PWTORCH.COM
VIP SIGN-UP JUMP TO VIP
CONTACT US VISIT MMA TORCH




Select Next Article by Category





WE ARE A PROUD UGO AFFILIATE SINCE 1999




prowrestling.NET

WANT MORE NEWS? JASON POWELL, A TEN YEAR VETERAN INSIDER FULL-TIME PROFESSIONAL REPORTER, BREAKS NEWS AND OFFERS INSIDER INSIGHT EVERY DAY

MMATORCH.com

CLICK FOR DAILY UFC NEWS, UFC PPV LIVE COVERAGE, DAILY PODCASTS, BLOGS




The Specialists
11/30 WWE Smackdown Hitlist: Edge's Promo, Main Event, Teddy's Return
Dec 3, 2007 - 4:06:49 PM


Email This Article - Contact Us - VIP Sign-Up - Back to Home Page

| subscribe to this feed

By Jon Mezzera, Torch Specialist

SMACKDOWN HITS

Edge’s Promo: Edge started off Smackdown nicely with a good promo. The promo was well written and explained his relationship with Vickie Guerrero, while putting him over and selling the importance of the Main Event. The promo was also well delivered by Edge. He had the right emotions at the right time. He did a good job of setting up the Main Event, and how important getting the win over Batista would be to his career. He seemed legitimately hurt at the lack of sympathy during his hiatus. He seemed genuinely angry at the Undertaker for his attack on Vickie last week. He accomplished multiple tasks in the promo.

Finlay & Hornswoggle: This is my new favorite tag team. It has been great to see WWE go back to this relationship, since it was Finlay who brought Hornswoggle in to begin with. That fact had been lost for awhile, but not any more. Finlay seems to be having fun as a performer in showing more of a light hearted character in his celebration with Hornswoggle. It is also very good that they have not changed his character much at all. He is having more fun, but he still cheats. He still loves to fight and use the shillelagh. Hornswoggle cheated as well by sneaking under the ring. Their match vs. Deuce & Domino was short and light on in ring action, but it was fun. They work well together and hopefully this use of their team will continue.

CM Punk vs. Kenny Dykstra: This was not as good as their match from ECW a few weeks ago, but it was a good short match. I would have liked to see more of it, which is part of why it gets a Hit. Once again, Kenny found a way to use a mat hold in an interesting way. In the first match he used some simple twists on a basic chin lock to make the hold seem more painful and look better than usual. This time he focused on Punk’s arm. Punk did a good job of selling the arm injury throughout the match. Kenny’s dropkick to Punk as he came off the top rope was a great looking move. Kenny also sells the Go To Sleep better than any of Punk’s opponents. So while it wasn’t as good as their first match, it was still fun to watch. Kenny still needs a better build to make him a more credible opponent for someone like Punk in the future.

Kane & Mysterio vs. Big Daddy V & MVP: I have mixed feelings about this match. On the one hand, all four guys worked hard to put on a good match which had nice back and forth action, with plenty of athleticism from Rey Mysterio to make up for the lack of athleticism from Kane and Bid Daddy V. On the other hand, why is it that Kane and Big Daddy V are featured on both ECW and Smackdown every week? I don’t get why these two get more appearances on WWE t.v. than anyone else on the roster. However, at least this match delivered. I was not expecting to give it a Hit, but it was better than I thought it was going to be. I was disappointed that Mysterio and MVP were saddled with the other feud, but it turned out o.k. in the end.

Noble’s Continued Push: I keep giving Jamie Noble Hits for his performances. He wasn’t as funny this week as he has been, and his match against Chuck Palumbo wasn’t as good as last week’s. But, I am still thrilled with the push he is getting. By picking up back to back wins against the much bigger Palumbo, Noble is getting some respect. I like the idea that others see his victories as upsets, but Noble sees them as inevitabilities. I enjoy his back stage scenes, and he is a very good wrestler. He has so much potential to be a star, and it is good to see his push continue.

Main Event: I was disappointed that the match was interrupted by two commercials, and didn’t go as long as I thought it was going to. But, what we saw of the 17 minutes was quite good. WWE did a great job of giving the match a big time feel to it. The build up during the show with the videos of previous Edge vs. Batista encounters helped set the stage. The match was a good, but not great Main Event. Edge seemed to have ring rust, but that fit into the storyline which the announcers did nice job of selling. Batista looked good here. It was great to see Edge back. It was a bit too one sided, and the commercials distracted from it, which is partly why it was good but not great. The ending with Undertaker’s interference was fine as it made sense in the storyline, and fans were likely expecting it. I don’t see too many fans upset over the lack of a finish. This was a nice way to bring back Edge and get him some ring time before Armageddon.

SMACKDOWN MISSES

Singh’s Impressions: This was a pointless segment. It was meant to be funny, but it wasn’t. Having Vince McMahon force Runjin Singh to do an imitation of a stereotypical Indian was embarrassing and reinforces the notion that in real life, Vince doesn’t care who he insults. He and the rest of WWE creative are so insulated from the rest of the world in terms of what they think is funny and what they think is appropriate.

Teddy Long’s Return: I was happy to see Teddy Long back. I liked how he used the lines from Vickie Guerrero last week in order to “punish” Undertaker with a World Title match at the PPV. Edge did a great job of acting happy at first, then upset at the end. All of this points to a Hit. So, why am I giving it a Miss? Well, Teddy Long has been off of t.v. for several months after a heart attack, and he came back to no fan fare. He walked out and booked a PPV Main Event, as if he had never been gone. The announcers did not do a good job of selling his return. He didn’t explain his health status. He didn’t even say something like, “well playas, I’m back.” He didn’t address the Vickie Guerrero situation. It would not have taken much to link his return to the reason he was gone in the first place. It would not have taken much to have him comment on the state of Smackdown since he had been gone. It would have taken two or three sentences, plus a few more comments from the announcers to sell the return, and then he could have moved on to the rest of the promo which was very good.

Jon Mezzera is PWTorch.com's Hitlist Specialist, providing his point of view in the Torch's hitlist format for Raw, Smackdown, ECW, and TNA Impact each week. Email him at jmezz-torch@sbcglobal.net.

Comment on this Article Below

(CLICK FOR COMMENTS RULES OR TO REPORT ABUSE)
[an error occurred while processing this directive]

(CLICK FOR COMMENTS RULES OR TO REPORT ABUSE)

ALSO DISCUSS MORE SUBJECTS IN OUR PWTORCH FREE FORUM

For more BREAKING NEWS on WWE, TNA!
VISIT OUR AFFILIATE - PROWRESTLING.NET


For UFC NEWS & BLOGS:
VISIT OUR SISTER SITE - MMATORCH.COM

Upgrade to PWTORCH VIP: DETAILS & SIGN-UP INFO


MORE "The Specialists" ARTICLES
1/6 WWE ECW Hits & Misses: Finlay vs. Swagger, Boogeyman, Hardy vs. Henry
1/5 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Michaels - Cena, IC Title Match, Legacy, Main Event
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - 1/5 WWE Raw: HBK's "history," Axiomatic Jericho, Substantial Penalty for Early Withdrawal
THE ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - WWE RAW 1/5: Thou shall not come off the top rope, Conflicted HBK, Evil Kelly Kelly, Chumpy Punky
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - 1/2 WWE Smackdown: Triple H selling eBay pics, Not-so-hot history of Smackdown GMs, Paging Boris Zhukov
KEY MOMENT OF THE WEEK (highly recommended read!): U.S. Government Remembers the Wrestling Industry
1/2 WWE Smackdown Hits & Misses: McCool, Edge's Promo, Helms Loses, Big Show & Edge vs. Hardys
THE ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - WWE SMACKDOWN 1/2: Trips plays with Dolls, Kozlov = New Khali, Scary Debut of Kizarny, Saturation, Snail Races
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - 1/1 TNA IMPACT: The perfect example of how to present a best-of show
WWE Misses of 2008: Suspensions, Coach, Adamle, Khali Kiss Cam
The 1st Annual Absurd Awards: Awarding the Very Best and the Very Absurd of both WWE and TNA in 2008
WWE Hits of 2008 - Flair Farewell, Miz & Morrison, Michaels vs. Jericho
12/30 WWE ECW Hits & Misses: Dirt Sheet, Finlay & Boogeyman, Hardy vs. Henry
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - 12/30 WWE RAW: JBL-HBK employee relations, How to play Hunter's Monopoly Game, Who played Charlie Snuka's coconut?
ECW Storylines and Feuds - A short edition as WWE wraps up many of the brand's ongoing rivalries
Raw Storylines and Feuds - A look at a possible feud collision, plus a rundown of all the other rivalries
Smackdown Storylines and Feuds - Full analysis on a chaotic main event landscape and more
12/29 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Glamarella, Haas vs. Snuka, Kelly & Orton, Fatal 4 Way
THE ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - WWE RAW 12/29: HBK Melodrama Mania, Designing Raw For Five Year Olds, Mr. Fuzzy Is A Year Old!
MAGIC, MEMORIES AND MANIA: Making house shows more important - use TV to hype local events

(c) 1999-2008 TDH Communications Inc. - All rights reserved.

Latest Free Podcasts
PWTorch Free Podcast
1/7 East Coast Audio: ECW - Two fine matches, Alicia's debut loss, Boogey is Boogey, End of Hardy vs. Henry? (7 min. clip)
1/5 WWE Raw post-game Show: HBK delivers again, When Bam Neely was relevant, Who's the Boss? (7 min. audio clip)
1/4 East Coast Audio: Smackdown - Sputtering Show, Vickie pics, Kizarny debut (7 min. clip)
1/3 Radican Audio Showcase with Burgan (pt. 2): Radican and Burgan are joined by Torch VIP member DrunkNinjaMast2 for his in-person perspective of ROH's Final Battle 2008. (FREE 5 min. CLIP!)
NEW VIP FEATURE: Vintage Audio Torch Talk Series - Keller's 68 minute British Bulldog interview from 1993 (never-before-heard!) - FREE 7 MINUTE CLIP
1/3 Radican Audio Showcase with Burgan: Reader mail, Mitchell announcement, Derek reviews The Wrestler and big picture analysis, special listener thank you, more! (FREE 5 MIN. CLIP!)




ARE YOU VIP? SIGN UP NOW FOR $7.50 A MONTH FOR INSTANT ACCESS TO AD-FREE, BENEFIT-PACKED VIP VERSION OF PWTORCH.COM (see screen capture)
PWTORCH VIP HOME PAGE

INFO ON SUBSCRIPTION TO AD-FREE VIP SITE

INCREDIBLE BENEFITS!
Over 50 full-length audio updates per month (iPod compatible)... New weekly award-winning Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter (text and printable pdf versions) with latest exclusive insider news, new Torch Talks, great columns, Keller's cover story, much more... Hundreds of full-length back issues of PWTorch Newsletter from late-'80s to today... Ad-free access to PWTorch.com's Main Listing... VIP Forum with interaction with other subscribers and Torch staff... Torch Talk Library with text and audio of hundreds of interview installments from last 20 years... Great layout... Deepest archives on pro wrestling history anywhere... Keller's PWTorch Today PDF Bulletins with email alerts... VIP Email reports on major PPVs and TV shows... Staff Roundtable Reviews (text and audio) followiing major events... The best staff of writers and world class reporting since 1987... We'd love for you to join us and experience the most entertaining, authoritative, experienced staff of professional reporters and commentators in the business... SIGN ME UP NOW!


PWTORCH READER POLL

Who was the MVP of the Jan. 5 Raw if you saw the event?
John Cena
Chris Jericho
Randy Orton
Shawn Michaels
JBL
Stephanie McMahon
Rey Mysterio & Kofi Kingston
Cody Rhodes
Sim Snuka
Manu
Kelly Kelly
Jillian Hall
Melina and/or Goldust
Santino & Beth Phoenix
William Regal
C.M. Punk
Cryme Tyme
The Miz & John Morrison
Kane
  

VOTE IN OR SEE RESULTS OF PREVIOUS POLLS

UPCOMING EVENTS LISTING

Articles Grouped by Category
Torch Today
PWTORCH YEAR-END VOTING ANNOUNCEMENT: Torch readers nominate top picks for major categories
NEW APP NEWS: Announcing a second pro wrestling news app (free) available for download as of this week
TORCH TODAY RECAP 1/6: Every News Item for Tuesday in one handy guide
WWE News
WWE News: First TNA, now WWE could be severely affected by Time Warner Cable
WWE News: John Cena's "12 Rounds" movie poster released here; Analysis of the importance of Cena's movie
WWE News: JBL comments on "The Wrestler" movie; describes drug testing performed by WWE through Wellness Policy
TNA News
TNA News: Profile of new TNA Knockout appearing on Thursday's Impact against Awesome Kong (w/VIDEO)
TNA News: Rhino discusses wrestling Kurt Angle, his time in WWE, future of TNA
TNA News: TNA heavily discounting tickets for Sunday's PPV with three ticket offers
ROH News
ROH News: Best 10 minutes of your day - new Video Wire includes Jerry Lynn and Claudio promos (w/VIDEO)
ROH News: Cary Silkin discusses WrestleMania weekend fan convention, Gabe Sapolsky firing, Paul London and TV deal rumors
ROH News: Latest Video Wire footage of Austin Aries attacking Tyler Black; steel cage match promos (w/VIDEO)
Other News
Other News: New York Yankees bring in new heel pro wrestler, Mark Teixeira, says Boston columnist
Other News: Why "The Wrestler" was almost scrapped; wrestlers who were used to model Mickey Rourke's character
Other News: Notes from "The Wrestler" U.K. premiere - Mickey Rourke describes most difficult scene; conflict with Marisa Tomei
PPV Reports
KELLER'S WWE ARMAGEDDON PPV REPORT 12/14: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live event - John Cena vs. Chris Jericho
CALDWELL'S WWE ARMAGEDDON PPV REPORT 12/14: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of John Cena vs. Chris Jericho
TNA Final Resolution ALT PERSPECTIVE mini-recap by Wilkenfeld
TV Reports
ECW ON SCI-FI ROUNDTABLE REVIEWS 1/6: Caldwell, Mezzera, Stevens rate and review
1/6 ECW on Sci-Fi Report: Mayer's "alt perspective" report on Swagger vs. Finlay, Hardy vs. Henry, Kennedy DVD drinking game
CALDWELL'S ECW TV REPORT 1/6: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of WWE Sci-Fi show featuring Matt Hardy vs. Mark Henry ...again
Arena Reports
12/30 WWE Smackdown Taping Results: Full results of Jan. 2 and Jan. 9 editions taped in New Jersey
12/28 WWE in New York City: John Cena cage match and crowd reaction, Team Rey vs. Team Orton, HBK vs. Kane
12/27 WWE in Trenton, N.J.: John Cena vs. Chris Jericho, Randy Orton vs. Shawn Michaels, Jack Swagger real deal
MMA / UFC Coverage
MMATorch Briefing: Fight announcements, contributor editorials, ESPN.com covers UFC's attempts at New York regulation
UFC 92 PPV Coverage: Detailed team coverage of Frank Mir vs. Nogueria, Forrest Griffin vs. Rashad Evans, Wanderlei Silva vs. Rampage Jackson, Brock Lesnar at ringside
MMATorch Quick Hit: Penick's Fight Night 16 coverage
KELLER'S TAKE
KELLER: John Cena is the perfect son Vince McMahon never had
KELLER: WWE lacks basic human decency and judgment one again as they tease: Jeff Hardy might be dead! Stay tuned for update!
KELLER: ROH's new "subscription" plan falls short in about every regard for its fans
MITCHELL'S TAKE
MITCHELL: Kayfabe Commentaries Owner Disputes My Characterization of Iron Sheik Roast DVD
MOJO MITCHELL'S RAW 12/29: Stream of Manu Out, Shawn Michaels Sold Out, C.M. Punk Counted Out, and JBL On Top
MITCHELL SHORT: Statistics and Superlatives From WWE Smackdown/ECW Greensboro N.C. House Show
MCNEILL'S TAKE
Tougher Than Chinese Democracy: McNEILL Previews WWE Armageddon 2008!
McNEILL's Mailbag: On WrestleMania, Punk & The DiBiases
Deja Vu All Over Again: McNEILL previews TNA Final Resolution 2.0!
CALDWELL'S TAKE
CALDWELL'S Daily Word 1/1: Happy New Year, HBK employee program, McMahon and Torch reader response to "The Wrestler"
CALDWELL: Christmas edition of Impact showed TNA's contempt for itself as a pro wrestling promotion
CALDWELL'S MEDIA CLUB: Eddie Guerrero DVD review series - final overview of WWE-produced DVD on Eddie's life and career
RADICAN'S TAKE
The Top 15 ROH Matches of 2008 Countdown: #1 Kevin Steen & El Generico vs. Age of the Fall from Driven PPV
The Top 15 ROH Matches of 2008 Countdown: #2 Nigel McGuinness vs. Austin Aries from Rising Above 2008
The Top 15 ROH Matches of 2008 Countdown: #3 Nigel McGuinness vs. Tyler Black
The Specialists
1/6 WWE ECW Hits & Misses: Finlay vs. Swagger, Boogeyman, Hardy vs. Henry
1/5 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Michaels - Cena, IC Title Match, Legacy, Main Event
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - 1/5 WWE Raw: HBK's "history," Axiomatic Jericho, Substantial Penalty for Early Withdrawal
Guest Editorials
GUEST REVIEW: "The Wrestler" will make manly men cry, Mickey Rourke makes you believe he's a wrestler
EDITORIAL: JBL/Shawn Michaels "con" argument - Insulting to fans with real economic issues
EDITORIAL: JBL/Shawn Michaels "pro" argument - Suspend disbelief and enjoy the mic work
Torch Feedback
WWE Raw Reax #2: "Raw was the story of little things adding up to equal big things."
WWE Raw Reax #1: "Angry and conflicted Shawn Michaels is much more effective than sad, facially twitching Michaels"
ECW TV Reax #1: "There was nothing to write home about, but nothing offensive in the last episode of 2008."
Ask the Editor
Ask the Editor: Wouldn't incorporating MMA-style holds into pro wrestling matches just be trying to be something it's not?
ASK THE EDITOR: Have the Michaels-Batista promos crossed a line with use of insider terms, references to "jobs"?
ASK THE EDITOR: Why do wrestlers in WWE refer to wrestling as "the business" and not "the sport"?
DVDs - VGames - Books
RADICAN: Iron Sheik gets roasted and hilarity (and controversy!) ensue
RADICAN'S ROH DVD REVIEW: Return Engagement (Ibushi-Generico, Briscoes vs. Shelley & Sabin)
RADICAN: Last Call with Raven & Sandman dissapoints despite fantastic production and high expectations
Torch Flashbacks
RATINGS: Vintage 1988 PWTorch ratings of top singles, top tag teams, top all-time masked wrestlers
KELLER'S WWE RAW REPORT 5 YRS. AGO (12-29-03): Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H for 30 minutes, Lita & Trish & Stacy, Mick Foley and Steve Austin
POWELL (2003 Flashback): Rock refuses to wrestle Cena at WrestleMania, but he's earned right to reject proposed match
VIP Exclusive Features
1/5 Daily Keller Hotline: In-depth walk through Raw with the pros and cons of the current direction and storylines (22 min.)
Tazz wins title on ECW TItle, Keller's ECW Roster Evaluation, Monday Raw Ratings Battle - 1999 PWTorch Newsletter Back Issue (PDF and Text Formats!)
Nash lays down for Hogan, Keller's WCW Roster Evaluation, Schiavone-Foley comment - 1999 PWTorch Newsletter Back Issue (PDF and Text Formats!)
Torch Trivia
TORCH TRIVIA 1/7: Checking your WCW Saturday Night knowledge - main event 14 years ago
TORCH TRIVIA 1/6: Answer to the main event of the first Raw of 2002 when Triple H returned from his quad injury
TORCH TRIVIA 1/6: What was the main event of the first Raw of 2002 when Triple H returned from his quad injury?
Torch Instant Polls
Who was the MVP of the Jan. 5 Raw if you saw the event?
Rate the 1/5 WWE Raw on a 0-10 scale if you saw the event
Who was the MVP of the Dec. 29 Raw if you saw the show?
PWTorch Free Podcast
1/7 East Coast Audio: ECW - Two fine matches, Alicia's debut loss, Boogey is Boogey, End of Hardy vs. Henry? (7 min. clip)
1/5 WWE Raw post-game Show: HBK delivers again, When Bam Neely was relevant, Who's the Boss? (7 min. audio clip)
1/4 East Coast Audio: Smackdown - Sputtering Show, Vickie pics, Kizarny debut (7 min. clip)
Annual Obituaries
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 1999 - Muchnick, Rick Rude, Owen Hart, Renegade...
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2000 - Solie, Albright, Duncum, Tsuruta, Blue Demon, Al Costello
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2001: Johnny Valentine, Terry Gordy, Chris Adams, Bertha Faye, Helen Hart