By Chris Newth, PWTorch Contributor

WWE Friday Night Smackdown
January 18, 2008
Upcoming PPV: Royal Rumble (second-to-last episode before PPV)

SMACKDOWN STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the twentieth 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 primary focus of Smackdown seemed to be the Royal Rumble, but many of their feuds were handled nicely regardless. Even the smaller storylines on Smackdown seem to get fair and adequate attention. The angle involving Palumbo, McCool, and Noble may be on the verge of becoming really intriguing. Undertaker's new feud has some potential, and unlike many Big Daddy V rivalries, this one might have some people interested simply because of Taker's involvement. Flair and MVP could have used more build, but this week was a terrific start.

As mentioned previously, everything on the show seemed to hype the Royal Rumble. For example, after Batista beat Mark Henry via pinfall, Michael Cole noted the conditions of the PPV match. "Now let's put this all in perspective," Cole said. "If Batista did that in the Rumble Match, now he'd have to pick up that 400 pound carcass and throw it over the top rope."

One of the non-feud segments on the show involved Jimmy Wang Yang and Shannon Moore making an appearance to battle it out against Deuce 'N' Domino. Cole mentioned that Yang and Moore were trying to get back into the WWE Tag Team Title hunt after losing their 15 Minutes of Fame Match on ECW. Good continuity there, giving this Smackdown bout a little more weight. The match ended when Jimmy Wang Yang connected with his flying moonsault on Domino for the victory. And the momentum continues.

Also on the show, Batista fought Mark Henry one-on-one. When Batista attempted the Batista Bomb, Henry was able to counter it with a backdrop on The Animal. But Batista didn't let Henry capitalize. He quickly gave The World's Strongest Man a spinebuster for the clean three count. Could this mean a new feud has just begun? If it has, it was a pretty bad start. How can a heel like Mark Henry have any credibility against former World Champion Batista now that he's taken an immediate loss? So perhaps it just served as a filler match to further hype the Rumble.

Now to the feuds!

World Heavyweight Champion EDGE & Smackdown GM VICKIE GUERRERO vs. REY MYSTERIO (3 weeks)

The week began with Vickie Guerrero sitting in her office with Edge. She's still in a wheelchair after taking a Tombstone Piledriver from Taker many weeks back. In a discussion with The Rated-R Superstar, Vickie told her lover that she admires him and that he'd make a great father figure. "You're my hero," Vickie continued. Chavo soon interrupted.

Then, in what appeared to be a WWE backtracking device, Chavo told Vickie that he changed his mind about her relationship with Edge. He apologized for what he told them last week, and he even told Edge that he was "a pretty good guy." Okay then. When Chavo offered to be one big happy family, Vickie grabbed both of their hands excitedly; we now have the newest addition to this stable.

The main event featured a tag team matchup pitting Edge and Chavo Guerrero against Rey Mysterio and C.M. Punk. At the conclusion of the match, Rey Mysterio looked to be ready to take Chavo out with the 619, but Edge used a chair from ringside to bash Mysterio's legs. Mysterio crumbled to the ring apron as the referee called for the bell. Soon everything broke down, and Ryder and Hawkins (the Edge Heads) joined the fray. The heels outnumbered the babyfaces pretty heavily here. Chavo drove Punk to the mat in a move that targeted the arm and shoulder, while Edge successfully delivered a Spear to Rey Mysterio. As the babyfaces writhed in pain, Edge and Chavo joyously hugged one another.

The heels on Smackdown are building a ton of momentum as of late. At the same time, the formerly heavy babyface presence at the top of the card is slowly diminishing. It's odd that Batista wouldn't jump in to assist Mysterio and Punk if you consider the event as a storyline. He's not feuding with anyone at the moment, he's had his fair share of issues with Edge, and his friendship with Rey Mysterio is well-documented. Now heels rule Smackdown (and ECW) with Edge, Vickie, Chavo, and the Edge Heads running the show. Of course, that lineup could be destroyed if Undertaker and Batista decided to dethrone the current regime. The only true top contender there is Edge (and perhaps Vickie to an extent with her ability to book matches in the team's favor).

Chavo's recent actions should be noted because there was an abrupt change in his attitude this week. It seemed as though WWE was heading in a certain direction when they had Chavo telling Vickie that he wanted what he could not have. Last week he told Vickie that the Guerrero family was disgusted with her. Now, everything has is different. Perhaps it would have been better to have Edge slowly convince Chavo to change his mindset. It would have helped promote The Rated-R Superstar's manipulative ability while having Chavo undergo a believable change of heart. Other than that, this feud is still boiling with a lot of tension, and Chavo's new role fits well into the story since he's had such a storied history with Rey Mysterio.

What should you look for? The stability of the new heel faction and any signs of new strength in the babyface team

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 9.5 [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 (3 weeks)

This feud began with MVP's VIP Lounge. In introducing his guest, Porter said that Ric Flair "is definitely better than you [the audience]." After a ton of respect by MVP, Flair came out to join him in the lounge. Things then got serious. MVP assured Flair that "in just nine days, your career is over." He even took us back to Vengeance: Night of Champions when he beat The Nature Boy.

Flair then cut MVP off. He said that he's faced legends like Shawn Michaels, Ricky Steamboat, Dusty Rhodes, The Undertaker, etc. Then he came back with the line of the night: "I look at my loss to you as a blemish on my career that I have to correct." Well said. Flair continued by telling MVP that he likes him and that he reminds him of himself when he was younger; the connection is pretty obvious, too. Porter retorted with a line about how he's better than Flair, and The Nature Boy responded by trying to provoke an impromptu fight right there on the spot. After one last self-touting remark by MVP, Flair delivered a signature chop across the chest to send Porter flying over the leather couch. Nice segment.

Overall, it's a shame that this feud had to kick off on this episode as opposed to starting sooner. In the last three weeks, it was clear that the Royal Rumble would include this matchup, but these two never really got the chance to interact with one another. Now that they have, there's great potential here for a strong storyline and a solid wrestling bout ahead. The situation here is tricky, however. On the one hand, it would be nice to see Flair face MVP beyond the Rumble; however, on the other hand, if Flair is likely to retire at WrestleMania, it would probably be nice to see him face a nice variety of opponents in the next two months.

What should you look for? The kind of condition that Ric Flair will be in heading into the Royal Rumble

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7 [up 2 since last week]

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

HORNSWOGGLE & FINLAY vs. THE GREAT KHALI (w/ Ranjin Singh) & MR. McMAHON (8 weeks)

This week's matchup was set to be a one-on-one contest between Finlay and Khali. The match involved a lot of outside distractions between Hornswoggle and Singh, which made it almost seem like something beyond a singles bout. In the end, Singh tossed Finlay's shillelagh to the entrance ramp to prevent him from using it, and Khali was able to apply the Vise Grip on Finlay for the win.

Back in the locker room, Mr. McMahon met up with Finlay. The Chairman was angry that Khali almost took out Hornswoggle during his match. He seemed eager to help Finlay against The Great Khali, even going as far as booking a match that would give The Fighting Irishman the advantage. Next week on Smackdown, it will be Finlay versus Khali in a Belfast Brawl.

Nobody is buying this new "nice guy" attitude from Mr. McMahon. Finlay is clearly critical of it all. He didn't even look overjoyed when McMahon seemed to be giving him the advantage in a match stipulation for the next episode of Smackdown. As for the story, it's dragging. Khali has been used far too extensively against Hornswoggle and Finlay, and WWE should consider revealing the deal between Finlay and McMahon sooner than later.

What should you look for? Any new information regarding Finlay's deal with Mr. McMahon as well as any sign that Khali's involvement here may have come to a close

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5 [down 0.5 since 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 (3 weeks)

Of all the feuds on the show, Smackdown opened with this one. Undertaker made his grand entrance to a pumped crowd. He got on the mic and acknowledged the fact that it's a little out of character to do so. The reason for his promo (in his own words) was to warn all 29 other men involved in the Royal Rumble that he would be the winner and that they would "rest in peace."

The only man willing to challenge the statement was Big Daddy V. Matt Striker appeared by his side with microphone in hand to declare that Big Daddy V would be the one victorious at the Rumble. His reasoning—that Big Daddy V was the dominant force in WWE and that he has never taken part in the Rumble (as this particular character, anyway)—was solid.

When Big Daddy V neared the ring, Taker punched him back to ringside. V then tried to launch The Deadman into the ring steps, but Undertaker was able to reverse, sending The Most Dominant Force in WWE crashing into the steel. Eventually, Striker and Big Daddy V retreated to the back as Undertaker stood strong in the ring.

The start here was solid, but it led to nothing. Neither man appeared later in the show at all, despite the segment hinting that they would compete in a match later in the night. In that sense, it really felt unimportant. It was an unusual format to have this feud open the show without a follow-up. As for the storyline itself, it's a generic big man feud. The intriguing factor here is Undertaker's involvement because it will stir some motivation in viewers to tune in and see if Taker can deliver a really good match against Big Daddy V. The Deadman is famous for being able to make up for the limitations of his opponents and pull out great matches where you may not expect them. Can he pass this next big test? We shall see.

What should you look for? Some sign of a storyline that gives better reason for the feud

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

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

CHUCK PALUMBO (w/ Michelle McCool) vs. JAMIE NOBLE (8 weeks)

Michelle McCool was in action, and her opponent for the night was ECW's Layla. The two had a very decent match. Both divas looked really good in there, with only a few off moments. The finish came when McCool lifted Layla into the air and then dropped her face-first to the mat. It was an interesting move that hasn't been used much on WWE TV.

Cole, doing a little bit of psychological analysis, posited that "maybe Michelle realizes that, hey, Chuck's got to deal with his own issues; I've got to go out and take care of my job, and that's to take out Layla here tonight."

After a commercial break, Jamie met up with Michelle backstage. He began to talk about last week, but Michelle got a delivery of roses. Chuck Palumbo then appeared to explain that he got them for her because he wanted to apologize. Said Palumbo, "I feel absolutely horrible about the way I treated you last week. That was wrong, and it was uncalled for. I should never have taken my frustrations out on you like that." Jamie reacted as you'd expect. He angrily said, "Are you kiddin' me? You think that because you bring some roses makes up for the way you acted last week?" The tension in the room seemed to overwhelm Michelle, who had to step in between both men and ask them to be friendly for her sake; both reluctantly agreed.

Well, it looks as though Michelle has gotten over her original disgust toward Jamie Noble. She now sees how nice he's been to her and how he appreciates her. On the other hand, her friendship with Chuck has made this whole situation difficult because it's going to take a lot in order to break it for good. As for the story, it's pretty intriguing.

Chuck continues to screw up each week as he acts like a heel and verbally screams at Michelle. The next week, he makes up for it, and McCool forgives him. The audience can see that Chuck is no good, but they can also understand that Michelle wants to forgive him because of how close they are. It's an interesting battle with Noble just waiting patiently on the outside. No matter what he does, he can't seem to squeeze in there and win over Michelle while Chuck is there. This type of dynamic brings viewers to identify mostly with Noble, which is exactly what WWE wants at the moment.

What should you look for? Continued anger or manipulation from Chuck that's hidden from Michelle

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7.5 [up 0.5 since last week]

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


POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore vs. Deuce 'N' Domino
(2) Batista vs. Mark Henry
(3) Chuck Palumbo vs. Michelle McCool
(4) Michelle McCool vs. Layla
(5) Chavo Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio
(6) C.M. Punk vs. Edge


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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