World Wrestling Entertainment made multiple changes to its Raw, SmackDown and NXT rosters via the Superstar Shakeup and call-ups following WrestleMania 34. WWE utilizes this annual Shakeup to generate new storylines for both main-event performers and also those who are in the midcards, to present new faces to fans who don’t watch NXT on a weekly basis and also to jumpstart characters who may be floundering on one of the rosters. The fact that the WWE will now run co-branded pay-per-view shows moving forward has led some to believe that it may be only a matter of time until the promotion abandons the brand split as it did in the past. For the time being, however, Raw and SmackDown will remain separate weekly cable shows.

On paper, some may say that the 2018 edition of the Superstar Shakeup made SmackDown the better overall show as it pertains to talent and also storylines. Multiple acts who were added to SmackDown should thrive so long as Vince McMahon, Triple H and others who make booking decisions don’t bury those individuals for one reason or another. Others who either stayed put or were moved away from promising feuds could, unfortunately for them, fade away following this year’s Shakeup. The top two wrestlers spotlighted in this piece are heading in different directions halfway through April even though logic would seem to suggest that the WWE could push both men leading up to a future match involving the two battling it out at a pay-per-view, potentially with a title on the line.

20 The Revival: Fade

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The Revival have been so buried that even the Young Bucks no longer feel that mentioning them on editions of Being the Elite is worth it. As snarky a comment as that may seem, the Bucks may be right.

The WWE has done few favors for the Revival following Dash Wilder returning from injury, as the team has largely become a jobber duo that takes losses to the likes of Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt.

It wouldn’t make sense for the company to move every team to opposite shows, but the Revival jumping to SmackDown to work with Sanity and the Bludgeon Brothers could have been a lot of fun. The only hope for the Revival may be for the WWE to turn them babyface, which sort of defeats the team’s original gimmick.

19 Jeff Hardy: Thrive

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Some fans out there may be concerned about the WWE moving Jeff Hardy from Raw to SmackDown via the Superstar Shakeup, as it seems to suggest that the promotion will not allow Hardy to play the Brother Nero character that he portrayed as part of the BROKEN storyline that debuted in Impact Wrestling.

What all pessimists should remember is that Jeff has done well to get over as a solo babyface in the past, he is still a fan-favorite among viewers of different ages and he is able to work solid matches against a variety of opponents.

While Hardy may never win the WWE Championship on SmackDown, he could be placed in a feud with Shinsuke Nakamura or Samoa Joe either in the near future or later in 2018.

18 Chad Gable: Fade

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The sad reality here is that we have little faith that Chad Gable will have any chance to thrive after being moved from SmackDown to Raw via the Superstar Shakeup. It has been reported that Jason Jordan could soon return to television following neck surgery, and the WWE may feel that reuniting Jordan with Gable is the only way to save those characters.

If the WWE actually believed in the American Alpha duo, however, the promotion probably would not have split them to put Jordan on Raw in the first place. Gable feuding with Jordan likely wouldn’t do much good for Gable since Jordan is the bigger of the two, and Vince McMahon apparently still thinks that type of thing matters in 2018. The biggest shame of all here is that Gable has the goods in the ring and on the microphone to become a massive star.

17 No Way Jose: Thrive

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It should be pointed out that we don’t believe No Way Jose is going to thrive to the point of becoming a main-eventer who works with and defeats Braun Strowman, Brock Lesnar, Bobby Lashley and Roman Reigns. Jose can thrive on Raw for several years and even a decade working as the best opening-match wrestler in the WWE, a babyface who energizes the crowd with his electric theme song, his dance down to the ring and by having solid bouts.

Recently, the WWE teased that Jose could get begin a feud with Jinder Mahal after Mahal dropped the United States title to the previously mentioned Jeff Hardy. Starting off by feuding with a heel such as Mahal could help Jose get over among casual viewers.

16 Shelton Benjamin: Fade

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Nobody out there can deny that Shelton Benjamin possesses a ton of physical talent that could allow him to get over and become a top babyface or top heel on SmackDown following the Superstar Shakeup. We’ve seen what happens when Benjamin loses a tag team partner in the WWE before, however, and we probably know how this movie ends.

In fact, Benjamin lost his first match as a solo worker to Jeff Hardy on the night that Hardy made the move from Raw to SmackDown.

Theoretically, Benjamin could have plenty of entertaining matches with individuals on the SmackDown roster, but that won’t be enough to get him over unless the minds of those who make booking decisions for the WWE change. We expect him to fade further down the mid-card.

15 The IIconics: Thrive

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We’ll admit that we are not yet sold on Billie Kay and Peyton Royce, known as the Iconic Duo during their stints in NXT, being renamed The IIconics on SmackDown. That name aside, it looks like there are big things ahead for Kay and Royce, as they were immediately thrust into a feud with former champion Charlotte following their deserved call-ups from NXT to SmackDown.

Comparisons to the Bella Twins made by some who post on social media platforms could actually help the IIconics get over, knowing how the WWE reacts to such things, and both Kay and Royce are solid in the ring.

Royce, in fact, could be a future champion who beats a babyface such as Charlotte for a belt later this year once the promotion takes the strap off of Carmella.

14 Breezango: Fade

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The duo of Tyler Breeze and Fandango, humorously referred to as Breezango, did well to get over on editions of SmackDown as a comedic group capable of entertaining fans via backstage segments and some solid in-ring work. They were moved to Raw during the Superstar Shakeup, and that could be the beginning of the end of any push they receive on the main roster.

There is a place in any pro wrestling promotion for comedy and athletes who make viewers laugh. Raw has, in recent memory, not been overly kind to those individuals. We could envision Breezango getting squashed and dominated by the next team on this list before they become even lower jobbers on cards and house shows. Add Breeze to the list of wrestlers who were wasted following strong runs in NXT.

13 Authors of Pain: Thrive

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Anybody who knows how Vince McMahon thinks, even in 2018, can probably guess what he and those who work on WWE scripts have planned for the Authors of Pain. The Authors are presented as monster heels who happen to be foreigners, meaning they will likely destroy any and all babyface teams placed in front of them before they win the Tag Team Championships.

There actually isn’t anything wrong with the Authors being positioned to thrive on Raw, as they showed lots of improvement from their NXT debuts all the way to their final Takeover appearance.

A.O.P. could probably still use a mouthpiece to cut promos for them, but the WWE has not been keen on utilizing managers on episodes of Raw and SmackDown. Maybe Paul Heyman could be convinced to remain on the road and with the Authors if Brock Lesnar jumps to the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

12 Sonya Deville: Fade

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There are two different ways to look at the WWE moving Sonya Deville from Raw to SmackDown during the Superstar Shakeup. One is that the company separated a woman who was given a mixed martial arts gimmick away from Ronda Rousey, a legitimate fighter who could easily take Deville inside of a cage. The other, however, is that the WWE teased a future bout between Deville and Rousey during a segment of Raw in which Rousey squashed a potential rival before Deville was permanently hidden from the better fighter.

Either way, it is difficult to envision the WWE pushing Deville without Paige serving as the mouthpiece of the Absolution faction, particularly with Rousey and Shayna Baszler signed. Deville may fade completely off SmackDown before 2018 ends because better heels are on that brand.

11 Bobby Lashley: Thrive

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You don’t have to know much about the behind-the-scenes workings or booking mentality of the WWE to understand that the promotion didn’t bring Bobby Lashley back to the company just to have him fade down the card. Assume, for the sake of argument, that rumors regarding Brock Lesnar heading back for one more UFC pay-per-view event are accurate.

Lashley easily could take Lesnar’s spot on the roster. Like Lesnar, Lashley has a proven track record in MMA, and he also looks like a monster who could throw smaller opponents around with ease.

Imagine the pop that would occur at an arena if Lashley defeated none other than Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship at some point in 2018. Also, that future contest between Lashley and Lesnar could be awesome if it would take place (though recent rumors tend to think otherwise). 

10 The Usos: Fade

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We hope we are wrong about this one, because The Usos are too good of a pair to fade down the SmackDown tag team division following the Superstar Shakeup. Read the writing on the wall, however, and you’ll probably agree that the Bludgeon Brothers will defend their titles against The Usos before the former champs fall beneath others who recently joined the blue brand.

Ironically, The Usos and The Revival could produce quite an entertaining program if paired together, but it doesn’t appear the WWE is even considering going in this direction. The Usos deserved better than losing their titles at WrestleMania when you think about everything they did for the tag division over the past year or so. They could have, at least, helped a duo like the Authors of Pain improve on the main roster.

9 Big Cass: Thrive

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Of course the WWE is going to want to see Big Cass thrive now that he has been added to SmackDown in the Superstar Shakeup. Cass is seven-foot tall, and you can’t teach that. All jokes aside about that part of his gimmick that has since faded away, Cass has the look and the microphone skills that are supposedly coveted by Vince McMahon when he searches for a future star.

Anybody wondering if Cass will thrive on SmackDown should have had such questions answered when the company inserted him into a feud with Daniel Bryan on his first night back on the roster.

Look for Cass to pair-up with none other than The Miz en route to becoming a top heel who battles with Bryan on multiple occasions.

8 The New Day: Fade

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There will likely be a home for the New Day on SmackDown for as long as the company is still able to sell merchandise online and at shows pertaining to that group. As wrestlers and as performers, though, it has been made clear that this stable’s run as a championship-caliber team is over. A new babyface team will need to surface to compete with the Bludgeon Brothers once that team defeats the Usos a final time.

This, logically, will result in New Day fading down into the lower mid-card. How quickly the New Day drops down the roster following the Superstar Shakeup could determine if or when the WWE separates Big E from Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston to give the powerful performer a run as a singles act.

7 Drew McIntyre: Thrive

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The more things change in the WWE, the more they stay the same. Those who have been following the product throughout the 2000s probably remember when Drew McIntyre was advertised as the “chosen” champion of none other than Vince McMahon. McIntyre didn’t get over with audiences during that original run, though, but he found new life for his career while working for independent promotions and Impact Wrestling.

McIntyre returned to the company in the spring of 2017 as a member of the NXT roster, and he won that brand’s title en route to earning a call-up to the main roster that was ultimately stalled after he suffered an injury. It took longer than he expected, but McIntyre joined Raw via the Superstar Shakeup in April 2018. Expect him to thrive, potentially alongside Dolph Ziggler.

6 Alexa Bliss: Fade

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Alexa Bliss has to be seen as one of the true success stories to emerge from NXT. Bliss went from being a bland babyface to a heel manager of a tag team that is currently not together on the main roster, and she eventually evolved into an entertaining personality capable of drawing heat with her promos and wrestling style. She never received a huge push down in NXT, but she proved herself as one of the better characters in the division on the main roster.

As happens in the WWE, her time atop the mountain ended at WrestleMania 34 when she lost to Nia Jax.

Jax has replaced Bliss as the champion of the Raw women’s division, and somebody else will emerge as a new contender to the crown. This, inevitably, will lead to Bliss fading, perhaps before she makes a move to SmackDown later in 2018.

5 The Miz: Thrive

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We cannot imagine anybody who follows the WWE believes Miz is not going to thrive after being moved from Raw to SmackDown through the Superstar Shakeup. Miz losing the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania could even be a blessing in disguise, as he won’t be anchored with having to feud with mid-card performers over a belt that has lost significance in the eyes of casual audiences.

Fans around the world will be waiting for that match between Miz and Daniel Bryan to occur at a major show.

WWE would be wise to make fans wait for that bout and have somebody such as Big Cass serve as Miz’s muscle who battles Bryan in multiple contests until Miz is no longer able to duck the former World Champion.

4 Cesaro: Fade

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The Bar being moved from Raw to SmackDown in the Superstar Shakeup prevented fans from seeing what could have been fun match-ups between those two men and the Authors of Pain. It could also lead to none other than Cesaro fading down into the mid-card of SmackDown.

The Bar versus the Bludgeon Brothers may make for an interesting storyline if writers go in that direction, but it does feel as if the duo of Cesaro and Sheamus are nearing the end of the road. WWE has been high on Sheamus in the past, which is why we can envision him receiving another push as a solo worker. For reasons that fans cannot grasp, Cesaro has never been as embraced by writers and Vince McMahon. It’s ridiculous, because Cesaro could be a main-eventer.

3 Ronda Rousey: Thrive

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Some out there may be rolling their eyes seeing this one. After all, of course the WWE is going to want Ronda Rousey, perhaps the biggest free-agent signing in the history of the promotion, to thrive, and nothing about the Superstar Shakeup was going to change that. The reason we have added Rousey’s name to the list is that the company switched Natalya from SmackDown to Raw in the Shakeup.

As has been pointed out via social media platforms and on Raw, Natalya helped train Rousey for pro wrestling, and the two are friends away from the ring. Natalya can help Rousey improve and thrive in the following weeks and months, possibly by turning on the former UFC champion. Those matches should help Rousey get even more over.

2 Rusev: Fade

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All that those of us who watch SmackDown on a weekly basis can assume is that Rusev is going to fade down the SmackDown ranks, assuming that he is going to remain on the roster past the Greatest Royal Rumble show that will occur in late April. After all, Rusev was unable to win the United States title as WrestleMania. It looks like he won’t be feuding with either Daniel Bryan or AJ Styles, as both of those wrestlers are busy with other opponents.

The WWE apparently isn’t turning Rusev babyface even though the “Rusev Day” gimmick is popular. Wasting Rusev’s talents and popularity would be one of the strangest decisions made by the WWE of the past year, at least. To steal the phrase; that isn’t best for business.

1 Samoa Joe: Thrive

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Either the WWE is teasing fans just for the sake of swerving those who watch weekly programming, or the company is planning for Samoa Joe to thrive after he joined SmackDown as part of the Superstar Shakeup. Joe’s promo work following WrestleMania has been the best on the main roster, he has the talent to be one of the best heels on either Raw or SmackDown and he has history with the likes of AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan.

Who wouldn’t want to see Joe work programs with Jeff Hardy, Randy Orton and Andrade “Cien” Almas before being inserted into a main-event storyline with either Styles or Bryan?

The Samoan Submission Machine could be the MVP of the SmackDown brand in 2018 so long as he isn’t thrown underneath the figurative bus via poor booking.