Tim's Take 05.20.08: Layingith the Smacketh Downeth

Posted by Tim Livingston on 05.20.2008

C'mon. It's been a while since you heard that one, right? It's Part 2 of this 5 week series. Today, we look at the show about to take a jump to a lesser known network. How will it affect the future of the B brand?

-So last week, I looked at RAW and, as per usual when I talk about John Cena, the majority of the comments on my article were about him. Thankfully, they seem to think somewhat highly of my decision to be repackaged. Also that my choice of Mr. Kennedy as the Breakout Performer was somewhat ill-informed, and that my choice of CM Punk as the surprise entry into the fold was…well, not really welcomed with open arms. And I left out the Big Show. I think I might be able to answer all those questions in the scope of this week's article, where I look at SmackDown! and where it stands. So without further ado, let's whip out (yes, I said whip out) that template and take a look at how things are going in the land of what will soon be the highest rated show on MyNetwork TV.

Champions During This Year
-Edge (Beginning of the Year until WrestleMania)
-The Undertaker (WrestleMania until May 2)
-No current champion

One of the problems with SmackDown! (and it's a big problem) is that there is too much of a gap between the main event and midcard status. For the last four-five months, there has only been four people who have fought over the title. One of them, Rey Mysterio, is out with a biceps injury, and will be out until SummerSlam at the earliest. Since then, there's been Edge as the main heel with La Familia, The Undertaker, who's always considered a main event talent, and Batista, who basically was given the chance when nobody else could fit the bill. Thanks to that, these four have basically beat up on each other without allowing anyone else a chance to fight for the championship. Now, the title is vacant, and the finish to Judgement Day allows the title picture to be up in the air. They have done basically all they can to try and delay the inevitable, but there is nothing that can be done immediately to solve the problem. The reason they went with Edge yet again is that they wanted a good match to be put on and Batista/Taker has run its course. Also, what wasn't mentioned was the fact that if a triple threat match was planned, they would have been doing the same thing they did five months ago. It's fitting that because of the main event status has been stagnant, that the title is being held up. I have no clue what they plan to do when it comes to the title, but chances are it won't be of the usual variety. Something is going to happen and it's going to be somewhat weird.

Everyone Else Not In the Title Hunt
Matt Hardy has been wowing people in the midcard for about the last year. He has taken his game to a completely new level, mainly because the show has been needing a steady face act, and for the longest time, the Hardys have been over. It's interesting to note that while Jeff continues to wow when it comes to his high-flying antics, Matt Hardy has been telling better stories in the ring than damn near anyone in wrestling lately. He's been that good. He's relatively young, and will continue to get better. Is he main event material? That's to be seen.

MVP has been a fantastic heel and has situated himself as a guy who can be a big time player. He has lost the U.S. title to Matt Hardy, but now can focus on making a move up the ladder towards the main event. His improvement over the last three years has been remarkable, considering how green he was when he started, but now he's got everything over and he's in a position to shine. Considering Mr. Kennedy is getting the big push on RAW and he is nowhere near as talented as MVP is at this point, there's no reason to think that he shouldn't be in the main event and the title hunt.

The Big Show (see, I told you I'd get to him) has returned, but I've never understood why he's booked the way he is. How do you not put him into a title run with the Undertaker? Edge has his little army and he's getting the cheap heel benefits of sleeping with the boss, but now after his match with Khali got cancelled, he's left in limbo again. He can tell a fantastic story and he's got no stories to tell. When you do what he did with Floyd Mayweather, I have no idea what else you can do to show how much you mean to a company. That storyline was CRAP and he turned the match into something amazing considering all the stupidity that arose from the buildup. Now that Khali will be away for a while, he's gotta find something and find it fast.

Vladimir Koslov is getting a look, and right now, it's as if they're really trying to push the big athletic guy with some type of great background. Brock Lesnar, Bobby Lashley, and now Koslov. Thankfully, they don't have the same initials. He's really green, he's not exactly polished (Yes, those are the same thing, basically) and he has no personality. Plus, he uses the British Fall as his finisher. He's got a long way to go.

Chuck Palumbo has always been meddling in the middle, but he's never really been able to crack the top of the card and he's been stuck with the same people in the same types of feuds for what seems like forever. He's your usual guy that does some things well, has a decent character, and can help build someone up if need be.

Finlay can basically do whatever he wants. He and Hornswoggle are over and perform well. He's elastic enough to work face or heel, badass or comedy, and he's always been a fantastic worker. He'll be a solid hand until he retires.

Mark Henry has a shot at being a main eventer for a program, but then will fall back down to the midcard. The numerous injuries have taken away a lot of his athleticism, and now is just a 400-pound big, angry dude.

The tag division has seen itself be great when it has the chance. Miz and Morrison…well, they are absolutely sensational. Miz has improved by leaps and bounds and Morrison has really improved his character, even if I'm not exactly enthused by his flippy style. He'll sell a beating though, and that's always nice. Jesse and Festus have been fun, with Festus' character being one of SmackDown!'s best, and Yang and Morrison have great chemistry together. You can really get a lot out of the SmackDown! teams, and they do a good job whenever they actually put a team together.

The women's division has a chance to be sneaky good. The group they have assembled are all basically learning on the job, and because of that, they get to learn from experienced workers like Nattie Neidhart and Victoria, who are good enough heels to carry the bulk of a match. Michelle McCool and Kelly Kelly have been improving a lot, and I like that McCool is adding a submission to her arsenal. I think the Knockouts have been putting a lot of pressure on WWE to step their game up, and the girls are responding. Go figure that the one thing that has been improving more than anything has been the women's wrestling on both brands. Wow.

What To Expect In the Next Third of the Year

I think there will be an actual tournament to crown a new World Heavyweight Champion. It allows things to happen where you can have someone go over, but not necessarily leave someone behind. I think you really need to go the route of someone completely new becoming champion. MVP could really be that guy. Finlay could, as well. I think Finlay/Edge would be a great feud just to see what Hornswoggle and he could do to mess with La Familia. I also think that it will come down to Teddy Long assuming full power from Vickie Guerrero. That'll allow people to see that gate-drawing Teddy Long/Vickie Guerrero feud. Oy. It's going to happen.

The U.S. Title is going to stay on Matt Hardy for a while, but I'm pretty sure it's going to go to Koslov. I think Hardy could do a lot with that. If not him, then maybe he and Chuck Palumbo have a long run together. I just can't see him going up against MVP again. Considering the Taker/Batista feud getting stale, Hardy/MVP is DEFINITELY going to get stale if they continue to string this out.

Miz and Morrison can keep the tag belts forever in my eyes. I think they'll be fantastic tag champs for a long time, mainly because the belts aren't exactly in danger, and they're so good and talented that it will take a strong team to knock them off. They took care of Kane and CM Punk well enough, but I think they're best as cocky heels that can take on all comers by outsmarting them. Let them continue to take on all comers. It's like a better version of MNM. The Rmy is right there, too, but that would only work if they turn Miz and Morrison face, which won't happen.

The woman's division will keep plugging along, but since they interchange so much, I could see a couple women swapping places here to even up the stakes. I think Nattie Neidhart has a chance at wearing the belt this summer, but Michelle McCool will make strides as well. I like what she could do.

Next Wrestler Ready to Breakout
MVP. Too easy. I've named all the reasons, so I won't go on, but he's the next big thing on SmackDown!.

Next Wrestler Poised For a Dropoff
It's tough because I don't think anybody really can "drop off" right now. With the title in the air, it's tough to see who might get a shot. I think Batista might be falling off a bit, but that's mainly because he's involved with Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho in that storyline.

Surprise Entrant Into the Fold
John Cena.

No, I'm not joking. Stop with the laughing. Look, SmackDown! has been ANGUISHING lately. The only true top faces they have are Taker and Batista. Mysterio will be coming back, but then what? You're about to move to a new network. You need to draw ratings. The audience you get on Friday nights is younger and you're looking to keep the kids interested. The idea that John Cena and Rey Mysterio could be on the same show is exactly what you'd need to get SmackDown! ratings up there. The Undertaker already draws a bit, and now you got three super hero types to beat the odds. I really like the idea of sending Cena over to freshen both himself and SmackDown! up a bit. He needs a change of scenery. He appeals to kids. He'd be a better fit with SmackDown! than on RAW. It would be a great move. It'll never happen, but it makes a bit of sense, and that's why it would be a surprise. Otherwise, he's just another face in the crowd on RAW. It's crowded, and it's going to need to be broken up a bit. Cena might be a nice jolt.

So yeah, that last one is going to get some pretty decent responses, but it's basically just me playing fantasy booker. Next week, ECW. Will it even be around in four months?