The Smackers Thread

[Winston]

Nick Aldis is a great slot in for SmackDown GM, delighted for him there.

[WyattSheepMask]

I wonder what’s changed for them to bring Aldis in now. Could just be that they’ve got some salary space now that Edge is off the books, but you’d think if they were ever interested in him they’d have brought him in years ago.

Even his piped in reaction seemed flat though, but that’s not his fault as about 12 people watch Impact and even less watch NWA. I’d love to know how the production side of that was decided- 

“Well we can’t use use ‘hulkamania4.mp3’, they’ll hear the cheer but see that no-ones clapping. ‘GolfClap’ seems a bit too mundane too. Go with ‘MidLevelMurmuring’ and see what happens”

Edited October 14, 2023 by WyattSheepMask

[DavidB6937]

5 hours ago, Kfogg1991 said:

But then Kevin Owens being announced as the draft to smackdown which split's him and Sami up and leaves them both with nothing after all the momentum and levels they were at for wrestlemania is mind-blowing 

... you got that from seeing him on Smackdown for a minute?

[d-d-d-dAz]

What an absolutely cracking show. Smackdown is on an absolutely belting run. It just feels like stars are popping up everywhere you look.

Great opening segment. Cena’s return has been so well handled, he’s working his arse off to put over LA Knight, but also Solo Sikoa too. Roman Reigns is just a huge star whose return elevates the programme, and then the crowd went absolutely potty for LA Knight despite two of the best ever being in the ring. Great promo for Knight, phenomenal camera work to get the shot of Roman squaring up to Knight in the sunglasses, and we ended with our main event. Top work. Just a lot of very over lads being very over. 
 

I apologise to everyone for this, but I don’t get Pretty Deadly. Fast forward material for me. It also disproportionately annoyed me that a production member didn’t clear the wheelchair for the Brawling Brute’s entrance. Wouldn’t happen on Vince’s watch.

Another weird observation; Why has Carlito been given the best t-shirt in the entire company? It’s a proper bit of kit, but he’s basically playing the same silly character he did before.

I thought the Triple H segment was great, and showed the real difference in presentation under him to Vince. Recognising the in-ring accomplishments of Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis just felt… nice. Mad hearing a Norfolk accent on big time American TV.

I’m guessing KO being drafted will lead to him turning heel and helping bridge the gap between Survivor Series and Royal Rumble (when Roman heads back to the beach) by feuding with LA Knight.

I’ve zero beef with Sami and KO being split up. They were a tag team forged in the fire of the Bloodline feud, and have got progressively colder the more removed they’ve got from that. KO is a star of sorts, more than qualified to main event as a singles guy, and Smackdown will lose Roman and Cena before long so it all checks out for me.

Fucking Charlotte Flair.

Funny seeing her with Jade Cargill though. Jade absolutely PISSES aura and she made Charlotte look like an extra from Hollyoaks here.

The ‘yeet’ stuff is funny, but I wonder if LA Knight has one eye on it like “come on, lads”.

Tag Team title match was fun, but probably time to pack the Cody-1D finisher in. Any move that seems to require you to land on your neck probably isn’t worth it.

The facedown with Roman was phenomenal. Inject it into my veins. Cody and Roman look like proper top level rivals. They’re the absolute antithesis of each other and the whole thing just crackles with electricity every time they’re together. I still think Cody should have won, but the fact he’s stayed so over… if they land this, that moment of catharsis when he wins will be absolutely mind bending.

Main event was fun too, LA Knight is really locked into his groove in the ring at the minute. He’s a little bit basic, a little bit scruffy… but he’s taking the fans with him every step of the way. I wouldn’t be surprised if he wins the Rumble and ends up going after the Raw title. Damian Priest having that briefcase just feels like another spanner they put in their own works… no one wants or needs that deviation.

But, yeah, great show, hot crowd, Norfolk accents. Let’s go.

 

Edited October 14, 2023 by d-d-d-dAz

[Devon Malcolm]

Nick Aldis has always been the blandest man in the room but his quiet introduction here was well done because they knew not many people would know who he was. Much like with Adam Pearce at the start of his run. But he got off to a good start here, his line to Dominik was great and his interjection between the Reigns / Rhodes standoff was nice. Could be an inspired hire as long as he doesn't wrestle. Now hire Kamille!

A brilliant show. So many potential storylines they could run off for months set up or strengthened in one night. If LA Knight wins the title I'm never watching wrestling again though.

Edited October 14, 2023 by Devon Malcolm

[TildeGuy~!]

LA Knights big moment and he opens by stealing lines from Negan from The Walking Dead.

Still don’t get him.

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

26 minutes ago, TildeGuy~! said:

LA Knights big moment and he opens by stealing lines from Negan from The Walking Dead.

You've really got to want to reach for that to put him down. Everything he said sounded authentic to him. He may be cosplaying the Attitude Era but he is faithful to it, and I bet there are very few people whose first thought was "That's from The  Walking Dead"

Feel free to not get him, but if that's your reason, behave. 

[DavidB6937]

1 minute ago, Lion_of_the_Midlands said:

Feel free to not get him, but if that's your reason, behave. 

I assumed it was because he's not a Japanese girl.

[TildeGuy~!]

Just now, DavidB6937 said:

I assumed it was because he's not a Japanese girl.

As long as I wasn’t telling their fathers I’d shag their daughters over a message board though eh? 

[Loki]

Smackdown is absolutely on fire at the moment.  Hottest brand in wrestling.  That crowd made the whole thing feel like an attitude era tv show, mainly because

1 hour ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

Just a lot of very over lads being very over. 

Simple isn't it?  All you need is everyone to get over and wrestling is a piece of piss.  You had acts like Tool Cool getting huge reactions, now Pretty Deadly or A Town Down Under getting HUGE heel pops.  Dom Mysterio being the most hated man in wrestling, unable to get a word out.  Just top drawer stuff.

The British have arrived!  Again!  All-British tag match and Nick Aldis as GM.  He fitted straight in as well, good use although it seems a young age to retire as a performer.

It's deeply impressive that LA Knight, a guy who's never operated at a main event WWE level before, can get into a ring with John Cena and Roman Reigns and absolutely look like he belongs.   I can see why some people don't get him, but he's stepping up big time now he's got the rocket under him and delivering.  Yes he's borrowed a lot from Austin and The Rock, but good people to take from!  Ric Flair took his act from Buddy Rogers, it's the way of things to recycle what works.  Cena being Knight's cheerleader is great too, he injects so much energy into proceedings.  Plus you can actually HEAR him coaching Knight on little things, like taking time to hand over the mic.

I agree with @Supremo, we should have faith - all they needed to do was put Reigns and Rhodes on the ramp together and everyone is back on board with The Plan.

It's occurred to me that IF the rumours of HHH being separated from Steph are true, and IF the rumours that Vince has been sidelined by Endeavour, then really we're now in the post-McMahon era.  What we're seeing here is the HHH era proper, his vision of how things should be.  And I like it.

Yeah, I bet Hunter is really worried about whatever Khan is moaning about on Twitter.  What's a boy to do?

 

Edited October 14, 2023 by Loki

[RedRooster]

1 hour ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

What an absolutely cracking show. Smackdown is on an absolutely belting run. It just feels like stars are popping up everywhere you look.

It’s such a fun watch. I’m kind of disappointed that it’s going back to the USA Network - presumably that will leave them treating Raw as the ‘A show’ again - I really like that the most important stuff is all packed away in two hours. 

I’m not the biggest LA Knight fan, but even I had goosebumps with his confrontation with Roman Reigns. It’s a shame that this match is taking place on a Saudi show, though.

It’s nice to see Aldis in such a high profile role, but I still think they’ve missed a trick by not bringing him in as an active wrestler. 

It was surreal seeing Jade Cargill on screen with Charlotte, but they continue to make her look like the biggest deal in the world. I really hope she can hold up her end when it comes to ring work - if she does, she’s going to be a megastar.

I’m curious about the decision to move Kevin Owens to Smackdown - it feels like he’s done everything that he can do on that show. I hope they have a good plan in mind, and thar it doesn’t involve wrestling Roman Reigns again. To be fair, he’s kind of exhausted his options on Raw too, longevity has seriously limited the potential for a fresh opponent.

[Mr_Danger]

The obsession with LA Knight being a magpie (of the ornithological variety not the horse punching murderous regime excusing one) is boring as fuck. It’s well documented that every wrestler of the past 100 years has stolen stuff from others, none of the guys he’s ripping off are working anymore and most importantly it fucking works and gets him well over. I bet Darby Allin never got this hate for ripping off Sting and Poochie.

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

You forgot that he also steals from Megan in The Walking Dead, the worst of all sins. 

[Mr_Danger]

Negan is just a extra naughty Arthur Fonzarelli anyway.

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

Can I just clear something up that is not related to LA Knight. I've never seen The Walking Dead, I live in Lincolnshire, mindless zombies who require human flesh is the norm, but anyway is it Megan or Negan in The Walking Dead. I always thought it was Megan?