The Smackers Thread

[air_raid]

At the end of the day, there is a load of talent but with the current minimalist approach to shows (5 match PLEs, World champions not being on every one) it’s probably no surprise they’ve not got the nous to effectively squeeze everyone into one good looking supershow. If this was Attitude we’d be gearing up for the six-way Cell right about now with Cody vs Cena vs Punk vs Reigns vs Rollins vs Jacob. Fatu to bulldoze one of the walls open, Rollins to take a silly bump, three eventual singles matches set up nicely for Mania.

Gunther vs Jey for the European title.

[d-d-d-dAz]

10 minutes ago, air_raid said:

At the end of the day, there is a load of talent but with the current minimalist approach to shows (5 match PLEs, World champions not being on every one) it’s probably no surprise they’ve not got the nous to effectively squeeze everyone into one good looking supershow. If this was Attitude we’d be gearing up for the six-way Cell right about now with Cody vs Cena vs Punk vs Reigns vs Rollins vs Jacob. Fatu to bulldoze one of the walls open, Rollins to take a silly bump, three eventual singles matches set up nicely for Mania.

Gunther vs Jey for the European title.

I'll pay for your flight to Connecticut. 

Edited February 16, 2025 by d-d-d-dAz

[d-d-d-dAz]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGEocSDSLXf/?igsh=MXZzMzdtZ3pnanIxeg==

FA TUUUU

[air_raid]

22 hours ago, air_raid said:

If this was Attitude we’d be gearing up for the six-way Cell right about now with Cody vs Cena vs Punk vs Reigns vs Rollins vs Jacob.

I just thought ; has any storyline reason been given for the last WWE champ not entering qualifiers for the Chamber, considering part-time Roman did bother to enter the Rumble? If not, I shouldn’t be surprised, his arc doesn’t make much sense these days. Commentary at the Rumble mentioned him being “obsessed” with Rollins for costing him the title… surely he should be obsessed with The Undertaker? Although we try to forget that happened, right? Never explained, hardly mentioned thereafter.

If only there’d been a reason Taker had cost Roman the belt. Say… revenge for retiring him at Mania 33? Would have been nice. Not like he contributed anything of value thereafter.

[Retro Red]

50 minutes ago, air_raid said:

I just thought ; has any storyline reason been given for the last WWE champ not entering qualifiers for the Chamber, considering part-time Roman did bother to enter the Rumble? If not, I shouldn’t be surprised, his arc doesn’t make much sense these days. Commentary at the Rumble mentioned him being “obsessed” with Rollins for costing him the title… surely he should be obsessed with The Undertaker? Although we try to forget that happened, right? Never explained, hardly mentioned thereafter.

If only there’d been a reason Taker had cost Roman the belt. Say… revenge for retiring him at Mania 33? Would have been nice. Not like he contributed anything of value thereafter.

He’s storyline injured after the stomp onto the ring steps.

The obsession with Seth isn’t because he cost him the title, the obsession with Seth stems from the original Shield betrayal (although they’ve only really brought that back as a narrative in the last 12 months) and that obsession cost him his title because he chose to attack Seth with the chair at the end of the title match instead of Cody at WM40.

[TheScarlettChad]

58 minutes ago, Retro Red said:

He’s storyline injured after the stomp onto the ring steps.

The obsession with Seth isn’t because he cost him the title, the obsession with Seth stems from the original Shield betrayal (although they’ve only really brought that back as a narrative in the last 12 months) and that obsession cost him his title because he chose to attack Seth with the chair at the end of the title match instead of Cody at WM40.

And Rumble 22. He got DQ"d because Seth wore The Shield Clobber 

[Retro Red]

Aye, that was more of a one and done though to serve for that match - they didn’t revisit it and make it ‘lore’ until mania 40 now that they are trying actively to run narrative threads backwards and not just forget about what’s gone before anymore

[Devon Malcolm]

I enjoyed Smacksown for the most part but I don't disagree that they've almost got too many options confusing them for the Wrestlemania matches. I still harbour hopes for Cena vs Punk, I just think it would be mad not to revisit that story on the Grandest Stage Of Them All.

The opening promo was really good and I was surprised by Jacob Fatu's interactions with Cody Rhodes being amicable. He's a confused man. He doesn't know who to murder next. He's so good on the mic though. It's so rare for someone to walk in your company and immediately be ready and to be so good at EVERYTHING. They wouldn't be rushing it with him if they decided to put titles on him.

Sami Zayn's message to Kevin Owens was excellent and its reference to their history the best part of it. It's a toxic relationship. They need to get out. Please don't die, lads.

Chelsea Green and Naomi had a decent match. They really do need to give Chelsea a win or two though otherwise what's the point of giving her the US title. Chelsea in the chamber would have been hilarious. But no, we've got Naomi.

MCMG vs Los Garza was a pretty good spot fest. Have the latter ever won a match.

The Nakamura / LA Knight / The Miz segment was the worst segment on WWE TV since I started watching again a few months ago. Fucking bollocks. If someone told me that McMahon had broken into WWE HQ overnight and rewrote the script to include that segment, I'd believe it 100%. Every time The Miz bumps into someone backstage I think "Oh please be Karrion!" What were they thinking splitting them up. This was horrible and the match was awful. Please just end this Nakamura and LA Knight feud ffs. The standoff at the end was ridiculous.

The Street Profits promos are superb though. Fucking excellent. Both lads presenting themselves differently and talking in different ways. Can't wait to see them back.

The Tiffany Stratton / Nia Jax match was good. Tiffany is a natural match for being a babyface because she's always wrestled like one. Her timing is excellent. Charlotte picking her in the way she did was perfect.

The triple threat wasn't as bruising as I would personally have hoped for but at least the right man won. Damian Priest vs Cody Rhodes. A main event for Main Event Damian Priest. Quite right, too.

Vic Joseph is rubbish.

Who Shot J(ade) (Ca)r(gill)? is nearly over. Our breath was never bated. I still think it was Bianca the backstabber.

[d-d-d-dAz]

https://www.wrestlinginc.com/1797143/rock-says-story-wwe-champion-cody-rhodes-never-culminate-match/
 

Who knew Seth Rollins wouldn’t be the shittest thing about this Mania build?

What even is this?

You haven’t opened a ‘creative space’ where you’ve elevated yourself beyond even needing a match to tell a good story dickhead, you’re just being shit and making everything around you shit.

What an arrogant bore. Not interested mate. Quite like it when wrestling stories finish in matches. Fuck off.

 

[Supremo]

“I dunno, everything just lost its spark following the Netflix debut, specifically when The Rock took a massive piss on everything, rambling on, talking a load of nonsensical shit. We never really recovered.”

”Right. And what’s on the format for tonight?”

”Rock’s back to take another massive piss on everything, rambling on, talking a load of nonsensical shit.”

”Your ass better call somebody.”

A shockingly bad show, capped off by a truly terrible Rock promo. Streets are saying more stuff happened after The Rock and Cody’s segment, but I immediately switched it off and refuse to believe anyone continued watching. What a load of shite. Dreadful.

Assuming the announcement of The Rock got a lot more people watching this week than usual, they sure picked a bad week to put out the worst episode of Smackdown in recent memory. Whole thing felt like something out of the mid 2010s.

Rubbish fluke finish in the opener, with Drew immediately getting his heat back. Pointless.

Shit segments involving Miz doing crap comedy. I’ll never get over this being the direction over more Miz and Kross, “so you accidentally joined a cult,” greatness.

Charlotte being absolutely fucking shit at everything. Then, now, forever. I tried to give her a chance, but fucking hell. Her performance at the desk was an actual parody. Poor Wade and Big Joe trying to drag anything out of her and she either mumbled some WWE2K sound bite or at one point simply stopped responding, as if she either fell asleep or someone disconnected her controller. And then she jumped in the ring to lifelessly point at the Wrestlemania sign at the end. She’s the worst. Like a Performance Center cyborg. A walking list of bad tropes, performed listlessly. Did she even miss performing whilst she was out for a year? You’d never guess. Zero passion. Like everything is a chore.

Alexa Bliss back doing creepy, Wyatt-adjacent stuff. Maybe she can start teleporting or shooting fire out of her hands again.

“We aren’t cancelling Naomi’s match just because The Rock called us last night and ripped up the whole script!” they shout, as the Naomi match immediately gets written off in a rushed, crap angle.

That fucking Rock promo though. What the fuck was that? It was funny when he randomly got announced last night, so obviously texting Hunter after doing a load of ketamine, having suddenly decided he fancies fucking everything up again. Not so funny when he was out there rambling on, seemingly still off his tits from the night before, flip flopping between babyface and heel, losing track of what he was saying. The most washed promo of all time. Poor Cody. Now an annual tradition dealing with this maniac’s bullshit. 

“Hello darkness, my old friend, I’ve come to talk to you again…”

At least last year, the Wrestlemania build was so tight and the Cody/Roman thing was so hot that it managed to shield them from The Rock’s nonsense, forcing him to align. No such luck this year. He’s back. He’s going whatever bollocks he fancies and there’s nothing to save them. Fuck knows if it even results in a match. I bet Rock doesn’t even know right now.

Can I just shock you? I don’t mind Multi-man Wrestlemania Main Events. That Seth Rollins lad’s okay. Despite what I’ve said previously. Far preferable to whatever this shit is.

Bad.

 

[d-d-d-dAz]

I’ve just watched the post event press conference. Absolute nonsense. This idea that they’ve created something ‘so special’ with The Final Boss that it ‘transcends’ the need to finish with a match is just utter garbage. It’s shit. 
 

Anyone who comes on here and gleefully looks forward to The Rock returning and mocks the boards dissenters as being miserable or whatever owe us an apology. This is as bad as it gets in terms of main event talent returning. Absolute show ruining garbage. A vortex of shite. He’s WWE’s Jericho, but maybe even worst because of the platform he’s given.

What annoys me most is, this arrogant, high minded idea that his stories are ‘above’ matches? It’ll just end up in a worst wrestling trope like him being in someone’s corner, or being a special ref. It’s like turning down a burger because your bodies a temple, then eating a six pack of own brand crisps.

This Mania season, so far, is an absolute mess.

[simonworden]

I'm starting to wonder if Roman got one of these Ketamine induced Rock calls a while back and thought, fuck this I'd rather deal with Liberace face's bollocks than cousin Dwayne's nonsense again up to mania. 

[air_raid]

I watched it all, but the only thing I can say is… have they lost their tiny minds???

They had the simplest story ever to tell : revenge. If you’re going to do the match, Cody wants revenge for a loss, Rock wants revenge for his side losing the title. But… what’s this? Specifically why is Dwayne talking about it not needing to mean a match? For as long as I can remember, through the worst crap of WCW, TNA or Russo’s batshit Attitude stuff, I’ve long believed that if the point of the segment isn’t leading to making people pay to see a wrestling match, either in person or on telly, then it shouldn’t be on your show. That’s why everything last year from the presser onwards was so good, they made two main events I wanted to see. I don’t know what the end game is here but I’m quite frankly baffled.

Well.. actually, I can see it now. Dwayne from The Board will flex his power and tell Cody that for telling him no, the winner of the Chamber will now not face Cody but be added as a third man to Gunther vs Uso for The Other Title, and Cody will face The Rock. Making my November predictions of Cody vs Rock, Punk vs Reigns and Gunther vs Cena just a Jey Uso removed from coming true!… don’t mention Rollins, please.

[Hannibal Scorch]

I mean it was dogshit. Unless what followed that promo was the greatest 30 minutes of WWE television there’s ever been. 
 

The Rock been learning about Mortal Kombat I see. That was way worse then his NXT promo which was bad, but this where he kept flitting between Dwayne Johnson, Hollywood guy to The Rock Final Boss was all over the place. Cody reverting back to his worse trait with the trying to display emotions and pulling weird expressions. It was just the pits.

I know it’s been pointed out how sloppy Nia Jax has been in the ring, but her Bonzai drop to Tiffy and Trish was awful. 
 

Anyway, only 7 days to find out if we get corporate Cody Raheem Rhodes or he becomes the Real People’s champ as the road to Wrestlemania trundles along.

Sorry, I can only find the clip on X but wtf

 

Edited February 22, 2025 by Hannibal Scorch

[The King of Old School]

6 minutes ago, air_raid said:

I watched 

Well.. actually, I can see it now. Dwayne from The Board will flex his power and tell Cody that for telling him no, the winner of the Chamber will now not face Cody but be added as a third man to Gunther vs Uso for The Other Title, and Cody will face The Rock. Making my November predictions of Cody vs Rock, Punk vs Reigns and Gunther vs Cena just a Jey Uso removed from coming true!… don’t mention Rollins, please.

Think this is the least likely outcome.

I can see some nonsense with it being Cody/Cena at Mania, with Cody still thinking about being the corporate champion going into Wrestlemania and Cena being the ultimate good guy telling Cody not to do it, then at Mania Cody goes heel on Cena by retaining the title thanks to some Rock shenanigans, Recreating the Mania 17 ending with Austin/Vince.

Then guessing Cena wins the title at some point before retirement in a big rematch somewhere, possibly his last match to free the title from the "new corporation".