Apollo Crews Sent to WWE Raw in 1st Move of Superstar Shake-Up

Prior to Raw Monday night, WWE announced the first wrestler who will change shows during the Superstar Shake-Up.

WWE shared an interview with Apollo Crews, who will move from SmackDown Live to Raw:

Crews has had a disappointing tenure on the main roster since making the jump from NXT on the night after WrestleMania 32 in April 2016.

Rather than going to Raw, Crews would arguably be better off heading back to Full Sail University so he can focus on his overall development. It's not as if he had much time to establish himself in front of the NXT audience before he moved up in the first place.

A pair of matches with Finn Balor established Crews is a good wrestler, and his athleticism is clear to anybody who sees him in the ring.

But before he could define his character and general motivations any further, he went to WWE and did little of note.

Emma is a perfect example of how a demotion to NXT can benefit a wrestler in the long term. After treading water on the main roster, she rejoined NXT in January 2015. While there, she crafted her "Evil Emma" gimmick and again established herself as one of the best in-ring technicians in the women's division.

By bringing Crews over to its flagship show, however, WWE may have a larger plan at play to help revive his career.

For more news, rumors and related stories about Apollo Crews and WWE, check out the WWE stream on Bleacher Report's app.