5 WWE SmackDown Live Superstars destined for a push after the 2019 Superstar Shake-Up

The 2019 WWE Superstar Shake-Up saw 14 Superstars move to SmackDown Live, including Roman Reigns, Elias, Finn Balor and Kairi Sane.

In the months leading up to WrestleMania 35, much of WWE’s programming on Tuesday nights was dominated by rivalries involving babyface Superstars including Kofi Kingston, Becky Lynch and The Miz, while heels including Daniel Bryan, Charlotte Flair and Shane McMahon also featured prominently.

Now, with 14 new names on SmackDown Live and with plenty of fresh rivalries and opponents in the pipeline, it looks as though we could see some interesting storylines developing on the blue brand over the next few months.

Last year, for example, Big Cass was immediately showcased as a top heel on SmackDown Live before he was released, while AJ Styles cemented his status as WWE’s best in-ring performer during matches against the likes of Shinsuke Nakamura and Samoa Joe.

Looking ahead to the upcoming months of WWE programming, let’s take a look at five SmackDown Live Superstars who are destined to receive a push in the near future.

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#5 Buddy Murphy

Remember how Ali pinned Daniel Bryan on his second week on SmackDown Live and instantly established himself as a major player on the blue brand? Well, it is safe to assume that Buddy Murphy will feature just as much, if not even more, than Ali on SmackDown Live over the next year.

The Aussie dubbed himself “NXT’s Best Kept Secret” when he was not being used on television with the brand. He then went on to feature in some of the best matches in 205 Live history during his six-month reign with the Cruiserweight Championship between October 2018 and April 2019.

Now that he has departed the Cruiserweight division and moved to SmackDown Live, it will be interesting to see how much television time Murphy will receive to showcase his incredible talents in matches on Tuesday nights.

There are plenty of Superstars who the former NXT Tag Team champion can go toe-to-toe with in high-tempo matches, from Finn Balor and Shinsuke Nakamura to Ali and Roman Reigns. It is just a question of whether he will get his chance right away or whether his time will come in a few months.

#4 Elias

Elias was hardly involved in any meaningful rivalries during his two years on Monday Night Raw, yet he still managed to become one of the most must-see Superstars that WWE has to offer during his time with the red brand.

WWE’s resident guitarist has now switched over to SmackDown Live, where he was introduced by Vince McMahon as “the biggest acquisition in the brand’s history” before Roman Reigns appeared and struck him with a Superman Punch and a spear.

Being involved in a segment with Vince is always a good sign, while it looks as though Elias could also be involved in matches against Reigns and The Undertaker over the next few months.

Regardless of whether or not those matches happen, you can bet that WWE will find time to put the spotlight (literally) on Elias on SmackDown Live. And who knows, perhaps this will be the year that he proves with his in-ring performances that he is deserving of title opportunities in the future.

#3 Liv Morgan

One of the biggest surprises of the 2019 Superstar Shake-Up came when WWE announced after SmackDown Live that Liv Morgan had been traded to the blue brand, meaning her 18-month alliance with fellow Riott Squad members Ruby Riott and Sarah Logan had come to an end.

There had been no signs of dissension between the trio during their time on Raw, while regular tag partners Morgan & Logan were hardly involved in the Women’s Tag Team Championship scene following the introduction of the titles in February 2019.

With that in mind, WWE must surely have a plan in place for “The Problem Child” as a singles competitor on Tuesday nights. If not, The Riott Squad might as well have stayed together and faced the new crop of female Superstars who moved to Raw in the Shake-Up.

Morgan definitely has the charisma to become a prominent Superstar on SmackDown Live, so expect her to receive plenty of opportunities on her own in the next few months.

#2 Kevin Owens

Kevin Owens returned to WWE television after double knee surgery as a member of the SmackDown Live roster in February 2019. He was originally supposed to be the #1 contender for Daniel Bryan’s WWE Championship heading into WrestleMania 35 but, due to the rise of Kofi Kingston, plans changed and KO ended up not appearing at all at this year’s ‘Mania.

The latest episode of SmackDown Live saw Owens rename himself “Big O” as he replaced the injured Big E and teamed with Kingston & Xavier Woods to defeat Cesaro, Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura in a six-man tag match.

WWE has already announced that the storyline will continue on the next episode of SmackDown Live, with Owens and Woods accompanying Kingston for his one-on-one encounter with Nakamura.

Will this lead to Owens turning against Kingston – the man who essentially took his WrestleMania spot – or is he really going to become an honorary New Day member until Big E returns? Either way, KO is definitely due a push following his surprise omission from WrestleMania 35.

#1 Lars Sullivan

Lars Sullivan has quickly made a name for himself on the main roster by targeting veteran Superstars including The Hardy Boyz, Rey Mysterio and R-Truth, as well as the retiring Kurt Angle, since debuting the night after WrestleMania 35.

While an obvious first opponent for “The Freak” is yet to emerge, it is clear that he will become one of the most featured Superstars on SmackDown Live over the next few weeks.

It will be intriguing to see whether WWE positions Sullivan in a similar way to Braun Strowman, who gradually built up momentum over several months in 2016 following his split from the Wyatt Family, or whether he will be pushed to superstardom right away like Brock Lesnar in 2002.

However Sullivan’s inevitable rise to the main-event scene plays out, it will surely only be a matter of time before the former NXT star is mixing it up with the likes of Finn Balor and Roman Reigns in high-profile matches on the blue brand.