WWE Superstar Shakeup 2017: Women’s Division Benefits Most from Roster Changes

With Charlotte and Alexa Bliss, a pair of multiple-time Women’s Champions, moving brands, the entire division benefits from the WWE Superstar Shakeup.

When Alexa Bliss and Mickie James arrived on Raw, it was a clear big changes were coming to the Women’s division. Bliss and James made clear their intentions to become Raw Women’s Champion, but a notable WWE Superstar was absent.

It just happened to be Charlotte Flair, who along with Tamina Snuka, joins SmackDown Live. Charlotte, a four-time Raw Women’s Champion, heads to the blue show in a trade that makes sense for the entire division.

Charlotte Gets Fresh Start on SmackDown Live

The rivalry between Charlotte and Sasha Banks has a Trish Stratus-Lita feel to it. Together they’ve made history and taken the Women’s division to places it’s never been before, much like the aforementioned Hall-of-Famers. Charlotte and Sasha flip-flopped the Raw Women’s Championship seven times before Bayley won the title in February.

While the Charlotte-Sasha rivalry is the best the Women’s division has to offer, separating the pairing isn’t such a bad idea.

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We’ve seen them do it all together. They’ve battled for Raw’s top prize at WrestleMania twice. They competed against each other in the first ever women’s Hell in a Cell match. Even while Charlotte feuded with Bayley for the championship this spring, Sasha was a constant thorn in The Queen’s side.

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Revisiting this feud down the line will again make for great entertainment, but splitting them up makes sense.

We’ll start with Charlotte, who one has to assume will make immediate noise in the SmackDown title picture. Current champion Naomi happens to be in need of a dance partner at next month’s Backlash pay-per-view. Charlotte is the perfect heel to challenge for the championship.

On SmackDown, there’s a host of intriguing rivalries awaiting Charlotte. A program with fellow Four Horsewomen teammate Becky Lynch has the makings of an instant classic.

Charlotte is hands down the best heel in the Women’s division, and putting her on SmackDown not only brings with it an opportunity for fresh feuds with the likes of Becky Lynch, Naomi and Carmella, but also takes her away from Sasha.

That rivalry can be revisited in the future, and it’ll be special when it happens.

Alexa Bliss a Perfect Challenger to Bayley

While Charlotte was an excellent heel on Raw, Alexa Bliss put together an equally strong body of work on SmackDown. From her mic skills to facial expressions, Bliss has mastered her character and delivered during her two runs as Women’s Champion.

Following a long-lasting feud with Becky Lynch and two recent title defeats to Naomi, a fresh start on Raw comes at the right time. It helps that she’ll be joined by Mickie James, as the pair have some unfinished business from SmackDown.

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Bayley saw off the challenge of Charlotte at Fastlane and then pinned her for the final elimination in the Fatal 4-Way match at WrestleMania. While some tension appears to be brewing between The Huggable One and best friend Sasha Banks, Bliss is the perfect rival for the Women’s title.

An excellent mic worker, she’s able to tell a story and work the crowd with her words, and Monday night set the foundations for a potential Bliss-Bayley showdown in the near future.

While Sasha remains a babyface (for now), Bliss can take over Charlotte’s reins as the top heel on Raw.

For a long time Charlotte and Alexa Bliss have been on top of their respective brands as the premier heels. Swapping shows makes sense not only for the development of their own characters, but the knock-on effect that comes with it. As a result we’ll see some new, fresh and exciting rivalries on both shows.

Next: Who Won the Superstar Shakeup?

Interesting consequences from the Superstar Shakeup are to follow in the coming weeks, but it’s the Women’s division that truly benefits from the personnel moves.