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5.31.2008

Tha SmackDown! ThrowDown

"SmackDown!", for all its insubstantialities and shortcomings, continues to put out a product that is watchable. For some reason, while watching on Friday nights, I never find myself wondering what else is on. It's a strange anomaly; you'd think with a paper thin roster, the show would become stale, but to a large extent, they've kept themselves out of the funk that "Raw" currently finds itself in.

Okay, so maybe that first paragraph seems like nothing more than a continuation of my closing argument from last week's recap, but deservedly so. Despite not having a deep roster, I believe that "SmackDown!" is still arguably the best weekly show put out by the E.

Elijah Burke and Matt Hardy had a dynamite opening match last night. If this is a sign of what they're capable of in the ring together, I hope these two feud all summer long. I like the fact that Matt Hardy is being built as a strong face champion and Burke is being booked as the guy who is chasing. Foley stated in the commentary multiple times that Burke had a ton of potential but seemed to not yet be able to get over the hump. Folks, putting that fact over a lot means one thing-the guy's about to get over the hump.

Finlay's rematch with Chuck Palumbo leads me to believe that Palumbo is being given the same treatment that was given to Boogeyman a little over a year ago (work with Finlay so they can learn how not to suck). I suppose that Finlay works well enough for this purpose, but couldn't you use a guy who's slightly less over? Finlay belongs in the main event, and I defy anyone to convince me otherwise. And none of that "But Vince doesn't like foreigners" shit. Forget that Vince calls the shots and still convince me.

I was reading a dirt sheet earlier this week and read something interesting about CM Punk that it seems a lot of people forgot. Yes, he's Mr. Money In The Bank, but he was not originally the guy slated to win that match, and only did so as a last minute afterthought following Hardy failing his piss test. I think that in the post-WrestleMania world, a lot of people (myself included) forgot that he was given the briefcase with no real plans in place, which is why it seems like they're not building toward him using it. But, at least he got a win tonight over John Morrison, which counts for something, even though it most likely means he's taking the pin this Sunday like Donnie predicted.

Turn out the lights, the party's over, Batista. Yes, you were once Triple H's boy, and Vince loved you, and you once were able to be somewhat compelling, managing to have one of the longest title runs in recent history (a run that rumor has it would have eclipsed a year had it not been for injury), but you got hurt, you lost whatever passion you may have had, and you really suck now. Your only hope to salvage your career is to become a full-fledged heel, but that's clearly not happening, as you teamed with a face to take on a heel tag team last night.

While I do believe that the flame on the candle that is Batista's career may be running short, I didn't mind his tag match last night. Big Show is more than likely gonna be the guy to win the Singapore Cane Match at ONS and face Kane for the ECW Championship, so having him come in unexpectedly and beat the supposedly mega-heel tag team of Hawkins and Ryder looks good for him.

MVP beat Jamie Noble in a squash, which I'm not cool with. Poor Jamie Noble. First he jobs to a leprechaun, then the division which he was the booking agent for goes defunct, and now he's getting used as squash fodder. I think at this point, squash matches are a bad way to move MVP into the main event picture. We know he's a big heel and that he can hang with the big boys, he doesn't have to destroy jobbers to prove it.

Why did we get two straight squash matches? And how long is Vladimir Kozlov going to be squashing people before he's given a legitimate feud of some sort? We get it, he's big and tough and scary and Russian. Two months later, we all get it. Give him something new to do before he goes stale.

Is "SmackDown!" trying to build a Women's Division? It seems like they are, but if they are, they should under no circumstances create a new championship. The Women's Division on "Raw" is small at best, as is the division on "SmackDown!" Either put all the women on one show, or make the Women's Champion able to defend her title against any brand. Two thin rosters can then combine and form what could actually be one pretty solid division.

I really wish I could go back in time and stop whomever came up with the idea to add the stipulation that Undertaker must leave WWE if he's fired. At the very least, make the stipulation that he must leave "SmackDown!" That way, everybody knows that he can just show up on "Raw" and him losing isn't that far-fetched. But that stipulation has taken all the suspense out of this match. I mean, I know that Undertaker's going to win anyway, and there will still be plenty of false finishes to tease, but it's still not the same feeling.

Tha results:
*Matt Hardy def. Elijah Burke
*Finlay def. Chuck Palumbo by Disqualification
*CM Punk def. John Morrison
*Batista & Big Show def. Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder
*MVP def. Jamie Noble
*Vladimar Kozlov def. Shannon Moore
*Michelle McCool def. Maryse


5 comments: on "Tha SmackDown! ThrowDown"

Anonymous said...

Maybe it's Smackdown's time again to shine if RAW is crappy at the moment. I hope they do build up the women's division overall in WWE will make it stronger. Vince does have a problem with foreigners, how are the Japanese always portrayed there? Nuff said.

Anonymous said...

Dude, Vinnie Mac is a racist bastard, everyone knows it, wake the hell up man!

Christopher Casúr said...

I know that Vince is a xenophobe and a racist, but Finlay is still a good worker, is over, and is on a show where only being a moderate draw is still good enough. Put those all together, and there's no logical reason why he shouldn't be a main eventer on Friday nights.

Race or nationality should in no way affect where a guy is on the card.

Anonymous said...

Undertaker could still lose because he could just want some time off and more than likely he is going to raw with the draft so maybe he will be "fired" then get drafted to raw

D.J.B. said...

Word has been that Mickie and/or the WWE Women's Championship is going to SmackDown. Makes sense it'll give them another title since the Cruiserweight was taken away.

Squash matches have at this point become pointless. They occur so frequently that there is no value to them at least not for an established star. A guy like Vladimir Jackoff though they may work. Four weeks ago he got hardly any reaction, latley he's been getting some boos. It may be all coming together for Kozlov, but that proves Vince at least likes one foreign guy. He's failed before with this guy, but apparently he takes the stance of, "If it first, second, third, fourth or fifth you don't succeed, try, try again."

The Undertaker/Edge TLC intrigues me, and I do understand how the "Undertaker must leave WWE" stip irritates some, but to me it is easily reversable. Remember, just three or four weeks ago, Vickie G was on the way out. There will be a change to this story sometime within the year, while I still enjoy it, some are disgusted and repulsed by it and there are those who are in high places who feel that way too. Taker could leave for a month or two, and as soon as Vickie is fired and the new GM is introduced and Edge is standing in the ring as the World Champion, the lights go down and the bell dings.