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We're now on the road to WrestleMania 35, but as Triple H said this week: "the machine never stops." Many are already looking past the big show on April 7th and trying to figure out what the year after it will bring. This means the superstar shakeup and a reshuffling of the rosters on Raw and SmackDown, and some big names from NXT arriving on the main roster.
Both shows have their problems, though SmackDown is currently in a better position. One thing WWE will need to take pains to avoid this year is having one show come out too far ahead of the other. In 2017, Raw got the better end of the bargain in the shakeup. In 2018, SmackDown did. As a result, the show that got the short end of the stick suffered for a year. The goal of this year's shakeup should be to maintain a balance of power between the two shows, keeping their divisions strong and setting up feuds that will make both worth watching.
How might WWE attempt to do this? By switching these superstars to the opposite brand, or with these call-ups from NXT.
To Raw: AJ Styles
SmackDown might be "the house that AJ Styles built," but that name is too apt, because it's more than evident that Styles has done everything there is to do on the blue brand. His possibilities have been exhausted and Raw desperately needs life in its main event picture. There's nobody better to be one of the stalwarts in the Universal Championship scene than AJ Styles, where exciting counters with Raw's top superstars like Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre would naturally await.
A match with Seth Rollins, in particular, would be a dream that many fans have had ever since Styles arrived in WWE and could easily be a SummerSlam main event.
To SmackDown: Finn Balor
Finn Balor is a natural trade for AJ Styles. It's evident that the popular Irishman has hit his ceiling on Raw. His chances of ever regaining the Universal Championship, at least any time soon, are poor. The recent match with Lesnar was Balor's pinnacle on Monday nights.
In a move that should have happened last year, Finn Balor will go to SmackDown, where fresh possibilities and a renewed push await. SmackDown needs Balor as much as the opposite, because it's woefully short of top level babyface talent, to the point that Daniel Bryan has no obvious challenger for WrestleMania 35.
Balor won't remedy that, but afterward, a dream rivalry with Daniel Bryan is a natural choice, and it would keep SmackDown hot. The Demon coming out to finally shut the New Daniel Bryan's mouth would be an excellent way for the latter's title reign to come to an end.
To Raw: The New Day
With Fox reportedly wanting SmackDown to have a more sports-centric and less comedic format, the New Day would stick out on the blue brand like a sore thumb. Somehow, I don't think the constant use of pancakes is something that Fox has in mind when it thinks about how to present SmackDown. That means the New Day has to go.
Their departure would be a good thing. They've done most of what they can on the blue brand anyway, and their comedy routine is better suited for the three hours that Raw has to run. What really puts the move over the top as the right move is the dire state of the Raw tag team division at the moment. It's a shambles, and it needs serious, popular teams to help it rebuild. There's no better choice than the New Day, who carried the red brand before.
To SmackDown: The Revival
The Revival are so fed up with how they've been used that they've reportedly asked for their release. It isn't hard to see why. Unfortunately for Dash and Dawson, that's unlikely to happen, and their contract reportedly has at least another year left to run.
If WWE wants to keep them around, much less happy, a move to SmackDown this April would be wise. The Revival have the sports-centric act that Fox would likely be keen to promote on its network, and the troubled team might indeed find a fresh start under the blue lights, as the move to Fox and its new format gets closer.
There's the enticing prospect of classics with The Usos and Bar, so the move would be best for them, for Fox, and for WWE's fans. Vince McMahon's "sports entertainment" haven of Monday Night Raw was never the ideal place for them to begin with.
To Raw: Becky Lynch
This one seems fairly academic. You have to think that somehow, someway, Becky Lynch will walk out of WrestleMania 35 as the RAW Women's Champion, cementing her move to Monday nights. Even if that doesn't happen, her moving to Raw for the first time since the initial draft is almost certain.
Even with the Fox deal in place, Vince McMahon still sees Raw as his company's flagship program, and he'll want the hottest star in the company on the red brand for the coming year. The move is right for Becky as well, as she's already beaten every woman on SmackDown aside from Asuka.
A move to Raw would give her new challenges and the prospect of her reign as Raw Women's Champion should do much to mitigate the infamous post-WrestleMania slump months that have plagued the company for years. If they want to try harder, Becky Lynch is an ideal antidote to mediocrity.
To SmackDown: Ronda Rousey
Although it might seem ludicrous to think about Ronda Rousey on SmackDown, Fox reportedly wants her there, and with a blue brand that's soon to be even shorter on top caliber women, she would be a natural fit to come over after WrestleMania, whether she takes time off or not.
The path Ronda Rousey can take after arriving on SmackDown is obvious. After WrestleMania, a match with Asuka would be one of the biggest matches in the women's division still remaining. The two have a history going back to last year's Royal Rumble and a match between them for the SmackDown Women's Championship would be a ready-made SummerSlam main event, with major buzz surrounding WWE's most notable name just as the move to Fox becomes imminent.
Ronda Rousey's presence in the blue brand's women's division isn't just the right move for Fox, it would be the right move for her, too. She'll have nothing left to do on Raw after WrestleMania.
To Raw: Charlotte Flair
The trope now is more or less set in stone - wherever Becky Lynch goes, Charlotte Flair follows. That will likely include moving to Monday Night Raw after WrestleMania 35, where their storied feud can continue, though hopefully on an on/off basis and not a constant one. Even a feud as good as theirs has been can only last so long.
The move would also open an intriguing possibility - all four of NXT's "horsewomen" would once again be under a single roof, for the first time since 2015. Raw's women's division could more than afford to lose Ronda Rousey (and others) in this scenario. It would still be must-see unless something went catastrophically wrong.
The alliances between the four will certainly shift as required, with bitter struggles followed by reconciliations, but it will all take the women's division on the red brand to another level.
To SmackDown: Ember Moon
RAW Superstar Ember Moon will, unfortunately, miss WrestleMania season due to injury, but when she gets back, SmackDown is the obvious place for her. There would be a needed role for her to fill on Tuesday nights. The show needs more top quality women and Ember Moon would be a natural fit. It's just the kind of atmosphere that would allow her to get the chances that she didn't get on a crowded Monday Night Raw ever since her arrival from NXT after last year's WrestleMania.
Obviously, with Asuka being SmackDown Women's Champion, many fans would like to see the two of them renew their great feud from NXT. The two would also be able to form a nice team of rivals when they aren't in the singles title picture.
And with her being one of the most athletic women on the roster, Ember Moon would be a perfect fit for Fox's desired presentation.
To Raw: Mandy Rose
Mandy Rose doesn't fit Fox's vision for what SmackDown should be. With RAW's more classical "sports entertainment" presentation, though, she would have a better chance to develop and eventually thrive. Where her promo segments felt like drags on a constricted SmackDown, Raw's extra hour gives her more room to do them.
The move would also separate her from Sonya Deville, which would be best for both of them once the initial rollout of the women's tag team titles is over with. Deville could develop into a top contender under a sports-centric presentation, while Rose could continue to evolve her mischievous character under Raw's entertainment-heavy presentation, possibly teaming up with a similar character, Alexa Bliss. The team would honestly make more sense than either women's partners right now.
For SmackDown, Rose, and Deville, it would be best if she moved to the red lights of Mondays once WrestleMania 35 is over and done with.
To SmackDown: Mickie James
Mickie James is a forgotten figure nowadays, but she's still a legend with a lot to offer and is very underrated. A change in scenery would be a good thing for her, and SmackDown could use her services.
More respectable than most of the women currently on the blue brand's roster, she would be a crucial ingredient to work with them and develop them into bigger stars. Sonya Deville, in particular, stands out as someone that could use a feud with her en route to the top.
She's also a utility player that can move in and out of the title picture or tag title picture as needed. Truth be told, she simply hasn't gotten enough chances to shine the way she once did. SmackDown might be able to give her some of those chances, though she'll obviously be spending more time building new stars up.
To Raw: Gallows and Anderson
We now return to Raw's most pressing problem. Its tag team division is a total wasteland and it needs more teams besides just the New Day. Gallows and Anderson's move to SmackDown was puzzling, because they've done nothing of note since then. Most of the year they haven't even gotten on television.
So, why are they still on the blue brand?
A move to Monday Night Raw after WrestleMania 35 would be the best thing both for them and Raw. They would be able to get on television and fill out a tag team division that's in desperate need of rebuilding.
Since their arrival in the company, they haven't gotten the credit they've deserved, and this coming April could be the chance. Additionally, with AJ Styles also on the red brand, the three could form a stable to take on a certain debutante from NXT.
To SmackDown: Apollo Crews
SmackDown remains heel heavy, boasting an excellent lineup including Samoa Joe and Randy Orton, so it needs more babyfaces to balance things out. Apollo Crews has gotten a bit of a push lately, and while it probably won't help him in time for WrestleMania, he could go some places with a move to SmackDown afterward.
Apollo Crews could enter new rivalries and, while he would need to compete for screen time, he could potentially have that breakout that never came on Raw. A gifted athlete, he would be well-suited to Fox's sports-oriented presentation, and intriguing matches with the likes of Andrade "Cien" Almas, Rey Mysterio, and Mustafa Ali could be in store for him.
Sometimes it only takes a small thing to find the hidden formula. For Apollo Crews, a move to SmackDown could be the thing he's waited for to finally start having his moments.
To Raw: SAnitY
Where's Sanity? I don't know. They don't know either, and they aren't too pleased about it. They have suffered dismally since their move to SmackDown Live after WrestleMania last year, for little conceivable reason. It's hard to remember the last time they actually wrestled a match on a Tuesday night. There's clearly nothing on the blue brand for them, especially now with The Miz and Shane McMahon as the show's tag team champions.
If WWE wants to keep them around, a move to Raw would easily be the best thing for them. The tag team division over there is in desperate straits and SAnitY could finally get their mojo back as part of that depleted wasteland's longed for rebuilding process. They could enter numerous rivalries over the Raw tag team titles during the course of the next year, and everyone would be far better off for it.
To SmackDown: Aleister Black
Aleister Black made an appearance at the Royal Rumble this year, the night after he lost his title match against Tommaso Ciampa. He'll be a part of Halftime Heat tomorrow night, but all signs, including from the recent tapings, point to his NXT tenure coming to an end this April.
Aleister Black has a number of intriguing possibilities on the main roster. The departure of Dean Ambrose leaves open a spot near the top of the card on Raw, but SmackDown would be a better fit for him. The blue brand has a shortage of babyfaces in general and is chronically short on main event babyfaces in particular. Daniel Bryan lacks credible challengers. Aleister Black could be made into one in short order, and might well be the man to end the crazed environmentalist's sanctimonious reign in what would be a great program.
And if Finn Balor will also be there, a Black vs. Demon feud writes itself. Even with a sports-centric presentation, both Black and Balor are superb workers, and the adrenaline rush of their potential match would more than fit the bill.
To Raw: Tommaso Ciampa
Tommaso Ciampa might consider the yellow brand the A-Show because of him, but his title reign won't last forever. After this week's NXT tapings, the potential of his reign coming to its climax in New York before WrestleMania is in the cards.
Once he finally drops the title, is there anything left for him in NXT?
It would make far more sense for him to take his talents elsewhere when that happens, to Monday Night Raw.
With Seth Rollins hopefully set to become Universal Champion at WrestleMania 35, he'll need some heel challengers. Dean Ambrose's departure leaves the perfect spot for Tommaso Ciampa to slide into. Ciampa could be a ruthless, credible challenger with little effort.
He's the perfect heel to run rampant on Monday nights and versatile enough to do whatever is needed to be done in the Intercontinental or Universal title pictures. A match between him and Rollins could be a classic.
To SmackDown: Shayna Baszler
Of all the big names in NXT, Shayna Baszler is the likeliest to be called up to the main roster after WrestleMania 35. If things go as the recent Full Sail tapings suggest they will, she'll finally drop the NXT Women's Championship to Io Shirai at TakeOver: New York. From there, the main roster has to be waiting this time around.
While Raw would be the most immediate thought that comes to mind, SmackDown's shortage of credible women needs to be addressed, and she would be the final piece in the puzzle. Aligning with Ronda Rousey after WrestleMania 35 on Tuesday nights would be a natural fit and she could feud with Asuka en route to an Asuka vs. Rousey match at SummerSlam, to give that encounter more backstory. It's a match Asuka herself said was a possibility that intrigued her on her Twitter this week.
To Raw: The Undisputed Era
The recent NXT tapings suggest that the Undisputed Era could be on the way out of NXT. Raw would be the only place they could be heading. The quartet would strengthen the red brand immensely.
For starters, they would be a crucial piece in the puzzle of rebuilding the tag team division. Immediately, they could bring credibility back to the Raw tag team titles.
Meanwhile, Adam Cole would be a constant threat in either the Intercontinental or Universal Championship picture. A match between him and Seth Rollins for the latter title could be another classic if built correctly, and he would be a fine Intercontinental Champion on day one.
Adam Cole's prophecy that the Undisputed Era would be covered in gold in 2019 might still prove correct - but it could be proven correct under the red lights on Monday nights, rather than at Full Sail.
