The arrival of the “New Era” up-and-comers on Raw and SmackDown Live has forced many of the stars of the old guard to rise to the occasion and prove they can still hang in today's WWE. Some have flourished, others have floundered, and then there are those who have simply remained irrelevant.
Believe it or not, it was eight years ago this month that Jack Swagger made his televised WWE debut on the ECW brand. In addition to embarking on an undefeated streak in singles competition, he quickly captured the ECW Championship from Matt Hardy four months into his main roster run, earning the nickname of “The Prodigy.”
Sadly, it was all downhill from there, and WWE never quite figured out how to utilize him after that. His transition to the Raw brand in the summer of 2009 was horribly handled and it wasn't long before he became just another mid-card competitor on the roster with nothing about him standing out as special.
Although he would win the World Heavyweight and United States Championships in the years that followed, both reigns were abysmal at best. Vickie Guerrero and Zeb Colter both valiantly attempted to bring him back to prominence when they managed him at various points from 2011 to 2014, but to no avail.
Resurgence?
Before this past week, Swagger's latest career restart came in 2014 when he turned face for the first time in his career. It was a refreshing change of pace for his stagnant character, and fans started to get behind his “We the People” chant. Swagger, for a time anyway, was one of the more popular fixtures on the program during his rivalry with Rusev. But because WWE didn't want Rusev to suffer his premier singles defeat so soon, Swagger was on the losing end of the feud.
He had such a hot streak going that went to waste when he came up short against Rusev as many times as he did, and by a certain point, fans simply stopped caring. He returned to Superstars purgatory and became yet another lost cause in WWE. However, on the basis of what happened on the Sept. 13th edition of SmackDown Live, it appears as if officials are once again high on the idea of pushing Swagger as a credible threat again.
A major asset or a liability?
A mere 24 hours removed from his humiliating loss to Jinder Mahal on Raw, he surfaced on SmackDown when it was revealed his Raw contract had expired at midnight on Monday night. Thus, he signed with SmackDown and immediately left a lasting impression by clearing Baron Corbin from the ring. It should have been assumed by fans that someone from the flagship would be making the move to Tuesday nights after Alberto Del Rio officially received his release from the organization on Sept. 9.
Shelton Benjamin was also scheduled to be a part of the blue brand, but an unfortunate shoulder injury delayed his return. That said, SmackDown needs as much roster depth as it can possibly get right now. While they are currently in solid shape and are making good use of everyone available, the show would benefit from a few extra people being added to the mix.
WWE is apparently of the mindset that switching Swagger to SmackDown will make a major difference, and perhaps it's possible that his SmackDown stint will exceed expectations. But I am not so sure he is the answer to the blue brand's recent roster woes.
The potential answer to SmackDown’s mid-card woes
I would certainly say that despite having a lighter roster, SmackDown has had the upper brand over Raw since the Brand Extension was implemented again. Of course, the lack of the third hour is a plus, but the focus on the younger talent and especially the in-ring action has been a blast to watch as well.
The main event scene is stacked with the likes of AJ Styles, John Cena and Dean Ambrose, the women's division is flourishing, and the tag team scene is starting to get interesting again with Heath Slater and Rhyno at the helm. SmackDown's mid-card division is really its only glaring weakness. The Miz has been doing an excellent job as Intercontinental champion, but beyond him, there isn't anyone else who has a measure of momentum at the moment.
Will the revived push work?
Dolph Ziggler has been treading water for years, Kalisto is currently injured, and Apollo Crews is absolutely directionless. That would leave solely Swagger, and we can only hope that he isn't who WWE has in mind to unseat Miz as champion anytime soon. It is almost unbelievable to think that Swagger has been with WWE for almost a decade, and to think how many opportunities both he and the company have squandered in that lengthy period.
While he remains a competent wrestler, his mic skills are nothing noteworthy and his character hasn't been remotely interesting in ages. He should be featured on SmackDown significantly more than he was ever on Raw, but that doesn't necessarily mean the roster will be in any better of a place than it was before they acquired him.
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