Talkin' Smack

My favorite time for a wrestling company is when its roster is in transition. Afterall, the Attitude Era would have never occured had the E not had its roster completely raided by WCW.

Exit Rey Mysterio with a knee injury. King Booker drops the World Heavyweight Title to Batista.

The young and hungry talent is banging down the main event door. Now there's a 16-man "Beat the Clock SmackDown! Sprint" where literally any one of these guys can end up in the main event of Royal Rumble. Life is indeed good in the "SmackDown!" kingdom.

Last night saw the first half of the "Beat the Clock" challenge and we were treated to three smark fantasy matches and a solid Kane VS. Chavo match. Honestly, I never thought I'd see London VS. Kendrick, King Booker VS. Gregory Helms, and a Mr. Kennedy VS. Chris Benoit main event all in one evening.

In fact, I thought I'd never see Booker VS. Gregory Helms ever. The longest reigning champion in the E against the man that ruled "SmackDown!" for the better part of six months - plus both guys are heels. Storylines were tossed out the window and it was all about competition last night.

The London and Kendrick match was a classic chain wrestling move/countermove clinic. Although a segment of the "SmackDown!" crowd chanted "boring" during the beginning of the match, it was a breath of fresh air for those of us who still long for Ric Flair/Ricky Steamboat circa 1989 style professional wrestling. No fire, no barbed wire, no gimmicks. Just a purely scientific wrestling match where the only storyline that exists is that one man wants to defeat the other. Finally!

Which begs the questions: Is the "Beat the Clock" challenge an experiment? Is the E testing out the idea of competition for competition sake? Are they testing the market for a more MMA shoot style brand? We know damn well that's not happening on "Raw" with K-Fed in the main event spot. And who the hell knows what's going on with "ECW"?

But could the E be using "SmackDown!" as a testing ground for a more reality based brand? We've already discussed how the "SmackDown!" brand features simplistic storylines in the past. Perhaps they are trying to take that formula a bit further. Just some food for thought.

Speaking of shoot style and legit competition, how about the burns suffered during the Inferno Match to the back of MVP? If those burns were indeed legit, it was down right brutal. Not Joey Mercury brutal, but damn close!

During the MVP segment, I realized that it is pretty much set in stone that barring any serious injuries, MVP will eventually become WWE/World Heavyweight Champion. He's got the psychology, the talent, the look and that infamous "it" factor the likes I can't remember since The Rock himself. Mark my words, this guy is going to make the history books.

Another future World Heavyweight Champion, Mr. Kennedy had an outstanding match with Chris Benoit, ultimately pinning the United States Champion. How about the senton spot where Benoit lifted his knees? Kennedy impresses me more and more every week. There has to be a silent rivalry going on between Kennedy and MVP to see whose star will shine brighter in 2007.

It's a sure bet that one and most likely both of these guys are going to rule the "SmackDown!" and/or the entire WWE kingdom by year's end. It's also a matter of time before Kennedy turns babyface. The chants have already begun. A Kennedy/MVP program would be off the hook as they've already hinted at it in the past.

Overall, it was a very strong "SmackDown!" despite the inexplicable Boogeyman/Gregory Helms feud that's beginning to fester and a luckluster Diva match. But, with a locker room full of young breakout stars on the cusp of completely shattering the glass ceiling and the implentation of legit competition, "SmackDown!" has kicked off 2007 with a damn solid performance.

Next week Taker, Matt Hardy, Finlay and MVP all have a shot at knocking off Mr. Kennedy for the number one contendership at Royal Rumble. Predictions?

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