WWE Raw 5 Takeaways: The Shakeup Has Begun

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1. Mid-Card Championship Scene Potentially Turned Upside Down

The division that was potentially shaken up the most last night after night one of the superstar shakeup was the mid-card championship scene.  It took no time for the shakeup to get going either as last night’s show opened up with the first new addition to the red brand.

As GM Kurt Angle was opening up the show, he was interrupted by the United States Champion Jinder Mahal.  Mahal is now a member of the Raw roster, but his first night ended up being more surprising that most would have imagined.  Angle put Mahal in a match where he defended his title against the recently-returned Jeff Hardy.

Mahal and Hardy put on a solid match that continued to show how far The Modern Day Maharaja has improved.  But in the end, Hardy shocked everyone and defeated Mahal to win the U.S. Championship for the first time in his career to become a grand slam winner in the WWE.  This result has potentially greatly turned the mid-card championship scene upside down.

The U.S. Championship and Intercontinental Championship won’t both be on Raw, so with Hardy as the new champion, will Seth Rollins go to SmackDown with the Intercontinental Championship?  He could lose it to The Miz who is SmackDown bound or maybe Hardy will end up heading over to SmackDown with the U.S. Championship.

Next: WWE Raw Review For April 16 Show

The mid-card championship picture has a lot to be worked out over the next few weeks, but last night has greatly changed the complexion of it moving forward.