The conclusion of WrestleMania 33 marked the start of an exciting new phase in the WWE’s calendar. The promotion’s desire to shake up the rosters of both SmackDown Live and Monday Night Raw in this particular phase was evident from the booking decisions it made this past week.
Debuts, returns and a string of surprises rained down on both brands last week and the Superstar shake up is bound to continue that momentum this time around. These developments ensured that there was no shortage of rumours this week, and in this piece, we are going to take a look at the most interesting ones from this long list.
#5 Shinsuke Nakamura to replace John Cena
The rumour: According to Cageside Seats, Shinsuke Nakamura was called up to replace John Cena as the top star of the SmackDown.
Also read: Shinsuke Nakamura was brought to SmackDown to replace John Cena
The potential: Shinsuke Nakamura is arguably one of the most over babyfaces in the WWE roster right now. He was a top star in NXT and it makes sense to push him as the top star of SmackDown as well.
It might be hard for a few to digest that he is called up as a replacement for ‘the’ John Cena. But if we think about it, the Cenation leader is set to take another hiatus and WWE needs a credible name to fill the void; meaning that this rumour could be true to an extent.
The Fallout: With Cena’s lighter scheduled in place, WWE is likely to push Nakamura to the skies. He gets a pure babyface reaction which is rare these days in the WWE. As an add-on, Nakamura has enough charisma to steal the show on a weekly basis as well.
#4 Big Show unhappy with the WWE
The rumour: The latest episode of X-Pac 12360 suggested that Big Show is unhappy about how WWE booked the Andre the Giant Battle Royal at WrestleMania. Show was particularly displeased with how his confrontation with Braun Strowman played out.
The potential: Big Show is a veteran in the business and knows how things work. He is still a company man who would love to put over young talent. And this is what he probably wanted to do with Strowman as well. Show and Strowman had a great moment during the match but unfortunately, were not given enough time to tell a story.
It is understandable why Show is unhappy with what happened and since this is coming from an insider like Sean Waltman, it’s hard to believe that the rumour is not true.
The Fallout: As mentioned earlier, Big Show is a veteran. He has been through such situations on numerous occasions and it simply passes by. His problem with how WWE booked the battle royal is unlikely to cause any major impact.
#3 More NXT call-ups to happen soon
The rumour: According to Wrestling Observer Radio, Elias Samson and Andrade Almas are expected to be called up to the main roster soon.
The potential: There is nothing new about WWE calling up NXT Superstars to the main roster after WrestleMania. In fact, it’s been some sort of a tradition for a few years now. Last week, we saw some big names make the jump to the main roster.
Samson and Almas following this lead is a very possible as WWE needs depth in both Raw and SmackDown rosters with their part-timers moving away.
The Fallout: Elias Samson and Andrade Almas are two talented Superstars. But the amount of success that they attain on the main roster will depend solely on how WWE presents them. No matter how good they were down in NXT, it’s an entirely different ball game when it comes to the main roster.
#2 Super Star shake-up rumours
The rumour: The internet was buzzing about Superstar shake-up throughout this past week. Sources such as Pro Wrestling Sheet, Wrestling Observer, and Cage Side Seats hosted some interesting rumours as well. Most of them suggested that Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, Alexa Bliss and Charlotte could be moved away from their current brands.
Also read: Update on the Superstars switching brands in the "Superstar Shake-Up"
The potential: All four names involved in the rumour are capable of making headlines during the Superstar shake-up.
Seth Rollins wrapped up his feud with Triple H at WrestleMania and with Brock Lesnar away for some time; Rollins does not have much to do on Raw. Furthermore, his star power would greatly benifit SmackDown.
AJ Styles is in a similar situation as well. Shinsuke Nakamura is the only big opponent for AJ at SmackDown, whereas he has several options on Raw. AJ could reunite with Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows and make Monday Nights entertaining again. The history between AJ Styles and Kurt Angle is something that WWE could explore as well.
It is not certain how many of these moves might materialise but that’s the beauty of such segments.
The Fallout: The Superstar shake-up is bound to be a fresh start for the WWE Universe. The current brand split is still in its infancy and the way the Superstar shakeup plays out will help it to evolve into the next stage.
#1 Brock Lesnar’s schedule
The rumour: Reigning WWE Universal champion Brock Lesnar is expected to miss out Payback and the episodes of Monday Night Raw leading up to the pay-per-view as per rumours on Cage Side Seats.
The potential: It’s not surprising to hear fans complain about Lesnar’s light schedule. During his last run as the WWE Champion, Lesnar was booked similarly. And things are unlikely to change this time around, indicating that this rumour could turn out to be true.
The Fallout: WWE has already been through such a phase. And this is probably what they want as well. Fans will grow tired of a Champion that does not show up on weekly shows and would want someone to defeat him: in turn projecting Lesnar as a heel Champion.
Anyone who challenges Lesnar (Roman Reigns is certainly an exception to this rule) is bound to get support from the fans in such a scenario.
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