: Andrade
Another recent victim of a Vince McMahon-mandated name change, Andrade nevertheless had a pretty good night last night. It was clear he wasn't going anywhere on SmackDown and needed a change in scenery. Raw gives him longer to have the kind of matches he's capable of putting on, as he showed last night.
Better, Zelina Vega was an integral part of his act again, introducing him and then interfering in his match so that he could get a win over the reigning Intercontinental Champion. It was a perfect way of signaling his act's arrival while keeping Finn Balor protected.
We've seen this sort of stuff before and there are false starts, but so far, so good for Andrade, who should rise to the Intercontinental Championship later this year. Hopefully his presence on Raw will make the people backstage finally wake up and realize what they have with him.
Winner: Lars Sullivan
It's clear that Lars Sullivan is going to get a big push, at least for a little while. We see how these kinds of pushes usually end, but we aren't at the point where he loses and becomes a comedy character yet. That won't come for a few months at least.
For now, he's making his name known by attacking every legend in the book. He at least did so menacingly last night.
Loser: The women's division
The second golden age of the women's division is over - exhibit C.
After Becky Lynch unnecessarily squashed the Riott Squad, we learned definitively that Lacey Evans would be her next challenger She did not impress in either her match or her promo, to say the least. Becky is going to have her work cut out for her in a feud that has all the ingredients to be underwhelming at best.
Earlier in the night, the IIconics were already treated as jokes as champions, complete with their entrance taking place during the commercial break which is normally reserved for lower card talents.
Gone are the days when Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch killed each other, when Ronda Rousey reigned supreme, and when Asuka re-emerged to glory at TLC and the Royal Rumble. It all seems like a distant memory now.
Loser: EC3
Who did EC3 piss off?
I can think of no other reason why this segment happened. This looked like it was punishment for something. As for Braun Strowman, who knows what's happening with him? Will he go to SmackDown tomorrow? Lars Sullivan, Vince's newest toy, already makes his role redundant on Raw and we all want to see that feud with Samoa Joe.
The ironic thing is that many people thought EC3 would be best positioned to succeed on the main roster. There's never a guarantee when Vince McMahon is in charge.
Winner: AJ Styles
It was obvious that the third big name to team with Rollins and Reigns was going to be AJ Styles.
This was the best move for him. He's done all he can do on SmackDown and needed a change.
If nothing else, the prospect of AJ Styles vs. Seth Rollins is a mouthwatering one and already seems like the likely Universal Championship match at SummerSlam. After the doldrums that title has been in almost from the day it was introduced, it's exactly what it needs.
