By Chris Newth, PWTorch Contributor

WWE Friday Night Smackdown
January 11, 2008
Upcoming PPV: Royal Rumble (third-to-last episode before PPV)

SMACKDOWN STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the nineteenth 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)

Last week's Beat the Clock Challenge episode served as a transitional show that helped shuffle the brand's talent and start fresh feuds; however, it was uncertain how storylines would continue. This week marked the beginning of clarity in the new feud arrangements. Obviously, some names have been left out of the loop. Currently, Chavo Guerrero, Batista, and Kane seem stuck without a long-term opponent. Chavo took on Rey Mysterio this week despite being involved in a feud on ECW against C.M. Punk, Batista faced MVP even though Porter is set in a program against Ric Flair, and Kane was just on the show to fill some time.

The Big Red Machine defeated Domino in what was essentially a squash match. Domino had no chance, and the bout basically served as an opportunity for Michael Cole and Jonathan Coachman to hype the Royal Rumble. In fact, Cole reminded viewers that Kane holds the record for eliminating the most people in the Royal Rumble Match than anyone in WWE history.

Now to the feuds!

World Heavyweight Champion EDGE & Smackdown GM VICKIE GUERRERO vs. REY MYSTERIO (2 weeks)

Smackdown began with Teddy Long wheeling Vickie Guerrero to center ring. She got right down to business, introducing the new Number One Contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, Rey Mysterio. Mysterio immediately started to talk about how he cared for Vickie and her family. He then expressed concern for her with regard to her relationship with Edge. "That's not the Vickie that I know," he said.

A look of anger and annoyance quickly washed over Vickie's face. She told Rey that she had every right to move on with her life (implicitly referencing Eddie Guerrero's death). Then Rey brought the subject to light. Vickie responded argumentatively, "I know that Eddie loved me so much that he would want me to move on with my life." The crowd loudly chanted Eddie's name. When she brought up the idea that she could still have more children (little Edge Heads), Rey's eyes popped open in horror. Mysterio, who has decided to commit to a particular point of view, told Vickie that Edge doesn't love her. That didn't sit too well with The Rated-R Superstar, who hurriedly walked to the ring for a confrontation.

"How dare you tell the love of my life that I don't love her!" Edge shouted at Rey. He then touted his future win at the Royal Rumble, predicting that he would not only be World Heavyweight Champion that night, but he'd also still be in love. Rey's reaction was unintentionally hilarious. He said, "That is so sick, Vickie." Then Rey said something that contradicted what he had been saying for the last few minutes. "Yes, you still will be in love, but you won't be World Heavyweight Champion." Chavo Guerrero then made an appearance. He told Rey to mind his own business before telling Vickie that the Guerrero family is disgusted with what she's doing. Vickie, who had had enough with the segment, booked a match featuring Mysterio versus Chavo for later in the night.

Back in her office, Vickie enjoyed the company of her various photographs (pictures showing her and Edge together). A giant poster of Edge holding the World Heavyweight Title hung in the background. When the camera backed up and panned right, Edge appeared on the couch next to her. She was expressing anger and sadness after what Rey and Chavo said, but he comforted her by saying that they were "soul mates." He then gave her a back rub to ease the pent-up tension.

Cole and Coachman gave us a short history lesson concerning the tumultuous past between Rey Mysterio and Chavo Guerrero. On an episode of Smackdown in October of 2006, Chavo forced Mysterio to quit after crushing his leg with a chair multiple times as Rey hang upside down on a stage pillar. Almost a year later (on September 7, 2007), Rey would return to face Chavo in another I Quit Match. The result of that match, however, was quite different. Rey hung Chavo upside down from the turnbuckle before smashing a chair viciously into Chavo's knee. Ultimately, Chavo said, "I Quit," forcing him out of WWE for months.

Before the Chavo-Mysterio match even started, the reigning World Heavyweight Champion made a grand entrance to join Cole and Coach on commentary. Cole added some insight into what Rey was talking about earlier by saying that he had heard rumors in the back that Edge didn't truly love Vickie Guerrero. Edge quickly dismissed that notion by mocking Smackdown's play-by-play announcer. The match resulted in a win for The Master of the 619 after Rey Mysterio landed a unique-looking splash from the top rope. He kept his arms at his sides as he flew through the air, which set it apart from a conventional frog splash.

After the match, Edge entered the ring to attack a worn Mysterio. Rey, however, was able to get Edge to lie against the second rope. As he attempted a 619, The Edge Heads grabbed his legs, causing Mysterio to crash to the mat. All three Edges then beat on Mysterio. The Edge Heads held Rey down as Edge kicked him repeatedly; it was a concerted assault. The show then concluded with Edge hoisting the World Heavyweight Championship into the air while Rey lay motionless in the ring.

Overall, this feud can basically be cut into two parts: Edge/Vickie and Edge-Mysterio. Both halves are intriguing in different ways. The first involves a relationship that seems to be unstable beneath the surface because one of the partners is overly in love, whereas the other one looks to be manipulating the situation. Cole talked about rumors spreading in the locker room, about how Edge doesn't really love Vickie. Meanwhile, Vickie is enamored with The Rated-R Superstar. Now Vickie's talking about getting married and having children with Edge. That's a big jump on the infatuation scale. Also, it's great to see the detail WWE is using for this storyline. Vickie's office walls are adorned with pictures of her and Edge together. She's still fawning over him each and every week.

On the other side of the equation, Edge and Mysterio are beginning a strong feud of their own. Mysterio still needs to regain a lot of his credibility after some tough jobs since his last run with the title. Luckily, fans don't seem to mind; they support him no matter how he does. The matches that Edge and Mysterio are capable of having will make this one memorable, but Rey's involvement in the storyline with Vickie is something that can enhance both levels of the angle. Nicely done.

The only problem I had with the events of this week was Rey's line about how Edge will still be in love with Vickie come the Royal Rumble, but he won't be World Champion anymore. It sounded like a scripted line, but that should never have been written because it undermined what he said the minute prior about how Edge's love is fake. Beyond that, this feud is rolling along nicely.

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

Previous Feuds
Edge: Kane, Batista
Vickie Guerrero: Undertaker, Batista
Rey Mysterio: Chavo Guerrero, Finlay, MVP

United States Champion MVP vs. RIC FLAIR (2 weeks)

MVP started out by cutting a promo touting his accolades within WWE. He said that at the Royal Rumble, he would end the legendary career of Ric Flair. "MVP is better than everybody," Porter declared. Apparently, Flair was not in attendance this week due to some promotional work in Japan. Batista soon cut off MVP in the middle of his promo. The match then commenced.

The one-on-one contest between Batista and MVP came to a close when both men were hurt at ringside. The referee began a ten count, and in the final seconds, MVP and Batista jumped onto the ring apron. Suddenly, The Animal punched Porter to the floor. He then entered the ring just in time to make the count and win; MVP lost via count out. When the bell had rung to finalize the match's result, Batista briefly argued with the ref, appearing to be frustrated with winning in that fashion. Why did he punch MVP off the ropes? He knew the count was at 9. That was odd. It wasn't even like MVP was about to attack him; the punch was unprovoked.

After the match, MVP tried to grab a chair, but Batista landed a spear before the U.S. Champion had the chance to use it. MVP then walked angrily toward the back as Batista stood tall in the ring.

Overall, this one's just getting started. Ric Flair is set to face MVP at the Royal Rumble in a Career Threatening Match, but he's yet to appear on Smackdown to confront Porter about it. If they plan on building this one as something more than one of those impromptu Career Threatening Matches you see on Raw each week, they're going to have to show some interaction ahead of time. The Rumble isn't too far off, so they should get things moving soon.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5

Previous Feuds
MVP: Ric Flair, Rey Mysterio
Ric Flair: n/a

HORNSWOGGLE & FINLAY vs. MR. McMAHON (7 weeks)

A match had been set for the night. It was going to be Hornswoggle versus Ranjin Singh in an Arm Wrestling Contest. Backstage, Hornswoggle appeared to be preparing for his challenge. Mr. McMahon was talking with him. He told his son that he was never as proud as when Hornswoggle qualified for the Royal Rumble Match with Mick Foley on Raw. McMahon then suggested the possibility of Hornswoggle winning the Royal Rumble and headlining WrestleMania. "Dreams can come true," McMahon said.

When Hornswoggle left the room, Finlay entered to accuse McMahon of something. "I don't think you're holding up your end of our deal." McMahon was furious that Finlay referenced their "deal" like that. He tried to rectify the situation by putting Finlay in the Rumble and telling the Fighting Irishman to accompany Hornswoggle so that he could protect him. Finlay agreed, and they decided to talk about their deal over drinks later.

The Arm Wrestling Contest was about to get underway, and Ranjin Singh, who made sure to bring The Great Khali with him to the ring, told everyone that he has recently done some strength training using Khali's regiment. When the contest was about to start, Hornswoggle found that he was too short to reach the top of the table, so the referee grabbed a chair for him to stand on. Meanwhile, Finlay was toying with some kind of electronic device with two switches. As the referee began to start the contest, Finlay hit the switch, which sent shockwaves through Ranjin Singh's body. He backed off in pain and confusion. Hornswoggle then put on a glove to protect himself, and when the referee started the contest, Finlay hit the switch again, shocking Singh. Hornswoggle then grabbed his hand and slammed it down multiple times to win the contest.

Suddenly, Khali kicked Finlay to the mat before stalking Hornswoggle. Using both hands, Khali picked up Hornswoggle by the neck and placed him on the top rope, but Finlay quickly made the save with a steel chair shot to the spine. Finlay floored Khali with the weapon, and then he and Hornswoggle celebrated in the ring while Khali and Singh fled to the stage.

Overall, it was an interesting segment showing more of Hornswoggle McMahon's antics. He's always finding some unconventional way to win. One of the points of emphasis here seemed to be Finlay's protective nature for his friend, Hornswoggle. Also, Finlay mentioned something about a deal with Mr. McMahon. There's something interesting. What has been going on that could in any way indicate that McMahon reneged on some kind of agreement? It's still tiresome to see Khali as Finlay and Hornswoggle's opponent.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5.5 [same as last week]

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

MARK HENRY & BIG DADDY V (w/ Matt Striker) vs. THE UNDERTAKER (2 weeks)

After last week's Beat the Clock Challenge Match—a match in which Matt Striker refused to count to three for Undertaker while he was special guest referee—Vickie Guerrero booked a Handicap Match pitting The Deadman against both Mark Henry and his manager, Matt Striker. Jonathan Coachman talked about how Vickie gave both the fans and Undertaker what they wanted by booking this match. During the entrances, Matt Striker hid behind Mark Henry in cautionary fear.

Throughout the match, Striker kept his distance from Undertaker, often standing at ringside just watching. At certain moments, he'd enter the ring and help Henry out, such as when Undertaker was about to go Old School on The World's Strongest Man; as soon as Striker noticed that opportunity, he jumped onto the ring apron and distracted Taker long enough for Henry to throw him to the mat. The match ended when Taker tossed Henry out of the ring long enough to deliver a Tombstone Piledriver to Matt Striker for the victory.

As soon as the match concluded, however, Big Daddy V made his way up the entrance ramp. He and Henry then teamed together to attack Undertaker with their combined strength. At one point, The Deadman attempted to perform a double chokeslam (but of course that never works). Undertaker was, however, able to throw Big Daddy V out of the ring and give Mark Henry a single-person chokeslam. He then did his signature post-match kneeling to close the segment.

Overall, this almost feels like a feud switch-off. It went from Kane battling Big Daddy V and Mark Henry to Undertaker battling the two behemoths. Perhaps it's not a bad idea. Although, WWE needs to be careful when booking this one because of how uninspiring the other one ended up being. It's nice to see Matt Striker play a more important role; that could be one interesting change.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5

Previous Feuds
Mark Henry: Undertaker, Kane
Undertaker: Mark Henry, Batista, Edge

CHUCK PALUMBO (w/ Michelle McCool) vs. JAMIE NOBLE (7 weeks)

Chuck Palumbo rode out on his motorcycle accompanied by Michelle McCool this week after leaving her last week. "My sources tell me that over the past week Chuck Palumbo has apologized to Michelle McCool," Cole explained. And who was Chuck's opponent for the night? Jamie Noble. The announcers talked about how Palumbo has never been beaten by the same person four times in a row in his entire career.

Noble eyed Michelle before the match got underway. She reacted without smiling. At the end of the match, Noble was able to catch Palumbo in a Crucifix Pin for the surprise victory. Chuck appeared to be enraged; Michelle looked terrified. When Noble left, Chuck was still steaming from his loss. He turned to McCool with a look of irritated rage on his face before backing her into the ring corner. She couldn't seem to look him directly in the eyes. As the tension grew, the crowd repeatedly chanted, "Chuck's a loser!" Suddenly, Jamie Noble returned to the entrance aisle. When Palumbo turned to stare back at him, Michelle beat a hasty retreat.

Overall, this feud could have been continued in a much stronger way this week. Having McCool and Palumbo ride out on the motorcycle together like nothing ever happened last week was dull, especially when you consider how the situation ended again this week. Why put them back together and have them smile while Michael Cole explains that Palumbo apologized only to have him turn on her again? Noble is doing well in his role, but the strategy of McCool still looking disgusted by him is curious. It's not how I pictured it, but let's see where they go from here.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7 [down 0.5 since last week]

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


POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Kane vs. Deuce 'N' Domino?
(2) Batista vs. MVP?
(3) Chuck Palumbo vs. Michelle McCool?
(4) Vickie Guerrero vs. Chavo Guerrero?
(5) Chavo Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio?


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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