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11.29.2008

Friday Night Fallout: Triple Trouble

I'm a huge fan of Edge. I also really like the character that Vickie has when she's associated with Edge. I like it when the E blurs the line between work and shoot, but with the combination of the three things attempted on "SmackDown" this week, I'm not so sure.

Jeff Hardy has a record as far as the E, or well pro wrestling is concerned. The "collapsed" storyline was a little odd, and eyebrows across the wrestling world have been raised. If the payoff isn't a title win, this will have been completely pointless.

Paul Heyman was upset about the Jeff Hardy angle over Survivor Series weekend. He said it was eerily reminiscent of Brian Pillman and Eddie Guerrero stories that took place not that long ago. With Jeff Hardy's legitimate past this is a risky angle, but with Vince dying or coming close to death for the second time this past summer it doesn't appear that there are any lines the E wont cross.

Jeff Hardy is over. He has the support of nearly all wrestling fans as far as getting a run with the belt, no matter the length. If this is turned into a run then the payoff will be undeniable. If not, then what was the point? Word is that this was a Michael Hayes idea and given the ok from Vince and the direction from Steph. Big surprise there.

The storyline to build to Armageddon was "Beat the Clock." BTC should be used in Elimination Chamber situations, and sparingly in other situations, but BTC has become just as meaningless as almost every other gimmick match or series in wrestling.

Jeff Hardy going first and defeating The Brian Pillman was fine, but wouldn't Jeff Hardy pulling off what Triple H pulled off have gotten a bigger and/or better reaction? Maybe not, maybe it just seems as though this was booked backward, having the former champ set the standard just seems as though it makes the most sense.

The dozen diva debacle was pointless. I'm sorry but "SmackDown" female wrestling just isn't entertaining. Michelle McCool is just there holding a butterfly belt. The Bella twins are there to get stats on Yahoo search. Maryse is there to be attractive, and Victoria and Nattie are so terribly misused it hurts me. They can work, put them where they can actually do it.

I understand that John Cena is back. I understand that this is a big deal to a few dozen people. But there is absolutely no reason that he is advertised at least once on every show, and all day everyday on USA. I doubt that's helping, and nobody really cares about Kane anymore either.

Miz and Morrison are still one of the best things going in wrestling right now, even though they did the ring the bell on Festus gimmick again. It got the match thrown out, so we didn't get the entire showing of the Executive of Entertainment, but I'm sure he'll be around Monday too.

Is the E doing anything they can to get Kennedy face time? Sure it's fine, I have no problem with Kennedy...Kennedy, but is it really necessary? Don't get people burned out on him before he even returns. If he is returning, and if so if it's anytime soon, maybe that's why they are taking this course of action.

I will give respek to Trips, Benjamin and the ref for timing it just right, if in fact they did and there wasn't some clock manipulation going on. Either way it did work out to a dramatic finish, but the problem is we'll have yet another triple threat match for the WWE strap.

It could work out, it may not. We'll just have to wait and see. By the way if the fact that I'm saying this will be a triple threat match spoils anything for anyone, I would say I'm sorry, but if you hadn't figured that out from reading spoilers or using common sense, I really don't know what to tell you.

Quick results...
*Jeff Hardy def. The Brian Kendrick (12:13)
*Maryse/Natalya/Victoria def. Michelle McCool/Bella Twins
*Matt Hardy vs. Vladimir Kozlov (no contest because it surpasses 12:13)
*Triple H def. Shelton Benjamin (12:13)







2 comments: on "Friday Night Fallout: Triple Trouble"

Anonymous said...

gd article man, i agree that the booking was back to front, but maybee this is a slite little push again for hardy with trips avin to get up to his standards maybee?
smackdown was a really solid show im actually enjoying wrestling alot more with this show and ecw, the miz abd morrison made me laff man, orton & morrison are the future of the wwe

Downtown said...

Just watched SmackDown last night (after 12 hours of driving in holiday traffic on I-81) and I think I liked the show. Even with the quasi-nonsensical beat the Clock gimmick matches.

I kinda get what the opposing are trying to do, but what is their motivation? Why aren't they trying to get a pic? If they got the pin in the quickest time, wouldn't they earn the title shot? It's a hard role to play. Kendrick never went for a pin when he had the chance, but Matt Hardy did? Never mind the asinine matching times. No mention of the history between HHH and Benjamin. Now I'm just frustrating myself.

I like the basis of the gimmick, it's just not very well thought out, therefore it cannot be booked or executed to it's potential.

That aside, glad to see Edge back, still enjoying Jeff Hardy, Miz and Morrison are on AGAIN and still entertaining as hell.

I gotta disagree about the rushed stance on Hardy. He hasn't lost steam since he came back, there's no reason a title win (if necessary) can't wait til WM25 or even him winning the MITB and cashing it in.

Build this chase, build his character that he's attempting to bring out. I don't see this as I saw TNA screw up the Samoa Joe title win and not striking while the iron was hot. Hardy is 100x more over than Joe ever was, even in proportion to a small TNA audience.