WWE Superstar Shake-Up: Grading Every Superstar’s Outcome From 2018

Absolution (Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville) from Raw to SmackDown Live

Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville came to the main roster in November of 2017 as allies of the returning Paige, forming a faction known as Absolution. Unfortunately, that group’s success was hindered as Paige began struggling with injuries yet again. Paige ended up becoming the General Manager of SmackDown Live, and Absolution joined her during the Shake-Up.

However, Paige declared Absolution was over as a group and no special treatment would be given. This left Rose and Deville to fend for themselves over the last year, and it’s been an up and down experience. They’ve each had a few moments of singles success and competed in the Elimination Chamber to crown the first WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, but otherwise haven’t made a huge impact.

Grade: B, It may not have been a groundbreaking year for Rose or Deville, but it wasn’t a bad one. They’ve continued to establish themselves in the women’s division, and kept progressing throughout the last year.

Samoa Joe from Raw to SmackDown Live

The indie veteran and former NXT Champion Samoa Joe made his debut on the  main roster in early 2017, targeting Seth Rollins and aligning himself with Triple H. During his tenure on Raw, Joe became a definite main event contender, challenging more than once for the Universal Championship, though he failed to capture it.

Once he moved to SmackDown Live, Samoa Joe didn’t take long to put himself right back in the mix by going after WWE Champion AJ Styles. The two had a bitter rivalry, but Joe failed once again to end it with the title in his grips. Samoa Joe did see success a little over a month ago when he captured the US Title, a championship he still holds now.

Grade: A, Despite the fact that he’s failed to capture a top tier title, Samoa Joe continued a really strong tear on the main roster, eventually secured the US Title, and remains a huge threat to any potential opponent.