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By Chris Newth, PWTorch.com Specialist Contributor

WWE Friday Night Smackdown
September 21, 2007
Upcoming PPV: No Mercy (3 episodes left until PPV)

SMACKDOWN STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the fourth edition of Smackdown Storylines and Feuds.

For those wondering about the Intrigue Level system that I employ, you can refer to the numbers as follows:

10 (excellent), 9 (great), 8-6 (very good, good, pretty good), 5 (decent; has its good and bad qualities), 4-3 (needs work, poor), 2 (bad), 1 (terrible)

World Hvt. Champion THE GREAT KHALI (w/ Ranjin Singh) vs. BATISTA (4 weeks)

It looks as though Rey Mysterio has been brushed aside as WWE aims to pit Batista in a World Heavyweight Title rematch against The Great Khali in a one-on-one bout at No Mercy. That match is set to take place as a Punjabi Prison Match, where more emphasis will be delegated to observing the participants maneuver within the gimmickry than on the actual wrestling.

Assuming WWE was dedicated to this rematch notion, the Punjabi Prison Match was a smart idea in that it distracts viewers from the obvious limitations of both competitors while generating greater interest in a protracted rivalry using a specialty match with great advertising benefits.

Batista as champion has its fair share of pros and cons. Clearly, he's a top babyface with a great fan base that creates an arena buzz rivaling that of other top faces such as Rey Mysterio and John Cena. He also carries himself like a champion. In a very superficial way (and that isn't intended to be negative), he looks like a champion.

On the downside, his personality seems pretty hollow. When he chases gold, Batista shows fire and intensity. When he obtains it, he adopts a disposition of passivity that seems contradictory at times. The potential problem lies with how empty his character seems to be as champion. He comes out to cut a promo to start Smackdown, and he really has nothing to say. The only information that the audience was given besides his announcement of the No Mercy rematch was that he has a new suit and new shoes. Why do we care about that?

Instead of giving us an idea of what it's like for him to be champion, we got nothing. If you can tap into that aspect of the promo or backstage vignette or interview, you will create the desire for viewers to want to see a certain person as champion. Batista had that before, but he hasn't been given enough to work with as champion.

This week's events were adequate for the first show back from a pay-per-view, especially considering the overshadowing force of Teddy and Kristal's wedding. Mark Henry interrupted The Animal, which served two distinct purposes—attempting to elevate The World's Strongest Man to World Title level as well as providing simultaneous promotion for the Batista-Khali and Taker-Henry feuds. It was predictable, formulaic booking at its very best, but acceptable because of the big activities that took place later.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5 [down 0.5 from last week]

Previous Feuds
The Great Khali: Batista
Batista: Edge

MATT HARDY vs. MVP (12 weeks)

The most entertaining feud on Smackdown remained strong this week as we got to see a rise in tension between the reigning WWE Tag Team Champions.

They began in a football challenge where Matt Hardy clearly bested MVP in hurling a football through a tire. Just like in their chess game last week, MVP cheated at the end by catching Hardy's throw. This was another great little way to introduce these two. Their small competitions, which vary week to week, are great strengths to the overall rivalry, accentuating the skill of Hardy as much as they underscore the bitterness of MVP as he continues to use shortcutting tactics.

Their match against Deuce and Domino also played well into the arc of their story. It was a bad week for the champions. They competed with one another during their match, often undermining their own work. Heeding the notion of teamwork was certainly not a top priority for either man.

In the end, a series of shoves left Matt Hardy distracted enough to fall into a roll-up by Domino, and the former tag champions picked up the victory. The tension at that point had only just begun, as Hardy and MVP faced off in center ring. Arguing ensued before MVP made his way to the entrance ramp with both the United States Title and the Tag Team Titles. The ridged split left Hardy staring from the ring as his partner—and rival—glared back angrily.

The feud this week seemed to boil over as the loss of another match and the consistent deterioration of the team took their toll. MVP and Hardy did a good job depicting the ever-increasing tension as the match concluded.

From here, this story can go in many directions. Will Hardy and MVP be able to successfully retain their titles as the feud with Deuce 'N' Domino rolls along? Will this split be the last straw, forcing the United States Championship to finally enter the picture? WWE has many outs here. It'll be interesting to see which one they choose.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 9.5 [same as last week]

Previous Feuds
MVP: Ric Flair
Matt Hardy: Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch

DEUCE 'N' DOMINO (w/ Cherry) vs. MVP & MATT HARDY (5 weeks)

This feud, as I mention every week, exists solely to support the ongoing MVP-Hardy rivalry. As a feud itself, it's moderately entertaining. Deuce and Domino are doing an adequate job playing their parts. It's obvious now that if MVP and Hardy work together, they can easily defeat the Tag Team of the 1950s. But, if they are not on the same page, Deuce 'N' Domino are strong enough to pick up wins. The concept works.

I happen to like Deuce 'N' Domino's gimmick (complete with Cherry on roller skates) for some reason. Don't get me wrong, there should be more to it. We still know almost nothing about that trio, yet they've been tag team champions already and currently hold a feud with the most entertaining duo on Smackdown—Hardy and MVP. As for their wrestling abilities, it's pretty clear that they need work, but facing MVP and Matt Hardy each week can only help in that area.

As far as this week's events are concerned, the tag team of Deuce 'N' Domino again held their own. The in-ring story was well told this week, as MVP and Hardy vied to one-up each other. When a tiff between the Tag Team Champions resulted in a roll-up victory for Domino, Cole said, "You gotta give Deuce and Domino credit, taking advantage of this tenuous relationship." That's the story in a nutshell.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6 [same as last week]

Previous Feuds
Deuce & Domino: Batista
MVP: Ric Flair
Matt Hardy: Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch

CHUCK PALUMBO & MICHELLE McCOOL vs. KENNY DYKSTRA & VICTORIA (2 weeks w/ 1 week hiatus)

This feud took a week off as WWE looked to buy more time for Teddy Long and Kristal Marshall's wedding. There was no confrontation whatsoever between Palumbo and Dykstra or Michelle and Victoria. WWE was limiting their lower-card features for the season premiere of Smackdown, which was probably a smart business move.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 3 [down 1 from last week]

Previous Feuds
Chuck Palumbo: Chris Masters
Michelle McCool: no notable feuds recently
Kenny Dykstra: no notable feuds since drafted from Raw
Victoria: Mickie James

FINLAY (w/ Hornswoggle) vs. REY MYSTERIO (1 week)

This one isn't official just yet, but it will likely be the match that we'll see at No Mercy as Rey leaves Batista to fend for himself against The Punjabi Nightmare in the World Heavyweight Championship match.

So far, very little has happened. Rey Mysterio is interviewed by Michael Cole, who is soon interrupted by JBL. It was odd that JBL initially praised Mr. 619 as he walked to the ring, but then scolded Cole for asking soft questions. It's currently uncertain as to what JBL's long-term goal in this Rey Mysterio story is. Having an announcer continually throw unbiased remarks aimed at a particular wrestler (and possibly growing into physical interruptions or distractions) is pretty intriguing, especially when one entertains the possibility of a future rematch between Mysterio and the Color Commentator of Smackdown.

As for Finlay's involvement, it's too early to tell. He arrived late to the scene and didn't waste any time bashing Rey's head in with the microphone.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5

Previous Feuds
Finlay: no notable feuds recently
Rey Mysterio: Chavo Guerrero

THE UNDERTAKER vs. MARK HENRY (7 weeks)

With the Undertaker's absence yet again on a very busy Smackdown, Mark Henry took the opportunity to cross Batista's path. It was a brief and temporary meeting between these two in order to try to garner some lost credibility for The World's Strongest Man.

Henry also used this week to announce an Unforgiven rematch between himself and the Deadman next Friday night. Keeping this feud going is an onerous task, but some people will tune in next week just to see this PPV rematch. It may be another case of WWE not having enough time to adequately build new feuds between PPVs that are separated by only three weeks, but that is yet to be determined.

Undertaker's extended return is a good decision overall. This week was too busy with wedding shenanigans to contemplate a grand television re-debut for Taker. Instead, using this episode to hype that return—and the subsequent rematch with Mark Henry—was a practical booking decision.

On the surface, it seems as though this feud should be discontinued come next week, but WWE may be looking to extend it to a final confrontation at No Mercy. If that is the case, they must put some form of doubt in viewers' minds regarding the Undertaker's chances. Right now, it's been proven that the Deadman can defeat The World's Strongest Man, making Henry's appearance seem all the more unthreatening.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 4 [down 1 from last week]

Previous Feuds
The Undertaker: n/a
Mark Henry: jobbers for over a month

JAMIE NOBLE vs. SHANNON MOORE (2 weeks)

Alright, the switch may be official. Hornswoggle seems to be enjoying a more prestigious role as Mr. McMahon's son, leaving Jamie Noble in the dust on Smackdown.

This week furthered the transition from the Noble-Hornswoggle feud to the Noble-Moore feud. Jimmy Wang Yang got a nice victory over Noble as the story of a man jinxed by deceit and trickery continues. Shannon Moore, who used to simply tease Noble for his misfortunes against The Leprechaun, is now filling Hornswoggle's role in costing Noble matches. He stole a victory last week by pretending to be a witness to a leprechaun sighting, and this week he donned a green hat to distract Noble long enough for Yang to take advantage.

It's a tenable way to structure this story, especially since Hornswoggle's involvement seems to have suddenly been dropped upon his reveal as Mr. McMahon's long-lost son. Playing on Noble's insecurities and paranoia is a clever way to pick up cheap wins while telling an interesting story, but WWE is going to have to define Shannon Moore more definitively as a babyface. As I've mentioned in previous articles, as a face, Moore is kind of a jerk. The only thing keeping him a technical babyface is that he is focusing the brunt of his teasing on a heel. Will that hold? I guess we'll find out soon.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5

Previous Feuds
Jamie Noble: n/a
Shannon Moore: n/a

TEDDY & KRISTAL'S WEDDING GONE WRONG

Although not technically a feud, I wanted to give some brief thoughts on how this storyline is panning out. WWE presented the season premiere of Smackdown on the CW Network with a different look and feel. It clearly was not a normal episode.

The hype going into the wedding with Maria and the Ying Yang Twins, as well as the locker room celebrations between Teddy and Kristal's respective groups, all culminated in a protracted final two segments. The wedding ceremony was important to the plot that has been developing over the past few months, so giving it so much time was a smart move. Since that seemed like the best option, it was also clever to integrate multiple angles into that one big scene. Jillian's singing, the nostalgic appearance of The Godfather, and the Hornswoggle-McMahon tomfoolery all seemed to get their time in the spotlight while the marriage commenced.

Teddy's heart attack was certainly a more controversial way to go, especially since WWE.com explained days later that he is semi-comatose. This thing can take many shapes as the weeks continue. The lack of Smackdown coverage on this week's Raw was pretty surprising, and it was a big disservice to the validity and seriousness of the angle.

Let's not forget, however, where this whole thing began. Many months ago, Vickie Guerrero and Kristal, who befriended one another soon after Vickie's arrival on Smackdown, started to scheme some type of plan. Kristal suddenly started to blatantly flirt with General Manager Theodore Long, eventually convincing him to hire Vickie Guerrero as Assistant GM.

It seemed as though the plan was heading for Kristal to get Teddy smitten enough in order to somehow take him out of his position as Smackdown GM. As months passed, Kristal seemingly turned face as she and Vickie continued to feign being good, fair, and honest people. Even Vickie grew less heelish over time as she was shown making decisions to help out Mr. Long.

My guess was that after the wedding, Kristal would convince Teddy to step down, giving Vickie the position as GM. Then she could turn on him with the initial plan complete. Now events seem uncertain, but there is some intrigue here going into next week's Smackdown.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6.5

POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Rey Mysterio vs. Finlay?

CONCLUDED FEUDS

(1) Finlay vs. Kane
(2) Jamie Noble vs. Hornswoggle?

Thanks for reading, everyone. If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to email me at newthtorch@hotmail.com. I appreciate all the feedback I receive.

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