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By Chris Newth, PWTorch.com Specialist Contributor

WWE Friday Night Smackdown
September 28, 2007
Upcoming PPV: No Mercy (second-to-last episode before PPV)

SMACKDOWN STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the fifth 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)

THE GREAT KHALI (w/ Ranjin Singh) vs. World Hvt. Champion BATISTA (5 weeks)

Talk about brushing the main event aside. This week, the live audience didn't even get to see either The Great Khali or World Heavyweight Champion Batista in person. Both just had respective backstage promos. This method of promotion for No Mercy's World Championship gimmick match certainly seemed to be a less creative attempt at handling the situation, but then again, this is one of the more difficult feuds to structure.

On the bright side, at least it wasn't the week directly preceding the PPV, and at least it was a method that isn't commonly used for main event contenders. Michael Cole and JBL gave adequate description of the rules of the Punjabi Prison Match, and both Batista as well as The Great Khali had the opportunity to speak directly to viewers.

Basically, Batista declared that although the Punjabi Prison structure seemingly gives Khali a clear advantage (this would not be hard to debate against), he is in a different mindset when his back is against the wall. Nobody's going to like Batista when he's angry…I mean caged.

Khali must have a great trust in his translator, Ranjin Singh. Can you imagine if Khali has been a babyface this whole time, and his heel demeanor only exists because of corrupt translators like Singh and Daivari who have hidden agendas? That would be an interesting storyline if people cared enough. Unfortunately, this case doesn't really fit into that category.

Although, it would even make sense because Khali is only a heel because he's foreign and he fights babyfaces. He doesn't do anything truly heelish. Okay, so he sometimes overly hurts individuals in acts of gratuitous violence and aggression, but that can be justified when it is revealed that Singh has been making the Rey Mysterios and the Batistas of WWE look like evil villains. I'm not sure why this digression has gone so far, but it is an interesting idea for when WWE wants to do a face/heel turn with certain wrestlers accompanied by a translator.

In any event, Khali's promo basically refuted Batista's. He claimed that the World Heavyweight Champion may be a caged animal, but that only means that he'll be trapped. An analogy was made between their No Mercy match and the match that the Punjabi Nightmare has against Rey Mysterio next week on Smackdown. Singh explained the analogy well. He said, "Mysterio could conceivably run away. You, Batista, on the other hand, have nowhere to run. You have no such option inside the Punjabi Prison."

The way the feud was handled this week gives the impression that WWE is racing towards the proverbial finish line that is No Mercy. At this point, after the last five weeks as well as numerous weeks prior, it has become clear that many want to see newer, fresher rivalries existent atop the Smackdown roster.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 4.5 [down 0.5 from last week]

Previous Feuds
The Great Khali: Batista
Batista: Edge

MATT HARDY vs. MVP (13 weeks)

The strong feud between MVP and Matt Hardy grows stronger this week as WWE emphasizes the differences between them. Montel Vontavious Porter throws himself a one year anniversary party for his successful achievements on Smackdown since debuting.

This week's events start in center ring, where MVP finds himself surrounded by a chic group of trendy club-goers. Celebration is in order for the United States and Tag Team Champion, and MVP absorbs the praise and support from his stylish entourage. Did you know that he's better than everybody?

After a short promo, Matt Hardy, in very casual clothes, crashes the party. Cole mentions that it's nice to see Hardy at his friend's celebration. After flashing his Tag Team gold, Hardy is permitted entrance to the VIP Lounge by the bouncer. The segment comes together in three parts, each featuring Hardy hyping gifts for MVP only to anger The Dual Champion: an irreverent video package, a disrespectful toast, and a less-than-gracious announcement that MVP would have to face Kane in a singles competition later that night.

The segment worked very well. The dynamic between these two is as strong as ever; it's the opulent and stylish versus the casual and modest. During the segment, Hardy even pointed it out. "I was hesitant to come out tonight because this isn't my scene, you know?" he explained to MVP. Particularly appealing is that this difference isn't victim to favoritism. That is to say that neither MVP's trendy style nor Matt Hardy's casual nature is depicted as better than the other (like many feuds tend to do). These are just two different people—The Mismatch Tag Team—that struggle to coexist.

As mentioned before, this is the most entertaining feud currently booked for Smackdown. It consistently provides fresh angles and obstacles while adequately projecting character. By the end of this one, both MVP and Matt Hardy will have greatly benefited from the strong development here. Their competitions are small, but effective; their attempts to get under one another's skin are entertaining; and the overall story about these two guys that aren't bitter rivals but rather dueling sportsmen is always compelling. Nicely done.

Please note that this rating isn't intended to mean that this feud is just as engaging and enthralling as the feud between John Cena and Randy Orton on Raw. It's a completely different setup with a completely different tone. The Intrigue Level that I assign just explains how I gauge the progress of the rivalry. To make an effective analogy, let's say that a professor gives one student's paper an A because they did very strong work, met the criteria for the assignment, and had very few grammatical mistakes. Another paper graded by the same professor was even more insightful, and also received an A (assuming A+ is a grade that can't be given). It's not the idea that one was better than the other; it was the notion that they both reached an excellent status. So, treat this system similarly.

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

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

DEUCE 'N' DOMINO (w/ Cherry) vs. MVP & MATT HARDY (6 weeks w/ 1 week hiatus)

The auxiliary feud between Deuce 'N' Domino and Matt Hardy & MVP took a short hiatus this week as focus sharpened on the interaction between Hardy and The Dual Champion, MVP. When WWE decides to take the Tag Team Titles away from The Mismatch Team, Deuce and Domino will probably be the ones ready to take them. Other tag teams on Smackdown haven't been featured, so the fact that the Tag Team From The 50's is the strongest heel team on the brand—coupled with the fact that they now have a strong history with MVP and Hardy—make their potential run with the titles for a second time all the more feasible.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5 [down 1 from last week]

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

CHUCK PALUMBO & MICHELLE McCOOL vs. KENNY DYKSTRA & VICTORIA (3 weeks w/ 1 week hiatus)

Well, half of this combination showed up this week for a match together. Which one? Another squash match for Chuck Palumbo, of course. My inquisitive nature has me wondering what the benefits actually are for the multiple victories Palumbo has over the Former Spirit Squad Leader. After the first clean win, it doesn't make The Motorcyclist any more impressive, and these squashes only hurt what little credibility Kenny has left. Palumbo needs to move on to something else, and Dykstra needs someone to write a fresh character for him.

As for the McCool-Victoria feud, it's presumably over. The absence of Michelle McCool left Victoria in a very decent match with Torrie Wilson. The match itself, along with the possible rivalry between the two divas, was not the focal point of the segment, however. The real news came when a Mystery Diva entered the scene and assaulted Torrie Wilson.

The blonde Mystery Diva didn't provide any kind of explanation as to why she stormed the ring for Torrie, and the Smackdown announce team was left clueless. Was this a good way to structure events? Well, having a nameless newcomer enter the picture and make a statement always produces a slight interest. Does this woman know Torrie in some way or is she just WWE's newest diva looking to make a name for herself?

Bringing this Mystery Diva to Smackdown was the right move. Things were getting a little bland with McCool and Torrie facing Victoria every week. The women's division on Raw is already full with credible divas like Mickie James, Jillian Hall, Melina, Candice, and Beth Phoenix. Most weeks, they can't even feature half of them in the one diva segment they offer. If WWE wants some diva action on Smackdown, they now have enough female stars to provide pretty good feuds. Plus, they can always shake things up next year with another draft.

The following rating refers to the Palumbo-Dykstra feud, not the developments in the women's division.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 2 [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 (2 week)

If the thought of, "Wait, didn't I see this last week?" popped into your head, you weren't alone. Rey Mysterio participates in another in-ring interview, this time by JBL exclusively. Things ultimately get physical, and Rey delivers The 619 to Smackdown's Color Commentator. However, there was no time for celebration as Finlay appeared and quickly dispensed of Mysterio's momentum with a shillelagh shot.

There isn't much to say here. The only interesting factor is JBL's potential role in this feud or his potential future feud with Rey. I'm sure the Mysterio-Finlay match at No Mercy will be solid, but it just seems too bland. There's almost no storyline here, unless it turns out the JBL set Mr. 619 up from the beginning. But at this point, even that wouldn't really matter too much.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5 [same as last week]

Previous Feuds
Finlay: Kane
Rey Mysterio: Chavo Guerrero

THE UNDERTAKER vs. MARK HENRY (8 weeks)

It seems as though WWE has concluded the Taker-Henry feud this week since the babyface Deadman got another clean, decisive victory over rival Mark Henry. The show's setup had the Undertaker facing Mark Henry in the main event as an Unforgiven rematch. Also hyped was the Deadman's awaited return to television.

There really wasn't much storyline involved in this feud. Undertaker was out for months with a bicep problem that required surgery. His program with The World's Strongest Man was a short and convenient Return from Injury story, one that probably ended this week on Friday Night Smackdown.

Why does it seem like WWE doesn't know what to do with Mark Henry? They love to push him, but they won't take that final step in putting him in the main event on a consistent basis. I'm not advocated either way, but it's obvious that the guy is awkwardly stuck between the upper-midcard and the main event. Kane seems to be in the same predicament. You can tell that WWE would put them over Matt Hardy and MVP if they ever competed in the same match. This week's cheap finish in the Kane-MVP bout proves that. Yet, they don't really want to give them a program for the title. It's a problematic situation for both the writers and the wrestlers.

Some may complain that the match this week between Undertaker and Henry was too short, but this argument seems ridiculous to me. Ideally, WWE intends to structure matches that are as close to reality as possible. If you view actual fights between people, say in UFC for example, you'll notice a vast array of competition time. Matches are supposed to be unpredictable, and claiming that certain ones should last at least so many minutes seems counterintuitive. In this case, WWE wanted to have a quick, decisive victory for the Deadman so that the feud can end on television while simultaneously doing their best to not cheat those that did pay for the Unforgiven PPV.

Another example of good unpredictability was Raw's main event this week, which featured John Cena beating Mr. Kennedy very unexpectedly (in terms of the time). Things were moving along until suddenly Mr. Kennedy was tapping out. It's the same premise, and although a little anticlimactic, it should be preferable in that now you have to expect a win to come at any time.

Overall, this feud has been below par, especially for one involving the legendary Undertaker. However, it isn't necessarily the wrestlers' or the writers' faults. Taker was out on injury, so he couldn't be present during the hyping stage to Unforgiven. And then when he cleanly beat Henry at the PPV, the feud was pretty much over anyway. These Return from Injury storylines (as you can see from the King Booker-Triple H rivalry) are used more for convenience purposes than entertainment.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 4.5 [up 0.5 from last week]

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

JAMIE NOBLE vs. SHANNON MOORE (3 weeks)

Alright, the match Jamie Noble needed to regain some credibility took place this week on Smackdown. The storyline here is that Shannon Moore has adopted Hornswoggle-esque tactics in order to pick win after win over Noble. Moore, after having teased Noble for weeks because of his three losses against The Leprechaun, has recently used Noble's paranoia against him. One week, he pretended to witness a leprechaun sighting, and the following week he wore the little green hat and pretended to be The Little Bastard.

This week, Jamie Noble earned his much-needed win over the babyface bully Shannon Moore. Was this a good plan? Yes, Noble's victory is long overdue, and the way it happened fit into the storyline nicely. Moore didn't try to use any sort of trickery here, and with no distraction, Noble was able to claim a win with his nice-looking finisher.

The rivalry between these two is continuing just fine; however, more is going to be required to avoid stagnation.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5 [same as last week]

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

THE GENERAL MANAGER SITUATION (2 weeks)

Predictably (in a good sense of the word), both Teddy Long and Kristal were kept off the show this week. A brief update on Long's status and a swift move forward—in the form of Vickie Guerrero being named the new GM of Smackdown to kick off the show—offered an adequate continuation episode this week.

The only thing I'd like to mention here regards Vickie Guerrero as the new General Manager of Smackdown. Mr. McMahon made sure to adopt a more solemn disposition, one almost out of character for The Chairman. He promoted Vickie and told her that he is sure she'll do a good job. This move isn't surprising, but it does raise some interesting questions. Does Vickie have any hidden motives that she can now exploit? What kind of role will she play in this new position? How involved will she be as the General Manager?

There is a common theme in many films: Power Corrupts. If Vickie hadn't been scheming with Kristal months ago, which many people may remember as the impetus behind Kristal and Teddy's relationship, I'd suggest that an entertaining idea would be to use the "power corrupts" theme by slowly turning a babyface GM into a heel. The only problem here is that Vickie Guerrero was brought in as a heel. There is still something about her that always reeks of heel qualities despite her extended attempts to portray a sensitive, true babyface.

On an ultra side note, I couldn't help but laugh at the unintentional comedy that spawned out of the scene where Vickie Guerrero talked Hornswoggle into abdicating the Cruiserweight Championship. She approached him in a sincere, respectful, and caring way. She told him that it's probably in his best interest, and that it wouldn't be safe for him to have it. Then she said, "So, I propose that…," making it sound as though Hornswoggle had a choice in the matter. When the camera took a closer shot of him looking down at his title, Vickie's hands suddenly snatched it away from him. I guess it was just the timing and how it was done, but it got a laugh out of me.

In a serious interpretation, the abdication of the Cruiserweight Championship was probably the right move. It was one of the better options at this point. Hornswoggle is going to be featured more in his new role as Mr. McMahon's son, so he should no longer hold the Cruiserweight gold. Additionally, I don't think anyone really wants to see one of the cruiserweights beat up and pin a little person for the title. It did the championship more justice by having it stripped from the Greenest McMahon in WWE.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7 [up 0.5 from last week]

POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Torrie Wilson vs. Victoria?
(2) Torrie Wilson vs. Mystery Diva?
(3) Rey Mysterio vs. JBL?

CONCLUDED FEUDS

(1) Victoria vs. Michelle McCool?
(2) Undertaker vs. Mark Henry?

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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