WWE’s Superstar Shake-up had a huge impact on the rosters of Monday Night Raw and SmackDown Live. A handful of wrestlers switched brands and this has opened up the possibility of new storylines.
The Superstars that switched brands proved to be major talking points on the internet this past week. The fans spoke about the permutations and combinations possible for the new rosters. Apart from this, there were discussions about future contenders for the Randy Orton’s WWE championship.
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Seth Rollins, Jinder Mahal, and Kofi Kingston also featured on the rumour mill at some points. In this piece, we will take a look at the most interesting rumours from the lot and analyse them.
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#5 Seth Rollins to debut his new finisher at Payback
The rumour: Cage Side Seats has reported that Seth Rollins could debut his new finisher in the upcoming match with Samoa Joe at Payback.
The potential: It’s about time that Rollins had a new finisher. Rollins using the pedigree made sense until he defeated Triple H at WrestleMania. Now that Rollins has wrapped up his storyline with Hunter, the Architect should create an identity of his own. He is already testing the move in live events.
If Rollins uses it at Payback, the fans are likely to embrace it with open arms.
The fallout: This past week, WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin criticised Rollins. Austin pointed out that Rollins’ wrestling persona needed improvement. Incorporating a new finishing move could help Rollins make strides towards this improvement mentioned by Austin.
#4 Jinder Mahal to get a push
The rumour: Cageside seats has reported that Jinder Mahal could be pushed as a mid-card heel on the SmackDown roster.
The Potential: Jinder Mahal was drafted to the SmackDown roster during the Superstar Shake-up. As his run on Monday Night Raw was apparently going nowhere, his move to SmackDown provides him with a fresh chance. However, the rumoured push for Mahal is likely to last till Rusev returns from injury.
The Bulgarian Brute was also drafted to SmackDown and is currently off television due to injury. Rusev can be a credible mid-card heel for SmackDown live and it's likely that the promotion will favour him over Mahal.
The fallout: Expect Mahal to feature in some mid-card battles. He is unlikely to be anywhere near the United States Championship but Mahal could pile up some victories on SmackDown Live. The intensity of WWE’s desire to push him would be evident by the way they book him for Backlash.
#3 Kofi could be back in time for Backlash
The rumour: According to a report on Heavy, Kofi Kingston could be fit to return in time for SmackDown’s next pay-per-view, Backlash.
The Potential: New Day was moved to SmackDown live during the recent Superstar Shake-up. The trio, however, might not make its SmackDown debut until Kofi is fit to compete. Kofi apparently needed surgery and WWE had incorporated it into a kayfabe storyline before writing him off television programming.
With Backlash scheduled to air on May 21st, it’s certain that Kofi has plenty of time to recover from the surgery. The former United States Champion could return at Backlash even in a non-wrestling role, indicating that this rumour could be true.
The fallout: The surgery is likely to keep Kofi away from the ring for some time. Even if Kofi cannot wrestle, WWE could make use of him in a non-wrestling role while Big E and Xavier Woods do all the heavy lifting.
#2 The idea behind Superstar shake-up
The rumour: Cage Side Seats notes that WWE is going to use SmackDown as a platform to polish talent before promoting them to Monday Night Raw.
The potential: The way the brand split and the Superstar shake-up played out seems to suggest that the statement above is true. WWE used the same philosophy during its first brand split and it worked well for them.
SmackDown served as a proving ground for many Superstars during this era. And Paul Heyman’s spark of brilliance made matters more interesting. It’s not ideal for the WWE to still consider SmackDown as the ‘B’ show. But then again, this is how the company works and we cannot change it by complaining.
The fallout: The Superstars on SmackDown are likely to perform well since they have a point to prove. There would be a sense of desperation from them. This could lead to SmackDown being a better show than Raw.
#1 Next feud of Randy Orton
The rumor: As per the reports from Wrestling Observer, Baron Corbin and AJ Styles are considered to be immediate contenders for the WWE Championship.
The Potential: As things stand, Randy Orton will defend the WWE championship at Payback against Bray Wyatt. With the WWE Universal title is still on Raw, Orton is likely to retain at Payback as the WWE Championship needs to stay on SmackDown.
Orton would need a new contender once he is done with Bray and this is where Styles and Corbin could be of use. Corbin is more likely to get the title shot when compared to Styles. The Phenomenal one has already captured a US title opportunity and this is likely to keep him busy till Backlash.
Corbin, on the other hand, would be a fresh challenge for Orton.
The fallout: A feud between AJ Styles and Randy Orton would be mouthwatering. But fans might have to wait for this one, as the Phenomenal One currently has his hands full with Kevin Owens and his US Title. The Orton – Corbin match, on the other hand, will be good for both Superstars.
WWE needs main event level heels on the SmackDown roster and letting Corbin take the limelight will do the trick.
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