Tag: superstar shakeup 2018

WWE SmackDown video highlights: Superstar Shakeup night two

Posted on by Joseph Currier

SmackDown replaced its losses from Monday as the Superstar Shakeup came to an end last night.

Jeff Hardy, Absolution (Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville), Samoa Joe, Big Cass, Asuka, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson, Cesaro & Sheamus, and R-Truth joined The Miz in moving over from Raw. It was also announced that Andrade “Cien” Almas & Zelina Vega and SAnitY (Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe & Killian Dain) are coming up to the brand from NXT.

Big Cass made the most immediate impact, with him laying out Daniel Bryan with a big boot and causing the main event to end in a disqualification. Shinsuke Nakamura also interrupted the match, low blowing AJ Styles and refusing to explain his actions once again.

More coverage from last night —

WWE SmackDown video highlights —

AJ Styles vs. Rusev, Daniel Bryan makes the save for Styles

Jeff Hardy brings the United States Championship back to SmackDown

Jeff Hardy vs. Shelton Benjamin

The Miz delays his SmackDown return until next week

Harper vs. Jey Uso

Samoa Joe joins SmackDown, faces Sin Cara

SAnitY (Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe & Killian Dain) are coming up to SmackDown

Big Cass returns to TV, insults Daniel Bryan

Carmella tries to celebrate her Women’s Championship win

Charlotte Flair vs. Billie Kay, Asuka officially joins SmackDown

Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson are moving to SmackDown

Cesaro & Sheamus plan on setting the bar for another tag team division

R-Truth joins SmackDown, meets up with The New Day and Tye Dillinger

Andrade “Cien” Almas and Zelina Vega are being called up from NXT

Shinsuke Nakamura and Big Cass interrupt Styles & Bryan vs. Rusev & English

SmackDown fallout: Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch react to Asuka’s arrival

SmackDown fallout: The Usos want Naomi to stay away from The Bludgeon Brothers

Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas, Zelina Vega heading to WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Josh Nason

As part of a dizzying numbers of roster changes over the past two weeks, former NXT champion Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas and manager Zelina Vega will be coming to WWE SmackDown.

The two announced their arrival via a cell phone video that aired in the second hour of Tuesday’s Superstar Shake-Up finale on SmackDown.

The 28-year-old Almas rose to prominence in Mexico and NJPW as La Sombra before signing with WWE in November 2015. Starting in NXT, he lost his mask and had his name changed to Manny Andrade. That lasted for a month before his name changed to his current moniker.

He had a 140-day run as NXT Champion, defeating fellow main roster talent Drew McIntyre last November before losing the title to Aleister Black just over two weeks ago at TakeOver New Orleans. He made his official main roster debut in the 2018 Royal Rumble match.

The 27-year-old Vega (fka Thea Trinidad) signed with WWE in June 2017 after a few spot appearances over the last few years. She was sent to NXT and soon became a part of the Almas act, helping add some life and dimension to the character. She accompanied Almas to the ring for his WWE appearance in this year’s Royal Rumble.

SAnitY coming up to WWE SmackDown roster

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The male members of SAnitY are coming up to the WWE main roster.

A video hyping the group’s arrival aired on SmackDown tonight, with Eric Young voicing it over and saying the only thing they care about is chaos. It was later noted that it would be Young, Alexander Wolfe, and Killian Dain debuting.

They’re the second act from NXT to be included in this year’s Superstar Shakeup. Former NXT Champion Drew McIntyre, who suffered a torn bicep when he dropped the title to Andrade “Cien” Almas last November, was added to Raw and aligned with Dolph Ziggler.

The Authors of Pain, Ember Moon, and No Way Jose debuted on Raw last week, with Peyton Royce and Billie Kay coming up to SmackDown.

SAnitY won the NXT Tag Team titles from The Authors of Pain in August 2017 and dropped them to The Undisputed Era in November. They were one of the teams that were involved in the Tag Team title match/Dusty Rhodes Classic finals at TakeOver: New Orleans earlier this month, which was won by Undisputed Era when Roderick Strong turned against Pete Dunne.

Young and Dain had matches at NXT’s television tapings last week.

Jeff Hardy brings United States title back to WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The United States Championship is already back on SmackDown.

After defeating Jinder Mahal for the title on Raw last night, Hardy became the second wrestler to move to SmackDown in this year’s Superstar Shakeup. Hardys’ appearance tonight was the first time he’s been on SmackDown since 2009.

In his first match since joining the brand, Hardy defeated Shelton Benjamin with a Swanton Bomb. That came after Benjamin cut a heel promo where he said he never needed Chad Gable, claiming to be hacked when he praised Gable as a partner on Twitter. Benjamin said he talked to Paige and asked her to send him competition, which brought out Randy Orton before Hardy entered.

Hardy defending his US title against Mahal is scheduled for the Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia on April 27th. Orton was supposed to face Mahal for the championship at Backlash on May 6th but could end up challenging Hardy instead.

The Miz was the first person to join SmackDown in this year’s Shakeup.

Bobby Roode, five more round out Superstar Shakeup night one

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The first night of the 2018 Superstar Shakeup was a busy one.

Tonight ended with 19 wrestlers having joined the Raw roster, with Bobby Roode, Baron Corbin, The Ascension, Mike Kanellis, and Chad Gable as the latest names to move over from SmackDown. Roode teamed with Seth Rollins, Bobby Lashley, Braun Strowman & Finn Balor against The Miz, Curtis Axel, Bo Dallas, Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn in the main event. A video package highlighted Corbin’s arrival, but The Ascension, Kanellis, and Gable were announced online.

The Miz was the only person announced as going to SmackDown tonight. More additions for the show will be revealed as the Shakeup continues tomorrow.

Here’s the full list of wrestlers who made the switch to Raw:

  • Jinder Mahal (with Sunil Singh)
  • The Riott Squad (Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan)
  • Kevin Owens
  • Sami Zayn
  • Zack Ryder
  • Breezango (Tyler Breeze & Fandango)
  • Natalya
  • Dolph Ziggler
  • Drew McIntyre
  • Mojo Rawley
  • Baron Corbin
  • The Ascension (Konnor & Viktor)
  • Mike Kanellis
  • Bobby Roode
  • Chad Gable

Drew McIntyre returns, Ziggler & Mojo Rawley move to WWE Raw

Posted on by Josh Nason

Last week’s post-WrestleMania Raw and SmackDown shows had their share of NXT callups, but WWE had at least one more up their sleeve for the Superstar Shake-Up themed edition of Raw Monday: Drew McIntyre.

The segment began when Dolph Ziggler announced his return to Raw which prompted Titus Worldwide (Titus O’Neal, Apollo, Dana Brooke) to come out in an effort to recruit him. He turned them down and said that he didn’t come back to Raw alone. McIntyre then emerged from the crowd and, along with Ziggler, attacked O’Neal and Apollo and laid them both out. 

The 32-year-old McIntyre has been on the shelf since tearing his bicep in November during his NXT title loss to Andrade “Cien” Almas at TakeOver: San Antonio. He hasn’t been on main roster programming since 2014.

Shortly thereafter, WWE released a YouTube video announcing that Mojo Rawley was heading to Raw, his first stint on the brand. Two hours into the show, he joins Ziggler, McIntyre, The Riott Squad, Natalya, Jinder Mahal, and Zack Ryder as WWE talents heading to the red brand.

WWE announces Superstar Shakeup for next week

Posted on by Joseph Currier

For the second straight year, WWE’s “Superstar Shakeup” is scheduled for the week after the post-WrestleMania episodes of television.

The 2018 roster shakeup was announced during an advertisement that aired following the first segment of tonight’s Raw. It will again be taking place across two nights, with next week’s episodes of Raw and SmackDown hosting the shakeup.

Assuming it follows the same format as last year, the wrestlers who are moving from SmackDown to Raw will arrive on Monday. The ones who are switching from Raw to SmackDown will be revealed on Tuesday.

The Intercontinental and United States titles swapped brands last year, with Dean Ambrose going to Raw and Kevin Owens joining SmackDown. Announcers were also included. Byron Saxton was added to the SmackDown commentary team and David Otunga was supposed to go to Raw before being replaced by Booker T.

Here’s the commercial for next week’s roster shakeup: