5 WWE SmackDown Live Superstars destined for a push after the 2019 Superstar Shake-Up
The 2019 WWE Superstar Shake-Up saw 14 Superstars move to SmackDown Live, including Roman Reigns, Elias, Finn Balor and Kairi Sane.
In the months leading up to WrestleMania 35, much of WWE’s programming on Tuesday nights was dominated by rivalries involving babyface Superstars including Kofi Kingston, Becky Lynch and The Miz, while heels including Daniel Bryan, Charlotte Flair and Shane McMahon also featured prominently.
Now, with 14 new names on SmackDown Live and with plenty of fresh rivalries and opponents in the pipeline, it looks as though we could see some interesting storylines developing on the blue brand over the next few months.
Last year, for example, Big Cass was immediately showcased as a top heel on SmackDown Live before he was released, while AJ Styles cemented his status as WWE’s best in-ring performer during matches against the likes of Shinsuke Nakamura and Samoa Joe.
Looking ahead to the upcoming months of WWE programming, let’s take a look at five SmackDown Live Superstars who are destined to receive a push in the near future.
#5 Buddy Murphy
Remember how Ali pinned Daniel Bryan on his second week on SmackDown Live and instantly established himself as a major player on the blue brand? Well, it is safe to assume that Buddy Murphy will feature just as much, if not even more, than Ali on SmackDown Live over the next year.
The Aussie dubbed himself “NXT’s Best Kept Secret” when he was not being used on television with the brand. He then went on to feature in some of the best matches in 205 Live history during his six-month reign with the Cruiserweight Championship between October 2018 and April 2019.
Now that he has departed the Cruiserweight division and moved to SmackDown Live, it will be interesting to see how much television time Murphy will receive to showcase his incredible talents in matches on Tuesday nights.
There are plenty of Superstars who the former NXT Tag Team champion can go toe-to-toe with in high-tempo matches, from Finn Balor and Shinsuke Nakamura to Ali and Roman Reigns. It is just a question of whether he will get his chance right away or whether his time will come in a few months.