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Note: This article contains full show match results for WWE SmackDown Live from the Bell Center in Montreal, Quebec, which aired on Tuesday, April 16, 2019.
Less than two weeks We've kind of forgotten about WrestleMania 35, as the New Year of WWE has been kicked off in earnest.
Last night was part two of the 2019 Superstar Shake-up, with Live SmackDown picking up where Raw left off on Monday.
Read on for four things we learned.
1. The 2019 WWE Superstar Shake-up was a total mess
Even if you ignore NXT, NXT UK or 205 Live (or indeed WWE Main Event), there are still FIVE HOURS of WWETV available live each week.
Sure, there are commercial breaks, and recaps, but still: FIVE HOURS.
Mbadive goal decisions, from match-ups to this year's shake-up, are still pumped out on WWE.com or social media.
Sometimes it's been done to build buzz for / via another channel, but all too often it makes it feel like an afterthought.
That's especially clear during this year's WWE Superstar Shake-up, where people watching the five hours (FIVE HOURS) of WWETV would not be that much clearer about who's been shaken up.
Overcoming the two days, we seem to be in the presence of many others, including Samoa Joe, Sasha Banks, Brock Lesnar, Ronda Rousey and DANIEL BRYAN, among others. others).
Bayley Rocked Up on Monday night with a brand new tag partner in WWE Women's Tag Team Champions, only for Naomi to make the move to Raw but Bayley to move to SmackDown the next night.
Andrade officially moved over to WWE Intercontinental Champion Finn Bálor in a non-title match, only for Finn to beat SmackDown Live to beat Ali yesterday.
You would think that you would need to move for US Samoa Champion Joe in the other direction, but with Joe carrying an injury nothing was announced.
And on over five hours (FIVE HOURS) of WWETV there were 11 matches but still not enough time to showcase a load of talent that moved.
What. A mess.
A tidy-up article on WWE.com outlined the following moves:
Moved to Raw: AJ Styles. The Miz, Ricochet, Aleister Black, The Viking Experience (Erik & Ivar), Andrade, Zelina Vega, Mysterio Rey, The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso), Naomi, EC3, Lacey Evans, Eric Young, Cedric Alexander
Moved to SmackDown Live: Roman Reigns, Finn Bálor (Field IC), Elias, Bayley, Ember Moon, Kairi Sane, Lars Sullivan, Buddy Murphy, Morgan Liv, Chad Gable, Apollo Crews, Mickie James, Heavy Machinery (Otis & Tucker)
Which means both SaNITy AND The Riott Squad AND Bobby Roode and Chad Gable have split up with zero fanfare.
And in only listing the changes, also means that your best bet is a trustworthy one.
2. Roman Reigns has a new brand on SmackDown Live and has unfinished business with Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon promised "the biggest acquisition in SmackDown Live history" and delivered … Elias?
Do not get us wrong, we've been walking with Elias since his confusing Johnny Cash-esque days down in NXT, but we did not really "get" the bait 'n' switch from Vinny Mac here.
Was it meant to be a gag? Does he really believe in Elias? Huh?
No matter, Elias was (as ever) interrupted, this time by THE BIG DOG.
A night after closing Monday Night Seth Rollins and AJ Styles, Reigns closed out SmackDown Live by hitting Vince McMahon with one too.
He then hit Elias with a spear but, wait what was that ?! Yep, Reigns hit a Punch Superman on Vince McMahon because, why the hell not?
It was possibly a callback to December 2015, when the Big Dog put down VKM on the way to beating Sheamus for the (then) WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
But maybe he was so frustrated with the whole messy shake-up as we were.
3. Paige is managing Asuka and Kairi Sane on SmackDown Live
Last week Paige promised to unveil a new tag team on Nile of Kairi Sane, who joined forces with … Asuka.
Asuka went from undefeated standalone superstar to Royal Rumble winner to (eventually) WWE SmackDown Women's Champion.
But she lost the belt to Charlotte Flair in a shock match before WrestleMania 35, and with Becky Lynch it was not entirely clear what would happen to the Empress of Tomorrow.
Well, now we know.
There's an argument that does not make total sense, but anything that gets Paige some regular WWE screentime (still the best in living memory) is alright by us.
The new duo joined together with Bayley and Ember Moon last night, who both have singles titles ambitions, and together they got a win against impromptu four-piece Absolute IIconics (or should that be Iconic Absolution?)
4. 'Big O' Kevin Owens is helping out The New Day in Big E's absence
Big E is currently on the shelf with a torn meniscus, which leaves The New Day short of a member.
No matter, as Kevin Owens has gone to the door.
With (ahem) 'Big O' in place, the newly-formed trio took over the team of Shinsuke Nakamura and Rusev (still together) with Cesaro (having a one-night break from Sheamus?) And picked up a victory.
Fun though it was, it was not clear how much the union (or the match) meant for anything going forward.
Will 'Big O' be sticking around with The New Day for the foreseeable? Will Owens / Woods or perhaps the latest WWE SmackDown tag team championship ooo Big E is back?
And most importantly, who is going to be challenging Kofi Kingston for the WWE Championship?
After two days of shaking up we've always got to answer each other.
WWE SmackDown Live Full Show Match Results – Tuesday, April 16, 2019
WINNER: Finn Bálor
- Carmella vs Charlotte Flair
WINNER: Charlotte Flair
- Asuka, Kairi Sane, Ember Moon & Bayley vs. The IIconics (Billy Kay and Peyton Royce), Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville
WINNERS: Asuka, Sane Kairi, Ember Moon & Bayley
- Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods & Kevin Owens vs. Cesaro, Shinsuke Nakamura & Rusev
WINNERS: Kofi Kingston, Kevin Woods & Kevin Owens
What did you think of SmackDown Live? Let us know at @digitalspywwe.
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