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The 2018 Superstar Shake up was an exhilarating ride for the majority of the WWE Universe, as WWE spread their biggest stars across both their brands, called up white hot NXT superstars, and even crowned a new champion.
While all those decisions taken by the company has crafted two unique rosters, there were many more things WWE should've done to benefit all their talent going forward. Many of WWE's most significant creative problems could've been solved in this event if they used their creative freedom better.
As this could've resulted in the company's biggest and most underutilised Superstars being booked in a fresh environment, talented stars receiving a chance to show their worth and big surprises that could've changed the foundation of specific divisions. These are opportunities WWE shouldn't have wasted.
#1 Certain Cruiserweight stars become break-out stars
When WWE introduced 205 Live as the home of the cruiserweights they had promised their fanbase that the show is a new, exciting and innovative product. One year later and it was clear the company was not telling the truth.
From misusing top-tier talent like Neville to crowing a controversial champion such as Enzo Amore, WWE has not had the best time booking the highflying wizards from the Cruiserweight Classic.
Therefore, instead of WWE continuously wasting superstars who are not involved in the Cruiserweight Title picture in meaningless feuds, they should've decided to book them in thriving fashion but away from the division.
SmackDown Live or Raw could've used an athletically gifted star to craft exciting matches, build a connection with the crowd and reach the pinnacle of the brand one day.
When thinking of a cruiserweight star that has all tools needed to be a top star in the company, Mustafa Ali immediately comes to mind.The man has natural athleticism, in-depth character work, and polished mic skills, which are essential building blocks for crafting a top star.
WWE’s track record with foreign superstars has been dismal, as wrestlers such as Jinder Mahal, Rusev, and The Great Khali were all stuck with the international heel gimmicks that have hindered their careers.
However, WWE's handling of Mustafa Ali has been commendable. Therefore, they should've capitalized on his talent as he could've proved to be the breakout star they needed in the company moving forward.
#2 Underused megastars move to NXT
It would be a mistake to refer to NXT as WWE’s developmental brand in 2018, as Triple H took a failed WWE reality show and turned it into a hardcore fan's paradise. “The game” did that by and ignoring WWE's common booking strategies and focusing on one specific thing, and that particular thing was wrestling.
WWE does not forget to remind their fanbase every few seconds that what their watching is not professional wrestling but 'Sports Entertainment' and while wrestling aficionados know that wrestling is a sport built on drama, at its core, WWE is a wrestling product. And it was that understanding of what is wrestling has made NXT into one of the hottest prospects in the industry.
So, while WWE might be ridding the NXT roster of some of its brightest stars, there are numerous stars on WWE’s extensive roster that would've benefitted from stepping into the Full Sail Arena. As NXT has now become a brand that is almost on same the level of importance as Raw and SmackDown Live, it wouldn't be considered a demotion.
By sending established stars down to NXT for a soft reboot could've made for some of the best storytelling of the year. This wise decision would've allowed the young stars from NXT to be involved in programmes with WWE's seasoned pros. Therefore, allowing them to adapt their characters and style when they eventually reach that stage.
Therefore, if WWE sent poorly booked talents such as Dolph Ziggler, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn to NXT, WWE could've been able to focus on the wrestlers they want to build on the main roster, while these poorly managed stars regain their lost spark and wait to return to the main scene.
#3 A new voice in the land of opportunity
The concept of the Superstar Shakeup is merely drafting superstars across different brands. However, as mentioned earlier, WWE could've used this event as a tool to change the landscape of their two shows completely.
Hence, that idea of 'change' sounds exciting enough to obtain investment emotionally from any wrestling aficionado, and when talking about the viewer's investment, the main thing it leans on is how compelling WWE is being when selling that investment.
In WWE the primary source of creating fan investment is the voices that call the action every single night, and those voices are the WWE commentators. Being a WWE commentator is not an easy job, as WWE saddles these play by play analysts with much more responsibilities than just calling the action in the ring.
From promoting the WWE network to advertising the company's sponsors, Micheal Cole and Co are often instructed to focus more on the business side of wrestling than the actual wrestling.
While the reality these announcers are facing is harsh, it does not justify the fact that some of them are terrible at their job, as fans watching the show buy the product based on the commentator's interpretation of the programme, which makes them the middleman between the wrestlers and the audience.
While Monday Night Raw commentary can be deemed pausable with the likes of Corey Graves, Micheal Cole and Jonathan Coachman giving average performances that sometimes standout. SmackDown Live, on the other hand, is lacking that unique voice that helps the viewer differentiate between both shows.
There no more evidence needed to support this assumption than Corey Graves double duty on Raw and SmackDown Live, as Tom Philipps and Bryan Saxton are a less enthusiastic duo that hardly gives compelling performances behind the desk.
Therefore WWE needed to bring in a voice that would've helped Smackdown Live’s narratives have a fresher perspective, and that new voice is Renee Young. However, a majority of the WWE Universe would've exclaimed that the Superstar Shakeup was an idea based solely on drafting superstars and revitalizing brands.
Therefore, what better way to revive the blue brand than to remove some of the unexciting voices from commentary and replace it with a brand-new, refreshing viewpoint that can help the viewer understand the narratives told in the ring.
Putting Young on commentary would've been the smartest decision WWE could've made during the Superstar Shakeup as Young is currently WWE's interviewer and host on the main roster. Moreover, she could've brought her uniqueness to SmackDown Live's monotonous commentary booth.
#4 205 Live receives a much-needed layer of depth
Most believe that NXT, SmackDown Live and Raw are the only active brands in the WWE right now. However, that is not the case, as WWE’s fourth brand is a show they have presented as a spinoff of Raw, which is 205 Live.
The Cruiserweight division has not received the respect or recognition it deserves, as the division houses some of the best wrestlers in the world. The main reason for this unrecognized feat is WWE's ignorance to acknowledge that themselves.
Moreover, now that WWE has begun the rebuilding of 205 Live, they would've done the product a favour if they had done one thing, added depth to the division. The Cruiserweight division houses some of the most athletically gifted wrestlers in WWE, but at the same time, it houses some of the most uninteresting characters in the company.
Therefore, as suggested in an earlier point, WWE should've sent underused talent to NXT for better booking, and they could've applied that same method with the Cruiserweight division. While most would've thought of this as a demotion, there is no other way to build a division than to place big names in it.
Therefore, that decision would've built the product, and everything else would've gradually fallen into place. WWE is beaming with superstars that would succeed in the Cruiserweight division, superstars such as Chad Gable, Aiden English, Tye Dillinger, the Singh brothers, Zach Ryder and even Apollo.
Sending young underused talent to 205 Live would've work hand in hand with a point mentioned earlier, as the more Cruiserweight stars breakout of the division after gaining some experience from it, new stars enter thus keeping the division fresh and exciting.
These drafts would've allowed those stars to use this platform to build their careers away from the time constraints on Raw and SmackDown Live. Thus, WWE could've achieved this by adding one thing, depth.
#5 Big names make significant returns
The central question that arises from this point is, is this a veteran wrestler returning to the company to make a career-rejuvenating/ industry changing run or is this part-timer coming back for a large cheque?
While neither of those questions matters once a notable wrestler returns and causes nostalgia to run wild through the WWE Universe, the return of a fan-favourite Superstar working a part-time schedule is disappointing.
Therefore, during post WrestleMania season, WWE did need to book a hot return to heighten excitement levels in the company, and they needed a star they could've used to rebuild entire divisions and build younger superstars careers. However, none of that is possible due to no surprise returns in the 2018 Superstar Shakeup.
However, when pondering over which of these well-seasoned veterans that could've positively affected the company, many names such as Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho, and even Neville show up. As these superstars could've helped inject energy, charisma and athletic prowess on shows like Raw, SmackDown Live, and 205 Live.
A legendary cruiserweight like Mysterio who is slated to return to the company at the Greatest Royal Rumble event could've brought his unique flair and much-needed character depth to an otherwise lazily presented 205 Live.
A returning Neville on the other hand, who is rumoured to be negotiating his contract with the company could've made an early return and rejuvenated SmackDown Live with his authentic heel mannerisms and Chris Jericho could've brought his tremendous star power to the flagship show.
The Superstar Shakeup is not only meant to shift WWE superstars across shows, but place the right superstar in the proper division at the right time, and this year's edition of this concept was the best time for WWE to pull off a tremendous move that would benefit their product.
These thrilling returns would've resulted in positive outcomes, and soon those outcomes would've rebuilt, redefined and reinvented many things gone astray in the company.
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