Talkin' Smack

Editor's note: This article was scheduled to post this past Saturday. We apologize to Ben Boudreau and O-sters everywhere for posting it this late! We've been very busy! Now prepare for a great read...

Friday night saw yet another entertaining two hour broadcast from the new WWE flagship brand "SmackDown!".

We saw the debut of a new tag team, a No Disqualification match for the U.S. title, MVP team up with Regal and Taylor, the escalation of the Hardy/Mercury blood feud, the Miz get annihiliated by Kane, oh yeah...and as predicted Kennedy will indeed have a one on one shot at Batista at the Rumble.

The "SmackDown!" tag team division has expanded with the debut of Deuce and Domino. These guys are sure to get mixed reviews by my fellow O-sters, but something tells me these guys are going to be special. Greaser gimmick aside, these guys were aggressive, stiff, entertaining on the mic, and one of them is Jimmy Snuka's son. How can you go wrong? Keep an eye on Deuce and Domino in upcoming weeks.

Perhaps the match of the night was the No Disqualification Match for the U.S. title. Last week I predicted Chavo would defeat Benoit for the strap. I was wrong. Where does Chavo go from here? What the hell is going on with Vickie Guerrero? I'm confused with the storyline outside the ring, but when the bell rings Benoit and Guerrero continue to deliver.

Speaking of confusion, why does Mercury still come out to MNM's music? Also, why does Johnny Nitro continue to appear on "SmackDown!"? I mean I know these guys are former partners, but Nitro is on the "Raw" roster. Isn't it time that Joey Mercury got his own entrance theme and makeover? If he's going to succeed as a singles star, he needs to develop his own image and step out of the growing shadow of Nitro and Melina's starpower.

After seeing The Miz go undefeated for several grueling weeks on "SmackDown!", it's more than refreshing to see this guy get squashed two weeks in a row by the Brothers of Destruction. I never thought I'd say this, but Miz was actually better when he was on the mic. He's one of the few guys on any of the E's rosters I legitimately cannot stand to watch.

Speaking of guys I hate to watch, Vito teamed up against the phenominal team of London and Kendrick to face a bit of a dream team comprised of MVP, Regal, and Taylor. Man...these guys impress me more and more every week. I've been a huge Regal mark for years, Dave Taylor is no joke, and MVP is rapidly becoming one of my favorites. How but that stiff finish by my boy
MVP? Seriously, who isn't impressed yet?

It's official...Batista and Mr. Kennedy will not be competing in a Triple Threat Match at the Royal Rumble. Last week I made the bold prediction that Kennedy would walk out of San Antonio the new World Heavyweight Champion. Many of you were quick to jump the gun calling for a Triple Threat Match including Taker. That's not going to happen. At least not for now anyway.

Batista and Taker do look like they're heading for a showdown at Mania. These two monsters don't need a title on the line to draw as they have never competed against one another. I'll say it again...Kennedy is walking out of San Antonio the new World Heavyweight Champion.

Does anyone else get the feeling that the powers that be from "SmackDown!" visit Tha O Show? The new "SmackDown!" feature on WWE.com is titled "Talkin' Smack". Coincidence? Actually it probably is since it is a farely obvious albeit clever moniker. What I'm talking more about is the views expressed by JBL. Half the time when this guy talks, I can't help but believe he speaks for the smarks everywhere. This week, He told Batista to his face he can't understand why the fans care about him. Seriously, how many times have we discussed that very topic here on Tha O Show?

While I appreciate what Batista brings to the table, I also understand how people can hate this guy. This week "The Animal" delivered some of the most vanilla commentary this side of Bobby Lashley. The Animal does has one of the best entrances on television, has explosive energy, a very impressive physique, but as far as cutting scathing promos, he will never be Roddy Piper.

The bottom line is phenominal commentary by JBL, the amazing work ethic of 90 percent of the "SmackDown!" locker room, and the solid two hours of actual WRESTLING, continue to make "SmackDown!" the new flagship show of the WWE. Congrats.

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