4 biggest questions after three WWE Raw Superstars appeared on SmackDown Live
The first episode of SmackDown Live since WrestleMania 35 showed the WWE Universe a glimpse of things to come after the 2019 Superstar Shake-Up, with three Raw Superstars – Drew McIntyre, Braun Strowman and Sami Zayn – appearing on the blue brand’s show.
Strowman made his mark when he interrupted Samoa Joe’s attack on R-Truth and began to brawl with the United States champion. The Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal winner attempted to hit a running powerslam but Joe escaped and walked up the ramp with his title.
Meanwhile, Zayn made a brief appearance later on in the show when he stood on the stage area and looked set to cut a promo, just like he did following his defeat to Finn Balor on Raw. However, he decided to let the audience sing along to his entrance theme before simply saying: “Yeah, you’re not worth it.”
The show then ended with another Superstar from Raw, McIntyre, teaming up with Sheamus and Cesaro in a losing effort against The New Day, although the Scot missed the last few minutes of the match due to an apparent injury.
So, why did McIntyre, Strowman and Zayn show up on SmackDown Live and what does the future hold for the Raw trio? Let’s take a look at four of the biggest questions after their appearances on Tuesday’s episode.
#4 Should the Superstar Shake-Up even happen?
Let’s face it, the 2018 Superstar Shake-Up was a bit of a disaster. Hardly any of WWE’s elite Superstars moved brands, while the breakout star of the roster changes turned out to be Baron Corbin, who established himself as a top heel on Raw during his run as an authority figure.
Since the Shake-Up took place last April, we have seen over a dozen Superstars show up on both Raw and SmackDown Live, including Brie Bella, John Cena, Kevin Owens, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Matt Hardy, Shelton Benjamin, The IIconics, The Big Show… and the list goes on and on.
One of the best things about the build-up to the WrestleMania 35 main event was the surprise factor of not knowing when and where Lynch and Flair would show up next. The brand split was non-existent in their storyline and it made for a refreshing change compared to the formulaic stories we see week-by-week on Raw and SmackDown Live.
WWE has already announced the Superstar Shake-Up for next week, but it would not be a surprise if the brand split ceased to exist in a year or two.