WWE SmackDown Fallout: Superstar Shake-Up Hype Builds and More

The April 9 episode of WWE SmackDown Live spent less time recapping the events of WrestleMania 35 and more focusing on the upcoming Superstar Shake-Up, even producing members of the Raw roster to properly tease some of the rivalries possible following next week's television.

One such member of the flagship was Braun Strowman, who physically confronted United States champion Samoa Joe and gave fans an idea of what they could expect from The Monster Among Men moving to the blue brand.

That, as well as The Hardy Boyz's electrifying tag team championship victory, was among the biggest takeaways from Tuesday's USA Network broadcast.

Superstar Shake-Up Hype Dominates Post-WrestleMania SmackDown

Next week begins the 2019 WWE Superstar Shake-Up, and Tuesday night's SmackDown featured more hype and discussion about the two-night event than actual storyline advancement and development.

From attributing Kevin Owens' attack after the Six-Man Tag Team pitting Aleister Black, Ricochet and Ali against Rusev, Shinsuke Nakamura and Andrade to sending a message ahead of the roster shuffle to appearances by Raw's Braun Strowman and Drew McIntyre, the show did a superb job of creating excitement for next week's broadcasts—as it should.

WWE has always been at its best when it actually delivers the episodic television it loves to label itself as. So often, the company books week-to-week without giving fans any reason to tune in seven days later.

Creating hype for the Superstar Shake-Up, which is always one of the more intriguing events of the year, was the right move, and the SmackDown writing team did a fantastic job of making it seem like a special show that deserves your attention.

Could Move to SmackDown Be Change Braun Strowman Needs to Rebuild Momentum?

Braun Strowman has been cooled down so significantly over on Raw that The Monster Among Men—once a Universal Championship contender—was left off the WrestleMania 35 main card and relegated to the jobberific Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

After missing Monday's Raw, he exploded through the curtain and confronted the dominant United States champion, Samoa Joe.

The two of them exchanged blows before Strowman got the best of The Destroyer, sending him to the sanctuary of the arena floor.

Not only did it create interest in an extended rivalry between Strowman and Joe, it gave fans a taste of the fresh start SmackDown could be for The Monster Among Men.

After squaring off with, and beating, every major star on Raw, there really is nothing left for Strowman to accomplish outside of winning the Universal Championship. With Seth Rollins having just won the title, and Roman Reigns waiting in the wings, it is unlikely he has a clear path to it.

SmackDown, though, is less crowded with legitimate top guys and could be the best option for The Monster to realize his potential and become the face of a brand.

Hardy Boyz on Booking Treadmill Following Latest Tag Team Title Win

Matt and Jeff Hardy won the SmackDown Tag Team Championships Tuesday night, defeating The Usos in a dream match of sorts. While the fans popped and the moment felt special, it represented more treadmill booking for the legendary duo.

Considering the wealth of talent across the company, and the potential for fresh matches and stories, the idea that WWE Creative continues to go back to pairing Matt and Jeff up to win tag team titles when it can't come up with anything else more interesting for them to do is an indictment on the writing team.

In recent years, we have seen that Matt is one of the most creative minds in the industry. There's something about the lazy reunion of the brothers that suggests he didn't come up with the idea to revisit something the team has done for more than 25 years.

It is even more disappointing when you realize the performers do not have a lot of time left in their careers, limiting the opportunities they have to share their creativity with the world.