WWE Superstar Shakeup 2018: Asuka, Samoa Joe to SmackDown
#SDLive better be READY, because @WWEAsuka is HERE! #SuperstarShakeup pic.twitter.com/hTAFe5x1co
— WWE (@WWE) April 18, 2018
On SmackDown this evening, two stars made their move to the show officially. Asuka & Samoa Joe are officially members of the SmackDown roster.
Asuka Joins SmackDown
Asuka joining the SmackDown roster is less of a surprise because of her feud with Charlotte. Leading into WrestleMania, Asuka was often on both shows, and it was assumed that she was heading there.
It will be interesting to see what’s in store for Asuka as she is officially a part of the the SmackDown Live roster. Leading into WrestleMania, it seemed obvious that she was going to beat Chartlotte for the title. However, as we all saw, Charlotte defeated Asuka, ending her winning streak.
Personally, I do not think that was the right call, but it isn’t the end of the world for Asuka. Moving to SmackDown will do one of two things for her – it will either launch her into the main event, or she will suffer under neglected booking like most of the women on SmackDown. I clearly hope for the former. Asuka is far too talented, and should be in the title picture, if not the champion, sooner, rather than later.
Samoa Joe Joins SmackDown
One of the other big names to join SmackDown Live was Samoa Joe. Samoa Joe has recently returned from injury, and promised to make a huge impact on SmackDown.
In doing so, he challenged AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan, and others. One can only think that Samoa Joe is going to be a major main event player on the SmackDown roster from this point forward.
If you're wondering what @SamoaJoe has planned for #SDLive... he's happy to break it ALL down for you in detail! #SuperstarShakeup pic.twitter.com/1yQ9vymOnt
— WWE (@WWE) April 18, 2018
Personally, I am glad to see Joe move to SmackDown. The potential matches we will see with him, AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan, and Shinsuke Nakamura are very exciting. While it seems strange that the planned feud for Roman Reigns and Joe has been set aside, it might be best for both men. Especially Roman, as there is no way he’d be cheered against Samoa Joe. As always, with WWE plans change. In this case, they may have changed for the better. Joe has a lot to bring to the table beyond his incredible promo skills. Expect some excellent main events to come with Joe being there.
Next: WWE SmackDown Live Recap: The Superstar Shakeup 2018 Concludes!
All in all, it seems SmackDown has greatly benefited from this Superstar Shakeup. We shall see if they can creatively take advantage of this new blood injected into a show that was getting very stale.