LOOKING AT THE GOALS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR LAST NIGHT'S SMACKDOWN
By Revin Samuel on 5/26/2012 2:18 PM
SMACKDOWN - 26/05/2012 Revin Samuel
E: revinsamuel@rogers.com
What needs to be accomplished on this week’s Smackdown?•After week’s terrible television. One can only hope WWE gets it back on track tonight. Pay per view hype is essential and quality pay per view hype•Backtrack on the John Laurinaitis push. WWE needs to be careful not to overexpose him. I think they already have so now they need to be alot tighter on his appearances. I don’t think I agree with Dave Scherer that he has X-Pac heat, but it’s getting close to that point•Christian promo time. WWE randomly turned Christian face and now they need to let the talent overcome dumb creative by allowing him to talk the audience into realizing he is a babyface•The development of new talent. I continue to be okay with the push of Ryback, Antonio Cesaro and Damien Sandow, but not so much Titus and Darren. I hope WWE can continue to manage the other three pushes effectively this weekShow breakdown- Of course Smackdown opens with exactly what I don’t want them to open with, a video package on Johnny and John. Rewatching this video package, you can sure see how terrible Cena’s acting chops are. He can’t do comedy, he can’t do anger. What happened to the guy who was doing great promos when Rock was around? This is the type of stuff that tells you that Cena isn’t being challenged. It’s recycling storylines using the same babyface hero.
- Also this Big Show getting no sympathy thing would come off so much better if Show didn’t actually GET sympathy last week. This entire storyline is a friging mess.
- Josh opens the show saying “As we attempt to tie up loose ends”...never has that meant more in WWE.
- More recycling storylines. Will Sheamus apologize? Sixteen writers and were still treading water. At least they are tying up the loose end of Sheamus running over Laurinaitis.
- Nothing like leaving the Executive Administrator to deal with the World Champion, while the real boss deals with the real superstar on the A show. This opening dialog made Sheamus and Smackdown come off like the B star and show. Perhaps that was the intention...
- I do like Alberto’s verbiage to kiss up to Eve. He makes it work.
- “My name is Randy Orton” – It’s so stupid that they still have him saying this. You’d think he’d veto it at this point.
- This opening segment was fine, but we know where it leads. Three people come out and say they want the title (good, makes the title feel important), but then the GM announces were going to see a triple threat match. This is no good. It’s predictable, it’s WWE. Change up the formula. If this is what you have in mind then just announce it at the top of the show, we’ve seen these types of segments one, two many times.
- Once again no promo time for Christian, but at least they are putting an emphasis on his title win. If they could keep consistent with this it be a big plus, but we know that won’t happen.
- Fun, quick match with Christian and Hunico. I’d rather they use Hunico and Camacho as a tag team instead of having them slotted as a jobber for mid card babyfaces, but what can you do.
- Speaking of slotted talents...Cody Rhodes. Why is this man not being moved up the ladder? Talk about glass ceiling. This company...
- Cody like Alberto making WWE Creative scripted dialog work and that’s why he deserves to be treated better. If you are going to script these guys so heavily and they can pull it off, reward them! I wish Christian was allowed to respond to Cody, but that also probably would involve telling the truth about Cody’s latest losing streak so maybe it’s for the best for Cody’s sake.
- I like Titus and Darren, and while that backstage skit was fun, it was two lower card teams burying each other. It did neither team any favors.
- I guess this was getting Titus and Darren back on track with a victory after losing in five minutes to Kofi and Truth last week.
- “Titus and Darren continue to trend in a positive direction” – Josh. No, no they don’t. Get it right. Your audience isn’t stupid if they watch the show. “Titus and Darren get back on track with a win this week”. Perhaps acknowledge that they lost last week and make wins and losses feel important.
- Nice video promoting the return of Sin Cara. I’d prefer if they gave it more than one show promotion and also advertised it on Raw, but you take what you can get in some scenarios.
- Ryback continues to deliver....I cross my fingers that WWE keeps the current road with him and that means not pushing him too hard, which you know might happen when it comes to a big powerhouse guy and the history of Vince McMahon. Also no comedy!
- Santino and Ricardo. WWE comedy...
- Sheamus throwing down an old Lance Storm catchphrase to start his promo
- “When accidents happen, you shouldn’t have to apologize for it” – Sixteen writers and they thought that line made sense? This company...
- Shockingly they didn’t have Sheamus destroy Jack Swagger so no harm in losing here for Jack.
- I actually enjoyed Sandow’s promo this week. It was so over the top and whacky that it worked for me.
- Big Show going into great detail to cover the loopholes in this ridiculous storyline.
- I guess that was a quality heel promo from Big Show.
- As we see Big Show and Kane cross paths, I’m reminded that instead of trying to push new talent up the ladder, WWE is trying to utilize Kane and Big Show, two guys that have been around for a decade plus in meaningful roles. These two should be used as special attractions not in top programs and regular characters on television.
- Fine match. I’m not sure why WWE continues to write Sheamus as a cheap shot artist.
- I also have no idea why Daniel Bryan is going after Kane...
What this show accomplished?The Good•The number one contender for the World Title is established for No Way Out•No John Laurinaitis. This character definitely needed a night off and it looks like WWE recognized that.•Continued development with Ryback and Damien Sandow. I like the progress we had here and cross my fingers that it can be sustained.The Bad•Formula and predictable television. The opening segment is so been there done that. Another character has to apologize and Big Show’s heel turn. Rinse, Wash, repeat. •Inconsistent character development. We go from predictable storytelling to illogical character development. When you combine that, you know your product is on a downhill slope. Big Show had no way to support his family? Stick to he loves the business, saying he couldn’t support his family with all the money he should have made in the last decade plus is just ridiculous. Why in the world would Daniel Bryan who should be focused on CM Punk and the WWE title wanting to be picking fights with Kane. This to me is forcing people (Kane) into a program whereas allowing something to develop naturally. It’s like Vince got upset that Kane wasn’t in a program so creative had to somehow force him into this•Speaking of Kane. He and Big Show are being over utilized. There was a time last year where WWE got it right. They had Mark Henry destroy both men and gave them time off. I realize they have been around a long time and they have the respect of their peers and the office, but they are special attractions. They are blocking the growth of potential stars like Ziggler and Rhodes•Speaking of Cody. The dude is so slotted right now, it’s not even funny. Why is he still going after the IC Title? Give him something to do. I can just see WWE have this guy losing and losing and losing and then suddenly he wins MITB and then they wonder why he’s not over. •While WWE is doing well with Ryback and Sandow, Antonio Cesaro has been off television the last two weeks. I have no issue with keeping him off TV for one week, but he’s a new character so I wouldn’t want him off television for two weeks in a row•Titus and Darren Young. They won this week, but they lost in five minutes last week, along with two other guys couldn’t take out John Cena and Sheamus on Raw and in a backstage promo were totally buried by lower card babyfaces. It seems to me they have got caught in the too many chefs in the kitchen, which translates to some people in power like them, but some people don’t•Sheamus. They had him recite that dumb line about you shouldn’t apologize for accidents and then they had him cheap shot Alberto. This guy is going to be getting booed in no time if WWE isn’t carefulOverall Thoughts•This show wasn’t as wretched as this past week’s Raw or the Raw and Smackdown from last week, but this was still bad television. The storytelling and character development is just ugly right nowWhat needs to happen on next week show?•Promote the ppv. Get a card mapped out and sell the show. That’s all I can ask for right now. If the product keeps up like this, I question how long I’ll be able to keep up doing these columns. Feedback: revinsamuel@rogers.com
