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LOOKING AT THE GOALS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR THIS WEEK'S SMACKDOWN

SMACKDOWN – 17/2/2002
What needs to happen on this week’s show?
• I think WWE has done three weeks of rare solid hype for the upcoming pay per view, although this week’s Raw was rather whacky. None the less this week needs to continue the trend of focused promotion on the Elimination Chamber and maybe take the taste of a bad Raw out of people’s mouths
•If WWE is set on putting the Great Khali in the Elimination Chamber, to me his best ability to help hype that match is a potential face off with the Big Show and we need to see a tease of a showdown between those two tonight
•Cody and Wade just like Dolph and Miz from Raw have been treated as useless heels heading into this Elimination Chamber match for Sunday. I’d like to see that theme changed, but hey as Hunter said at the Wrestlemania 29 press conference, WWE is all about putting smiles on people’s faces so to me that’s translation for we don’t care about our heels
•Randy is out for the Elimination Chamber and Santino is in because comedy sells pay per views. This is a ridiculous turn of events and I can only hope it turns out at least looking presentable on television
Show Breakdown

1. I do like the start of the show with Randy in the back seething that he won’t be able to participate in the Elimination Chamber. It gives the Chamber a sports feeling to it, which WWE seems to miss alot these days while trying to entertain the audience.

2. Why would Wade be Booker’s pick to win the Elimination Chamber? He’s not on a roll at all as Booker stated. This is the type of credibility killing announcing that has ruined WWE over the last couple years. Vince and his producing of the announcer really have no respect for their audience and if they say something it means more than the visual of what has already happened.

3. Is Wade still Booker’s pick? The heels lose again. Have to put smiles on the faces...expect me to be harping on that one for a while.

4. At least they teased something with Show and Khali although having Show knockout Khali and show that he is no his equal is not what I would have done, but it’s something.

5. I like that backstage segment with Teddy, Mark and Big Show. I’ll give WWE Creative props on their handling of the Henry character. They script him well and he delivers it even better. He will make a great babyface eventually if they don’t adjust his character too much. I do like the way they are positioning Show the angry Giant by having him knockout two other giants in back to back segments.

6. Good to see them showing highlights of what happened last week with Dibiase and Hunico that at least puts some importance on this never ending feud.

7. I’m not sure what the point of the Dibiase-Hunico feud is if they are just going to trade wins back and forth. Even-steven booking never helped anyone.

8. Watching the video package replay of Shawn-Hunter confrontation from Raw this past Monday. A rich quote from Triple H “It’s not being a sell out Shawn, it’s investing in the future”...

9. I do like that they edited out the part where Triple H called him and Undertaker the end of the “Smashmouth” wrestlers. Triple H just couldn’t resist showing his insecurities in the moment as per usual. Fantastic video package for WWE production of course.

10. Just like Dibiase and Hunico, the never ending feud with The Usos and Primo and Epico continues. Rosa is a much nicer sight at ringside than Camacho though.

11. Rosa couldn’t save my interest in the tag team match this time. They’d be better served doing some character development with the tag champs in vignettes. I can’t believe I’m encouraging WWE to be creative, but I think that’s what’s needed for Primo, Epico and Rosa Mendes.

12. More fine promo work from Bryan. When Teddy came out and said Bryan would compete, I could not think of a name on the Smackdown roster that would make sense to come out, I had completely forgotten about Sheamus. Good segment to setup that match.

13. I rewound this three times just to make sure I heard correctly, but Booker says he was at home watching Raw and heard Michael Cole kissing up to Daniel Bryan and I don’t know if my ears deceived me, but I’m pretty sure Cole responded with “You watched Raw?” That’s just unbelievable. This company continues to just mock themselves. Is Vince just bored with the product that he’s gotten to the point where he has to mock it to entertain himself? I think the answer is a resounding Yes.

14. Fine match with Bryan and Sheamus and the continued development of the Bryan heel personality. I also like that it appears Cole is finally beginning to support Bryan.

15. I like the backstage segment with Teddy, Cody and Wade to emphasize that it’s the opportunity of a lifetime to get into the Elimination Chamber. They are planting seeds that it could be a “no name” to get the win, which is fine since they executed what they did with Santino winning.

16. My goodness where does Ezekiel Jackson stand to be beaten cleanly by the lowly Jinder Mahal? I didn’t expect that. I’m sure he’ll probably get his win back next week in the continued trend of even-steven booking.

17. Yes! They finally showed footage of Jimmy Snuka and morphed it into Tamina Snuka! I approve!

18. Ah yes the farting gimmick must continue. Vince continues to tarnish his legacy and Natalya continues to be a jobber.

19. We go from farting jokes to lawyer jokes. We know both of these fit right in with Vince McMahon humour. At least the Laurinaitis-Teddy segment fits with the plan Otunga talked about on Raw of Laurinaitis being able to be the GM of both shows. I assume this will culminate at Wrestlemania.

20. You know your short on talent when David Otunga is the only man to get an entrance in a battle royal.

21. I don’t watch NXT or Superstars so I don’t see alot of these guys, but I do remember Percy Watson from the early NXY das as a guy with tons of charisma. Hopefully he gets a shot one day and being eliminated second in a jobber battle royal isn’t a sign of things to come.

22. Drew looks like he’s bulked a little bit.

23. And Santino wins the battle royal...gotta keep the smiles on people’s faces. At least the crowd was really into it. BTW one quick rant on the smile on people’s faces thing and it has nothing to do with Santino winning here. WWE seems to forget sometimes that the best way to get big smiles is to have strong heels. I realize that the company dating back to its birth has been built on strong babyfaces, but now more than ever they really don’t protect their heels very well at all.

24. I get that the commentators have to sell shock that Santino is replacing Randy Orton in the Elimination Chamber, but why are the announcers surprised given the talent that Santino was competing against?