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With WrestleMania 35 out of the window, our minds are now constantly fixated on the Superstar Shake-Up 2019 which is scheduled to take place on next week's episodes of Raw and SmackDown.
This is the best chance WWE has of revamping and balancing the rosters of both brands till next year's Shake-Up takes place, and therefore it requires a lot of effort to ensure that the right superstars end up on the right brands.
As WWE tries to switch up the storylines that have become way too stale on either brand and tries to create new opportunities for the superstars and the company, we will see the NXT call-ups hopefully find a home too during the Shake-Up.
Keeping that in mind, we have made a list of the NXT call-ups on the main roster who are working as free agents and appearing on both brands, and where they might end up at the end of the Superstar Shake-Up 2019.
#5 EC3
What seemed like a great move has turned to almost nothing as EC3’s main roster call-up has literally gone down the drain. He’s arguably the unluckiest NXT call-up of recent times and would want to go back to the developmental brand.
Many in the WWE Universe were expecting EC3 to be the “Next Big Thing” on the main roster, but now he’s found himself only fighting on Main Event a few nights, and appearing on humourous segments backstage during shows.
Apart from that, he’s had a single short rivalry on Raw with Dean Ambrose, which ultimately led to nothing.
Keeping all that in mind, it seems like EC3 is not favored by Vince McMahon, and hence his stock has rapidly fallen. This could result in him missing out on the flagship brand, and ending up on the B brand before he can make a rise in the mid-card.
Prediction: EC3 will be drafted to SmackDown Live
#4 Heavy Machinery
While Raw is filled with lower card tag teams, it seems like SmackDown Live clearly has the better tag team division.
However, with Kofi Kingston winning the WWE Championship, it seems like WWE will put the spotlight on him for a while and take it away from the other two members of The New Day.
This could prove to be a great opening for Heavy Machinery and their quest to find decent competition on the main roster. With more established tag teams on SmackDown, they could find some great non-title bookings on the brand.
While WWE might be planning to move one or two established tag teams such as The Usos or The Bar to Raw so that they can bolster the Raw roster, Heavy Machinery could find a place on SmackDown Live to develop before they get a chance to become permanent on the red brand.
Prediction: Heavy Machinery will be drafted to SmackDown Live
#3 Nikki Cross
From NXT Women’s Championship contender to one of the most overlooked talents on the main roster, Nikki Cross has traveled a long way in her quest to become the best.
She started off on the main roster landing some good matches, but things haven’t looked up for the superstar much, as she has mainly been working Live Events.
Nikki now needs to find some friends to play on the main roster so that she can either make a tag team, or indulge in a long rivalry, and SmackDown has just the right amount of mid-card female wrestlers trying to make a point.
With Sanity not finding a direction either, they can team up once again and wreak havoc on the blue brand. Alternatively, Nikki could find a partner and become a real threat to The IIconics and their Women’s Tag Team Championship belts.
Prediction: Nikki Cross will be drafted to SmackDown Live
#2 Aleister Black & Ricochet
These two gold-standard wrestlers have done a great job teaming up in recent times and running through the tag team division of NXT, SmackDown Live, and Raw.
While they’ve been having a great run as tag team competitors, it would make more sense to break them up and have them compete on the mid-card, as they are stellar performers.
Since both men have held championships in NXT, they are ready to get in contention for the mid-card titles of both brands.
With that being said, it would make sense to have Aleister Black drafted to SmackDown where he can take on men like Andrade and Rusev before he can step up to Samoa Joe.
On the other hand, Ricochet can be drafted to Raw where he can take on the heels like Jinder Mahal, Sami Zayn, and Elias, before getting in contention for the Intercontinental Championship.
Prediction: Aleister Black to SmackDown Live and Ricochet to Raw
#1 Lacey Evans
It’s no secret that Lacey Evans is being prioritized for some reason, and this could result in her getting great opportunities if she performs well.
Evans has not fought a single one-on-one match since appearing on the main roster and just works by walking down the ramp to cause distractions during matches.
During the past week, she has attacked Becky Lynch twice, which signals a heated feud between the two women.
If that is the case, then it seems as though Evans will be drafted to the flagship brand so that more focus is kept on her, as WWE has a tendency of giving second thoughts to SmackDown Live.
With WWE grooming fewer women as singles competitors during Ronda Rousey’s reign as champion on Raw, Lacey Evans could take her place right at the top of the roster pretty soon.
Prediction: Lacey Evans will be drafted to Raw
