By Chris Newth, PWTorch contributor

WWE Friday Night Smackdown
April 11, 2008
Upcoming PPV: Backlash (third-to-last episode before PPV)

SMACKDOWN STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the thirty-first 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)


World Heavyweight Champion EDGE & Smackdown GM VICKIE GUERRERO vs. THE UNDERTAKER (8 weeks)

Edge and Vickie lay face-down on tables getting a couples massage as Teddy Long stood in the background with towel in hand. Edge noted that after such a stressful and terrible week, Vickie's suggestion to relax with a week off was quite possibly "her best idea yet." Later in the show, Edge told Vickie that she had opened his eyes to all kinds of things, such as spa treatments and pedicures. Teddy Long, who had just brought them drinks, verbally exhibited slight disgust at what was happening.

And in their final segment of the show, Vickie and Edge were about to have sex, but Teddy Long hit the lights, explaining that they went too far by having him stand in the room; he promptly left. Vickie screamed that he always ruins their moments, but Edge quickly got them back on track by turning out the lights and resuming their, uh…moment.

Meanwhile, Eve interviewed Jesse about Festus's main event match with The Undertaker. Jesse said that he was nervous for his buddy and that this was the biggest match in Festus's career. During the interview, Festus stood silently in the background gazing off into space. The match between Taker and Festus went pretty long considering that most of Festus's matches are short tag team squashes. It ended when Undertaker applied his modified triangle choke. Since the referee had been knocked unconscious, a new ref had to sprint to the ring to signify that the match was over. After the match, Jesse ran into the ring to protect Festus from further injury.

Edge and Vickie's week off worked well with the current situation on Smackdown as Edge must be depicted as a guy who's stressed about his WrestleMania loss, but also as a guy who realizes that he needs to get back on track. Vickie's idea of various spa treatments plays into the storyline that she is extremely biased towards Edge; her infatuation with him determines all of her decision-making, and spending the night getting pampered with him is the latest example of how her real goal here—her ulterior motive, if you will—reaches nothing beyond personal gratification. WWE, as well as Vickie Guerrero, portrays her narcissistic, self-serving character to perfection.

As for the various vignettes outside the arena, they are probably not utilized enough on WWE TV. There do exist valid circumstances where seeing wrestlers doing non-wrestling related activities outside the arena while still in character is the best plan. This week undoubtedly grew Edge's character. Some viewers may have been rolling their eyes as they saw this undeserving heel enjoying a week of relaxation when they really wanted to see him mentally suffering after losing the World Heavyweight Title to The Undertaker.

There is, however, a valid argument about not having an authority to make decisions at the arena. Perhaps Teddy Long should have been at the Smackdown event to call the shots; then again, his role in tagging along with Edge and Vickie could be exactly what his character needs. He (and fans who don't want to see him trapped in his assistant duties any longer) probably won't willingly suffer through much more of this abuse, abuse that includes serving Vickie and Edge drinks when they order them.

As for the Taker-Festus situation, I agree with other Torch writers who have speculated that this may be a turning point for the Festus character. Michael Cole made sure to point out that no one has ever been placed in Undertaker's submission hold for as long as Festus did; he even mentioned the possibility of "after effects." And the story makes logical sense because it isn't difficult to believe that Festus really didn't know how to tap out. Like CM Punk in recent weeks, having Festus battle with Smackdown's top star only gives him some nice rub despite the loss; this could lead to something in the near future for our friend Festus.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 8.5 [same as last week]

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

BATISTA vs. SHAWN MICHAELS (2 weeks)

Michael Cole stood in center ring to introduce the face-to-face meeting between Batista and Shawn Michaels. An extensive video package aired detailing the feud's progress since WrestleMania. Batista sent Cole to the announce table, leaving him with only Michaels in the ring. "Everybody's moved on Dave; everybody's moved on with it," Michaels started. Batista brought forth another argument: "I respect everything you've accomplished in your career, but I don't like the way you got to the top: by stepping on people, by holding people down, and by stabbing people in the back." Michaels agreed that if there were shortcuts, he took them because of his size disadvantage. He then attempted a Super Kick that was averted, and Batista attempted a Batista Bomb that Michaels escaped.

WWE is making the smart move in holding these two apart for as long as possible. So far, everything has been about in-ring arguments with a hint of a physical altercation given this week. The real intrigue here lies in the idea that both men are staunch babyfaces, but this feud almost requires fans to take a side. Most are likely siding with Michaels because he has the most logical argument. Fans understand that Ric Flair prompted this entire situation; they understand that Flair agreed to everything. Plus, when Batista suggests conspiracy theories like the one he recently used where he argued with no empirical evidence that HBK probably brought the whole "career ending" idea to Mr. McMahon, his credibility plummets. The idea is laughable and contains no substantial merit.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6.5

Previous Feuds
Batista: Edge, The Great Khali, Undertaker, Umaga
Shawn Michaels: Randy Orton, Mr. Kennedy, Ric Flair

THE BIG SHOW vs. THE GREAT KHALI (2 weeks)

In the last week on both Smackdown and Raw, Khali and Big Show have approached one another in face-to-face confrontations that ultimately lead nowhere. Each time, Khali seems to back down and walk away. This week, Khali took a different strategy by offering Big Show a chance for peace. He held an elaborate peace offering ceremony in which he granted Show items such as alcohol, a chicken, and even a goat. Big Show responded with a resounding "nah" when he floored Khali with a right-handed punch to the face.

Does this really fit either of their characters? Why would The Great Khali come out in the first place to provoke the giant known as Big Show if he was simply going to back down? And why would Big Show be so angry that he would reject Khali's clear peace offering with an aggressive act of violence? Show is supposed to be understanding and rational, yet aggressive when he needs to be. And wouldn't it be a heck of a lot more interesting if Show accepted Khali's offer? Would Khali then be forced into a babyface role? And perhaps Show could keep an eye on him in the next few weeks to see how Khali treats other people; and once Khali does something heelish, Show could then step in and avenge whoever Khali hurt. The structure of this storyline is very bland and by-the-book; plus, it almost works against who these people (in character) really are.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5.5

Previous Feuds
Big Show: n/a
The Great Khali: Batista, Finlay, Hornswoggle

United States Champion MVP vs. MATT HARDY (2 weeks)

MVP supplied Smackdown with some nice color commentary as Matt Hardy went one-on-one with the Motorcycle Enthusiast, Chuck Palumbo. The match ended when Hardy surprised Palumbo with a Twist of Fate for the victory. After the contest, MVP confidently walked around the ring and up the ramp holding up the prestigious United States Title to taunt his rival.

It's clear that WWE intends to add closure to this storyline after it extended for months the last time they clashed. This time, however, things can't possibly last that long. It also seems obvious that they plan to have this rivalry revolve around the U.S. Title, which could be a positive move since MVP must hold the record for not only carrying the belt for as long as he has, but also for defending it so infrequently. The storyline between Hardy and MVP feels like it's missing something at the moment; there should be a more inherent personal aura around it. Let's see how WWE shapes this heading into Backlash. Hopefully they give Hardy some time to really express the anger he feels on the mic; right now, I don't think viewers are sensing that.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5.5

Previous Feuds
MVP: Rey Mysterio, Ric Flair, Batista
Matt Hardy: Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch, MVP

VICTORIA & NATALYA NEIDHART vs. MICHELLE McCOOL & CHERRY (2 weeks)

Victoria made her entrance accompanied by her "new best friend." She introduced Natalya Neidhart by airing a video montage of her father, Jim Neidhart, in action. Natalya took the mic and cut a brief promo; she said, "When you mess with the best, you go down with the rest." Michelle McCool's music hit, and the angry diva bypassed Victoria in the ring to go after Natalya. Victoria tried to capitalize on the distraction, but McCool quickly blocked the punches and took Victoria to the mat. The match ended when Natalya threw her jacket at McCool, which provided enough of a distraction for Victoria to roll up Michelle for the win.

For some reason, the overall look of Natalya resembles that of Beth Phoenix. That reason alone makes the decision to start her on Smackdown a good one. Her alliance with Victoria makes them a pretty impressive heel diva team, and Michelle McCool is going to require some backup. This could provide a great opportunity to really pull Cherry into the mix. Right now, McCool can't possibly overcome both of these heel divas, but perhaps if she trains the timid, lovable Cherry, the babyfaces would have a chance. Now that the diva competition is out of the way and the audience has a better sense of who these people really are, a strong diva wrestling storyline can commence.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5.5

Previous Feuds
Victoria: Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly
Natalya Neidhart: n/a
Michelle McCool: Victoria, Chuck Palumbo
Cherry: n/a


CONCLUDED FEUDS

(1) Eve vs. Cherry vs. Maryse vs. Victoria vs. Michelle McCool


POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) John Morrison & The Miz vs. Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore
(2) Finlay & Hornswoggle vs. Matt Striker
(3) Vladimir Kozlov vs. ?
(4) Undertaker vs. Festus


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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