The Raw after WrestleMania marks the start of a new year in WWE, and the company is making some major changes to its Raw and SmackDown rosters with the annual Superstar Shake-up.
The coming year should be fascinating for both shows, as SmackDown is set to move from USA Network to Fox in October. SmackDown has always carried a “B-show” status when compared to Monday Night Raw, which has been the company’s flagship show since 1993, but the move to national network TV has some fans speculating that WWE may choose to load SmackDown with its biggest stars.
The Shake-up began on Monday, with Raw receiving a trio of former WWE champions, and several call-ups from NXT.
New arrivals:
- AJ Styles
- The Miz
- Andrade
- Rey Mysterio
- The Usos
- Naomi
- Ricochet and Aleister Black
- The Viking Experience (previously known as War Raiders in NXT)
- Cedric Alexander
- EC3
- Eric Young
- Lacey Evans
Departures:
- Ronda Rousey could be off WWE television for an extended period, as she’s announced her intention to start a family with husband Travis Browne. It had been reported in January that Rousey planned to leave WWE after WrestleMania 35, but Rousey trashed the report at the time.
