SmackDown Live
The blue brand received many interesting acquisitions, and the only concern I really have is whether the two hours of showtime is enough to showcase all this new talent. There is one not so big addition in the form of R-Truth, but essentially every other one has promise. Jeff Hardy, The Miz, Samoa Joe, Asuka, Big Cass, Andrade “Cien” Almas, SAnitY, The Bar, The Club and Absolution. What a list of exceptional options for the SmackDown card week in and week out.
First of all, fresh off his US title win, Jeff Hardy is now on SmackDown. This acts as a two fold transition, because not only is Hardy playing for the blue team, but he is now on a singles run in WWE while Matt concentrates on his partnership with Bray Wyatt on Raw. The Hardy Boyz nostalgia may have run out with a long run, but this way the brothers both remain fresh. As US Champion and a veteran competitor, Jeff can also work to elevate younger talent on SmackDown.
All the way from NXT, SAnitY got their long-awaited main roster call-up. This was probably my favorite announcement throughout the whole shakeup as SAnitY could easily begin feuding with New Day in a 3-on-3 stable war. Other opportunities also exist for the group as Killian Dain has a possible path to mid-card singles competition upon arrival. Andrade “Cien” Almas and Zelina Vega also bring from NXT a combination of exceptional in-ring work and spectacular mic work to the SmackDown brand.
Samoa Joe could also be a huge part of SmackDown moving forward. With the Universal championship out of reach on Raw, the WWE Championship is practically waiting to get into the hands of Samoa Joe in the future. The return of Big Cass also holds some promise in the return of the 7-foot New Yorker and a kickoff match series with Daniel Bryan.
However, the biggest SmackDown acquisition from a storyline standpoint is The Miz. A feud with Daniel Bryan is finally on the docket in the wake of Bryan’s return to the ring, and this rivalry has the potential to blow SmackDown’s ratings out of the water.
Who Won?
By my assessment, it’s clear that I thought Smackdown Live got the absolute best haul through the Superstar Shake-up. Almost every addition to the Smackdown roster has huge potential in what they can accomplish on the blue brand. Although Raw got a few big names, I think it will be easy for many of them to get lost in the shuffle while the talent on Smackdown all seems to have a place waiting for them. As I mentioned, the only concern I have is that SmackDown will not have enough TV time to successfully showcase all these new stars. However, as the weeks go on we will see how the booking turns out. Either way, the shakeup makes for a very exciting 2018.
