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WWE Friday Night Smackdown
November 23, 2007
Upcoming PPV: Armageddon (fourth-to-last episode before PPV)

SMACKDOWN STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the thirteenth 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 most accurate way by which one can describe this week's Smackdown is to say that it was a cleverly accomplished, justified, and refreshing change in direction. Edge's arrival brought with it a rivalry shuffle, where literally every Smackdown feud was reconfigured in one way or another. If WWE was attempting to subconsciously make its Friday show feel completely different now that Edge has returned, they certainly accomplished it. The trick was disposing all the old feuds in exchange for a completely revamped card. Oh, and the opening segment didn't hurt.

"Everything's out of control," exclaimed Michael Cole to open the show. He was right. What impact the Rated-R Superstar has made to Friday nights! And the timing couldn't be better. With Jericho making his debut on Raw earlier this week, Smackdown was in desperate need of some enhancement itself. This week, they got it. Now the main event on the blue brand, although still ambiguous, is undoubtedly stronger with Taker and Edge leading the way. Batista falls in there somewhere, but most likely will find another challenger in the coming weeks.

Let's get right to feuds, starting with…

EDGE & Smackdown GM VICKIE GUERRERO vs. World Hvt. Champion BATISTA or THE UNDERTAKER (1 week)

This week opened in a surprising fashion. Vickie Guerrero appeared to be admonishing Edge in the General Manager's Office for his interference at the Survivor Series PPV in the Batista-Undertaker Hell in a Cell match. Shouted Vickie angrily, "This is unbelievable…. I mean, this was the last chance that Undertaker had had for the title, and you went and…and ruined that chance!"

Then, after Vickie set up a World Heavyweight Title match next week on Smackdown and Edge confirmed that he was the new Number One Contender, the Rated-R Superstar exposed the truth of Survivor Series—that it was Vickie who happened to help plan the event all along. They ended the segment smiling at each other insidiously after enjoying a heavy impromptu tongue vs. tongue match.

This opening segment revealing that Vickie Guerrero is in cahoots with Edge is great for multiple reasons. One, it opened the show with a shocker, and the rest of the show followed suit in terms of being different from the last few weeks (as I alluded to earlier, it felt different due to all the rivalry alterations). Did you hear the huge audience pop when they starting making out? I think the original plan with Edge teaming with Kristal would have been a lot less viscerally engaging; the image of Vickie and Edge together is a lot more powerful.

Secondly, it does wonders for their characters, especially Vickie Guerrero's. They were doing a decent job establishing her as a clear-cut, likable babyface General Manager in the last two months while she made Jamie Noble's life miserable, but now she's going to unequivocally receive a lot of heel heat whenever she appears. That in itself speaks volumes about how effective Edge is as a character. When the company knows that pairing anybody with a particular person is going to inherently garner the second person heat simply by proxy, you know it's impressive.

And finally, it's a great story. Say what you want about how over-exposed heel GM's tend to be; this one is different. If I recall, it is unique that a female authority figure is sided with an individual heel and looks like she's about to do anything within her power to help him. And the story can run pretty deep.

How will people react to their relationship? Will she treat other heels differently than she does Edge? What happens when Teddy Long comes back? Is the relationship between Edge and Vickie even stable? Is it real? All of these questions are great, and many feuds don't offer such intricate forethought. It's refreshing to see an angle that generates this kind of storytelling.

The only problem may have been the pace of the turn. For those who felt it was handled too quickly, I agree to an extent, although having it done on this show and at the beginning was probably the right move. The only difference I would have made if I were scripting this would be to have Vickie Guerrero sternly state directly into the camera that she plans to deal with the situation regarding Edge immediately. Then, after the Smackdown opening airs, she would approach the ring, call out the Rated-R Superstar, and do exactly what they did backstage in the ring. That lead-in would have given it a little more emphasis without hurting the shock value. Then again, the subtlety involved with some of those lines and actions wouldn't have been as clear had they gone that route.

The subtlety I'm talking about can be found throughout the segment. Vickie begins to yell at Edge in a really angry tone of voice as Edge hangs his head in shame. Suddenly, she decides to "punish" him with a World Heavyweight Championship match next week. This is where the audience is goaded into thinking that she's about to turn it around on the evil heel by booking some odd, severe stipulation. When Edge asks if this means that Undertaker has to take a backseat to him, Vickie even unsurely replies, "well…yes," as if she is trying to see where he's going with this, to see if he's tricked her into something. It was just a well-orchestrated segment overall.

Their plan is great. Vickie helped Edge by having a match set up (the Hell in a Cell) between Undertaker and Batista. Edge's interference caused the Deadman to lose, which means that he doesn't get another shot at the title, rendering Edge next in line. Furthermore—on a booking level—it allows Edge to start a rivalry with Undertaker since he has already had a run with Batista before his injury. So the story makes sense, it's intricate, and it's entertaining.

Later in the show, Batista met with Vickie backstage to ask her why she made the title match. Vickie responded that it's because Edge deserves it and that it's because she loves him. Okay, here's where WWE has the potential to get into some character depth. The way they are currently portraying the Smackdown General Manager, it seems that she's borderline infatuated with Edge. What background do they really have? When did this union start? These questions should be revealed (either directly or indirectly) in the coming weeks. In any event, Vickie's comments about how she loves him—this coming on the same episode we find out they are actually accomplices—really evokes a sense that she's enamored with the Rated-R Superstar.

With that in mind, the story can take a number of paths. Wade Keller mentioned two ways the story could work in his Smackdown Report this week, where he stated that she will either stay heel and run into problems when Theodore Long returns or she will become a babyface when Edge is shown to be using her. Long is likely to show up sooner or later, and Edge just seemed as though he was taking advantage of her (mostly because of how infatuated she's appearing). While I watched the show this week, I got the exact same impression, except I have one alternate idea.

The only other way that I thought this story could work is to have the current setup be a ruse by Vickie herself. Is she really that crazily in love with Edge? Perhaps she isn't, but she wants him to think that she is. Maybe she's going to play along looking dependent and enamored until one day when she turns on Edge herself. The reason? Maybe she's tired of people underestimating the ability of a woman in power. She knew that Edge was only interested in her because of her position of power, and she wanted to teach him that she's a lot smarter than he thinks.

During the "Cutting Edge," Batista shoved the host and mentioned the title match next week. Taker then appeared to give Vickie a Tombstone Piledriver while Edge stood in the aisle watching. There was definitely a feeling of concern from Edge; however, his cowardly heel nature restricted him from saving his new lover.

Overall, this is the best storyline on Smackdown and arguably the best in WWE at the moment, although it's only fair to wait to see where the Jericho-Orton feud and the Ric Flair storyline go in the next few weeks. It's one of those rare angles in WWE where there's a surprise and a clear reasoning behind it all. The characters are strong, the storyline is solid, the obstacles are currently being set, and a clear wrestling rivalry has been established (Undertaker vs. Edge). Very nicely done.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7.5

Previous Feuds
Edge: Batista
Undertaker: Mark Henry, Batista
Batista: Edge, The Great Khali, Undertaker
Vickie Guerrero: n/a

REY MYSTERIO vs. United States Champion MVP (1 week)

This week, JBL held a small celebration for MVP for ostensibly doing nothing beyond being MVP and taking out Matt Hardy last week. The self-proclaimed Wrestling God awarded Montel Vontavious Porter the first ever United States Championship Ring. During the prestigious event, Rey Mysterio interrupted to talk with the U.S. Champion. He called MVP a rookie and a punk before Porter punched him to the mat. Rey retaliated with shots of his own and an attempted 619, but MVP bolted before any further damage took place.

Later in the evening, MVP and Rey Mysterio had their first match. The result saw MVP pick up the win after holding onto the ropes while covering Mysterio after a 619. It was a strong match between these two, except it's not good that Rey's finisher is not being sold properly. Two weeks ago, Finlay beat Rey after he was kicked in the face by the 619, only to then get up and knock Mysterio off the ropes to score a pinfall. This week, MVP's face absorbed two 619s only for him to get up, slam Mysterio to the mat, grab the ropes, and steal the victory. Although the win wasn't clean, it still undermines the credibility of Rey's signature finisher.

Overall, this new Smackdown feud has great potential. Rey Mysterio is the perfect replacement for Matt Hardy at the moment. The difference between this rivalry and the one between Rey and Finlay is that there's an actual story here: MVP is holding this self-indulging ceremony (now with more encouragement from JBL, who only further enforces this notion that Porter is so great). Mysterio has enough and basically enters the ring to defend Hardy, who can't be there. He claims that MVP is a punk and exposes—or, more appropriately, reinforces—the idea that MVP has been dodging a title defense against Matt Hardy because he's afraid. That, along with a solid matchup, is a great start.

They could go deeper into this MVP character with him being actually afraid, fearful of losing his title and going back to having nothing. Maybe we can see how vulnerable he is when he thinks about not having any titles, medals, rings, etc. It's a great angle with which they can work because it not only delves deeper into character, but it also puts the focus on titles.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6

Previous Feuds
MVP: Ric Flair
Rey Mysterio: Chavo Guerrero, Finlay

FINLAY vs. MR. McMAHON (1 week)

Things started out backstage this week as Mr. McMahon, in an unusual appearance from Raw, talked to Finlay about the Hornswoggle situation. He said that it's about tough love, and that's why he put Hornswoggle in a one-on-one contest against Mark Henry. Finlay responded, "That…that wasn't part of our arrangement, Vince." Not sure what that means, but perhaps it's part of the story that will be revealed later. McMahon then made a change, claiming that it was now a Handicap Match featuring the team of Hornswoggle and Finlay versus the World's Strongest Man. Finlay agreed, slapped Vince on the face in a friendly, yet slightly aggressive way, and left.

Later, Finlay and Hornswoggle ended up winning their match when Finlay gave the Leprechaun a little extra help with his Tadpole Splash from the top rope. Mark Henry, who's come a long way since headlining Undertaker's return match on PPV a few months ago, lost by clean pinfall. Soon, however, The Great Khali showed up to wreak havoc on the Irish tandem. Henry eventually joined in, and the combination of the tallest and strongest men—a combination that's eerily reminiscent of Raw's monster team of Umaga and Snitsky—stood tall to end the segment.

There are many good things emanating from this rich storyline. First, Mr. McMahon has a different opponent that will require a different approach. McMahon clearly is dealing with something new here; it's as if he's not being as upfront as he generally is. He acts a certain way toward Finlay when face-to-face, but that disposition immediately deteriorates when the Fighting Irishman leaves the room. If WWE explained the reason behind this phenomenon, it would really add a nice dimension to this battle.

Another nice aspect of the feud is Finlay's face turn. Turning a wrestler from face to heel or vice versa should always come with an explanation, especially since in this case Finlay was badmouthing one of the company's most popular players (Rey Mysterio) just weeks ago. Yes, some context had been provided with Hornswoggle clearly being an old friend of Finlay's, but more needs to be known.

As far as the turn itself (not the reasoning) is concerned, WWE is doing an excellent job. Finlay was one of Smackdown's stronger heels, and it would take a lot to effectively get the crowd on his side, yet the writers have almost accomplished this completely within one week. With huge monsters like Khali and Henry against him (led by McMahon) as well as his actions of looking out for the vulnerable Hornswoggle in unfair circumstances, Finlay is becoming an interesting babyface while retaining his rough image and style. Good.

One of the more subtle parts of this week's events that really helped the story is when Hornswoggle, when walking down the hallway with Finlay, looked up at the Finlay and simply said two words: "thank you." It was a little touch that adds so much to the story in general; it gives this face turn a little more power. Look what can be accomplished in just a ten second clip that seems (on the surface) meaningless. It's the little details that garnish storylines and allow viewers to pick up small additional tidbits of information in multiple segments of the show that can really evolve the angle being presented.

These latest Hornswoggle matches, particularly the ones where he faced Carlito and now Mark Henry, don't make viewers anticipate great things, but they do offer some good TV. It's pure entertainment, and since they are advancing the Finlay-McMahon story while accomplishing the tough love angle, it works.

This is what's great about wrestling. Two (or more) people with an issue can fight it out in the ring to solve their problems; they don't necessarily have to be two accomplished wrestlers. Sometimes short matches featuring non-wrestlers or those with limited ability can add a lot to the overall storyline. There is a place for these non-serious fun matches.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5.5

Previous Feuds
Finlay: Kane, Rey Mysterio
Mr. McMahon: Bobby Lashley, Triple H, Hornswoggle

BIG DADDY V (w/ Matt Striker) vs. KANE (6 weeks w/ 2 weeks hiatus)

This week, Big Daddy V returned to Smackdown in a match against the Big Red Machine. It was a simple, short match that ended in a disqualification when Matt Striker entered the ring with a chair. Kane felled Striker, got a hold of the chair, crashed it against a fallen Big Daddy V, and stood tall in mid-ring as the two heels backed away.

Nothing has been done to answer any further questions about these two characters or the lack of story in which they are participating. It's just another week going through the motions of a formulaic battle between two people that viewers are caring less and less about as the weeks progress (or, more aptly, regress in this case).

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 2.5 [down 0.5 since ECW]

Previous Feuds
Big Daddy V: Tommy Dreamer
Kane: Finlay

CHUCK PALUMBO (w/ Michelle McCool) vs. JAMIE NOBLE (1 week)

Now that Vickie Guerrero has found her own lover, Jamie Noble is left trying to seduce another Smackdown diva. This time he ran into Michelle McCool, who seemed disgusted with some of those secret sexual comments he whispered in her ear.

Later, Chuck Palumbo competed in a match against Jamie Noble. Palumbo surprisingly lost that bout, and the announcers did a nice job pointing out how impressive Noble's victory was. Michelle looked both stunned and repulsed at Noble's post-match gestures.

Overall, this can be a great mid-card feud, analogous to Santino's segments on Raw; if written correctly, Noble will start growing on people as a comedic heel. Michelle could work on her acting, but Noble's diatribes more than make up for any shortcomings that may exist in the dialogue.

Also great was the acknowledgment of specific elements on the characters. For example, in the last few weeks, McCool has been steadfastly denying any romantic relationship with Chuck Palumbo. So this week, when Michelle again made the statement about just being friends with the Motorcycle Enthusiast, Noble used it as an excuse to invite her into sexual liaisons. Nice job using aspects of one story to enhance a new one with solid continuity.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5

Previous Feuds
Chuck Palumbo: Chris Masters, Kenny Dykstra
Jamie Noble: Hornswoggle, Vickie Guerrero

POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) John Morrison & Miz vs. The Major Brothers?
(2) John Morrison & Miz vs. Jesse & Festus?
(3) Victoria vs. Torrie Wilson?

CONCLUDED FEUDS

(1) Batista vs. The Undertaker
(2) Rey Mysterio vs. Finlay
(3) MVP vs. Matt Hardy (temporarily)
(4) Chuck Palumbo vs. Kenny Dykstra
(5) Vickie Guerrero vs. Jamie Noble


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.

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