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After hitting the lowest points in the company's history of television ratings, WWE were pushed to the wall to improve their product unless they want to become the new WCW. The Chairman of the company, Vince McMahon, was then advertised to make an appearance on RAW in order to shake things up.
Among the changes that were promised by the Chairman and his family was the arrival of new faces on the main roster: four singles competitors and a tag team unit from the developmental territory of NXT.
These new signings consists of six individuals namely Nikki Cross, Lacey Evans, EC3, Lars Sullivan, and the tag team of Otis Dozovic and Tucker Knight, Heavy Machinery. Each of them are exciting prospects regardless of whichever brand they go to.
But considering the state of each brand, they must be carefully placed so that they don't get lost in the shuffle like numerous other NXT call ups before them suffered.
#5 Heavy Machinery (RAW)
Lets just look at the tag team division of Smackdown for a moment; we have The Bar as the champions, with major teams like the Usos and the New Day always in line for the top spot.
And after the changes that were promised by the McMahons, the tag division seems to get a new life with the Good Brothers and Sanity entering the fray. With these five teams competing on the brand, Smackdown can rest assured that their tag division is in safe hands.
Compare these to RAW. Rhyno was fired, Matt Hardy retired, The B Team is again irrelevant, and Lucha House Party are heels in faces' skins (who haven't firmly set themselves on the main roster).
Despite the talents involved, the team of Roode and Gable are just place holders until one of them turns on another, but that's just my opinion though. The Revival and Authors of Pain are the only hope for RAW's tag division.
Heavy Machinery's inclusion in the division would be mutually beneficial for both the team as well as the brand. At RAW, Heavy Machinery would get ample opportunity to cement themselves as the top team as compared to the blue brand, at the same time their fun in ring style ( and technically sound at the same time) gels well with RAW's entertainment factor.
#4 Nikki Cross (Smackdown)
Technically Nikki Cross has already had a match at Smackdown against former Women's Champion Becky Lynch. Her move to the blue brand also means a reunion with Sanity, and the stable really needs their unstable sister to have an edge over others.
On her run in the women's division as well, Smackdown would prove to be much better place for her title aspirations. Becky Lynch and Charlotte would probably move to RAW for the RAW Women's Championship. Even if Charlotte stays to compete against Asuka, Nikki Cross could be a future contender with all her experience in NXT.
Overall, RAW's women's division is packed with female superstars who could be in the title picture, which gives Smackdown a chance to insert new blood like Nikki Cross in the title picture. She could reignite her feud with Asuka, but this time for the Smackdown Women's Championship.
#3 Lacey Evans (RAW)
Lacey Evans made her mark in the inaugural Mae Young Classic, where she reached the second round. Later she became a part of the NXT roster and feuded with the likes of Kairi Sane, Dakota Kai and Candice LeRae. She is still fairly new in WWE and has to build herself up from the bottom.
She is a former U. S. Marine and member of the Marine Corps Special Reaction Team, roughly equivalent to a civilian SWAT team, which transcends into her Lady Like gimmick.
For her individual growth, RAW would be a better roster to join. With opponents like Bayley, Sasha Banks, Natalya and Ember Moon, Evans would find her footings to establish herself on the main roster.
She would most probably be a heel when she settles down but we could still see a clash of the "Woman's Right" and the #Facebreaker during her initial outing.
#2 Lars Sullivan (Smackdown)
Lars Sullivan is the archetypical superstar for which "the Land of Giants" is famous for. He has the look and the build to immediately make an impact on the flagship brand as a main event talent. But why is Smackdown better for Lars Sullivan than RAW ?
For one, RAW is filled with monster heels at the moment, with Brock Lesnar, Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley, all present on the red brand. Besides them, there is Baron Corbin and Authors of Pain.
Compairing these to Smackdown, there's only Samoa Joe, with Killian Dain making only sporadic appearances and Big Show probably out of working in the ring.
Smackdown would be the perfect place for Lars to start off his dominant run on the main roster. A feud with Rusev for the US title (if he wins it first) could do wonders for him, and would give him a run with the title before entering the WWE title scene.
#1 EC3 (RAW)
EC3's first stint in the company doesn't boast much credibility to be discussed, and he mostly came into the limelight due to his run with TNA / IMPACT Wrestling where he portrayed the role of IMPACT's President Dixie Carter's spoiled nephew. He became a two time TNA World Heavyweight Champion and one time IMPACT Grand Champion.
His NXT resume is quite thin and it doesn't seem that he would be featured in the NXT title picture any soon, which could have been the reason for his call up.
Coming back to the selection of brand, EC3 is a fit for both the brands but RA at this moment needs EC3 more than Smackdown. EC3 is filled to the brim with charisma, and has the mike skills and technical acumen in the ring to back himself up, which RAW is in need for its mid card and upper mid card.
