Brian Hoops, PWTorch.com Contributor (8.5)

This was a great show. Good, solid booking, combined with a well-paced program and four very good matches made this program a must see show for wrestling fans. This two hour show seemed to fly by it was so good. Every character and every segment had a purpose and seemed important. They built to some fresh programs, Jeff Hardy vs. Edge, Punk vs. Umaga and Jericho vs. John Morrison. Most importantly, the final match made the World Title seem important, which should be one of the most important things a company can do. Can't wait to see next week's show.

Greg Parks, PWTorch.com Contributor (8.5)

Smackdown blew me away this week. Not only was it the best Smackdown in.....well, since I can remember, but it was also the most newsworthy episode in quite some time. I don't know whether to attribute that to it being the first week of the post-draft rosters, or because the show was at MSG. Either way, I hope they keep doing what they're doing with the show.

The first segment was long, but it not only laid the groundwork for the rest of the show, but for the pecking order on the show from this point forward. Morrison vs. Benjamin was solid while it lasted, but it was a curious decision to have Shelton job in such a short match after he went toe-to-toe with Undertaker a few weeks back. There's no one else they could've thrown in there against Morrison?

I thought it was funny that Jericho spent the show blaming Teddy Long for the shape Smackdown is in, yet it's only his second or third week back in charge. The Fatal Four-Way was really good, especially when it came down to Rey vs. Jeff. That would be an interesting feud down the line, even if neither turns heel. The Divas dance-off wasn't great, but at least they picked two who actually knew how to dance. I'm a fan of both women, so your mileage for this segment may vary.

Ziggler vs. MVP was fine, and they thankfully didn't ask Sherri Shepherd to do too much, or put the focus too much on her. I hate how John Morrison is magically a face now. The main event was good, and Punk got a nice clean win over the champ. The MITB stipulation gave the match added intrigue as well. Speaking of intrigue, I'm wondering where Umaga fits in. Is he an Edge henchman, or did he take out Punk on his own? All in all, a great show that makes me look forward to this coming Friday's already.

Shawn Valentino, PWTorch.com Contributor (7.0)

This was an interesting show and it continues the theme of Smackdown being more heavy on wrestling that its Monday night counterpart. Unfortunately, one of the most intriguing matches on the show, Morrison vs. Benjamin, was way too short. Nonetheless, the two young stars gave signs of having a great match if given the opportunity. It appears as if WWE is turning Morrison face, which I do not like, as he is a natural heel. At least it allows him to pull out his awe-inspiring athleticism to please the crowd. He is my choice for break-out superstar of the year and it seems like he has J.R's blessings on that as well. His interaction with Jericho is more proof of this.

The segment between Edge and Jericho was nice because it established tension between the two top heels on the show, which makes sense given their egos. Getting Punk involved keeps him in the top mix. The Fatal Four-way match was very good, especially at the end, when Hardy and Mysterio remained. This showcases that Rey should be working with smaller, athletic opponents instead of lame feuds with clumsy big men. Speaking of lame, does anybody want to see that annoying woman from The View again? What type of market research is the WWE doing? How many people that watch The View are actually watching wrestling?

The CM Punk vs. Edge match was really good, but I hate non-title matches, especially ones where the challenger wins. It does nothing but make the champion look weak,which I guess does not matter because the World Championship means nothing anyway. If Punk eventually does beat Edge, it means nothing because he has already beaten him so the excitement is gone. That being said, I am sure the WWE has a different plan for Punk this year, and he will be cashing in his contract against somebody different. I do not care about Umaga returning unless they revamp his character. Overall, this was a good show, and hopefully Smackdown continues to focus on wrestling because we do not get enough of that on Raw.

We suggest these recent related articles...

PARKS'S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 10/8: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Thursday show, including Roman Reigns & Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt & Braun Strowman

METZGER'S ROH TV REPORT 10/4 & 10/7: IWGP World champ Okada vs. Roderick Strong main event, plus Briscoes vs. Time Splitters, more from "Field of Honor," Overall Reax

MCMAHON'S TNA IMPACT REPORT 10/7: TNA Title Series kicks off, Bound for Glory fall-out, more; Overall Reax