Smackdown Discussion Thread

[textonly]

8 hours ago, Ambulance Chaser said:

This is the most tiresome, tedious main event program in a long time.

There's very little interest or intrigue, obviously, but when I hear this I mostly think, "but what about the one immediately preceding it?". The final 6-8 weeks or so of Randy and Bray was so interminable, so embarrassing, that even this mediocrity is an improvement. Not because it's "fresh", but because it at least follows some basic wrestling logic. By virtue of that alone, this still feels like somewhat of a relief to me. I'll take a poor-to-average performer working with a logical story over a talented performer working with garbage all day long.

And, still, even with Jinder being a focal point, Smackdown is just twice the show Raw is right now. Enjoyed the Fashion Files again, enjoyed the Usos promo even more than last week's (they really should have some "IT'S NOT PARANOIA!" shirts sorted), enjoyed Ellsworth breaking some hearts and I enjoyed Owens and AJ. It's so solid.

Even Erick Rowan on Talking Smack piqued my interest. Erick Rowan!

[gadge]

Yeah, the Erick Rowan performance on Talking Smack was certainly something. More character development in one hit than ever before, but one segment of the supplemental show shouldn't be enough for a PPV (Kickoff show, presumably) bout.

I liked the women's segment best on the Smackdown main show. Good talking from everyone and especially Ellsworth, who is the good type of ridiculous. 

[Coles84]

Have to agree with all that is been said about Jinder. My main beef is how quickly he has gone from a joke on Raw to a main eventer on Smackdown. I can see them putting the title on him too which I am hoping not. 

The momentum of the Andre the Giant battle royal this year is non existent. Last year I remember they made it a focus with Baron Corbin and used it to get him off the ground and while not ideal it kept the match in our minds. Mojo seems to have all but vanished. 

The matches seemed quite long on Smackdown this week, longer than normal I thought. Maybe just me. 

The Fashion Police are the stars of the show at the moment. I am genuinely happy for them. 

I am quite happy for Backlash as several matches intrigue me but sadly the main event does nothing for me. Where does Orton go from here realistically? 

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

Yeah where is Mojo? Last I saw him he was giving a backstage tour to kids. Weird, weird company.

 

[Lorne Malvo]

15 minutes ago, Coles84 said:

 

I am quite happy for Backlash as several matches intrigue me but sadly the main event does nothing for me. Where does Orton go from here realistically? 

 

I can see him retaining at Backlash then being immediately attacked by Rusev.

I don't think enough is being said about how great The Usos promos the past few weeks have been. 'IT'S NOT PARANOIA' is so good.

[Daaaaaad!]

If it's all about the Indian market they should just have brought Khali back. As of right now he's still had more watchable matches despite having no knees whatsoever

[mim731]

I wouldn't foresee it being a long reign, but I can definitely see them putting the belt on Jinder, even if only to switch it back at TV or MITB in some sort of multi-man including Orton and Rusev.

[PunkStep]

I haven't really been watching that much, but I haven't noticed Daniel Bryan around lately. Has he been on TV at all?

[Slapnut]

6 minutes ago, PunkStep said:

I haven't really been watching that much, but I haven't noticed Daniel Bryan around lately. Has he been on TV at all?

Brie's just had their kid so I'd imagine he'll be off for another few weeks yet.

[PunkStep]

I see, I didn't realise that. That'll explain it then.

Think of us with our low-income 2 weeks statutory pay paternity leave, Bryan!

[King Pitcos]

On 5/11/2017 at 9:45 AM, BomberPat said:

I see your point, and I'm normally the last to complain about someone being "buried" or punished on TV - if they really don't like someone, they don't put them on TV every week. But you don't get a babyface over by having them be annoying, and having other babyfaces say that they're annoying. Nor do I put much truck in "he got to be in a segment with AJ Styles and Randy Orton" as inherently positive - Planet Stasiak got to be in segments with Steve Austin and The Rock, it didn't mean the company was behind him.

If you look at Sami's promos in NXT, he's the perfect underdog babyface, and the perfect fan surrogate. He's the heir apparent to Daniel Bryan in that role. Unless they're planning on turning him heel - which I doubt, and have no idea if he'd be any good at - you don't get a babyface over by having bigger name babyfaces, babyface authority figures and the announce team talk about how much they can't stand being around the guy.

In Sami Zayn's case, realistically the only way he's ever going to get to the top is us crying that head of creative Kevin Dunn is burying him and then whining at Royal Rumbles until he wins one. And as such, the more stuff they give us to cry about, the better it serves him.

Plus, we're always moaning about wrestlers getting scripted into forced roles instead of being allowed to be themselves on TV. They're letting Sami be himself now, sink or swim.

[Guest]

mahal has everyone hating him. A heel doesn't have to, nor should they be a super worker. Crowds gonna be on ortons side ,it's working 

[Ambulance Chaser]

It's not the right kind of hate, I think people are looking at him going "why is this happening, why is he in the main event, he does not belong there" and almost laughing at the situation. Sure the 11 year olds are booing him cos he's hating on their country but adults are looking at the booking of it and trying to work out why someone that has always been a joke within the narrative of the show is now headlining. Did you see him this week, I read on a couple of sites how when Jinder talks you can't hear him as well as other people so I checked it and he holds the microphone a fair way from his mouth and like shouts at it from a distance, I mean c'mon, fucking hell that is day one stuff isn't it? He always fucks up his promo, getting words in the wrong order, stumbling. He is just shit at Pro Wrestling, some guys just aren't cut out for it and he is one.

I also sense outright apathy towards Orton at this point, since the house of horrors nobody cares, anybody with any sense can see he don't care, he is phoning it in. He is like a child that has had his sweets taken away, nothing at all to get behind. The whole thing is a joke.

[ColinBollocks]

I can't speak for every fan, obvs, but for me it's definitely apathy, not hate or heat. Mainly because Jinder seems out of his depth.

Some people are like that. The Miz is a phenomenal midcard heel (in that I legit enjoy seeing him get beat up), but whenever he's stepped into the main event he's had similar issues. The Miz is a millions times the performer Jinder is too.

[WeeAl]

Very little of what has happened on Raw or Smackdown this past month has stuck in my head (mainly because I'm attempting to watch full shows via youtube clips and it proving difficult), but the Fashion Police skits have been the most fun thing by far. I get upset when the segment finishes because they are a right laugh. The Uso's are fucking magic promos as well. God knows why they have been fucking about for years saying nothing. The Uso's and Reigns, with this type of attitude, would be a phenomenal stable, and could be that good together I think they could even get Reigns cheered. 

 

As for Backlash, I think Nakamura should have a pretty good match with Ziggles, and AJ and Owens could have a blinder. The main event will suck the air out of the place though if they finish with the WWE title match, and have Jinder go over. I'm not sure yet if he'll win it but I wouldn't be a bit surprised.