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The WWE Superstar Shake-up will take place on RAW and SmackDown this week, and this year it might have more importance than the previous editions. With an impending TV deal with FOX, SmackDown might end up with a lot of the star names. This deal will be a big factor that influences the decisions this time around.
A superstar shake-up may make or break someone's career. A lot of the superstars benefit from switching brands, while a lot of them get lost in the mix. Here is a list of superstars that might be in danger of getting lost in the shuffle.
#6 Apollo Crews
With the kind of athleticism Apollo Crews possesses, he could have been a major asset to any other promotion. But in WWE, he hasn't been able to impress backstage officials with his in-ring skills alone. He lacked the mic skills required to climb to the ladder in the business, and thus, lost his way on the roster. He was teamed up with Titus O' Neil and Dana Brooke, but that wasn't of much help.
Apollo Crews is so good in the ring, that you would think he would at least be a considerably good mid-carder. But neither his skills nor his association with Titus 'Worldwide' helped elevate his status within the company.
So far, in 2019, we have witnessed Crews being part in a lot of matches on RAW, the most recent one being a match against Kurt Angle. He's also been involved in some backstage segments and promos on Monday nights. But still, his chances of making any sort of impact looks unlikely, and he may one of the few characters that might get lost into the abyss after the Superstar Shake-up.
#5 Chad Gable/ Bobby Roode
They are technically a tag-team at the moment, but both these men might end up on separate brands. This would spell doom for the former RAW Tag Team Champions, considering how much they could have offered if they had been booked the right way, whether as a team or even as singles competitors.
Unlike the fate of other NXT call ups, Roode was able to make an impact on both RAW and Smackdown, capturing the United States Title and the RAW Tag Team titles. Gable was also successful in picking up both the RAW and the SmackDown Tag Team championships since his debut.
But ever since they lost their RAW tag belts, they have been missing from TV and if they are put into separate brands, they might not even get any sort of attention from WWE. There is a chance they might end up together on the blue brand to bolster the tag division, but if not, they might be staring into the abyss as well.
#4 Naomi
Has Naomi been relevant ever since she lost the SmackDown Women's Championship two years back? Where has she been lagging? She great in the ring, she's great on the mic and has a great entrance theme. Not to forget, all of those neon lights too. Also, like Kofi, she is one of the key attractions during the Women's Royal Rumble. If Kofi is could do all that and still manage to find a way to the top, can't Naomi do the same?
It is difficult to know what WWE's plans are for her. The advent of more and more fierce women to the main roster from NXT only means that the competition is going to get tougher.
Lacey Evans has already made her intentions clear on last week's episodes of RAW and SmackDown. Shayna Baszler, Bianca Belair, Io Shirai, Kairi Sane are just a few names that might end up on the main roster pretty soon. WWE will also be awaiting the return of Ember Moon as well.
So where does Naomi fit into the current scenario? Or can she keep herself relevant, just like Natalya has been able to for all these years? Time will tell.
#3 Nikki Cross
If you compare Nikki Cross' NXT career with other NXT alumni, there isn't much to show. But, just like Becky Lynch has proved that you don't need to be NXT Champion to be successful on the main roster, Nikki might be lucky in that respect as well. Or will she?
Unlike Aleister Balck and Ricochet, and Heavy Machinery, Nikki Cross hasn't even been featured much on TV. Some may argue that she should have been brought into RAW or SmackDown after the Superstar Shake-up.
Some may believe she will get her opportune moment down the line. NXT management was successful in handling her character quite well and she has been a crowd favorite on the yellow brand. But given how the main roster has treated former NXT call ups, her future might hang by the balance.
Even Sanity has completed vanished from TV. What could be the fate for Nikki Cross?
#2 EC3
On the topic of NXT call ups, have WWE messed up with EC3? EC3 hasn't had anything to do ever since he made his rather quiet debut on the main roster. He is a fantastic speaker but WWE hasn't allowed him to speak in the segments which featured him, which even lead to speculations that this might be his gimmick on the main roster.
Now that WrestleMania is over, things might start to gain momentum for the former Impact Wrestling Champion. WWE might have delayed all plans for the new crop of NXT call-ups until WrestleMania 35 ended, and probably are even waiting for the Superstar Shake-up to end too.
But from what has transpired over the last few months, EC3, just like Nikki Cross, hasn't even been featured much on TV. Though that shouldn't be any indication for his future, in reality, however, WWE may have already dropped the ball with EC3.
#1 Asuka
What a shame it would be if WWE keeps booking Asuka the same way she has been booked since her loss to Charlotte at WrestleMania 34. Yes, she has been made the SmackDown Women's Champion, but what was the point of making her a champion if she's not even included at this year's WrestleMania?
They started making amends last year by having her win her first championship on the main roster and also letting her defeat 'The Man' Becky Lynch at this year's Royal Rumble.
But just weeks before the grandest show of the year, Asuka was stripped of her title, only to bolster the main event into a 'mega' main event. How do you expect WWE to build her back again as this Goldberg-esque dominant force? Down at NXT, they managed to keep her aura alive for almost two years.
Only time will tell what is in store for Asuka. If WWE doesn't have any solid plans for the Empress of Tomorrow, not only will she get lost in the shuffle, it would also be a terrific let down to the entire women's division of WWE.
