The Smackers Thread

[mim731]

27 minutes ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

Another negative post, but I feel like I've been making this point for 5 years;

How is Montez Ford STILL in that tag team?

He absolutely oozes star power and physical charisma. I don't know what Triple H sees as being the biggest blocker to him being a big star.

Thing is, Dawkins has actually improved massively in that time too and them still teaming together has now reached the point it's probably preventing either from having a chance to succeed in singles terms. Obviously Ford has a way bigger upside, but Dawkins could end up a really solid midcard singles guy if booked correctly. 

[TheScarlettChad]

Punk crying. What a mark. 

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

Smackdown was a lovely religious choir occasionally interrupted by some unnecessary wrestling. Everyone in attendance seemed to be thoroughly entertained and in peak religious fervour, unless your name is Zelina Vega who seems to have been cast out of the religion. One can only assume that was for consorting with the powers of darkness, though to be fair he is her husband. 

[Dr. Alan Grant]

If they don’t have Jey make a stink about how he won the Rumble and is now not main eventing, they’re doing it wrong. If he brushes it off and accepts his fate as Opening Match Jey Uso, it really does paint him as a bit of a loser.

To end night one with everyone yeeting would have been a great visual. Now we get a triple threat that nobody wanted in a no stakes match instead. Yeet.

[d-d-d-dAz]

1 hour ago, Dr. Alan Grant said:

If they don’t have Jey make a stink about how he won the Rumble and is now not main eventing, they’re doing it wrong. If he brushes it off and accepts his fate as Opening Match Jey Uso, it really does paint him as a bit of a loser.

To end night one with everyone yeeting would have been a great visual. Now we get a triple threat that nobody wanted in a no stakes match instead. Yeet.

I think they secretly know the Jey Uso match is going to be utter death, and probably have an in built getout in that Jey said early on it wasn't about main eventing Mania, it was about proving he could beat Gunther and he was good enough.

I think it's probably worth remembering how bad Jimmy v Jey was last year, and how the matches against Gunther thus far haven't lit anything on fire yet either.

There's a very real chance that Jey Uso on last would lead to a good entrance visual, then lots of people sitting on their hands and leaving to get the train. There was also that story about how ticket sales apparently slower after he won the Rumble.

Dunno.

But I suspect all three of the triple threat guys will be main eventers for at least another few years, and I'm not confident you can say the same about Jey 'my storyline now is that I'm a bit rubbish' Uso.

I was pretty supportive of them going with Jey at the Rumble, but considering the way they've gone with it... what on earth was the point?

Edited March 29, 2025 by d-d-d-dAz

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

Definite buyers remorse with Jey Uso. This can't have been the plan. If it was then HHH needs to hand that booker of the year trophy back. 

Edited March 29, 2025 by Lion_of_the_Midlands
Doors.

[thatvinylgeek]

Looking back, to the injury last year, the stars really aligned and I think in the grand scheme of things it was the best scenario for Punk (other than a singles with Roman).

If that hadn't happened, then I'm sure him v Seth would have still played second fiddle to more bloodline shenanigans. At least this way he gets to be in what feels like a main event match with one of the biggest starts of the modern era and mamaged to have a great 12 months of feudung with Drew and some time off in between. 

Who knows, maybe they'll repeat the old summerslam love triangle story and Seth can disappear to the back for 90% of the match like Angle did. 

Whatever happens, I'm happy for the guy, yeah he's a mark for himself (I think we all are a bit), but if this feels to him like he's fulfilled a life long dream, then fair bloody play. 

The rest of Smackdown was just kind of there. Although there was another Alastair black video..another guy I think "fair play" to. When I first moved to Holland I had some sessions at DPW with him and he was great to me and seemed like a really nice guy, considering I was a completely foreigner murdering the language he made me feel completely at home from day one. 

I'm in far too much of a good mood today...it won't last. 

[Callum1993]

The Men’s Royal Rumble winner not main eventing the show isn’t a new phenomenon though. Since they switched to having two belts in 2002 only 13 of the winners went on to main event the show with 9 that didn’t.

 

I don’t think it’s helped that the build for the match has been pretty poor. Gunther vs Uso to open the show on Night 1 with a hot crowd with Jey winning to start the weekend off seems like the best move now. 

[TheScarlettChad]

Punk still hasn't main evented. Night one doesn't count,soz 

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

8 minutes ago, TheScarlettChad said:

Punk still hasn't main evented. Night one doesn't count,soz 

This is bullshit. Mania is two shows now and they both have a main event. To suggest anything else is about as credible as the WWE Hall Of Fame. 

[d-d-d-dAz]

1 minute ago, Lion_of_the_Midlands said:

This is bullshit. Mania is two shows now and they both have a main event. To suggest anything else is about as credible as the WWE Hall Of Fame. 

Also I'm not in the business of saying Sami Zayn hasn't headlined Mania.

Bad faith takes from eejits can't reach me today.

[Pinc]

30 minutes ago, Lion_of_the_Midlands said:

This is bullshit. Mania is two shows now and they both have a main event. To suggest anything else is about as credible as the WWE Hall Of Fame. 

Someone should have told Punk in 2021 then.

[d-d-d-dAz]

I feel like this is going to go off the rails.

Yes, he cut a promo. Yes he insulted the multi night format. It's probably a bad idea to hold people to everything they've ever said, however trivial. People say things for all sorts of reasons, maybe he was trying to convince himself it didn't matter as he thought he'd never go back... maybe he was just cutting a wrestling promo. Hard to say.

But he clearly personally cares now. And it also obviously clearly counts, if you can sell out a stadium 2 nights in a row that doesn't devalue night 1... it just means your company is really hot and you need more main events.

It's fine. He's happy. That's a good a thing. 

[Lenin]

I'm all for Punk winning and then taking on Jey or Gunther for the belt on night 2. That's the favour I think. Main events night one, opens up night two winning the title. Crowd will be happy. He'll be happy. 

 

Also, a throwback to the wind-up middle finger... tremendous.

 

 

Edited March 29, 2025 by Lenin

[DavidB6937]

44 minutes ago, Pinc said:

Someone should have told Punk in 2021 then.

2021 Punk was different to 2025 Punk. It's not that difficult to believe someone has changed over the years.