Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles and ex-Women’s Champ Charlotte Flair are two of several big names rumored to switch brands in the upcoming Superstar Shakeup next week.
According to wrestling insider Dan Melzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Styles along with former SmackDown women’s champ Alexa Bliss will be going to WWE’s flagship show, Monday Night RAW. In return, the Blue Brand will be acquiring the starpower of four-time RAW women’s champ Charlotte and the longest reigning tag-team title in WWE history, the New Day.
Phenomenal Talent on RAW
WWE Chairman and head of the creative Vince McMahon has been very impressed by the performance Style put up ever since he joined the SmackDown brand last year. After winning numerous belts in different promotions around the world, Styles captured pro-wrestling’s most prestigious crown - the WWE World Heavyweight Champion - when he defeated Dean Ambrose at WWE Backlash last September.
Styles held the title for roughly four months, feuding with the likes of Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler and John Cena. The Styles-Cena rivalry was easily the best wrestling feud in recent memory, as the two superstars produced some of the most memorable wrestling matches ever. At Royal Rumble, Styles’ reign came to an end at the hands of Cena, who went on to tie Ric Flair’s record of 16 world championships.
The Queen of the Blue Brand
Like Styles, Charlotte is also coming off a huge title run. The daughter of Ric Flair has been in title contention ever since she joined RAW. Her feud with rival Sasha Banks elevated women’s wrestling like no other. Together, the two ‘main-evented’ several RAW episodes and made history by becoming the first female wrestlers to compete in a Hell in a Cell match in the main event of Hell in a Cell PPV.
As Bayley appears to be heading into a feud with Banks sooner or later, it’s logical for the Queen of women’s wrestling to set her sight on another crown on SmackDown, where current champion Naomi, Becky Lynch and Mickie James are waiting for her.
A New Day for Bliss
Bliss became women’s division’s top heel since she was drafted to SmackDown.
The former body builder won the SmackDown women’s championship twice and had intriguing feuds with Lynch, Naomi and James. She is expected to fill in the void to be left by Charlotte as a heel on RAW.
As for the New Day, a SmackDown move for Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods and Big E would make sense, now that the Hardy Boyz have officially become the face of the RAW tag-team division. The New Day, who broke Demolition’s record of 478 days to become the longest reigning tag-team champs in history, will instantly emerge one of the top players for the SmackDown tag-team title currently held by the Usos.
