The Piledriver Report 10.07.09: SmackDown Cena?

Posted by Ronny Sarnecky on 10.07.2009

With the announcement on RAW that if John Cena loses his WWE World title match to Randy Orton at the upcoming Bragging Rights pay per view, “The Piledriver Report” takes a look at whether moving John Cena to the “B” show is a good idea.

They did it! They did it! I can't believe they finally did it! The WWE was finally turned me into a huge John Cena fan. How exactly did they do it you may be asking yourself? Did I turn into a John Cena mark thanks to his recent match against Randy Orton inside a Hell in a Cell? Nope. Don't get me wrong; I enjoyed the match a lot. However, I am not a Cena fan because of his "tremendous" working ability. Did he deliver an emotion "Austin 3:16 says I just kicked your ass" level promo that has me inspired to become a member of the Chain Gang? Sorry, it's not that either. Could it be his endless charity work with organizations the like of the Make a Wish Foundation, or his tireless work ethic that has him on the road promoting the WWE's product even during his off days? While both are admirable traits, and I have the utmost respect for Cena because of it, that isn't making me a fan either.

WHY ROOT FOR JOHN CENA



On this past week's episode of "Monday Night RAW," John Cena challenged Randy Orton to yet another WWE World title match. Once again, he told Orton that if the "Legend Killer" loses, he would no longer get a shot at the WWE World championship. Randy Orton agreed to the stipulation as long as he could throw in a stipulation of his own. If Orton retains his title at the WWE Bragging Rights pay per view, John Cena must leave RAW.

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please God, no! It's bad enough that the WWE threw Batista on the SmackDown! brand last week, can they really do it to me twice in a month's time span? I love SmackDown! SmackDown! is, to quote The Miz, AWESOME! The beauty of SmackDown! is that it is a completely different telecast from its RAW counterpart. While RAW has all of the household names, and the sizzle, SmackDown! has the steak. If you want celebrity guest hosts and story telling, tune into RAW. However, if you want wrestling and old school angles, then SmackDown! is your show.

THE WWE ALTERNATIVE



The WWE has done something that TNA has failed to do. With three television programs, the WWE has given the fans a different variety to offer the fans. Event the ECW brand differentiates from the two senior brands. ECW is the "not yet ready for prime time players" brand. This is the brand, for the most part, that the developmental students go to when then are ready to move from Florida to the main circuit.

Despite the fairly regular complaining that I do in regards to the WWE, I like that there are three different formats to choose from. While I prefer a professional wrestling show that features good, solid wrestling, I do understand the need for an alternative show, like what we currently see on RAW today. I may not like it, but others do. There are fans out there that love the catchphrases of DeGeneration X. They laugh at the juvenile jokes that are littered throughout John Cena's promos. They pop or boo each celebrity guest host, depending on who the person is that is hosting that night.

Ever since the Monday Night Wars, people have been conditioned to know that Monday night is wrestling night. It doesn't matter if you are a loyal follower, or just want to see what is going on while you were away. You know that if you need to catch up on the going ons of the WWE, all you need to do is turn on the TV on a Monday night, and you will be able to find it on the television. RAW is the casual fan's show, and like it or not, this is the kind of fan that Vince is trying to attract. I don't like it, and grit my teeth at most of the segments on the show. However, I know there is light at the end of the tunnel. That light being my favorite Friday night wrestling show.

Of course, I am talking about SmackDown! SmackDown! is the show built for the die hard, loyal wrestling fans. Earlier this year, the Friday night roster consisted of Jeff Hardy, CM Punk, Rey Mysterio, Jr., Chris Jericho, John Morrison, Edge, the Hart Dynasty, and the up and coming Dolph Ziggler. Unless you watch the WWE regularly, these men, who are the foundation of the brand, would not be known by the casual observer who knows of only "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and Hulk Hogan.

The last time SmackDown! was a true alternative to RAW was when they had the original "SmackDown! Six," of Edge, Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle, Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, Jr., and Chavo Guerrero. Like today, the SmackDown! six made that show the "wrestling show," while RAW provided the "name," or "star" talent, so to speak. SmackDown! , during that time was the can't miss show of the week. Same goes for the SmackDown! brand today. If I miss SmackDown!, I feel guilty about it.


SCREWING UP THE "B" SHOW



Every time I hear rumors about Vince wanting to "shake things up," the same thought comes to my mind. "Whatever you do, please DO NOT SCREW UP MY SHOW!" You can have RAW. Do whatever you want with it. Hell, make Hornswaggle the champ on the show for all I care. Just leave SmackDown! alone. The "B" show is so good right now, that I knew Vince would mess with it.

First, he starts showing up on SmackDown! Definitely not a good sign. Plus, what kind of dumb storyline is he in? He puts Teddy Long on probation because he is not a good General Manager. The mark in me constantly shakes my head at this. How could Mr. McMahon complain at the job Teddy is doing when he is running the best wrestling show on TV. Even though Vince showed up on SmackDown!, at least he isn't a focal point of the show like he was on RAW. That's good. I can live with that.

However, with the lack of main event "name" faces on the brand, the WWE decided to move Batista over from RAW! I understand that he is a big name, but I don't understand the fascination with "The Animal." In my eyes, he's this generation's Ultimate Warrior. If Batista's role is that of an upper midcard wrestler, I can deal with that. However, if Batista becomes the face of SmackDown's babyface side, and is always going for the World title, I will not be a happy camper. I do not want SmackDown! to become "The Batista Show."

Dealing with Batista is one thing. However, if the WWE does what I fear they will be doing, then the great SmackDown! brand as we know it will be dead. If John Cena loses the WWE World title match at Breaking Point, he will be moved over to SmackDown! That worries me, because I already saw what happens when John Cena and Triple H are on separate brands. You get two shows with the same format. You get the "Triple H Show" and the "John Cena Show." Each show focuses on these two performers. At least with Batista, he may be involved in the main event scene. However, in the pecking order of things, the WWE never builds a brand around him. CM Punk, Chris Jericho, the Undertaker will still have a high profile role on SmackDown! with Batista in town. If John Cena comes on board, I fear that all will play second fiddle to the master of thuganomics.

That is not a good thing. SmackDown! needs to stay the way it is. Knowing that any number of performers on SmackDown! can be inserted into the World title picture, and they would appear worthy, is a refreshing change from the glass ceiling that crushes the heads of performers like MVP and Jack Swagger on RAW. If you bring over John Cena, along with the two-week-old acquisition of Batista, the glass ceiling will be brought over to the SmackDown! brand. Sure, the Undertaker, Chris Jericho, and probably CM Punk would be safe because they established themselves as top stars. However, I could easily see Dolph Ziggler immediately job to John Cena within Cena's first couple of weeks on the show. Thus, killing any momentum Ziggler built up for himself.

One of the biggest complaints regarding the WWE today is that they fail to create new stars. That is true of the RAW brand, but the SmackDown! brand does create new stars, and gives performers a chance to shine in the spotlight. In order to keep that light shining for the future stars of professional wrestling, the WWE needs to do the right thing. Keep John Cena on RAW, and let the fans continue on having the Friday night alternative to Monday night's RAW. Only then, both die-hard and casual fans will all win.