FanPost

WWE's Hot Stove League: 5 Trade Ideas for the Upcoming Superstar Shake-up

WWE.com

Vince McMahon's appearance on Monday Night Raw this week — seemingly a new tradition for the night after WrestleMania, as this marks the second straight year he's stopped by — triggered quite a bit of fan interest tonight, thanks to the announcement of the upcoming 'Superstar Shake-up'. Though details were scant on the actual broadcast, further details liken next week's show as a sort-of 'Hot Stove League' for the two brands, where General Managers Kurt Angle and Daniel Bryan can discuss talent swaps as part of the WWE's desire to shake up the status quo.

While more details are sure to emerge in the next few days, especially following SmackDown Live, that hasn't stopped fans from speculating on which WWE superstars will be making the jump between brands. Many have lamented the current rosters on both shows as representing an imbalance in star power, while others are more concerned about which of their favorites might be making a switch next week. So, as an exercise in speculating 'What if?' trades, here are five possible trade ideas that could help spark some interesting developments in the upcoming months.

For the sake of our speculation, each trade ideal will be broken down in two separate ways: examining how the idea fits in the narrative of WWE's current storylines, and how these trades could benefit the company Creatively. Further, each trade idea is presented in the context of a scenario where all five trades are made; they are not to be taken individually in a vacuum.

1.) Roman Reigns (RAW) for AJ Styles (SDL)

The biggest trade idea, and probably the one that will pose the most interesting implications for WWE over the next few months would be a swap between two top performers. Roman Reigns is fresh off retiring the Undertaker at WrestleMania, while AJ Styles upended SmackDown Live commissioner Shane McMahon in what many considered the best match of the night at WrestleMania.

Storyline-wise, this would undoubtedly be the talk of the wrestling world. Owing to AJ's conduct leading up to WrestleMania, and with a particular spotlight on the enmity between Styles and the blue brand's leadership, it would make sense for SmackDown to seek to move AJ to RAW. Of course, moving who essentially was their show's MVP in 2016 would not come without a steep price tag, but it could be one that Kurt Angle would be willing to pay, especially in light of his past association with AJ Styles "elsewhere". By moving Roman Reigns to SmackDown, Kurt could present the trade as a 'best for business' deal, owing to Roman's historic beef with his boss Stephanie McMahon and her husband, Triple H. It would certainly be seen as a 'bold move' by the chairman, which seems to be what he and the WWE wants.

Creatively-speaking, the trade is a masterstroke that corrects some grievous flaws from last year's Draft while simultaneously helping to protect next year's main event for WrestleMania in New Orleans. The specter of AJ Styles being able to mix it up with Gallows and Anderson in a reformation of the Club (a faction that shouldn't have been split up to start with) is enticing, made all the more interesting by the return of Finn Bálor from injury.

Yet the real gem of the move comes with Roman, who has already done pretty much all he can do on RAW. Given the need to keep both he and Brock Lesnar strong heading into WrestleMania 34, and owing to the lack of fresh opponents for Roman on the red brand, a move to SmackDown kills two birds with one stone. It gives you a reason to keep Brock and Roman apart until closer to Mania season, and it also lets Roman run wild on Tuesday nights with a fresh crop of opponents that he hasn't seen in awhile. It also allows WWE to run a cracker-jack program between John Cena and Roman Reigns as its feature attraction at SummerSlam if they so choose.

2.) Seth Rollins and Sami Zayn (RAW) for Shinsuke Nakamura and Baron Corbin (SDL)

Not every trade has to be a one-for-one deal, and special circumstances could bring together an odd-ball pairing of superstars to be traded. In this case, RAW's Seth Rollins and Sami Zayn—two names with a contentious relationship with RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon—could be packaged to SmackDown for noted leadership-critic Baron Corbin and one of the brand's newest NXT call-ups, Shinsuke Nakamura.

Storyline-wise, this move is almost a no-brainer on RAW's end of things. Both Seth Rollins and Sami Zayn have become major enemies of the Authority, and with the champion of the underdog in Mick Foley now gone, trading off the 'bad apples' would seem the most logical move. Gaining the services of a former World Champion, along with a journeyman whom GM Daniel Bryan is well-acquainted from their time in Ring of Honor would not come cheap, of course. Offering up a carrot in the form of one of Bryan's personal favorites in prized NXT call-up Shinsuke Nakamura would be a good first step, but to help sweeten the pot a bit more, RAW would also be taking on the services of one-Baron Corbin, a developing star who has been SmackDown's answer to Braun Strowman. That Corbin has been vocal in his disdain for SmackDown Live's usage of him would help to make the deal go down easier.

Creatively-speaking, the trade really has just two purposes: correcting the imbalance between the two rosters by getting more babyfaces onto SmackDown, and putting all three former members of the Shield on the same show. With Seth Rollins making the move along with Roman Reigns, a reformation of the Shield would certainly spark a lot of interest, and the arrival of Sami Zayn to the blue brand would give him a fresh start creatively, something that he desperately needs.

On the other side, RAW would be getting a major international star for its flagship show in the charismatic Nakamura, who would benefit from being in the presence of guys like Finn Bálor, AJ Styles and the Club who are familiar with his style. Corbin's improvement has been one of the highlights of SmackDown in the past six months; moving him to RAW could set up Braun Strowman for a face turn, and put the two giants on a collision course that could generate some buzz.

3.) Charlotte (RAW) for Becky Lynch and Natalya (SDL)

Any moves made during the shakeup is bound to include at least one major move between the Women's Division on RAW and SmackDown Live. In this instance, we see the first of our value trades, as SmackDown acquires one of the top women in the entire company in Charlotte, while RAW adds one of its most underrated performers in Becky Lynch and a veteran performer in Natalya.

Storyline-wise, both General Managers will be looking to improve their respective Women's Divisions by shaking things out. SmackDown has done an efficient job at building depth in their division, but it needs some star power to really put it over the top. Conversely, RAW has several high-profile stars in the form of Bayley, Sasha Banks and the improving Nia Jax, but lack quality depth to support them. In offering up Charlotte for two of SmackDown's best female wrestlers, RAW adds more depth to its talent pool while SmackDown gets its major star.

Creatively-speaking, Charlotte has nothing left to do on RAW. With Sasha Banks soon to be turning heel, the focus of the division will fall on Bayley and Sasha, leaving Charlotte out of the picture. A move to SmackDown immediately freshens her up, and provides the show with another quality top heel for Naomi and Mickie James to contend with. It also gives WWE some leeway when the time comes to promote Asuka to the main roster. With Charlotte, Mickie, Naomi and Alexa Bliss holding court on the blue brand, and the Horsewomen keeping things steady on the red brand, Asuka can be placed wherever she's most needed when the time comes for her call-up.

On the flip-side, Becky Lynch has served her purpose on SmackDown and given the division the spark of credibility it needed. With the development of Alexa Bliss into a credible top heel, and Naomi finally getting her chance to shine, Becky can move on to RAW and a partnership with Bayley as the 'Killer B's' of the RAW women's division against Sasha, who is certain to try and recruit some 'employees' like only the BO$$ can, most probably in the form of Natalya and Emma. For her part, Natalya provides 'underneath' depth for the women's division on Monday Night: she can move up or down the card depending on the role needed, and gives Bayley a possible opponent down the line.

4.) The New Day (RAW) for American Alpha (SDL)

The tag divisions on both RAW and SmackDown Live have been in need of a refit since the Brand Extension last summer. A change of scenery would help shake things up in a positive way, and who better to champion the power of positivity than RAW's New Day, who would make the jump to the blue brand in exchange for a pair of blue chippers in Chad Gable and Jason Jordan, American Alpha.

Storyline-wise, tag team depth has been a recurring problem for both shows, though SmackDown in particular has suffered tremendously. The allure of landing one of WWE's all-time greatest tag teams in the New Day would be difficult to pass up, while the obvious amateur credentials of American Alpha would appeal to RAW's Kurt Angle, who may see in Gable and Jordan the reincarnation of his former running mates, Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin, the World's Greatest Tag Team.

Creatively-speaking, New Day needs off of RAW in the worst way possible. They've done all there is to do, and with Enzo and Cass underneath them, it's time to move on. Having a three-for-two swap would help balance the proverbial sheets from the two-for-one swap in the women's division, but more than that it provides for some fresh matches for a team that moves merchandise at a ridiculous rate. The move could also serve as a catalyst for the long-rumored singles run for Big E, and putting a three-man crew on the blue brand could pay future dividends with a Shield reunion also possible, should New Day ever show signs of a turn towards a more serious heel edge in the future.

American Alpha, meanwhile, are in dire straits. Their call-up to SmackDown Live in last year's Draft has been one of the major disappointments in WWE, a startling fact considering how highly-touted they were coming out of NXT. As a team, Gable and Jordan will have to establish themselves not by comedy antics ala New Day or Enzo and Cass, but by in-ring work, and there just isn't the depth on SmackDown Live to make that happen. With their former NXT rivals The Revival now on RAW, and teams like Anderson and Gallows, the Hardyz and Cesaro and Sheamus also in the mix, American Alpha's chance to showcase their talent would be much greater.

5.) Bo Dallas, Dana Brooke and Rusev (RAW) for Apollo Crews, Kalisto and The Miz (SDL)

As was the case with the very first WWE Draft back in 2002, movement between the brands was not always restricted to main event talent. Multi-person trades could be a facet of the upcoming shakeup, which helps lay the groundwork for this six-person swap, sending Bo Dallas, Rusev and newly-turned Dana Brooke on to SmackDown in exchange for Apollo Crews, his friend Kalisto, and perpetual thorn in Daniel Bryan's side, The Miz.

Storyline-wise, this move exists purely for Daniel Bryan to give the proverbial 'Eff You' to his longtime nemesis by shipping the Miz over to RAW in exchange for decidedly... undercard performers. As part of the humiliation, RAW only agrees to the trade by pilfering a couple of young prospects in Cruiserweight Division-bound Kalisto and the dramatically-underutilized Apollo Crews.

Creatively-speaking, the most hodge-podge looking trade on paper actually serves a vital role in restructuring the composition of each roster. For SmackDown, the move is all about securing depth for a thin roster. Bo Dallas is nothing on RAW, but he just-so-happens to have a brother in a prominent position on the blue brand. A reinvention of Bo Dallas into Bo Wyatt could give him a chance to rebuild himself in a more serious vein, and give Bray a new ally to rebuild his Family around. Dana Brooke has limited upward mobility on RAW with the division dominated by two Horsewomen and the monster Nia Jax, but Becky Lynch's departure from SmackDown gives her an opportunity to become one of the young faces of the division, working behind Naomi. Rusev, like Sami Zayn, needs a change in scenery: he has completely stalled out on RAW, but a switch to Tuesday nights could give him a fresh start, and allow him to recapture some of his former momentum as a top star in the making.

For RAW, the move is more or less maintenance work. Kalisto provides some extra name value to the growing Cruiserweight Division, at a time where it needs as many able-bodied hands as it can get. Apollo Crews has been lost in undercard Hell on Tuesday nights, and a swap to RAW could allow him to fulfill the role that Sami Zayn should have filled prior to whatever mystery transgression caused WWE to stall him out. The real interesting piece here would be Miz, who is having the career resurgence of a lifetime right now. Though a move may seem antithetical to his current success, the shift in focus on SmackDown back to the Shield opens the door for a move. The prevalence of talented in-ring workers on RAW would mesh well with his A+ promo game.

FINAL ANALYSIS

The ultimate goal of these five trades would be to redefine each show around a new identity. For RAW, that identity would hedge around a strong in-ring product, with the arrival of Styles, Nakamura, Becky Lynch and American Alpha would immediately infuse Monday Night with a wealth of talented in-ring performers that can get it done bell-to-bell. It also sets you up with a lot of versatility moving forward as well: AJ Styles could easily slot in as your top heel along with Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe, and this would also serve well in any reunion with Gallows and Anderson. At the same time, his growing popularity could also give him a chance at slotting in as a top level face along with Finn Bálor, who can grow as a top face more readily in the absence of Reigns and Rollins.

Becky Lynch moving to RAW provides a natural pairing with Bayley in the war to come with Sasha and her army, though the door could also be left open for a Becky Lynch heel turn as well in a recreation of the magic the Horsewomen worked in NXT once upon a time. American Alpha would simply be the feather in the cap of RAW's suddenly-exciting tag ranks, and Miz can do what Miz does best and talk his way into entertaining feuds. Plus, the idea of putting Braun Strowman (as a face) up against guys like Brock Lesnar and Baron Corbin really presents some exciting possibilities for him should WWE decide to pull the trigger on a face turn to capitalize on his growing popularity.

SmackDown Live, ever since the Draft, has basically been forced to turn chicken feed into chicken salad, to put it politely. A lack of depth has really made it tough to keep things fresh up and down the card, though they've done a remarkable job given the resources available. These moves help flip the script for them and provide some ready-made moneymaking angles right from the get-go. Key to the entire strategy would be putting the Shield back together for the babyface run they were deprived of from their premature breakup in 2014.

The opportunity for Randy Orton to embrace his role as a top heel again would be a benefit to him, as would the fresh scenery be a benefit to the New Day. Charlotte immediately gives you a major person to build around in the women's division, and the arrival of guys like Sami Zayn and Rusev will help provide a much deeper midcard for SmackDown than currently exists. Of course, the door would still be left open for new talent from NXT to head up in the weeks to come to compete for a roster spot in what will still remain WWE's proverbial 'Wild West' of brands for some time to come.

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