Report card for the top 5 SmackDown Live additions after the Superstar Shakeup
It has been a month since the annual Superstar Shakeup took place on both Monday Night Raw and SmackDown Live. Counting singles competitors, tag teams, and factions, there were a total of 25 moves between the two brands.
With the advent of the brand split in the summer of 2016, the Superstar Shakeup is a way to keep both shows fresh by giving them the ability to create new feuds. This has already started to take shape on SmackDown Live with Big Cass and Daniel Bryan.
Compared to the Superstar Shakeup of 2017, SmackDown Live had one more move this year to bring the total number of moves to 11. By comparison, Monday Night Raw had a total of 14 moves, and I gave my report card for five of those moves in this article.
Just like in school, I will assign a letter grade to five of the top moves to SmackDown Live in the Superstar Shakeup based on the past month and future outlook. The best grade will be an A+, and the worst grade will be an F.
Let's start with two women from Tough Enough that made an impact last November:
#5 - Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville
Paige shocked the WWE Universe when she said she didn't come alone upon her return to the ring. Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville formed Absolution, but due to Paige's career-ending injury, the stable has been disbanded.
Moving Rose and Deville to SmackDown Live with Paige as the General Manager was a brilliant move that has already paid dividends in terms of drama.
On top of that Rose and Deville have their own unique entrances that are spectacular to go with their skill inside the squared circle.
There is so much potential with these ladies as a team or against each other with Paige calling the managerial shots.
GRADE FOR MANDY ROSE & SONYA DEVILLE: A