Top 5 Superstars That Will Benefit From Superstar Shakeup

The Superstar shakeup has come and gone with some predictable moves happening in addition to some surprises. Charlotte and New Day went to Smackdown as rumored, while Alexa Bliss went to Raw. Bray Wyatt and Miz left Smackdown for Raw in what were two of the bigger surprises while Kevin Owens left the show he dominated as champion for Smackdown where he looks to become (or remain) the face of America. After all of the moves though, some stars will flourish on their new show and some will flounder. In addition, some incumbent stars will thrive with a new set of opponents while others will be pushed to the background. In the spirit of the power of positivity, I will look at the top 5 stars that will be successful in their new environment.

5. Baron Corbin: With Bray Wyatt and Miz moving to Raw, Baron Corbin naturally moves up the pecking order on the blue brand. While Smackdown did get a boost in United States Champion Kevin Owens, KO is a guy that can work with good guys and heels because of his selfish personality and “prize fighter” mentality. With AJ Styles acting like more of a babyface these days it is very possible that Corbin could be the top heel on Smackdown Live by the end of the year. After the improvements Corbin has shown in the ring and with the microphone, it is a push the Lone Wolf is fully deserving of.

4. Finn Balor: With all of the new talent on Raw, it’d be easy to say that the Demon King’s pond just grew a lot bigger but the truth is he is still a pretty big fish. Balor himself is essentially a newcomer due to a shoulder injury that kept him on the shelf for 8 months so he now will have the chance to further establish himself to the WWE Universe who is unfamiliar with his previous work in NXT and in NJPW. The draft brought Balor a natural foe in Bray Wyatt and given how the Eater of Worlds has been booked thus far in his career, he will serve as the perfect stepping stone for Balor to conquer en route to re-entering the title picture.

3. Charlotte: Charlotte has lost to Bayley and Sasha Banks plenty in the last year and although she has won more than she’s lost, she was still defeated quite a bit for the women’s divisions top star. On Smackdown Charlotte could absolutely dominate. Though Becky Lynch, Naomi and Carmella are worthy foes for the Queen, it wouldn’t be impossible to imagine Charlotte holding onto the women’s championship for a year or more. Charlotte will find the road to the top to be a lot easier on the blue brand.

2. Dean Ambrose: Dean Ambrose needed a change of scenery after his fall from grace on Smackdown. I pointed this out in my last column on why Dean Ambrose needed to change shows and tease reunions with his Shield brethren, but the reality is that Raw simply has more intriguing opponents for him. Ambrose would be the perfect foil for a monster heel like Braun Strowman or Samoa Joe but would also have intriguing physical battles with the Hardys, Sheamus and Cesaro. Ultimately though, Ambrose on Raw gives the WWE the opportunity to run the Shield triple threat match at next year’s Wrestlemania since I’m sure we’d all rather see that then Reigns-Brock again.

1. Jinder Mahal: I never thought I’d see the day that Jinder Mahal would be wrestling for the WWE Championship. I was just at the Nassau Coliseum for the Superstar Shakeup on Raw and you could hear a pin drop when he made his way to the ring for a match against Finn Balor. What surprised me during that match was how much offense Mahal got, considering he was a glorified jobber just last week. Smackdown really is the land of opportunity and Jinder Mahal is surely getting his opportunity. He was impressive in the six-pack challenge and his post-match promo was actually pretty well thought out and his delivery was well done. Perhaps Mahal finally has the opportunity to shine and will be the success story of the Superstar Shakeup. Hell, I’d say he already is.