5 Reasons the Action is on Fridays

[IrishCanadian25]

Last night, WWE's Extreme Rules gave us a whole range of matches and occurances, complete with 5 title changes. Obivously a lot happened, but I have to ask - did Smackdown overtake Raw in the process?

1. Best Match of the Night - Jericho vs Mysterio. The Intercontinental Title is back in the hands of the greatest holder of that title of all time - Chris Jericho - winning his almost Federer-esque 9th IC Belt. In the process, he unmasked Rey Mysterio, who will be out for revenge. This match was an "extreme rules" match featuring limited extreme spots, which makes me think that we haven't even seen the best from these two yet. Remember the Jericho / Michaels feud? It seemed like new swerves were always on the way.

2. 2nd Best Match of the Night - Hardy vs Edge Say what you will about Hardy's contract, these two men put on a great match last night. No tricks, just an old school spot fest with two guys who do not like each other. Plus, Edge seems to be getting a clean slate - no more Vickie, no more Chavo, hell no more title. He can go in any direction now.

3. Swerve of the Year - CM Punk The two men who entered trying to hold the World Heavyweight Title both left empty handed, as CM Punk now gets a 2nd chance to prove he's got what it takes to be the main guy on a roster. Nobody knows if he will be a face or a heel, but Punk's win last night also leaves him with a clean slate as the WHC, and the question of his first feud has yet to be answered.

4. Worst Matches of the Night - Cena vs Show and Orton vs Batista Batista and Orton had the shortest match on the card at just over 7 minutes, and Orton got dominated. He's the top heel on the brand and he seems to have taken a step back in credibility (though I enjoyed the short match). Cena vs Show wasn't much to write home about, since the match didn't feel like it mattered.

5. The Raw Roster looks like the NY Mets roster. HHH, Shawn Michaels, Batista. All out with injuries. That's the problem with a roster full of older veterans. They are interesting, but they miss time with injuries. Add into that the fact that Kennedy is gone (RAW definitely moved talent to SD and ECW anticipating his return to RAW), and you've got a severly depleted talent roster. Pray that MVP makes a step up and Legacy gets some time to market themselves, because if they don't, I don't see how the show revolving around Cena vs Orton, part 17 can be avoided.

 

[TwistofRKO]

I'm just left utterly confused with the booking.

-Jericho and Mysterio were both just on Raw, and they absolutely struck out by not feuding them.

-Orton was made to be the weakest looking champion in a LONG time, completely dropping the work put into him making him appear dangerous.

-RAW's feuds aren't even- Cena has owned the Big Show, Batista has owned Orton.. there's nothing to look forward too.

I'm by far a bigger fan of RAW (better time slot, more visually appealing, better station, live broadcast, etc), but there's some unjustified paychecks being written to the upper hierarchy of RAW right now.

 

[sevastra82]

There just seems to be nothing of interest going on with RAW right now to be honest. Theres is no real storyline to the Show/Cena feud...I mean, its just stale. No drama. Hell, Show threw him into a spotlight and he showed up the next day on RAW for crying out loud.

They really need to work on Kofi's character. He's incredibly shallow. He comes out, bounces around, smiles, and excites the crowd. But thats it. Give him the mic some. Have him film a few vignettes in Jamica or something...ANYTHING to build his character. Kofi has a lot of potential, and the WWE is doing nothing to help his cause out.

Orton Looks like a complete panty-waist now. Good job WWE. You build Orton up to be this incredible heel character, and then you crap all over him. And your also making Rhodes/Debiase look like utter jobbers.

And then we got to waste our time with Vickie and Hog Slop?

Raw is stale.

 

[BadNewsAlan]

I don't know why, but as I was watching CM Punk come down the ramp on Smackdown this past Friday I thought, "Man, he's going to cash in that briefcase after the ladder match on Sunday." I guess I've been watching this stuff way too long, huh? Haha!

Anyway, I think they should turn him heel. He's at the top of his game right now and, while I love his character, I feel that him being a face has run its course. I think if he turns right now that he'd be so completely over it would be ridiculous.

If they turn him, and Hardy leaves the company, they need to turn Edge face and have them feud for a long time. I think Edge has shown signs lately that this very thing might happen, so we'll see.

 

[Coco]

I'm by far a bigger fan of RAW (better time slot, more visually appealing, better station, live broadcast, etc)

Considering everything in the WWE always looks the same unless it's Wrestlemania, I wish you would explain this one to me.

That said, I love SmackDown. They did the Jericho-Mysterio feud I've been begging for for years and Raw for some reason didn't jump on. Shit, Rey on Raw was a huge miss. He feuded with Kane for almost his whole run there, having one match with Punk, and no matches with Jericho, Orton, Cena, Michaels, Batista and so on. He was misused and not allowed to be booked in top matches. Leave it to Monday night Raw to fail to put deserving guys over and leave it to SmackDown to show them up. I can't wait to see how the A-show uses their new World Champion. I hope it's fitting of a man of his stature.

 

[RVDgurl]

Last night, WWE's Extreme Rules gave us a whole range of matches and occurances, complete with 5 title changes. Obivously a lot happened, but I have to ask - did Smackdown overtake Raw in the process?

SD! and ECW put their best foot forward, while the most entertaining match from RAW was the US championship match. And I don't think that match was on the same level as the ECW or the SD! matches.

1. Best Match of the Night - Jericho vs Mysterio. The Intercontinental Title is back in the hands of the greatest holder of that title of all time - Chris Jericho - winning his almost Federer-esque 9th IC Belt. In the process, he unmasked Rey Mysterio, who will be out for revenge. This match was an "extreme rules" match featuring limited extreme spots, which makes me think that we haven't even seen the best from these two yet. Remember the Jericho / Michaels feud? It seemed like new swerves were always on the way.

I don't necessarily agree that this was the best match of the night, but damn, it was a good one. I'm a huge fan of Jericho, so there's not much that he does in which I am not thoroughly entertained. I have to say that he does have pretty good chemistry with Mysterio and I'm am saddened that I won't be able to see this fued come to fruition.

2. 2nd Best Match of the Night - Hardy vs Edge Say what you will about Hardy's contract, these two men put on a great match last night. No tricks, just an old school spot fest with two guys who do not like each other. Plus, Edge seems to be getting a clean slate - no more Vickie, no more Chavo, hell no more title. He can go in any direction now.

Best match of the night. These guys just work so well together it's hard to believe that they don't like each other. I think some of that genuine dislike comes across in their matches. This match leaves alot of blanks to be filled in for both guys. Like you mentioned, Edge appears to be free from the Vickie Guerrero bullshit and Jeff Hardy's future with the company is still uncertain.

3. Swerve of the Year - CM Punk The two men who entered trying to hold the World Heavyweight Title both left empty handed, as CM Punk now gets a 2nd chance to prove he's got what it takes to be the main guy on a roster. Nobody knows if he will be a face or a heel, but Punk's win last night also leaves him with a clean slate as the WHC, and the question of his first feud has yet to be answered.

I am in love with the potential in this. First of all, I'm a huge fan of Punk. I think he can and will be a solid world champion. I also think he has the best opportunity at success in the role of a heel. The heel turn was set up perfectly last night, now it's up to creative to take the ball and roll with it.

4. Worst Matches of the Night - Cena vs Show and Orton vs Batista Batista and Orton had the shortest match on the card at just over 7 minutes, and Orton got dominated. He's the top heel on the brand and he seems to have taken a step back in credibility (though I enjoyed the short match). Cena vs Show wasn't much to write home about, since the match didn't feel like it mattered.

Orton getting squashed completely cancelled out the months of build up that Orton received. It's really a shame for him. That match could've been Batista vs. John Doe and it would've looked exactly the same. Also, I played with the dog during the Big Show v. Cena match. She was more interesting.

5. The Raw Roster looks like the NY Mets roster. HHH, Shawn Michaels, Batista. All out with injuries. That's the problem with a roster full of older veterans. They are interesting, but they miss time with injuries. Add into that the fact that Kennedy is gone (RAW definitely moved talent to SD and ECW anticipating his return to RAW), and you've got a severly depleted talent roster. Pray that MVP makes a step up and Legacy gets some time to market themselves, because if they don't, I don't see how the show revolving around Cena vs Orton, part 17 can be avoided.

RAW needs to make great strides in introducing some new blood into the main event scene. They do have a solid mid card roster with Matt Hardy, Kofi Kingston, MVP, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase who all could make an impact in the main event scene if given the opportunity. Trips, HBK, and Batista aren't getting any younger. Sooner than later the are going to have to stop relying on them are turn to the younger guys for support.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

I believe Smackdown has overtaken Raw ever since the draft. It's back to the way it was from 2003-2004 because I thought Smackdown was 10 times better than RAW back then. You had Cena, Angle, Show, Lesnar, Benoit, and Guerrero on one show and especially with Stephanie and Heyman as general managers.

Problem with RAW is that all the veterans save for the Undertaker are there and they may retire in a couple of years. So you need to start building up new superstars. You will have most likely Cena and Orton left and they seem to be transitioning MVP to the main event but I just don't buy him as a face. I would have rather seen Morrison and Miz switch brands because I believe Morrison would be a better face than MVP.

The one thing I've always admired about Smackdown is that they care about their midcard and try to build new superstars. The Jericho/Mysterio match showed me that the IC Title is still cared about, something that never seemed to show on RAW.

 

[SavageTaker]

I agree that Smackdown has overtaken Raw since the draft. I thought they were trying to put more main eventers on Raw and build up the main event by taking away from Smackdown but all I can say is that the draft did Smackdown wonders as I think it is the superior show and Raw is not even close. Smackdown has had very good shows week in and week out. For the last couple of weeks I have noticed the show getting better and better each coming week in my opinion.

Now on to the pay per view matches. We got two great matches in Edge vs Jeff Hardy and Rey Mysterio vs Chris Jericho and one ok match which was the strap match with Umaga vs CM Punk. The Jericho-Mysterio and Edge-Hardy were definetly the matches of the night and any of the other matches don't even come close in my opinion. Then after the Heavyweight championship match we had CM Punk cash in the Money in the Bank briefcase. That was a great swerve and I don't a lot of people we expecting that. I actually thought they were going to wait until Summerslam or one of the other big 4 pay per views to cash it in.

Now on to the matches on ECW. Wait I mean match not matches since they only had one match. They had Dreamer vs Swagger vs Christian. The match was ok but I think they could have done a lot more and they wouldn't have need to use blood. They could have just done a lot more in my opinion. At the end of this match we got what is a swerve for some people with Dreamer winning the ECW title. Even this match from the supposed C-brand was better than anything Raw had.

Now on to Raw. They only had one good match which was still sloppy in some parts. This match was the fatal 4-way for the United States Champion. I think the match was good for what it was and it is nothing that is going to be remembered for years to come, hell it's a match that's not going to be remembered in a couple of weeks. Now to the other 2 matches Raw had. They had John Cena vs Big Show in a submission match which went for too long and was boring. I usually like submission matches but these 2 did nothing for me. I like Cena and realize it's not entirely his fault but this match was just not right for them. People say this match is the last one in their little feud but I have a feeling that it's going to continue for at least one more match between the two. The other Raw match was a short bout that I am still baffled by the finish. That match was none other than the steel cage match between for the WWE Champion. The match was ok and nothing to write home about but what is really baffling is them putting the title on Batista. He is injured for god sakes. I understand if they are trying to set something up for tonight's Raw but if they put him in a rematch all they are doing is making the title lose prestige if they are only going to give him a one day run and then drop it back to Orton or someone else. They are also risking possibly having Batista get furthered injured or make the injury worse than what it already is therefore keeping one of their top guys out longer than what would be originally expected. Notice I didn't comment on the Hog pen match. That's why I didn't even bother watching

The Extreme Rules Pay Per View really showed why Smackdown is the better brand and the more dominant brand and I think in my honest opinion Raw is far behind Smackdown and ECW might even be better than what Raw has become. Smackdown is just the better overall brand. Anyways, The Raw Creative team really need to take some tips from the Smackdown creative team because either a monkey is writing their shows for Raw or they are way to stupid to realize that the quality of the supposed A-brand is going way down to embarrassing lows, when in reality it shouldn't really be that way since they consider Raw the Flagship show and the brand/show that is suppose to be the most entertaining out all of the brands shows in WWE.

 

[CH David]

Smackdown is definitely the number 1 show in my opinion. A lot of people say that Smackdown is getting low ratings, whether it be due to more wrestling or whatever, so it isn't good. It is a Friday night. What do you expect? Kids are out with their friends or parents getting ice cream or playing football, teens are out at movies or hanging out with their friends, adults are out at bars or games or even working. Especially now that it is summer and good weather is about. At least here in the States. But Smackdown definitely has the talent and Creative is doing a good job of booking their matches and events. I would much rather watch Smackdown on Friday if I could, but I record it because I am usually out with my friends.

Raw is the "flagship" show, but it is a complete clusterfuck. Batista beats on Orton for 3 weeks, and Orton is meant to be the best heel in the business. Like others have said, Orton was on top of the company the night after the Rumble, he had just punted Vince, won the Rumble, and was on his way to Wrestlemania 25 with a hell of a lot of momentum. They should have ended the feud with Shane after he got punted, but no, Orton and Legacy look like shit against a guy who isn't even a wrestler. And it continued to take a downward spiral from there.
Speaking of Legacy, what the hell happened to them? I thought Legacy was supposed to be this awesome faction, but they all look like jobbers, even Orton after last night. I thought DiBiase and Rhodes could have been big, but the way they are running around getting jacked up by Batista and Flair, I am starting to lose hope.
Cena vs. Show? I for one am not a fan of Cena anymore, as I feel that he is just boring right now. I want to see him put over people like he did with Swagger. That "feud" was horrible. Show loses a submission match, even though Cena shouldn't have been able to apply the STF. Should have had Show win this one just to prove he can still beat someone of importance again.

I could go longer but I don't feel like it. Smackdown is number 1 right now, end of story.

 

[Sasori]

I agree Smackdown dominated RAW!

1. Best Match Of the Night! Edge vs. Hardy in my biased opinion.
That match had spots but it also had the drama! Which is why it was so good.

2. Surprise of The Night: CM Punk cashing in MITB! I really didn't think Punk would go this low this time. Its a shame!

3. Better Overall matches: Smackdown had great matches Mysterio vs. Jericho, Punk vs. Umaga, and Edge vs. Jeff. THEY WERE ALL GOOD! RAW matches were crap well most. Cena and Big Show I don't understand at all ._., and Orton the guy who took out the McMahons, Triple H, Batista, and Ric Flair (Evolution),won the Royal Rumble, won the WWE title off triple H and took him out in the process losses the title to Mr. Roid-rage Batista himself in 7 minutes! WTF!

4. The RAW Storylines are stale: Orton and Batista never had a major feud before but the one they have right now is bull crap! And Cena and Big Show is pointless and dumb and its a feud that started 6 years ago! Lets get some fresh air people! On the other hand on Smackdown! Jeff Hardy vs. Edge was a decade long feud that was re-kindled and its a feud that works! And Umaga and Punk is probably over but its still pretty good, and Jericho vs. Mysterio is the best feud I've seen in YEARS!

5. Better commentators: I DIDN'T THINK YOU COULD GET WORSE THAN DON WEST! Michael Cole is terrible (no offense I don't wan't any heat) he has an annoying voice and says weird crap I can barely understand Jerry still great though. Todd Grisham seems to be doing good on Friday Nights *cough*Tuesday*cough* And J.R.'s always great I'm up here in the North in Canada and I could perfectly understand J.R. and his funny accent, Cole on the other hand, "What is this ****** saying?"

Those are my top 5 reasons why Smackdown is better than RAW at the moment! But overall because its rich history and awesome moments RAW is the better brand but just not right now.

 

[Slam Master]

You are 100% right. Smackdown has the better workers, better storylines, better everything.

RAW seems like a childish soap opera with Vickie G and Santino/a and all the other time wasters they do. Heads better start turning when Shawn Michaels and HHH get back. If HBK is watching at home, I bet he's cringing. They totally ruined Randy Orton and Legacy. They built him to be the best heel in the company from the Royal Rumble on, and they completely squash him, with Dibiase and Rhodes always looking like silly weak jobbers who give the worst fake stomps I've ever seen. Batista sucks in the ring, but he's hurt so I bet he "loses his smile", gives up the belt, and Randy wins it back tonight. I'm hoping this will lead to a Legacy split since Orton "let them down". The wrestling needs to improve on RAW as well. Smackdown rocks them when it comes to working matches. Smackdown has the better Mid-Card with Morrison, Benjamin, etc. Then you have the tweeners like Mysterio, Punk, Jericho. I can't believe they released Umaga. Something must have happened behind the scenes.

Bottom line, RAW needs some changes or hopefully people start changing; the channel to kill the ratings and make Vince realize the show sucks.

 

[Paradox100]

I don't know why, but as I was watching CM Punk come down the ramp on Smackdown this past Friday I thought, "Man, he's going to cash in that briefcase after the ladder match on Sunday." I guess I've been watching this stuff way too long, huh? Haha!.

Haha, understand that, seems like we face the same issues. But there is no doubt in my mind that Smackdown is the best brand now. Raw has the biggest stars, but that includes the most overrated. The worst in-ring talents. The ones who refuse to job. Which makes guys like Rhodes and Dibiase who are being built to be a part of "the future" look like jobbers every single week. I hate raw now.

But on the other hand, you have Smackdown, which has some of the best in-ring talent. The underrated guys. The guys who job, and won't have an issue doing it. The EXACT opposite of Raw. You got morrison, jericho, rey, Punk, Edge, benjamin and more. With Raw, you got Batista, Triple H, and Cena. (Blegh!) Orton and Michaels are the only main eventers I enjoy watching on Raw. Making Orton lose in a high profile steel cage match in seven minutes, doesn't help his character, making him a jobber doesn't help either, nonetheless.

So I think that WWE should move Smackdown to a different station when their contract is up. Smackdown will start getting better ratings. I want to call them the flagship show, but Raw has all the big names. Doesn't matter how talentless they are, they still draw.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

Maybe the reason for Smackdown's success is because the success of the show depends on whether MyNetworkTV will stay afloat or not. Getting Smackdown was a big coo for everyone that works at that network. It's a recognizable brand, a recognizable show, and brings attention to other cities who may want to affiliate themselves with that network.

I think that reason and that reason alone is why we're seeing Smackdown being the better show at the moment. Remember when Raw was inbetween finding networks. It was on TNN/Spike, then found themselves looking for another network and found their way back to USA. Back then, the stories were fresh, interesting, and the wrestling was great. Now, Raw is content with the show they have no worries about being canceled because a 3.4 is still awesome for a cable show.

That's the reason why Smackdown's the superior brand at the moment.

 

[TwistofRKO]

Considering everything in the WWE always looks the same unless it's Wrestlemania, I wish you would explain this one to me.

That said, I love SmackDown. They did the Jericho-Mysterio feud I've been begging for for years and Raw for some reason didn't jump on. Shit, Rey on Raw was a huge miss. He feuded with Kane for almost his whole run there, having one match with Punk, and no matches with Jericho, Orton, Cena, Michaels, Batista and so on. He was misused and not allowed to be booked in top matches. Leave it to Monday night Raw to fail to put deserving guys over and leave it to SmackDown to show them up. I can't wait to see how the A-show uses their new World Champion. I hope it's fitting of a man of his stature.

Do you need an explanation for a difference in colors? Red, blue... Different graphics, better atmosphere...

Nitpick anything else?

I agree with the mis-usage of Mysterio though, he is actually booked as a legitimate threat on Smackdown, while on RAW he could only beat you up if you weighed 180+ lbs over him.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Smackdown has put on better wrestling for years now. Raw just has more high profile wrestling. But naturally Raw is still the number one show. For one, look at the champions. One is mid carder C.M. Punk, the other is Batista. Even if Batista it will be one of the other three biggest stars in the company. Chris Jericho (Crap IC Champion, Irish), is a bigger star than his brands world champion.

The Punk title win might have been intresting. Or it would've been if the crowd actually got into it. As it was it was a bit flat. The only excitement I got out of it was because I didn't think Punk would win. Maybe they teased it so much that everybody lost intrest. Even so, that's one Smackdown swerve in comparison to how many on Raw?

Raw might've had the worst matches of the night. But how many times has that brand had the best? It'll take a long while for Smackdown to overtake Raw.

As for the title of the thread. You're talking about a PPV, on Sunday. As for action on a Friday. I think that all depends if you're a fan of actual wrestling or promos/angles and big stars.

 

[brodymulder]

It seems to me from the past few weeks and just looking at the names on the Raw and Smackdown rosters that there is probably an ego problem at Raw.

Clearly Raw is still Vince's Baby and he will do anything to keep it the way he wants it. he probably doesn't even care if people like the results of Raw on any given night. The same 5 people will always main event without anything ever changing, and John Cena always getting the first hour's main so the kiddies can be in bed by a more reasonable hour.

You have people like HBK, HHH, and Batista who very rarely job to anyone, and Randy Orton who is always involved with at least one of them because they haven't had a worthy heel in ages. How is that even remotely exciting? You have Cena who just flat out doesn't job or lose cleanly anymore and has sadly become the new Hogan (which depresses me because I remember actually liking Cena a lot at one point) and you have Big Show who is decent on the mic, but very rarely does anything for me in the ring. That is really about it.

The only reason MVP, Kofi, Regal, and Matt Hardy are getting any work at all right now is because creative is too lazy to book any long term midcard feuds for any of them and they all just get tossed together like a salad. Kendrick, Santino, and the Colons are often stuck with the lamest comedy routines in years and I am sick of watching it.

I know a show is doing something wrong when I actually look forward to THE MIZ showing up. That ass clown is one of the few bright spots on that show now because at least he knows the crowd can't stand him and he uses it to his advantage. They need to stop testing his appeal and just pull the trigger on the Miz/Cena feud.

I like Smackdown so much more because it feels completely organic and it doesn't feel forced. I get to see good wrestlers booked into decent long term story lines that can often take a decent twist at any time. The talent is also vastly younger, better, and more watchable.

I can watch an entire episode of Smackdown without getting bored or feeling like it is something I have seen before. I actually care what happens to these people and I find myself engrossed in the stories they are telling as well as the action in the ring.

The back and forth within the feuds is also a lot more balanced on Smackdown. It is no longer a show where there is a run in to end every main event or the show closes with a long winded staredown that doesn't seem to go anywhere. Smackdown ends with a real main event. That must really piss Vince off.

 

[Coco]

Do you need an explanation for a difference in colors? Red, blue... Different graphics, better atmosphere...

Nitpick anything else?

Yeah, those are bullshit comparisons. Love of the color red and Raw's snazzy logo don't make it any better than SmackDown. Better atmosphere? How so? The "B-Show" has been done in MSG and the Staples Center as well as other major venues since the draft. It's not as though they're playing empty arenas and it's not as though the fans sit on their hands. This better atmosphere stuff is a long standing myth for Raw, especially now that all four shows look EXACTLY the same.

Ugh. Color... I can't believe that's being used to talk Raw up.

Raw lost more points in the last two nights with their messed up world title situation. First they went out of their way to work the internet (plain and simple) on Sunday putting their belt on a guy that was hurt or suspended (if the rumors are to be believed), and then they put the final nail in a top contender last night... We should be happy SmackDown doesn't have those sorts of problems.

The action is indeed on Fridays.

The Punk title win might have been intresting. Or it would've been if the crowd actually got into it.

Well in his defense, they weren't the greatest crowd for a lot of the night. They definately booed hard as soon as his music stopped, but yeah, not a great crowd.

 

[TwistofRKO]

Yeah, those are bullshit comparisons. Love of the color red and Raw's snazzy logo don't make it any better than SmackDown. Better atmosphere? How so? The "B-Show" has been done in MSG and the Staples Center as well as other major venues since the draft. It's not as though they're playing empty arenas and it's not as though the fans sit on their hands. This better atmosphere stuff is a long standing myth for Raw, especially now that all four shows look EXACTLY the same.

Ugh. Color... I can't believe that's being used to talk Raw up.

No need for a jack-assed post.

I posted a list of things, and you pulled out one and tried to nit-pick it, and failed. The colors are better, it's a better logo, it's on in primetime, it's broadcasted live- certainly items that have an effect on the atmosphere and viewing experience. I compared nothing between the in-ring action or storylines on either show.

 

[Coco]

Once again, I must protest. SmackDown airs at 8pm in a lot of markets, which certainly makes it primetime. Not everyone reads the spoilers, so for me watching SmackDown is always like watching live TV and I love it as such. And the color and logo argument holds no weight at all as they add nothing to the product. If anything, there may be an objective psychological insentive for us to enjoy SmackDown more based on color considering K-Mark has drilled the power of the blue light special into our heads. So the color argument would go to SmackDown is it was really worth having.

 

[NSL]

Last night, WWE's Extreme Rules gave us a whole range of matches and occurances, complete with 5 title changes. Obivously a lot happened, but I have to ask - did Smackdown overtake Raw in the process?

It's not a secret I haven't been a fan of recent booking, and haven't watched since the draft. I was hoping last night would be enough to make me at least want to watch again, and I'm not sure if it did or not. We either get old feuds that I didn't like the first 50 times, or a new feud, with bad booking (minus Jericho v. Rey - I'm obviously a fan of that, look at my BT)

1. Best Match of the Night - Jericho vs Mysterio. The Intercontinental Title is back in the hands of the greatest holder of that title of all time - Chris Jericho - winning his almost Federer-esque 9th IC Belt. In the process, he unmasked Rey Mysterio, who will be out for revenge. This match was an "extreme rules" match featuring limited extreme spots, which makes me think that we haven't even seen the best from these two yet. Remember the Jericho / Michaels feud? It seemed like new swerves were always on the way.

I could've told you before the show started that this would be the match of the night. Jericho can't have a bad match, unless it's supposed to be a bad match (i.e. when Steph fired him), and Rey is one of the best workers in the company. He may not be liked by many, but he can always step up on a big stage, and a title match with Jericho is definitely big.

I also like that Jericho has the title back. This is the best way to make it feel like it matters again. Jericho can work any angle, and being the record holder, it only seems right. I'm hoping we see Punk v. Jericho, with Jericho eventually holding both titles.

2. 2nd Best Match of the Night - Hardy vs Edge Say what you will about Hardy's contract, these two men put on a great match last night. No tricks, just an old school spot fest with two guys who do not like each other. Plus, Edge seems to be getting a clean slate - no more Vickie, no more Chavo, hell no more title. He can go in any direction now.

These two + ladder = money. Even people that despise Jeff, would know that he'd put on a display in a ladder match. I'm not a big Edge fan, and knew that he'd lose, but if I were watching, I'm sure I'd cheer both men. They need to find a way to let Edge retain on a ppv. It seems like his kryptonite.

3. Swerve of the Year - CM Punk The two men who entered trying to hold the World Heavyweight Title both left empty handed, as CM Punk now gets a 2nd chance to prove he's got what it takes to be the main guy on a roster. Nobody knows if he will be a face or a heel, but Punk's win last night also leaves him with a clean slate as the WHC, and the question of his first feud has yet to be answered.

I like this kind of swerve, because as "old" as it may seem, it was still different for Punk. He's now the champ on the "A" show again, and can get a chance at some newer feuds, without Orton or JBL being asses about it. As I said before, I'd like to see Punk v. Jericho in a title v. title down the line. It may not be Hogan/Warrior, but it'd be damn good.

4. Worst Matches of the Night - Cena vs Show and Orton vs Batista Batista and Orton had the shortest match on the card at just over 7 minutes, and Orton got dominated. He's the top heel on the brand and he seems to have taken a step back in credibility (though I enjoyed the short match). Cena vs Show wasn't much to write home about, since the match didn't feel like it mattered.

I may be reaching here, but maybe these matches sucked, because we've seen them at least 10 times before. Cena v. Show has been done on every level, for every title, and we just saw it recently at 'Mania.

Orton v. Batista is just a waste. I haven't seen them work a good match, and putting them in a cage seems pretty pointless. If they don't fire Batista, they need to just make him a heel again, and make people scared of him. He shouldn't be your friend, he should be "The Animal". Orton just isn't growing on me.

5. The Raw Roster looks like the NY Mets roster. HHH, Shawn Michaels, Batista. All out with injuries. That's the problem with a roster full of older veterans. They are interesting, but they miss time with injuries. Add into that the fact that Kennedy is gone (RAW definitely moved talent to SD and ECW anticipating his return to RAW), and you've got a severly depleted talent roster. Pray that MVP makes a step up and Legacy gets some time to market themselves, because if they don't, I don't see how the show revolving around Cena vs Orton, part 17 can be avoided.

The NY Mets comment aside, I agree. RAW was given way too much with the draft, and it's all backfired. No one may like Triple H banging Steph, and getting gold after gold, but people pay to see him on TV. He's got to be the biggest draw they have. HBK may be well past his prime, but he showed at WrestleMania that he still has "it". It's a matter of time before he's done for good, so a 'Taker-like limited schedule may be just what the doctor ordered. Batista getting hurt is laughable. He's needs to go heel, and drop down to the midcard for a bit. I think a mini-feud with MVP or Kofi would be fairly passable for a month or 2.

 

[spiketbear]

I have read several times on wrestling forums that people are not able to watch Smackdown, so they are not able to give it a fair chance. I, personally, love the technical wrestling and the lack of annoyingly long talking segments from people I can't stand. Smackdown is definitely my favorite brand. I discovered that Smacksown can now be seen at any time on HULU.COM. Now, everyone can see how much better than Raw it is.