Batista ruining Smackdown

[8five]

Its the first time I've started a thread so if I mess this up I'm sorry.

So a couple months ago Smackdown felt fresh and exciting. Punk and Jeff were in a heated feud over the world title with Edge still in the picture. Jericho was in good feud with Rey over the intercontinental title.

Then there was a solid transition to Punk v Jeff, Morrison v Ziggler and momentarily Jericho/Edge which became Big Show and Jericho. Then Taker came in without Jeff and that was fun as well. All along we were getting to see fresh faces like Drew and I was enjoying R truth.

Then Batista came back. They moved him to Smackdown and started feuding him with Jericho and Big Show. Which transitioned into now him v Rey. I'm not going to lie and say I was a big fan of Batista cause i wasnt but now I either leave the room, change the channel or fast foward through all his segments. Also it has taken away the focus from Punk as the top heel on the brand in the main event scene. I know Jericho was right there but he is doing the tag thing at the moment. With Batista there it jsut feels like all the freshness is off the show. This thing with Rey just kills the momentum of the show and I just think his inring work is getting worse.

So basically my question is do you feel smackdown is worse then a couple months ago? and if so do you feel as i do that its batista's fault?

 

[klunderbunker]

I think you're jumping the gun a bit here. Smackdown's awesome run couldn't last forever and it had to get some fresh faces in there. Batista turning heel is fine as it needed to happen. Also this opens some doors for a new face to step up. Morrison vs. Batista could help build up John quite a bit and give him some more credibility. I don't like Batista that much but he's nowhere near as bad as he's made out to be. This isn't ruining the show at all. Give it some time people. It won't be that bad.

 

[FromTheSouth]

Its the first time I've started a thread so if I mess this up I'm sorry.

228 posts and you've never started a thread? Wow.

So a couple months ago Smackdown felt fresh and exciting. Punk and Jeff were in a heated feud over the world title with Edge still in the picture. Jericho was in good feud with Rey over the intercontinental title.

Then there was a solid transition to Punk v Jeff, Morrison v Ziggler and momentarily Jericho/Edge which became Big Show and Jericho. Then Taker came in without Jeff and that was fun as well. All along we were getting to see fresh faces like Drew and I was enjoying R truth.

I'm sorry, were Drew and R-Truth released to make room for Batista?

Then Batista came back. They moved him to Smackdown and started feuding him with Jericho and Big Show. Which transitioned into now him v Rey. I'm not going to lie and say I was a big fan of Batista cause i wasnt but now I either leave the room, change the channel or fast foward through all his segments. Also it has taken away the focus from Punk as the top heel on the brand in the main event scene.

It's because Punk was never and probably will never be the top heel on the show. He was holding a place for Edge, and once he didn't have Jeff Hardy to pick at, the act got stale. Honestly, Jeff Hardy is the perfect face for heel Punk to feud with. The gimmicks and life stories fit. Once Jeff was out of the picture, Punk just became a loud mouth jackass repeating Jericho's promo's about Rey's mask. Punk can't create interest in anything, although he is very good at going with the flow of the excitement others create.

What I mean is that Undertaker is, in a way, purer (kayfabe) than straightedge. He doesn't mock people for their mistakes....he eliminates them. How is Punk going to preach straightedge, as judge and jury, when the character across from him is judge, jury, and executioner. Punk needed to be demoted a bit, because his schtick, more than anyone else's runs the risk of going stale. When you're the straightedge guy, you're kind of pigeonholed, and if you don't have the right gimmick across from you, it doesn't work.

I am not a Punk fan, but I do applaud the mic work with Jeff Hardy, but the mic work with Taker was brutal and reminded me of why I am not a fan.

I know Jericho was right there but he is doing the tag thing at the moment. With Batista there it jsut feels like all the freshness is off the show. This thing with Rey just kills the momentum of the show and I just think his inring work is getting worse.

Well, you are certain;y welcome to your opinion, but I am of the opinion that a 300 lb man should pick people up and throw them back down. He hasn't gotten any worse at that.

I think his mic work has gotten better. I think his heel turn freshened up a stale character. Just give it a couple of weeks. It's been one show since the last PPV. They haven't developed any of the feuds yet. Give it some time.

So basically my question is do you feel smackdown is worse then a couple months ago? and if so do you feel as i do that its batista's fault?

I think SD! is just fine, and got injected with something they needed. They needed a big time heel star. They need someone to draw some heat at the beginning of the show. Vickie used to come out and get the crowd so riled up that it would last the whole show. If 300 lbs. of Batista comes out and picked on 35 lbs of Rey, it will get the crowd riled up, because Rey, for reasons that escape me, is loved by the SD! crowds.

 

[colalella2891]

I felt this way as soon as the IWC hinted Batista moving to Smackdown... I LOVED the fact that new stars were the pretty much the main eventers of the show. That's all they had. Morrison was doing great in his matches against Punk and Jeff, and I was really looking forward to Matt Hardy steppin up, but that didn't happen either.

Morrison is now in a feud with Ziggler, which is definitely a step down, and when Rey's suspension came, they acted like his feud with Ziggler never happened. Even Punk has taken a step down, he's feuding with a damn ref!!! If Batista wasn't on the show, it would just be so much better. Punk, Morrison, Rey, and Matt would be the main eventers. Move on Batista...

 

[Chauncy Talon]

Ok. Batista ruining Smackdown is a joke.

Batista is probably the best thing to happen to the show as of right now. Edge is gone. CM Punk had lost the kids by turning heel. The Big Show is looking a little too old. Edge is on the shelf. Jeff Hardy is gone. John Morrison and Dolph Zigglar are fueding for a midcard title and not the World Belt and Rey is trying to be the Hero once again. Now, we have the "ANIMAL Batista. Dave Batista have been on a nice losing streak as of lately. This losing streak is causing him to lose his fans and the kids are starting to turn on him. And since he is fueding with the Kid's choice aka the Lil' Big Hero (Rey Mysterio) then it would make him seem more of a monster. I think this is what Batista needed. I predict him as a World Champion by Wrestlemania or being apart of a World Title run.

 

[the 3X0dus]

Let me see if I can hammer this down...are we blaming Batista for the fact that the bookers have decided to redirect CM Punk or for noticing the lack of reaction Ziggler is getting with the current direction he's going in?

Yeah...if I was Batista, I'd turn heel too. Geeze.

 

[Coco]

It's because Punk was never and probably will never be the top heel on the show. He was holding a place for Edge,

Strange, since Edge is likely coming back as a babyface after his last promo against Jericho. Very strange.

Punk needed to be demoted a bit, because his schtick, more than anyone else's runs the risk of going stale. When you're the straightedge guy, you're kind of pigeonholed, and if you don't have the right gimmick across from you, it doesn't work.

Your lack of vision regarding what Punk can do is really striking. Yes, he's straight-edge but that's not all there is too him. He's a cocky bastard that can express a wide range of emotions better than most men on the roster and who the fans hate. Sure, he doesn't do drugs or drink, but that's only a small part of who he is. He runs no more risk of getting stale than does Rey Mysterio's "ultimate underdog" character, Chris Jericho's "I am not amused" character, Batista's "Dave smash!" act, anything Taker does, etc. It's all about how they're used, and there's a lot uses for Punk at the top of the card in the future.

I am not a Punk fan, but I do applaud the mic work with Jeff Hardy, but the mic work with Taker was brutal and reminded me of why I am not a fan.

What was brutal about the mic work with Taker? He under-estimated Taker's power as mere smoke and mirrors and then overplayed his Breaking Point win like a true prick. There was nothing wrong with it from my point of view.

Anyhow, on to the topic of Batista. Batista hasn't made the show any worse. He's in two segments a week tops and isn't in the title hunt at the moment so you (the original poster) can't blame him for Punk being moving down the card a step. Simply put, Taker needed new contenders eventually. Morrison still has his feud with Ziggler, Drew is still attacking undercard faces... Nothing has changed except for the fact that Batista is now in a more interesting feud then he's been booked in for quite a while. If anything, Batista is adding to the show.

As for his in-ring work, he does what's expect of a guy who wrestlers his style. He's not Eddie Guerrero nor should he be.

Also, if some of thei biggest complaints about Batista right now are that he prevents Matt Hardy from getting a main event spot... Isn't that a good thing? Matt doesn't have the same appeal as Jeff and certainly doesn't have the appeal of a guy like Batista.

 

[ABMorales787]

For the first time since the spring of 2005 Batista finally makes sense and is interesting, and you're complaining? Why? We need him right now. Edge is out for a long while. Jericho is babysitting Raw's guest hosts and CM Punk can't be in the Main Event to often or else his intrigue could die fast. At first there wasn't many heel's on Smackdown. Now with Batista, CM Punk and Chris Jericho all you need is a few faces. We have Undertaker. Rey's feuding with Batista so that makes 2. One more will do and you have enough story possibilities for the next 2 years.

Batista coming to Smackdown and turning heel was practically a necessity. At the moment there were too many gaps that needed to be filled up. Batista might not be good in the ring but as of his heel turn he seems to be able to carry a good story. So to answer your question, I'm actually entertained by Batista on Smackdown and I don't think he's ruining the show. The top stars of the brand getting injured, quitting or playin g with drugs are what derailed the show's momentum.

 

[BigAdz]

CM Punk's character has dipped a little bit after the great chemistry with Jeff Hardy, I'll agree with that. But to say he's becoming stale is calling a dog pregnant before it's hit maturity.
Punk has demonstrated abitility to be flexible enough to work with whoever he comes across and make a decent promo. I can see him developing into the "I am elite, treat me as such" type of heel which will work well if it's based on his striking and Muay Thai background feeding his ego. The straight-edge angle will only carry so far but it'll do to be going on with.

As for Batista, my only gripe with his current heel turn is that he turned on Rey. Like Eddie. And Chavo. And Bourne (to a lesser degree). Rey and Batista are good enough workers to make something passable out of it for SS but I hope it doesn't get drawn out for too long and he gets a good dominant monster heel run against a variety of opponents.

 

[Super Crazy]

Batista isn't ruining Smackdown at all. His heel turn has been coming for a long time. He's been a face since he left Evolution. Smackdown isn't exactly getting dull either. It has some good storylines gonig and I rather enjoy watching Smackdown.

Also I would like to state that Punk may be a very good heel...but I would not put him as the top heel. I mean, feuding with a referee? What's up with that? But that's certainly not Batista's fault by far. I think right now we will see a lot of random one off matches up until the Rumble for the title. I think CM Punk will come into the main event again around that time.

Batista isn't dragging down the show though. I am actually interested to see where this goes. I hope they really don't drag out this feud though.

 

[BigAdz]

Batista isn't ruining Smackdown at all. His heel turn has been coming for a long time. He's been a face since he left Evolution. Smackdown isn't exactly getting dull either. It has some good storylines gonig and I rather enjoy watching Smackdown.

Also I would like to state that Punk may be a very good heel...but I would not put him as the top heel. I mean, feuding with a referee? What's up with that? But that's certainly not Batista's fault by far. I think right now we will see a lot of random one off matches up until the Rumble for the title. I think CM Punk will come into the main event again around that time.

Batista isn't dragging down the show though. I am actually interested to see where this goes. I hope they really don't drag out this feud though.

See bolded:

I'm thinking they're bringing in the old heel referee gimmick in, something they've not used since Nick Patrick was around during the Invasion. It may develop that Punk asserts himself to Armstrong who submits to Punk's will by giving him the win every match. With T. Lo tweening now, it's a gimmick that could easily fly.

 

[Freddy4190]

Batista's not ruining Smackdown. CM Punk as much as I love him as a heel was not destined to be the top heel. Just like FTS said, him being heel against Jeff was perfect because everything fit. Batista turning heel is the only thing that could have rejuvenated his career. He just fits the bill as a monster heel. The guy is what, 6'5? 300 lbs? Muscled out like crazy? Yeah, he's not ruining Smackdown, he's not even in the main event anymore. I love what they got going for Batista right now.

 

[8five]

My point was this when i started this thread and i guess it didnt come across. Smackdown a few months ago seemed fresh and exciting and was the first time in awhile I was really enjoying WWE tv. Now I feel bored by it and don't really enjoy watching it at the moment. The only major difference i see at the moment is Batista. I don't hate Batista and I don't hate his heel turn I find it refreshing for him. I was just wondering if anyone was feeling smackdown is down from a few months ago and if so is the animal the reason or one of the reasons why

 

[shafe_41]

I was just wondering if anyone was feeling smackdown is down from a few months ago and if so is the animal the reason or one of the reasons why

No matter how many ways you rephrase your question, the answer is still a strong "no." Batista is not ruining Smackdown... at all. You can't compare the Smackdown product of 4-6 months ago to the one today as it's simply not even fair to do so. Look at say... the top 5 guys on Smackdown 4-6 months ago. Edge, Jericho, Jeff Hardy, Punk aaaaand Rey Rey. Look at the product now. Edge is out, Jeff is gone, Batista is in, Taker is back, Rey Rey is around, and Punk is holding his own. Jericho isn't in the singles picture as of right now. And you have Morrison making his slow and steady climb. It's a totally different show. You're comparing apples to oranges.

Batista is actually fresh to the show and his heel turn opens him up to new feuds. He's spoken how he feels Rey Rey is being used incorrectly, so maybe Batista and Rey's program is going to bring this "ability" out of Rey that Batista claims Rey has, but the WWE is "holding back." Hopefully we have Edge back in the coming months (which is looking like it's taking him longer to recover than previously thought), and he will be a face. That opens tons of doors on the show given nobody leaves via Draft. Edge/Punk, Edge/Batista, Edge/Jericho. Batista coming over helps the overall picture of the show but you have to give it time to develop. Just because you don't like the show right now doesn't mean "Batista is ruining Smackdown."

 

[Henry Hill]

For me I think SD! is the best of the WWE brands, and Batista as the top heel on SD! could work or fail, but its way too early to say. I mean he's in the midst of his very first feud as a top heel (I say this because as a heel in Evolution he was a background player until his face turn.) If anything this freshens up not only Dave's character, but Smackdown as a whole. We haven't seen Dave really feud with Rey, so that is new and fresh, and Rey can sell a good beatdown from a Big Man. Also, we can actually see a personal heated violent Batista really step up to the Undertaker. Forgive the cliche, but if Batista is "unleashed" against the Undertaker it will reignite that feud and create some big fight feels. Batista is going in the direction he needs, that WWE needs, and that Smackdown needs.

 

[hulk 2010]

batista is the one who carry smackdown
and as a heel he will make that show the best ever
when he was a face he was not the animal
he was soft and don't wan't to hurt any one and i am a big fan of him , i start to heat him bec of that kind
but now that's the animal every one want to see
and i see him as the next world champion
again
Batista is not ruining Smackdown

 

[Leafy]

I find this idea laughable.

Batista is making Smackdown better if anything. This new heel is helping him as well as elevating midcard faces. You want to see a young face to beat a main event heel. When he was a face you saw Batista crush the new heel and you forget him.

I had the same idea when he debuted his ankle lock. I thought the good wrestling of Smackdown was gone but I'm appreciating his new found character. I never thought I would like Batista on the mic but when Mysterio asked, "What about Eddie" and he replied, "What about Eddie?" it was a perfect line solidifying his heel persona.

 

[Champion]

It is hardly laughable.

The product was once young, fresh and relevant - with exciting younger generation wrestlers like CM Punk, Jeff Hardy, Rey Mysterio and John Morrison.

Batista has been nothing but a total travesty since returning to Smackdown, with the boring awful feuds that anyone who knows WWE well would have anticipated.

But he's hardly the biggest culprit.

Undertaker - a legend no doubt, has also pretty much changed a fresh exciting product into basically a second version of RAW. He was once one of my favourites wrestlers, but seriously the guy can barely walk these days, and despite being 20 odd years in the industry still has mic skills limited to a few phrases, "rest in peace". His gimmick is old, he is old and they should have put him back on RAW.

Added to that the push Matt Hardy is getting. His face turn when Jeff was leaving is probably one of the worst face turns in Smackdown history. They ought to send him to a weigh watchers club.

 

[Leafy]

Batista has been nothing but a total travesty since returning to Smackdown, with the boring awful feuds that anyone who knows WWE well would have anticipated.

Boring awful feuds? He's been in 2. The Jerishow feud was, I'll give you this, was boring but had some good matches and made Batista expand his moveset. He was in a transitional feud for the title and that lead up to this current feud.

I love this feud, Batista has impressed me on the mic which I never thought would happen. The chemistry between these two is good.

 

[jd1220]

I feel smackdown is worse than it was months ago.Its not necessarily batistas fault though some of it is but the main reason is jeff hardy leaving. he was just hitting the climax of his career but decided to leave.