WWE Superstar Shakeup 2018: List of roster moves, changes, surprises for Raw
New Raw superstars (19)
Jinder Mahal: Mahal arrived to his new home to kickoff Raw with the United States championship, but he didn't leave with it thanks to genearl manager Kurt Angle making him defend his title against Jeff Hardy. Still, Mahal was elevated heavily with his WWE championship run on SmackDown last year, has improved in the ring and could end up being a solid mid-card hand in his move back to Raw.
Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn: The explanation of Stephanie McMahon overruling Angle's decision from last week was logical, but if she was such a fan of Owens & Zayn ... then why didn't she hire them immediately when they were fired from her brother's show? Logic aside, hopefully with this move to Raw we could eventually see the duo clash with the former taking the role of babyface for once. This was teased briefly during their tenure SmackDown and it seemed interesting enough. I would have preferred these two were finally split up, but you have to play with the hand you're dealt.
Dolph Ziggler: Most groaned when this acquisition was revealed, especially when Titus Worldwide made their way down to the ring to welcome Ziggler. But then ...
Drew McIntyre: The former NXT champion made his return to the main roster by aligning himself with Ziggler, annihilating Titus Worldwide in the process. Ziggler's singles shtick was getting tired and McIntyre is much improved since his initial run on the main roster when he was the "chosen one," so pairing these two together is something fresh and interesting -- which is all we really ask for when it comes to the shakeup.
Natalya: Upon her initial appearance on Raw, it seems as if Natalya will be the first singles program for Ronda Rousey. They've already planted the seeds for a future teacher vs. student storyline with Natalya eventually turning heel on Rousey.
Baron Corbin: Vince McMahon is reportedly still very high on Corbin as a major player, and the video package he was given to announce his arrival on Raw made him look like a big deal. Corbin may start his Raw journey somewhere in the mid-card, but it shouldn't be long before he's flirting with the top of the food chain on Monday nights.
Bobby Roode: A necessary change for Roode to get off of Tuesday nights. Now, if they could just make the much more necessary heel turn with the former United States champ on the Monday night show, that would be fantastic.
Chad Gable: This move has the makings of being the sleeper of the 2018 Superstar Shakeup. It's been evident for a while that Gable has all the tools to succeed as a singles star, and now he'll get his chance on Raw. Also, now we hope we get as many Gable-Angle interactions as possible with maybe some Jason Jordan thrown in down the road.
Riott Squad: The concept of the Riott Squad really wasn't resonating on SmackDown since the moment they arrived from NXT, so the move to Raw likely is a last-ditch effort to see if they can be successful as a group before they inevitably split them up.
Mojo Rawley: After his heel turn last year, Rawley seemed destined for a nice mid-card push on SmackDown, but that never really came to fruition. It's doubtful his fortunes change with this move, but stranger things have happened, I suppose.
Zack Ryder: Someone to help get mid-card talents over, basically.
Breezango: The "Fashion Files" segments are mostly entertaining, but it finally seems like these two are going to be featured more prominently as an in-ring tandem. They made their in-ring debut immediately on Monday, earning a clean win over former Raw tag team champions The Bar.
The Ascension: Another addition to the Raw tag division. But at this point, what value do they really have anymore?