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By Chris Newth, PWTorch contributor

WWE Friday Night Smackdown
February 22, 2008
Upcoming PPV: WrestleMania (sixth-to-last episode before PPV)

SMACKDOWN STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the twenty-fifth 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)

As the first Smackdown following No Way Out, the writing was in clear transition from one PPV to another. With six weeks to go before WrestleMania, Smackdown felt pretty scattered. Some storylines are beginning to form, but much is still uncertain. As a result, there aren't too many established feuds at the moment. Benjamin beat Yang in a Money in the Bank Qualifying Match; Big Daddy V defeated Shannon Moore in a squash; and Kane outsmarted The Great Khali one-on-one. Each of these might lead to Mania feuds, although the first two likely won't go any further.

Also on the show, Rey Mysterio announced to his hometown crowd that he would need bicep surgery. Vickie soon interrupted and booked him in a match despite his injury as a form of revenge from last week. Chavo Guerrero was the selected opponent, and he worked on Rey's arm throughout the match. When he attempted a splash, however, Mysterio quickly moved out of the way and managed to roll up Chavo for the surprising victory. As Mysterio's music played, Vickie screamed, "stop this ridiculous celebration!" She promised pain for Rey, and that's when Big Show came out. Show stepped on Rey's arm and lifted him into the air by the neck before sending him crashing to the mat.


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

Edge, flanked by Hawkins and Ryder, promptly made his way to the ring to kick off Smackdown. He talked about taking Rey Mysterio out with an injury before transitioning to a promo on The Undertaker. "I see The Undertaker as an opportunity, an opportunity to cement my legacy," Edge boasted. As he continued, the lights went out, engulfing the arena in darkness. And when they returned, Taker had Edge by the throat. Hawkins and Ryder attempted to take care of the problem, but The Deadman quickly eliminated them. Edge managed to slither out of the ring, and the two had a brief stare down. Later in the show, a comprehensive video featuring Taker's 15 WrestleMania wins was played.

This opening segment didn't start the Edge-Taker rivalry with a bang; it didn't have the feeling of a WrestleMania main event. I also noticed that commercials for this particular match advertise Edge's title against Taker's streak, but it really is much more than that. We have two WrestleMania streaks colliding, and a World Heavyweight Title hangs in the balance to add even more weight to what is arguably the most significant match on the card other than Michaels-Flair. Perhaps WWE didn't feel the necessity to really put fire under this one since there are still five more episodes left prior to the PPV.

At this point, Vickie and Edge have to regroup after the Mysterio storyline. Rey's now out of the picture (at least temporarily), and Taker should be the focus. Edge, despite having two things to lose at Mania, didn't appear nervous or upset about having to go head-to-head against The Phenom. Instead, he intensely declared that his upcoming match, and implied victory, will help him look even better. Hopefully WWE will decide to take this feud in a different direction than the typical Undertaker strategy: having the opponent begin to question himself and fear The Deadman after a series of mind games.

What should you look for this week? More substance in their next encounter and a better focus on the huge stakes for their upcoming PPV bout

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6

Previous Feuds
Edge: Kane, Batista
Vickie Guerrero: Undertaker, Batista
Undertaker: Mark Henry, Batista, Big Daddy V

BATISTA vs. United States Champion MVP (2 weeks)

As MVP made his way to the ring, a video clip of a backstage promo aired showing Porter talking about the lasting pain from his first Elimination Chamber experience. He declared that despite being hurt, he would still beat Batista (just like last week, right MVP?). As he held up his title, viewers wondered when he last defended it. A typically pumped-up Batista entered the ring after his showy entrance. Cole talked about how Batista considered this week the first step in working his way back to the top, the chance to put Sunday's PPV behind him and focus on the road to the WrestleMania.

The match ended when Batista was able to hit his patented Batista Bomb finisher for the clean win. MVP had an out though because of the back issues he sold after the Elimination Chamber last Sunday. Both his pre-match promo and the announcers played up that element going into this match.

Batista-MVP is intriguing, and it's great for MVP, but the formula has to change at some point. The fact that WWE continues to pit MVP against Batista is interesting in that it seems they have some kind of plan up their sleeve. Perhaps they think that after all of Batista's wins, an eventual MVP victory over Batista in a clean fashion could work incredibly well for Porter while not hurting The Animal. But if a rivalry is being built, there must be something beyond consistent Batista wins over MVP.

In any case, the rub that MVP's getting in this situation is worth the effort to build a strong storyline between these two. If anything is going to help him achieve the perception as a main-eventer, a long-running feud with Batista is it. It's also good timing if the plan is to take this one to WrestleMania.

What should you look for this week? Some type of verbal exchange to add another dimension to the rivalry

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6.5

Previous Feuds
Batista: Edge, The Great Khali, Undertaker
MVP: Rey Mysterio, Ric Flair

CHUCK PALUMBO vs. JAMIE NOBLE & MICHELLE McCOOL (13 weeks)

This week, Palumbo had a squash match, which he eventually won with his signature finishing maneuver—The Full Throttle. As the match progressed, Michelle McCool was shown backstage watching on a backstage monitor.

There is some slight incongruity here. One week after Palumbo threatens that Michelle McCool should "get used to" his bullying and mind games, he doesn't do anything. The squash match was a nice way to get him on track with a victory and continue Noble's absence due to injuries suffered at the hands of Palumbo a few weeks ago. Clearly WWE intends to keep this one going, but nothing particularly useful or exciting occurred this week.

The problem here is simple. A story has been set forth that is meaningful and entertaining. Palumbo viciously attacked both Noble and McCool, which solidified his heel turn and garnered significant heat. The next week, McCool was left to fend for herself, and Palumbo returned to distract her.

Now we have a guy who is one of the most unlikeable characters on the show after a few weeks of booking him correctly; however, the story has been ignored this week. Any momentum it may have had was disregarded here with no interaction between Chuck and Michelle. The problem is even more egregious when you consider that Palumbo promised continued harassment just last week, something that was clearly not delivered.

What should you look for this week? Chuck Palumbo to fulfill his promise of harassment against Michelle as well as a potential return for Jamie Noble

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 8 [down 0.5 since last week]

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

JESSE & FESTUS vs. DEUCE 'N' DOMINO (3 weeks)

This week's contest was a regular tag team match. As soon as the bell had rung, Festus's transformation caused him to thrash at Deuce and Domino in an uncontrollable rage. At the end of the match, Festus tagged in Jesse after destroying both of their opponents. He then hurled Jesse from the top rope onto Domino for the three count victory.

There wasn't much to it this week: nothing new, nothing particularly interesting, and nothing to capitalize on what happened last week. Deuce and Domino have very little credibility left as opponents, so these wins aren't doing too much to help Jesse and Festus excel. Their continued push, however, has begun to bring more audience response. The characters here are still good, but they may need new opponents unless Deuce and Domino can find a way to outsmart them.

On a side note, Festus's character is entertaining, and it can help WWE if it's used correctly. Most of the time, Festus is quiet, reserved, and unresponsive; but when he hears the ring bell, his unflappable state quickly transforms into unrestrained violence. Can you imagine this character as a heel? Viewers would be rooting for his babyface opponents to find ways to counter his psychological disorder. In that sense, any heels that attempt to capitalize on Festus's condition now (while he's a babyface) will gain credibility. It will also enhance the overall excitement of the feud.

What should you look for this week? Something that isn't repetitive

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5

Previous Feuds
Jesse & Festus: John Morrison & The Miz
Deuce & Domino: Paul London & Brian Kendrick, MVP & Matt Hardy

CURT HAWKINS & ZACK RYDER vs. JIMMY WANG YANG & SHANNON MOORE (4 weeks)

Everyone involved in this feud made brief appearances, but those appearances did not support, advance, or imply a continuation for this feud. Hawkins and Ryder showed up with Edge to start the show; Yang had a hard-fought match against Shelton Benjamin with a Money in the Bank slot up for grabs; and Shannon Moore got squashed by Big Daddy V.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): n/a [this one looks like it's over]

Previous Feuds
Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder: n/a
Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore: John Morrison & The Miz

CONCLUDED FEUDS

(1) Kane vs. Shelton Benjamin
(2) Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder vs. Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore?


POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Shelton Benjamin vs. Jimmy Wang Yang
(2) Big Daddy V vs. Shannon Moore
(3) Kane vs. The Great Khali
(4) Big Show vs. Rey Mysterio (upon Mysterio's return from injury)


Thanks for reading, everyone. If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments, feel free to email me at newthtorch@hotmail.com. I greatly appreciate all the feedback that I receive, and I will respond to every email. 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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