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By Chris Newth, PWTorch.com Specialist Contributor

WWE Friday Night Smackdown
November 2, 2007
Upcoming PPV: Survivor Series (third-to-last episode before PPV)

SMACKDOWN STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the tenth 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)

Attention readers! Beginning this week, Nov. 5-9, I will be poring through my email messages looking for the most creative and interesting storyline idea for an ongoing WWE feud. If you happen to spark a great idea that would enhance a current feud for Raw, ECW, or Smackdown this week, send it in to newthtorch@hotmail.com (with the name of the show in the subject line). Three ideas will be chosen - one for each WWE show - and posted on this column at PWTorch.com.

Decisions will be based on creativity, clarity, and relevancy. Here are some guidelines to help your chances of being chosen:

(1) Be sure that you write about WWE feuds. I don't currently have a TNA column.

(2) Write about a feud that's already established on one of the shows. Don't speculate with dream matches or feuds between two people not currently in a program together.

(3) Don't ignore the elements of the story that have been featured so far. Use the current storyline as a starting point from which you can build your own continuation.

(4) Have your idea be something that WWE could start to get into next week, not something that they "should have done."

(5) Be realistic. Don't include features that would be nearly impossible for WWE to pull off.

(6) Originality is paramount. Try to avoid falling into formulaic booking traps.

(7) Time your storyline for the short-term. Aim to talk about developments for the next few weeks and up until the next PPV, not year-long WrestleMania plans.

I've decided to expand the length to a 600-word maximum since I'm only choosing one for each show. That should be more than enough space for your ideas, and many will be able to do it with fewer words. The emphasis can be on whatever you'd like. If you want to just discuss the value of your specific storyline and how it might enhance character, go ahead. Or maybe you would rather include detailed coverage of what we should see in backstage vignettes or promos. Creating a visual depiction is always great. Talk about what each character is saying, what they are doing, what their emotion is, etc. Talk about the purpose for each segment.

So, the process for this contest is as follows: choose a storyline first, watch whatever show is carrying that storyline this week, then type up your idea and email it to me. Please don't send me a Smackdown idea until after Friday night (Nov. 9). Watch this week's show first and then send your idea later. The goal here is to gauge the direction of WWE, then continue it with your own idea.

This opportunity is exclusive to the Storylines and Feuds sections of PWTorch.com. Remember, this is a feature that's geared toward posting story ideas. No analysis, please. And don't forget to include your first and last name in the body of the email. I won't post anything without crediting the writer.

Now to Smackdown.

This week's Smackdown was pretty strong overall. The focus of the show was a lot better than the last few weeks have been. That isn't to imply, however, that the aforementioned lack of focus was entirely WWE's fault. After all, the concept of the Cyber Sunday PPV is inherently riddled with such a vague, undefined nature.

Smackdown had that "back to business" feel to it, particularly with regard to the World Heavyweight Championship situation. Speaking of which, let's start with…

World Hvt. Champion BATISTA vs. THE UNDERTAKER (4 weeks)

Smackdown started with a strong opener. It was Batista's "Come Home with the Prize" moment, a metaphorical plot point that can be applied to many movies and television shows depicting a journey of some kind. In this case, Batista returned to Smackdown after a brutal match with The Undertaker at Cyber Sunday, and he proudly displayed the World Heavyweight Championship that was draped on his shoulder.

The Animal's opening speech was much better than his past promos. He made a lot more sense this time. Instead of talking about his clothes and shoes - something a babyface probably doesn't want to flaunt - he actually hit on something meaningful: an allusion to his underprivileged childhood. Plus, it was kept short and sweet. Undertaker, however, one-upped The World Champion in succinctness, using as few words as possible to get his point across. And what a point it was! Taker wants Batista in a Hell in a Cell match for the title at Survivor Series.

Batista accepting the initial challenge was nice. Babyface champions who open themselves up to competition and invite challenges (like John Cena as WWE Champion) create the feeling of fairness, almost like a free-flowing democracy of sorts for the audience. Contrarily, most heel champions trying to hold onto their belt without giving much opportunity (and even then only reluctantly accepting when an authority figure books a title match) creates the feeling of forced isolation, letting viewers feel as if a babyface could win if given the shot; the trick and chase for the belt then becomes more about the good guy trying to find a way to legally earn a title shot.

So Batista came off looking like a confident, fair babyface champion, and Taker was…well, Taker. The promo also set up the main event, highlighting the frequently overused "Enemies Must Work as a Team" angle. After Batista offered to watch The Undertaker's back, The Deadman agreed to do the same because Batista has something that he wants (hint: The World Heavyweight Title).

The main event tag team contest pitting Taker and Batista against the mammoth combination of Mark Henry and The Great Khali was solid, particularly because of the ending. JBL's interference and post-match promo from the announcer's desk was an intriguing way to end the show. Of course, all we know is that JBL is bitter about absorbing a spear and chokeslam on consecutive weeks last month; he's out for revenge. Said JBL, "Yeah, I'm the one who set it up. You're damn right I did. They [Batista and Undertaker] want to put their hands on me and think there's going to be no reciprocity, not the way I work."

Overall, this feud is really starting to heat up. Now that they've balanced the record to a statistical tie with Undertaker and Batista both holding one win and two draws, there's a valid reason for Taker to continue facing The Animal. It's a great method to use when two babyfaces are clashing. And unlike Raw's main event feud featuring Randy Orton and Shawn Michaels, this Batista-Undertaker combination has clicked.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 8.5 [up 1 from last week]

Previous Feuds
Undertaker: Mark Henry
Batista: Edge, The Great Khali

WWE Tag Team Champion MATT HARDY vs. WWE Tag Team & United States Champion MVP (18 weeks)

Things started out this week in the back with Matt Hardy and The Dual Champion discussing Matt's current injury status. This backstage scene was well-done. MVP is more like a cocky babyface now, which is pretty unique. And Hardy has come to accept MVP's true nature; he doesn't even put up much of an argument anymore when his partner claims to be better than everyone, including Hardy himself. Even the audience is starting to warm up to Porter, which is a great sign.

There was a good segue into the Kane-MVP match when The Big Red Machine's fire blasted in the background while the WWE Tag Team Champions were discussing the possibility of MVP's opponent. The match itself was decent, although I think everyone would agree that we've seen this combination one too many times in the last year or so. Beyond this match and that one meeting between Hardy and MVP, nothing was done to advance the feud in any significant way. Of course, one has to consider the limitations that have been set since Matt Hardy is currently not cleared to compete until next week.

I'm reluctant to even call this one a feud anymore, but it is obvious that Matt Hardy is scheduled to have his one-on-one match with MVP at some point. That's not to suggest that MVP should become a more forceful heel once it happens. The growth of Montel Vontavious Porter during this four and a half month feud has been astounding, and he's in a unique position that should be preserved and increasingly defined from here. Nice job, as usual.

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

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

HORNSWOGGLE vs. JONATHAN COACHMAN (8 weeks)

I'm not going to really discuss this one because its primary a Raw-based feud, however, it did appear on Smackdown, so I'll briefly review it. Other than the fact that Hornswoggle is still technically a Smackdown Superstar, the placement of such a match on this show was strange. Clearly, WWE opted to do it because of Foley's hometown, but after the less-than-spectacular reaction, they may have regretted that decision later.

What happened to Mick Foley, anyway? When you think about legends returning, you expect much greater fan reaction. Watch the audience explosions when Hulk Hogan, The Rock, or Steve Austin enter the arena. To give Foley's unpopularity some context, just look at the Cyber Sunday voting. He barely beat out JBL with a meager 11% of the votes. Compare that with Steve Austin's overwhelming 79%. Now he appears in front of a Long Island crowd, and he's largely met with indifference. Interesting.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 4 [same as on Raw]

Previous Feuds
Hornswoggle: Jamie Noble
Jonathan Coachman: n/a


THE MAJOR BROTHERS vs. DREW McINTYRE & Dave Taylor (4 weeks w/ 2-week hiatus)

Another week passes with no appearances by the Major Brothers or newcomer Drew McIntyre and his trainer, Dave Taylor. If nobody from this group shows up for another few weeks, it might be proof that WWE killed it; however, I have a feeling that they will reignite this rivalry soon. It was nice to see these guys get more television time.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 4 [down 0.5 from last week]

Previous Feuds
The Major Brothers: n/a
Drew McIntyre: n/a
Dave Taylor: n/a

FINLAY vs. REY MYSTERIO (7 weeks)

This week's Smackdown wrapped the Mysterio-Finlay feud into one comprehensive segment of the show, all centered within Rey's match with Jamie Noble.

The match itself was strong and felt more natural for Rey. It was also a testament to the value that a different style can bring to a show. What Mysterio and Noble did on Smackdown wasn't necessarily an off-the-wall spot-fest; but there was a more unique flow that you don't generally see on WWE programming anymore. It was a nice balance of novel technique with WWE's conventional style, and that made for good TV.

As for the Cruiserweight Title entering the picture with Mysterio involved, I'd argue against it. Overall, I think it would be a terrible business move. The Cruiserweight Championship has very little prestige left. If Rey has proven that he can enter the main event level and win the coveted World Heavyweight Title, why have him demoted in a perceptual sense?

Don’t get me wrong; he could do wonders for the cruiserweight division, but if I were writing the show, why not use him as one of the handful of guys at the top of the roster? In WWE, the Cruiserweight Title is never going to reach a prestigious degree even close to that of the World Heavyweight Title, so when you have a guy that is accepted, despite his size, to the bigger level, it's only logical that you keep him there. Although, I am critical of how Rey's always seen as the heavy underdog. It would be nice if WWE could make it a priority to hype how Mysterio's size and style actually give him an advantage against bigger wrestlers, making it a fair fight. It would still be believable while giving Rey more with which to work.

Finlay's post-match promo was pretty good. He hit all the talking points to set up their upcoming bout next week on Smackdown. While talking to Mysterio, Finlay said, "You're a quitter, you're weak, you're soft, you're fearful, and next week, Rey, you're gonna be a loser." Um, what does that make Finlay after the Cyber Sunday PPV?

Overall, this feud is pretty good, but nothing terribly special. There still seems to be something missing since the rivalry's inception almost two months ago. Hopefully, next week's matchup between The Fighting Irishman and The Master of the 619 will result in a fitting conclusion to this feud so that each participant can move on to more interesting challenges.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6.5 [up 0.5 from last week]

Previous Feuds
Finlay: Kane
Rey Mysterio: Chavo Guerrero

BIG DADDY V (w/ Matt Striker) vs. KANE (3 weeks)

So MVP was stuck in a match with Kane, but toward the end, Big Daddy V came out for the obligatory distraction. Surprisingly, it didn't lead to Kane losing the match. Even more surprisingly, Montel Vontavious Porter did a clean job, losing the bout after being chokeslammed by the Big Red Machine.

After the match, Big Daddy V entered the ring and made quick work of an exhausted Kane. The events that transpired this week are nothing new. We've been seeing this happen for a few weeks now. The only difference is that the fighting seems to be exclusively between Big Daddy V and Kane. The Great Khali and Mark Henry look to have moved on with their involvement in this week's Smackdown main event tag team contest.

Overall, this feud is going to need work. Just watching two huge behemoths battle for no good reason is pretty pointless, and boring. Like I've been saying for months, throw two guys (or girls) a sound story, and all the fighting will be not only justified, but relevant as well. Because of the limitations with these two, WWE is going to have to find a nice angle to work with. Matt Striker would be of great use here. What we shouldn't get is Big Daddy V interrupting and fighting Kane with no explanation given (other than that one tag team match on ECW weeks ago).

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 4 [same as on ECW]

Previous Feuds
Big Daddy V: Tommy Dreamer
Kane: Finlay

CHUCK PALUMBO (w/ Michelle McCool) vs. KENNY DYKSTRA (w/ Victoria) (9 weeks w/ 5-week hiatus)

Well, it seems that Chuck Palumbo is again battling Kenny Dykstra. The last time these two clashed, I gave it an Intrigue Level of 2. All we got to see is Palumbo easily decimating the young Dykstra. Each week, Kenny would come out and pose no threat to The Motorcycle Enthusiast, who would cleanly rack up victories via pinfall after his Full Throttle finisher. You can only assume that these two were paired together once again because Chris Masters (Palumbo's second official jobber) is out via a Wellness Policy violation for two months.

Since nothing new happened this week, I might as well refer to my evaluation from the last time these two met on September 28:

"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."

Overall, this thing can only sink. Even if Dykstra can find a way to victory, nobody is going to buy the idea that Palumbo won't eventually come out on top. Hopefully, this week's match was just used as an excuse to keep Palumbo on TV, and not an implication that the audience can expect a Palumbo-Dykstra combination for a few more weeks.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 1.5 [down 0.5 from Sept. 28 show]

Previous Feuds
Chuck Palumbo: Chris Masters
Kenny Dykstra: no notable feuds since drafted from Raw

VICKIE GUERRERO vs. JAMIE NOBLE (4 weeks)

It was another interesting week in the world shared by Jamie Noble and Vickie Guerrero. The two met backstage, as usual, but this time it seemed like more of a coincidence. Noble was reading the 500th edition of WWE Magazine when she approached him in the hallway. In her hand was the new Rey Mysterio DVD entitled "The Biggest Little Man," an intended gift for Jamie. Noble, however, rejected it, after which Vickie explained that he would be facing Rey Mysterio later in the night.

Noble, who inauspiciously had to face The Great Khali, Undertaker, and Batista in the last three consecutive weeks, was elated at the idea of having a match against The Master of the 619. This aspect of the segment wasn't particularly strong. The downside is that if Noble interprets a match with Mysterio to be remuneration of some kind, it further cements the idea that Mysterio is always the underrated underdog. Rey, despite his size, is an inveterate main event player, and as a former World Champion, he should be seen as a threat by now.

Overall, this is a decent feud that serves multiple purposes. By having many people look forward to these segments, WWE is presenting Vickie Guerrero in the light in which they currently wish to portray her; it beats the idea of her interacting with randomly changing superstars each week to no crowd reaction. This week's episode featured another fun, colorful segment between Vickie and Jamie. The little sexual hints are pretty funny too. After Vickie played along the other week, pretending to be pleased with Jamie's bedroom plans, Noble may now believe that she is sexually interested. As a whole, however, these backstage vignettes are great in that they are allowing the two characters to build a rapport with one another - and, subsequently, with viewers.

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

Previous Feuds
Vickie Guerrero: n/a
Jamie Noble: Hornswoggle

CONCLUDED FEUDS

(1) Big Daddy V vs. The Great Khali vs. Kane vs. Mark Henry

POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Jesse & Festus vs. Deuce 'N' Domino
(2) Smackdown wrestlers vs. ECW wrestlers?

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. Please insert a word in the subject line that deals with a wrestling topic or write something such as "WWE," "feud," or "Funaki" so that I know it's not junk mail. If you're emailing an idea, please include the name of the show in the subject line for me.

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