Monday night on Raw, Vince McMahon rocked the WWE Universe when he returned to television for the first time since splitting the WWE into two brands and announced that Kurt Angle would be the new Raw GM as well as a major “superstar shake-up” coming to the roster next week.
Many have speculated that WWE would be having another draft this year after ‘Mania, but weren’t exactly sure how the event would be formatted considering both brands couldn’t start from scratch again. Today WWE has shed light on the upcoming shake-up, revealing that it will function more like a trade deadline than a draft. Here is the full release from WWE.
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“Mr. McMahon announces WWE will “shake things up” next week on Raw and SmackDown LIVE
ORLANDO, Fla. – “It’s time to shake things up around here,” Mr. McMahon loudly exclaimed to the raucous Amway Center crowd during the Raw after WrestleMania.
The Chairman and CEO of WWE surprised everyone Monday night in Orlando when he came out to the ring and thanked the WWE Universe for making WrestleMania 33 The Ultimate Thrill Ride. Surprise turned to shock, however, when Mr. McMahon then announced that the WWE roster will undergo a seismic shift on next week’s editions of Raw and SmackDown LIVE.
Mr. McMahon also announced he has already conferred with lead representatives from Raw and SmackDown LIVE in advance of the shake-up that will take place for both brands. That includes the newly named Raw General Manager, WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle, as well as SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan, who are already in ongoing discussions with each other regarding next week’s anticipated Superstar movement, WWE.com has confirmed.
The WWE Chairman will be granting both sides an opportunity to make trades, deals and other moves that they feel fit, according to WWE.com sources. There are many potential maneuvers that the WWE Universe will surely be buzzing over. Could we see recently engaged SmackDown stars John Cena & Nikki Bella on separate brands as a result of the shake-up? What about a monster like Braun Strowman causing havoc on the SmackDown LIVE roster instead of Raw? The possibilities are endless.
Stick with WWE.com for more on the Superstar Shake-up as news develops, and tune into next week’s Raw and SmackDown LIVE to see where things stand within WWE’s New Era.”
Make sure to watch tonight’s SmackDown LIVE to hear how the blue brand’s superstars react to the news as well as if Daniel Bryan gives any hints for potential trades.
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