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WWE Smackdown Reax #1: "I appreciate that Foley doesn't just use cliches with wrestlers like Shelton Benjamin and Eijah Burke." Jun 2, 2008 - 5:53:47 PM
Terrie Neilson of Las Vegas, Nev. (7.0): Best: Taker-Edge build; MVP-Noble build and match Worst: Michaels-Batista build; Michelle vs. Maryse (though it wasn't too bad). You know it's bad when Smackdown has only one match representing the brand at the PPV. This means the rest of the show had to carry the ball for the brand, and while the rest of the show was fine, it was just a regular show. The non-PPV related matches were well done. Shannon Moore was allowed more offense, which provided a progression for Kozlov. Hardy-Burke was good, but Hardy is a champ without a feud and that doesn't feel right. Some head-start movement toward Night of Champions could have been made but wasn't. MVP finally gets a decisive win, but with Jamie Noble non-existent for a while, it seems like the win came from well down the food chain. I didn't like the comment about Jamie's size holding him back coming from Mick Foley. I did like, however, the previous Noble-Vickie tie when booking the MVP-Noble match. Michelle-Maryse was mostly a filler match. My how far have Deuce & Domino have fallen? They didnt even bring out Maryse in their car. Batista is the only reason oustide of the cane match that One Night Stand isn't a Raw-only PPV, and he's in a match not related to the stretcher match. Big Show gets some exposure for the cane match, and Cole and Foley have to sell the match when they have no real stake in the yet-to-be-defined "very personal" reasons why Batista and Shawn are fighting and why a stretcher has such meaning in this match. It's also bad news when the boos have nothing to do with Shawn being the opponent, but that Batista's word is that he will hurt him. More was done to build to a Michaels-Jericho stretcher match than a Michaels-Batista one. Even Vickie's attempts to "heel up" Shawn didn't work. I'm wishing the Michaels-Batista feud would be put to rest on the grounds that it was never properly executed. On the flip side, the build toward Taker-Edge has been good to great, and tonight it was fabulous. There were no one-sided beatdowns leaving room that either could win. The only problem with tonight's chapter is that while rumors fly that Undetaker may be retiring, I just can't see him retiring during a throwaway PPV. WrestleMania with The Streak or Survivor Series (his debut PPV) maybe, but not a former ECW one.
Shane McKinley of Danville, Calif. (8.5): Best Match: Finlay vs. Palumbo. Worst Match: "Million Dollar Giveaway" Propaganda. I think the lesson we can all learn from the last years of WCW is that you can have all of the talent in the world, but what is boils down to is this: Is the writing good? Can the audience connect with the wrestlers? Is the show "belivable" in its execution? I watched Smackdown and I have to say that it is the most reliable wrestling show out there nowadays. While it may not have the star power of Raw, I believe that Smackdown delivers constantly a more well-rounded show than Raw, which can at times fall on it's face. On this draft that's coming up, it's Raw and ECW that need the most help. Most of all, watching wrestling should be fun. Every match was solid and I enjoyed watching it. It goes without saying, but Smackdown has improved immensely with the addition of Foley. I appreciate that he doesn't just use cliches with wrestlers like Shelton Benjamin and Eijah Burke; he offers analysis and their psychology. He's even entertaining when he screws up. This show was a lot of fun to watch. At first One Night Stand I questioned whether or not it was worth the money. But because I saw the effort that were put into the shows leading into the PPV, I feel confident that they will deliever on Sunday (of course, like with any wrestling PPV, it remains to be seen). A little goodwill towards fans can go a long way. Nice job. Best moment of the night was Foley mouthing the words "Makeup? Makeup?" to Micheal Cole.
We welcome your 1-10 score and comments on this show for a "Smackdown Reax" feature in the Torch Feedback section of PWTorch.com. Just to add a twist to this feature, include not just your hometown, but also your occupation (mechanic, lawyer, stay-at-home-dad, college student, etc.) so readers get a flavor for what everyone does as "day jobs." To contribute your thoughts on Smackdown, click here.
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