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With the Superstar Shakeup in the rear-view mirror, both Raw and SmackDown got a bigger than expected overhaul. Each show has four divisions denoted by its major championships - the main event division, the mid-card division, the tag team division, and the women's division. Each division on both shows was transformed, but was it for the better or worse?
What's the outlook for those divisions with the new arrivals and departures? How do we grade each after the shakeup?
Raw Tag Team Division
I was certain that Cesaro and Sheamus, "The Bar," were going to SmackDown. They've dominated Raw for so long that they needed to move to give themselves fresh feuds and the division room to breathe. Jobbing to the lowly Breezango on Monday made it more obvious, so the announcement on Tuesday, despite their tag team title match at the Greatest Royal Rumble, wasn't very surprising.
The problem for Raw, however, is that it didn't pick up any big team from SmackDown to compensate for The Bar's loss. That leaves a tremendous void to be filled in a shattered division.
The acquisition of the Authors of Pain was a huge plus for the red brand, and they'll clearly be a big force going forward, but in the near-term, the division is full of jobber teams like Breezango and Titus Worldwide, which might explain the slapped-together pairing of Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler last Monday, which is only a hamper of the former's potential.
The odd couple of Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt presents an interesting bridge, but the division will have to do significant rebuilding in the coming months until new challengers can come.
Grade after the Shakeup: D+
SmackDown Tag Team Division
Not only did SmackDown get The Bar, as expected, the blue brand also didn't lose The Usos or New Day, one of which I was certain would be going to Raw in exchange. SmackDown has the Bludgeon Brothers as its champs, who have been built impeccably since last November, and we also learned that SAnitY would soon be arriving too.
Rounding out the new division are Gallows and Anderson, who hasn't done much on Raw, and though they're now separated from Finn Balor, they might just have a new opportunity to shine in the so-called "Land of Opportunity."
Like elsewhere on the card, SmackDown mostly got rid of its afterthoughts and got a stacked deck. Tremendous possibilities await now and the likely SAnitY/Bludgeon Brothers feud this summer will offer us a total war that keeps us on the edge of our seats every Tuesday night.
Grade after the Shakeup: A+
Raw Mid-Card Division
Like its tag team counterpart, Raw's Mid-Card division is in a confusing place, but one which isn't as bad. The Intercontinental Championship picture is wide open with the departure of The Miz and it remains to be seen who steps up to challenge Seth Rollins after the Greatest Royal Rumble/Backlash arc.
The acquisition of the likes of Jinder Mahal, Baron Corbin, and a babyface Bobby Roode, among others, don't immediately scream "excitement," and don't begin to compensate for the loss of Jeff Hardy and The Miz.
Thankfully, Raw's mid-card still has Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, and Elias, and when he returns from injury, Dean Ambrose. Raw's pick-ups weren't too inspiring, but there's ample room for them to develop by interacting with the stalwarts and giving us something new.
Grade after the Shakeup: C
SmackDown Mid-Card Division
Raw's loss was once again SmackDown's gain. Like the tag team scene, SmackDown mostly dumped its refuse and got Jeff Hardy in return. He joins Rusev, Randy Orton, and more. Not to mention, SmackDown got the most exciting of 2018's NXT call-ups in Andrade "Cien" Almas, who's set the yellow brand on fire for the past few months and will no doubt be in a position to do the same to the United States Championship scene when he debuts.
It's a welcome breath of life for a division that has been so stagnant for so long, and we can expect some great matches throughout the mid-card/semi-main event scene on the blue brand until next April.
Grade after the Shakeup: A
Raw Women's Division
Raw's women's division isn't quite the mess that its tag team division is, but it's not in the brightest of spots. Obviously, Nia Jax is the champion, which comes with a great many problems. Neither capable in the ring or on the mic, Nia Jax is over mostly because of three reasons, none of which have anything to do with her.
The first comes from instinctive comparisons to Braun Strowman, as it's natural people put her in that role for the women's division. Unfortunately, Nia Jax is no Braun Strowman, and that will be clearer and clearer the longer her reign goes on.
The second comes from her matches with Asuka this winter, where she looked great. But Asuka is now gone, and the only other woman who's shown the capability of making Nia Jax look good in the ring, Sasha Banks, is occupied with whatever it is she's doing with Bayley.
The third is because she's had Alexa Bliss as a heel to contrast with, but that feud can't last forever and certainly can't be carried in the ring.
Take those away and Raw's women's champion is lacking. Badly. It will only grow more obvious with time.
Elsewhere, Raw continues to tell a story with Sasha Banks and Bayley that, while still intriguing, is getting closer and closer to a wheel-spinning territory. We need some signs of a coming payoff or hook into the next major arc, and with the Riott Squad beating them both down, there's no immediate signal of that.
Ember Moon is undoubtedly a good addition, but her direction is unclear at the moment.
Obviously, Ronda Rousey is the name that looms largest. After the high of her fantastic WrestleMania performance, it's still clear she has a lot of rough edges, and that's why it was a smart idea to move her training partner, Natalya, over to Raw, which somewhat compensates for the loss of Asuka. With Natalya there to do something with Ronda Rousey, the ex-UFC champion will have a comfortable partner to work with as she tries to find her stride. At least for now, WWE seems to have learned the lesson from over-pushing Roman Reigns before he was ready, and they're taking a more cautious approach with Ronda Rousey, which is a good sign.
In the immediate term, though, the division doesn't look terribly exciting. To improve its prospects, Nia Jax will need to drop the championship as soon as possible, to hopefully make room for people like Ember Moon, Sasha Banks, and Bayley to hold down the fort until Ronda Rousey is ready for the starring role. It would be smart to separate Ruby Riott from her tag-alongs as well, as the division badly needs a good top heel worker, and Alexa Bliss hasn't fulfilled that role.
Grade after the Shakeup: C-
SmackDown Women's Division
The addition of Asuka was a massive boost to the women on Tuesday nights. There's a new atmosphere as well, with Carmella and the IIconics doing a good job so far of acting like catty heel antagonists, thus producing something different from what went on for the last year. This likely won't last long though, because obviously, Asuka and Charlotte are the major stars, and the prospect of a year-defining rivalry is now becoming closer to reality.
The division does have its problems though. Charlotte and Asuka are so obviously vastly above the rest of the superstars in their field. The gap between them and the rest is truly enormous and it's unlikely to be closed anytime soon. Beyond their long, slow-burn rivalry, there might not be much to work with after Carmella's reign ends, and this will especially be clear if both of them remain babyfaces.
The prospect of multiple Asuka/Charlotte matches is dazzling, and that alone boosts the division's outlook tremendously, but the division does need to put in an effort to build the rest of its stars. Hopefully, Nikki Cross will be called up soon to join her SAnitY comrades, as the division definitely needs her. Finally, though it's likelier she moves to Raw to work with Ronda Rousey after SummerSlam, Shayna Baszler would be a much-needed acquisition for the blue brand if neither Charlotte nor Asuka turn heel.
Grade after the Shakeup: B
Raw Main Event Division
Raw's main event is clearly in transition, as all signs point to Brock Lesnar with an even more reduced role, despite the shocking finish at WrestleMania. Roman Reigns is thus set to get his big win and have his reign at the top.
It's...a can of worms, quite frankly. After his humiliation at WrestleMania, his stock sunk even lower among WWE crowds, and with a division that has Bobby Lashley, Braun Strowman, and, on the periphery, Finn Balor and Seth Rollins, all of whom are far more popular, his reign will feel more like another running through the motions. One popular theory among fans, spoken somewhat in jest, is that SmackDown's geeks got dumped onto Raw so Roman Reigns can have people to run through without anyone caring. Whatever the truth of it, there is the appearance of it.
The loss of Samoa Joe was also a huge blow. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn don't make up for him, either. They're very good competitors, but their runs on top haven't exactly been the best.
Raw's main event division should still have tremendous matches in 2018, including a potential clash between Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley. However, the Roman Reigns ceiling is likely to remain for some time, leaving many fans unhappy that more popular stars won't shine to their brightest extents until his reign is over.
Grade after the Shakeup: B-
SmackDown Main Event Division
AJ Styles. Daniel Bryan. Samoa Joe. Shinsuke Nakamura. The Miz. These are the stalwarts. On the periphery lie, Jeff Hardy, Randy Orton, and, potentially before the year is out, Andrade "Cien" Almas.
That's a tremendous cast of characters. The potential match combinations are simply incredible. It's a modern-day "SmackDown Eight," one which could move the blue brand closer to its greatest glories from 2002-4 under the auspices of the original "SmackDown Six."
There is one big cloud on the horizon, however.
It looks like Big Cass is going to be pushed at the main event level. This would be very unwelcome. He will only subtract from that incredible dynamic. He's no Braun Strowman. The only thing he really has is his size.
Perhaps he'll be carried to better matches by the likes of AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan, but they wouldn't be as good as other matches could be. It's a big opportunity cost.
SmackDown's main event picture looks great, but we'll just have to hope for the best when it comes to Big Cass.
Grade after the Shakeup: B+
