By Chris Newth, PWTorch contributor

WWE Friday Night Smackdown
June 20, 2008
Upcoming PPV: Night of Champions (second-to-last episode before PPV)

SMACKDOWN STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the forty-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. BATISTA (3 weeks)

In the back after the Hardy-Neely match, Edge met with an aggravated Chavo Guerrero. He assured Chavo that Vickie was going to take care of Charles Robinson for his decision to eject Chavo from ringside. Edge also said that he would be taking care of Matt Hardy next week. "I know you trust me to take care of Matt Hardy," Edge said, "And I know I trust you to do something for me tonight." Chavo asked what Edge needed, and when the Rated-R Superstar said that he wanted him to face Batista, Chavo was stunned. "Come on, man!" Chavo said worriedly. Edge told him to trust him as he walked away, leaving Chavo and Bam nervously dreading the main event.

Later in the back, Vickie met with Charles Robinson. She said that she expects completely objectivity, but that she has observed some bias in his work—like when he "helped" Undertaker win at WrestleMania, illegally tried to award Taker the World Championship at Judgment Day, and ejected Chavo from ringside for "no apparent reason." Robinson tried to argue his case, but Vickie quickly silenced him. She then booked him in a match so that he could "see how it feels from a Superstar's perspective." He ultimately had to face The Great Khali, who quickly dismantled him with a clothesline, a chop to the head, and the Vise Grip.

In the main event, Batista was set to take on Chavo Guerrero, but Vickie had a surprise up her proverbial sleeve. She announced that Charles Robinson was supposed to be the referee, but that he couldn't possibly officiate the contest because of injuries; therefore, she found a replacement referee—a special guest referee, to be precise. Then Edge's music hit, revealing the man who would oversee the Batista-Chavo matchup. The Animal was clearly disconcerted by the biased decision. The match saw Batista dragged out of the ring by Bam Neely; Edge then quickly counted to ten, naming Chavo the winner via countout. After the match, Batista entered the ring and delivered a spinebuster to Chavo, but he was soon overwhelmed by La Familia. Hawkins and Ryder planted Batista with a double DDT, Chavo landed a frog splash, and Edge charged him with his Spear to close the show.

Although it's now clear that this feud is going to experience an imminent end with Batista having been drafted to Raw Monday night, it's still slightly premature to disregard it. After all, Edge and Batista are still set to battle it out for the World Heavyweight Championship Sunday at Night of Champions. And with both Edge and Triple H now on the same show, it is quite possible that one of them will drop their title come Sunday's PPV. This week's events played into the strengths of all of the characters involved. Batista may not have triumphed in the La Familia assault, but he was strong enough to loan the heel faction some credibility this week. As for Edge, he played up his usual slick heel character as he cheated his way to accomplishment on yet another occasion. Batista and Edge have only been feuding for three weeks, so this week's beat-down angle was a useful continuation to the storyline.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 8 [up 1 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Edge: Kane, Batista
Vickie Guerrero: Undertaker, Batista
Batista: Edge, The Great Khali, Undertaker, MVP, Umaga, Shawn Michaels

MVP vs. Smackdown GM VICKIE GUERRERO (2 weeks)

MVP sat comfortably in his posh lounge as the show opened. After waiting for the show to start and Cole to introduce the viewers to Smackdown, MVP began to cut his promo. He started off with the upcoming WWE Draft on Raw, noting that everyone—including commentators, GMs, and even referees—are eligible to be drafted. He said that he was comfortable going to any show so long as they properly utilize his talents. "I'm not only the highest-paid entertainer on Smackdown; I'm also its best athlete," MVP crowed. He continued by saying that it might be best for him to leave because he isn't getting properly utilized on Smackdown, perhaps because management can't recognize talent, or maybe because they are distracted by personal issues.

That statement didn't sit well with Smackdown's GM, and it was only a matter of time before Hawkins and Ryder wheeled her out to the stage to confront Porter. After her signature "Excuse me!" line, Vickie angrily fought back at MVP for disrespecting her family (La Familia). Porter apologized, but said that he did what she asked last week by beating Punk; Vickie said that he barely beat him. MVP blew that comment off because he got his hand raised. End of story. He moved on to how he doesn't really want to leave the show. "You make me feel like you don't want me here," Porter admitted. In response to the argument of not being utilized and not being challenged, Vickie booked a matchup between MVP and ECW Champion Kane, which she hoped would accomplish both.

The match took place around the show's halfway mark, and it ended when Kane knocked MVP to the floor. The referee began a ten count, and Porter chose to not reenter the ring, giving Kane the win.

MVP as Vickie's latest target on Smackdown is an interesting development because we still don't know where Porter stands on the babyface-heel spectrum. He seems to be walking somewhere in the middle—still being booed over Kane, yet standing up to Vickie for applause. It's a unique position, and one that may continue as the weeks pass. Perhaps this is going to turn into a case where he's out only for himself (not necessarily as a person who automatically sides with other heels, but rather as someone who will do anything and argue with anyone to get what he wants). And since MVP is not likely to be feuding with Edge, his being targeted by Vickie for making observations about her decisions could turn into something really interesting in the upper-midcard slot of the show.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5.5

Previous Feuds
MVP: Rey Mysterio, Ric Flair, Batista, Matt Hardy
Vickie: Undertaker, Batista, Undertaker

United States Champion MATT HARDY vs. CHAVO GUERRERO (w/ Bam Neely) (2 weeks)

Matt Hardy came out for in-ring action. While the announcers talked about the upcoming Night of Champions matchup for the United States Title, Cole noted about Chavo, "I guess it pays to be the nephew of the Smackdown General Manager." Matt Hardy's opponent for the night was Chavo Guerrero's bodyguard, Bam Neely. Toward the end of the match, Chavo seemed to have grabbed Hardy's leg while he was on the top rope; although the camera never actually caught it, the announcers assured us that it happened. Referee Charles Robinson send Chavo away from ringside, and Matt Hardy soon caught Neely with a Twist of Fate for the pinfall victory. After the match, Hardy held his U.S. Title high as he stared down Chavo from the ring.

This was fine progress as we near the golden PPV on June 29th. Since Chavo and Bam have now been adequately established as a pair, it was a smart move for WWE to use Neely in place of Chavo to continue the feud without direct contact between the two major players here. The segment also tied in with other segments of the show to forward other storylines, such as Edge's questionable tactics with Chavo and Vickie Guerrero's irresponsible abuse of power as GM with her Charles Robinson decision. We now know that Matt Hardy has been drafted to ECW, the official home of both Chavo and Bam. So, this particular feud may not have a definitive conclusion at Night of Champions. However, we do know that no matter who wins at that PPV, the United States Title seems destined to remain on the ECW brand.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6 [up 1 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Matt Hardy: Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch, MVP
Chavo Guerrero: Rey Mysterio, CM Punk, Kane

WWE Tag Team Champions JOHN MORRISON & THE MIZ vs. FINLAY & HORNSWOGGLE (3 weeks)

This week, The Miz fought Finlay in singles competition as John Morrison joined Cole and Foley on commentary (the verbal exchange between Morrison and Foley was entertaining, by the way). The match saw Morrison try to grab Hornswoggle from under the ring, but Finlay's little leprechaun son swung a shillelagh at Morrison's knees. Finlay was ultimately able to capitalize on the ringside distraction, nailing his Celtic Cross finisher to pick up the victory.

It seems like WWE is coasting to Night of Champions with this particular feud. It's a formulaic booking decision, but it's also sound. Generally, if there's an upcoming tag team match for the championship, it's effective to pit a guy from each team against one another in the weeks leading up to the title match. In this case, Finlay was able to beat Miz in yet another formulaic fashion: a distraction using his son, Hornswoggle. It's hard to imagine how writers might hear the idea for this week's segment and not think, "We can't do that; it's too easy and unimaginative." Then again, formulas are deadly because they are perfectly adequate despite their lack of uniqueness and creativity. On the other hand, WWE is in a state of real change now with a big draft and an all-titles-defended PPV this Sunday. So, it's not a terrible crime to stick to what works for the mid-card of the show.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6 [up 0.5 since last week]

Previous Feuds
John Morrison & The Miz: Jesse & Festus, Yang & Moore, Dreamer & Delaney
Finlay: Kane, Rey Mysterio, The Great Khali, Mr. McMahon, JBL
Hornswoggle: Mr. McMahon

NATALYA NEIDHART vs. MICHELLE McCOOL (12 weeks w/ 3 weeks hiatus)

This week, it was Michelle McCool and Layla's turn to impress Vickie Guerrero in order to perhaps get a chance to face Natalya for the new WWE Divas' Championship at Night of Champions. As McCool and Layla went one-on-one, Natalya stepped out onto the stage to observe the match in person. Eventually, Michelle was able to catch Layla in her new signature Brazilian heel hook submission hold, and she almost immediately won via tapout. After the match, Natalya nodded her head as McCool glanced over at her. Cole said that Michelle seemed to have impressed Natalya, but questioned whether she impressed Vickie enough to earn the spot across the ring against Natalya at the next PPV.

Almost hilariously, WWE then cut to Vickie in mid conversation with her wedding planner, either purposely or completely unintentionally suggesting that Vickie was not watching that match (despite saying that she would determine the other participant in the divas' match at Night of Champions based on her observations). Was this just another example of Vickie's personal life interfering with her decisions, or does she intend to watch the McCool-Layla match some other time on DVR?

As I've been saying for weeks, WWE looks to be setting this up as a McCool-Natalya matchup at Sunday's PPV. After all, why would Natalya not be observing other divas' matches if that weren't the case? Why didn't she come out, for example, to see Cherry vs. Maryse last week? It's an obvious inevitability, but it's still exciting. Their nearly 3-month rivalry certainly helps to bolster the upcoming match, and they are—with the exception of Victoria—perhaps the two women who can best pull it off.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5.5 [up 0.5 since last week]

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

MARYSE (w/ Deuce & Domino) vs. CHERRY (7 weeks w/ 1 week hiatus)

Neither of these divas showed up this week on Smackdown, suggesting that last week was indeed the end of this feud. After all, Cherry got a nice clean victory over her longtime rival on last week's episode, and with neither woman likely to be chosen for the upcoming WWE Divas' Title Match at Night of Champions, this one seems like it has reached its conclusion.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): n/a

Previous Feuds
Cherry: Victoria & Natalya
Maryse: n/a

MARK HENRY vs. BIG SHOW vs. KANE (8 weeks w/ 2 weeks hiatus)

After Kane won his matchup against MVP via countout, Mark Henry charged the ring, and he took Kane out with a clothesline at ringside. Henry then threw The Big Red Machine into the ring, delivered the World's Strongest Slam, and left Kane in a heap to close the segment. As some of you already know, Henry continued this momentum on ECW Tuesday night when he cleanly beat the ECW Champion in a singles match to close the show. With this possible push for Mark Henry, the rivalry could become more even, and thus more uncertain and entertaining as we head into Night of Champions.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6 [up 0.5 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Mark Henry: Undertaker, Kane
Big Show: Floyd Mayweather, The Great Khali

DEUCE vs. DOMINO (2 weeks)

This week, Deuce and Domino reluctantly teamed together to face Jesse and Festus. They didn't get along from the start. The match saw Festus knock both men to ringside, which is when the tag team implosion began. Deuce and Domino hurled punches at each other, brawling heavily toward the announce table. Deuce managed to get the upper hand, slamming his tag partner's head into the commentary desk before tossing Domino into the ring. Festus picked it up from there, winning the match with his one-man flapjack finisher.

After the matchup, the babyface team left, and Deuce jumped into the ring for even more revenge. As Domino slowly lifted himself into a sitting position, Deuce ran against the ropes and hit his Crack in the Mouth kick, sending Domino back to the '50s (that was admittedly a little cheesy). Deuce then threw his leather jacket onto the prone and unconscious Domino to close the segment.

Although this feud could have been a pretty decent one in the next few weeks, WWE has clearly opted to put a fork in it early by drafting Deuce to Raw, effectively splitting the team. There isn't much to say when nothing can be done with the storyline now. The only questions left regard how WWE will either repackage one or both wrestlers and how they will continue (in Domino's case) and introduce (in Deuce's case) each guy on their respective shows.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): n/a

Previous Feuds
Deuce: n/a
Domino: n/a


CONCLUDED FEUDS

(1) Cherry vs. Maryse
(2) Deuce vs. Domino


POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Vladimir Kozlov vs. ?
(2) The Great Khali vs. ?
(3) Vickie vs. Charles Robinson


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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