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WWE: Five potential Shakeup moves as Raw and SmackDown shuffle the pack

AJ Styles held the WWE title for more than a year after winning it in Manchester in November 2017
Image: Could AJ Styles be the biggest name to switch brands during WWE's Superstar Shakeup this week?

WWE will make wholesale changes to their Raw and SmackDown rosters with the second annual Superstar Shakeup this week.

Last year saw some big moves, with the blue brand picking up Asuka, Jeff Hardy and Samoa Joe and taking stand-out NXT talent Andrade 'Cien' Almas from Full Sail.

Raw picked up Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens and Baron Corbin and also added Drew McIntyre from the ranks of developmental.

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The lines between the two brands have been heavily blurred around WrestleMania but the Shakeup should see order restored and more definite homes established all round.

So who's going where? We pick out five potential switches.

AJ Styles and Randy Orton went toe-to-toe in a match between two WWE legends
Image: AJ Styles faced Randy Orton at WrestleMania, adding another name to the list of SmackDown stars he has had a match with

AJ Styles to Raw

Perhaps the most obvious move, Styles has done everything there is to do on SmackDown, having held their world title for almost a year and faced all of their top talent from Daniel Bryan to Samoa Joe to Randy Orton.

A move to Raw would give him a fresh focus - the Universal title - and a mouth-watering feud with Seth Rollins.

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It would also inject some much-needed life into the top end of the red brand card, where monster heels dominate, and with one fewer face to challenge them with Dean Ambrose leaving the company.

The Usos put their titles on the line on last night's SmackDown
Image: The Usos lost their SmackDown titles last week but are firmly established as the top tag team in WWE

The Usos to Raw

The case could be made for several tag teams to migrate to Monday night but the clear choice is The Usos, who have become the number one duo in all of WWE.

They even lost the SmackDown tag titles to the Hardy Boyz last week to pave the way for their exit to Raw, where experienced teams are in short supply.

The Usos could be exactly the opponents The Revival need to establish them as the top-level competitors that their huge talent suggests they deserve to be.

Bayley lost in singles competition on Raw last week - could she be heading to SmackDown?
Image: Bayley lost in singles competition on Raw last week - could she be heading to SmackDown?

Bayley (and maybe Sasha Banks) to SmackDown

Speculation has been rife that the Boss 'n' Hug Connection are furious about their tag title loss to The IIconics at WrestleMania, and it has even been alleged that Sasha Banks missed last week's Raw in protest.

Bayley was present for the show, and lost to Alexa Bliss in the type of match that suggests she is leaving for SmackDown, where elite competitors are likely to be in short supply with Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair likely to be concentrated on Raw.

She may take a reboot-requiring Ember Moon with her, and maybe also Banks in a quest to regain the lost tag belts. But then again, they may be split up…

Kairi Sane and Io Shirai - as the Sky Pirates - could be exactly the breath of fresh air the women's tag division needs
Image: Kairi Sane and Io Shirai - as the Sky Pirates - could be exactly the breath of fresh air the women's tag division needs

Io Shirai & Kairi Sane to SmackDown

Paige's announcement to the IIconics that she would be bringing in a surprise duo to face them for the WWE tag belts they won at WrestleMania, and successfully defended against the Brooklyn Belles last week, has sparked plenty of speculation.

Will the British star be reunited with her Absolution team, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville? Or could she bring in the Riott Squad from Raw?

Both are strong possibilities. But the Shakeup always brings in NXT talent, and with the women's division needing some new additions after the loss of Nia Jax to injury - and the ongoing uncertainty over Ronda Rousey's future - this is the perfect time to call up the Sky Pirates.

The Undisputed Era have run roughshod over NXT for some time - will the main roster be next?
Image: The Undisputed Era have run roughshod over NXT for some time - will the main roster be next?

The Undisputed Era to Raw

Adam Cole's loss to Johnny Gargano for the NXT title in the main event of TakeOver: New York prior to WrestleMania means the Undisputed Era currently hold no NXT championship gold.

So what better time, then, to send Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, Roderick Strong and Bobby Fish to the main roster and have them be the scheming heel faction the fans have craved for so long?

If they were to debut with a real bang this week and, say, steal Finn Balor's Intercontinental title from him, it would immediately establish them as a force to be reckoned with.

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