IC25's New Article - Who Takes Edge's Spot?

[IrishCanadian25]

This really isn't anything too new for the WWE. We've seen it before - a top guy goes down with an injury or quits and somebody else hopefully steps up. When Triple H went down with his quad injury, Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit stepped up huge. When Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior ditched in the 90's, Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels took the reigns. With Edge's stunning news last week regarding his WWE future - or lack thereof - WWE enters into a very delicate time. Sure, there are a load of young talents and new names that haven't had a run on top yet. There are some veterans ready to jump into the role for the time being. The question is, who is going to heed the wise words of Jim Ross and step up into that role?

Christian. This one is obvious. He's Edge's best friend and a ready made replacement. He frequently works great matches and is great in a gimmick pinch. I wouldn't be shocked if Edge himself went to management and hand picked Christian as his replacement. The other benefit of Christian is that he is someone who easilly transitions from face to heel depending on business needs, much the way Edge was. The big question mark with him is drawing power. Edge wasn't a massive draw - and Christian is frequently seen as being in Edge's shadow. Can Smackdown afford to have a champion who, despite all of his skill, doesn't force people to want to tune in to a taped show rather than reading spoilers?

Alberto del Rio. He's been shotgunned into the top heel role. Now that we know what was happening with Edge behind the scenes, the reason for his match with del Rio opening Wrestlemania becomes more apparent. I still don't think there is a world of faith in del Rio at this time, and the ho-hum level of interest in his "road to Wrestlemania" was the weakest I've seen from a Rumble winner in years.

Chris Jericho. He's said he'll come back to WWE after Dancing With the Stars is over. Edge and Jericho were practically interchangable for years, with the only difference being that Jericho is far less injury prone. He's dependable, consistent, and like Edge and Christian, can be a face or a heel with equal effectiveness. He's also a veteran who has proven HIGHLY capable of giving rubs to young guys, such as...

Wade Barrett. The heel IC champ and the man teasing a break up of his Corre faction. He has more than proven the ability to work a solid feud and WWE invested LOADS of live TV time for Barrett on Raw, so to allow him to toil away in a faction on Smackdown would be a waste. Wade Barrett is a damn fine choice, and similar to del Rio, he has an international marketing appeal to him.

Cody Rhodes. Think I'm crazy? He's been probably the best and most consistent Smackdown performer in the last quarter. His promos in his new persona are chilling, his feud with Mysterio has been interesting, and his match with Mysterio at Wrestlemania was one of the top matches on the card. I don't see him as a World Champion yet - but if Barrett moves up to contend for the big belt, an IC Title run for Cody can't be far behind...

Triple H. He's waiting for The Undertaker, sure, but there's 11 months until that happens. He's supposed to be a big leader in the corporation now, so when the company needs help, why shouldn't HHH be expected to step up and carry the flag? If del Rio or Barrett is the main heel, Triple H can be the face. If Christian or Jericho is the main face, Triple H can damn sure be the heel awaiting Taker's return.

Someone from Raw. Why not? If S(h)eamus isn't going to have a long program with the US Title (though Sin Cara's start may result in Seamus's reign lengthening), why not bring him to SD to lead that show? He's a two-time WWE Champ, but the chances of him so much as sniffing the big Raw title again with Miz, Cena, Orton, and Punk (and R-Truth?) over there are minimal. John Morrison could benefit from a taped show so Kevin Dunn can add some 'canned crowd' to the TV show for him, giving the illusion that he's really over. Aren't we due for a draft?

Dolph Ziggler. Ah, the wild card. His feud with Edge was fairly good, and he's paired with the one-ton human heat magnet in Vicki Guerrero. One could argue he's already stepped it up recently - perhaps this is the next logical step, even if he does look like the Beverley Brothers missing link.

What I Don't Want to See. Shock for shock's sake. It happened when Jack Thwagger became World Heavyweight Champion despite a) having never had a major role in a major show, b) having never had a meaningful run with a mid-card or tag-team title, c) having not had an intensely memorable feud. You can make the argument that the ECW Title reign was meaningful (it was as far as that belt could go) and that his feud with Tommy Dreamer was adequate - but not World Championship adequate. Kofi Kingston would be a shock - but I don't think it would be well received long term. Santino Marella would be the shock to end all shocks, and it would be DAMN entertaining, but you have to build him a little more first. (Still, you can't tell me you didn't stand up and hold your breath when he started the cobra against del Rio at the Royal Rumble...you believed it was possible for a spilt second and you know it!) I also don't want to see Big Show and Kane retreads. Both men are solid, consistent performers, but as World Champions go, they are ONLY as interesting as their opponents allow them to be.

Please vote in our poll based on who you think will be best as Smackdown's Top guy. Please do NOT vote on who you think WWE will actually go with, unless it's also who you think will be the best at it.

 

[markmeout]

I put Cody Rhodes for one logical reason even though I know he wont main event anytime soon. Edge was the top dog on Smackdown when Taker was out. Now with him gone the only thing that will happen is a shift. I see someone from the IC title picture moving up to the main even slot while another vet with credibility is put on Smackdown in the draft(Orton). By no means will Orton take Edges role since Orton was higher up on the ladder anyways when concerning fan attention. Hell, even Cena could move to Smackdown to let his feud with Rock develop on Rock's show. Either way no one will be replacing Edge. If anything someone will sadly be considered an upgrade on him. To fill Edge's spot, you have to look at what mid card talent will benefit the most. It has to be Cody Rhodes that will then be thrust into a title contender with the IC belt from being a jobber of sorts. In my mind he will be the one to benefit. If Wade goes for the main title it will be like whatever. Wade was in the title picture for the better part of six months if not longer on Raw. With Christian, he was semi floating around the main event anyways. Him in Kane are the two on Smackdown (Big Show can also be sorta considered this) that are jobbers to the stars. Even if they do get titles it will be for the purpose of advancing others.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

It has got to be Christian. I do not think that WWE cares much as to how much Smackdown draws in terms of numbers. In any case SD drew decent numbers even when Jack Swagger was champion so I do not think that it will hit a record low with Christian as champion. WWE realizes that Christian winning the title will create a feel good moment due to Edge's sudden retirement. Also even if Christian wins the title, he will do so in Edge shadow which is a scenario that WWE believes Christian works best in. Apart from that Christian is a pretty good worker though I do not think that is something that WWE cares much about.

Apart from him the only other option that seems credible to me is Chris Jericho as a veteran babyface feuding with the likes of Cody Rhodes and Del Rio. WWE has a lot of faith in Jericho as a worker and knows that he can elevate people by working with them. But this should not happen in all fairness.

By the way, there is no superstar on the roster in my opinion except perhaps Cena or Orton who can make those people who normally do not tune in to SD, tune in. Sad, but true.

 

[Wade's Public Transit Bomb]

Traditionally, SD has always been booked around a central heel figure:

- 2002-2003, Brock Lesnar
- 2004-2005, JBL
- 2005, was kinda all over the place
- 2006, King Booka
- 2007, Edge
- 2008, was kinda all over the place
- 2009, was kinda all over the place
- 2010, Swaggie to Kane

Those were just off the top of my head.

To no one's surprise, I voted for Wade Barrett. Ratings have gone up since Wade has been to the blue brand. Since January, Smackdown has gotten at least a 1.9 every single week. Strange coincidence, ain't it?

I think the biggest thing going for Wade is that there is just something about the man that makes people want to see what he is going to do. He isn't the best wrestler on the show (heck there are at least 5-10 I would put in front of him), but it doesn't seem to matter; People want to boo this man because he commands that they do. He makes funny faces, he speaks with such authority, and when he is being 'super serious' he looks 'super scary.' This guy is the only foreigner in the company that doesn't play the face when he is in his home country.

This could lead to the development of faces because people cheer whoever he is having issues with. Even the John Cena boo birds last year stop being too cool for school and cheered for him to whoop Wade's ass. More recently, Justin Gabriel got a good pop when he chucked Wade over the top rope and Zeke got one too when he threw Kofi onto of Wade. Oh, and the Big Show is more over than ever as well.

 

[Jason Scene]

Christian's time is now, if there ever was one. WWE can take Edge's scenario and make it a big positive with this, and in the OP it was said best, chances could be that Edge himself went to WWE and said, "Give him his chance." Since Christian's WWE return fans have been begging for him to get the World Championship, whether it be through MITB at Wrestlemania or at the MITB PPV, or whether it be through just giving him a push. Christian becoming the WWE Champion would be a fan friendly move, if you know what I mean.

It will bring people back, maybe not that many, but people that will want to see what Christian looks like with the World Heavyweight Championship in his hands and as the face of Smackdown. He's one of the final guys WWE have from back in the Attitude Era, he's the one guy that has a story left in him. He was the "Jannetty" of E&C, we can't deny it, him taking the top spot would be something special.

He can wrestle, we all know on the microphone he can come up with some classic stuff, he has the determination and the passion to actually succeed. The guy was at one point the face of TNA, taking on Smackdown is a bit bigger, but he can do it because the fans will be behind him. Christian is the best fit for Edge's spot on Smackdown.

 

[jellmoo]

I went with Wade Barrett simply because I see the most starpower in him. Sheamus would have been my other choice, but I think I like him better on RAW.

Barrett is, of the above list, the total package. Good in ring ability, a good look, and great mic skills. He anchored the hottest feud of the Summer, and had fans salivating at the thought of John Cena finally getting his hands on the man. That is great heel ability.

The one thing I will ask though, is related to the guys not on the list. Not necessarily guys I would go with, but I would have thought that they might be in the thought process: Kane, Big Show, Rey Mysterio are the big names potentially missing. Same goes for more longshot names like Drew McIntyre or Ezekiel Jackson. Hell, even a guy like Justin Gabriel, who looks like he might be on the WWE radar given his performance in the battle royal last Smackdown.

 

[Dan E. Inferno]

That was a pretty good read. The thing that stands out most is the final paragraph regarding shocks and Big show/Kane. I completey agree that throwing the title on Big Show or Kane, or even HHH or Undertaker for that matter, is not the answer as this is the perfect time for someone to step up. I also agree that giving the title to someone random like Kofi or Drew wouldn't work here. I think Edge's spot should go to someone who has been looking strong as of late and therefore has the credibility to step up to the main event.

That's why I think Christian is the best choice as Edge's replacement, and I'm hoping WWE agrees with that thought. Christian has been constantly involved in the Del Rio vs Edge feud since his return at Elimination Chamber and even beat Del Rio, I believe twice, in the build up to Wrestlemania. Not to mention how he was booked in the battle royal this past Friday, fighting off Swagger, Cole and Del Rio to win and then having his hand raised by the departing Edge, almost in a passing of the torch kind of way.

I also believe he has the necessary tools to maintain longevity as top dog on Smackdown. He is good in the ring, capable of having great matches, very good on the mic and seems to share Edge's sarcastic wit, and, most importantly, he is over and has a good connection with the fans. OK, he may not be a great draw, but I don't see him being any less of a draw than Edge, especially if he is pushed strongly, or even competently. Why shouldn't Christian be able to successfully take over from Edge on Smackdown?

 

[arkady]

Santino Marella would be the shock to end all shocks, and it would be DAMN entertaining, but you have to build him a little more first. (Still, you can't tell me you didn't stand up and hold your breath when he started the cobra against del Rio at the Royal Rumble...you believed it was possible for a spilt second and you know it!)

I'm so glad I'm not the only person who thought this. Even though I watched RR a day late, and had the winner spoilered on facebook, for a moment I really believed.

I'd love to Santino step up into a World title contention. Please WWE do it!

 

[AnvilForever]

It needs to be Christian. It's long overdue. Have him win the title now and establish him as the new top face of SD. Once he's established, they can have him run a feud with Del Rio to see how ADR goes as a heel, and if it doesn't work out, replace him with Wade Barrett.

 

[Singin' in the Reyn]

ADR is a heel, isn't he? Gosh... Anyway, I really like him, but sometimes it feels like he's the only guy on SD! with limitless TV time. Give us a little breather, man, and get a new finisher while you're at it.

I don't think Kane was mentioned by the OP, but he's one of the few veterans who could perhaps fulfill a caretaker role until the midcarders are ready. I don't love the guy, but maybe it could work for a while?

Maybe Orton could come over to SD! after his feud with Punk, because Raw's main event scene is a little crowded and SD!'s one a little thin.

I like Wade Barrett a lot, but if the Corre starts "taking over Smackdown", I am going to kayfabe gut my stomach, but legit hang myself.

 

[tehaskl56]

Christian vs Cody Rhodes.

Cody Rhodes' heel megapush is evident and I see Christian being the superman of the brand with Rhodes as his nemesis.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

The one thing I will ask though, is related to the guys not on the list. Not necessarily guys I would go with, but I would have thought that they might be in the thought process: Kane, Big Show, Rey Mysterio are the big names potentially missing. Same goes for more longshot names like Drew McIntyre or Ezekiel Jackson. Hell, even a guy like Justin Gabriel, who looks like he might be on the WWE radar given his performance in the battle royal last Smackdown.

Some great questions here, and a few people asked me thise questions via PM, e-mail, and even Facebook. So here goes.

1. Kane. His time as a world title contender has passed, I feel. He is in his 40's, and though he is as consistent a performer as they come, he's even said that he wants to put over the younger guys and stay out of the title scene. He picked up the World Title program recently because they were in dire need. Furthermore, I think WWE recently "Jumped the Shark" with Kane by making him babyface for the 134th time. The moment he stood in the ring doing Santino's trumpet move I knew he was just having fun and that the days of the Big Red Monster were far behind us. Could I be wrong? Sure. But I don't think I'd tune in to SD with Kane as the top guy.

2. Big Show. Aside from his ECW Title run, this man has authored some of the worst WWF/E title runs in company history. In his first world title run, which lasted a few months, his single feud was with Big Boss Man and it was booked like a mid card feud. Show, much like Andre, is a guy who works better as a crowd-popping attraction but without a belt. And I love Paul Wight - as the forum 'expert' on Superheavyweights, Show is #5 on my all time list. But he has ALWAYS been better without a title belt unless he was flanked by Paul Heyman and feuding with Brock Lesnar.

3. Rey Mysterio. Never liked him. Respect the hell out of him, but he just doesn't do it for me. That said, I've noticed an awful lot of talk lately regarding Mysterio's future and whether he wants to scale back his schedule and work a little more part time. Plus, he's been REALLY banged up. You cannot ask a guy like Rey to "take it down a gear" in the ring, because to bang with the Heavyweights, he has to take his act to a whole new level. WWE just lost one champion to an injury - is Rey durable enough to be trusted? I say no. Finally, in the litany of bad title runs in the last 20 years, Rey with the WHC has to be up there. Twice.

4. Drew McIntyre. Now this is a disclaimer - I am a HUGE Drew fan. LOVE the guy. He has the best pure pro wrestling look I've seen in a long time, and I've compared him to Sid Eudy (Sid Vicious / Justice) and Barry Windham in terms of how awesome his look really is. He's a stiff worker, came in having worked with Shawn Michaels, and has international appeal. All signs would point to a big run, right? Well, not so fast. He's been a jobber to the stars for months. He just lost to Rey on Smackdown last week. There's more to this than meets the eye. Clearly he's being tested, and I'd wager that his volitile relationship with his wife - former and fired WWE Diva Taryn "Tiffany" Tyrel - is a big reason his push stalled. Now if he works through it and moves past it, this is a different conversation, but I have seen nothing to suggest we are there yet.

5. Other members of the Corre. Let's face it - despite having belts on 3 of the 4 members, the Corre isn't really over. Barrett gets a great reaction and holds the IC Title, so he is in play. Justin Gabriel is popular, sure, but has to show that his popularity is consistent and balanced as opposed to the type of popularity Ricky Ortiz and Evan Bourne get, which is silence for an entire match and then a spot-monkey maneuver leading to a crowd pop. If he's more than a 450-splash, then he'll be in play for the IC Title, but damn sure not the World Title. Ezekiel Jackson is being held back by his mic skills. Same thing that dogged Bobby Lashley and many others. I may be in the minority, but I prefered Zeke as a babyface. His bright smile could speak more effectively than his voice, and he was no less intimidating.

Following last night's program and the announcement of the WWE Draft next week (I swear the WWE brass reads my editorials and says "hey that makes sense..."), I'd like to add R-Truth to the mix of potential names for Smackdown's top spots. Don't get me wrong - I HATE the cigarette angle, and not in a "I don't like that heel so I'll boo them" kind of way, but in an "I am offended that you're showing a supposed athlete smoking in front of young children on a PG show" kind of way. I hated it when Jeff Hardy did it, I hate it now. I don't think Truth has legs, because he tends to not be able to get out of his own way. Either he is getting the name of the city he is in wrong, or he is tweeting the results of his taped match before it airs. So he's screwed on Live TV and he's screwed on taped TV.

 

[JGlass]

Well for the time being it'll be Christian for sure, and why shouldn't it be? He'll have the "Edge's best friend" rub, and he's got all the momentum in the world on his side right now.

However, I don't see him having long term success as the face of Smackdown. I like Christian, but Captain Charisma ironically does not have enough charisma to carry the brand in my opinion.

I think the best solution is shipping Randy Orton off to Smackdown. It might not be the best move for Randy Orton's career, but he has the unfortunate disadvantage of being a wrestler at the same time as John Cena, and he'll never be bigger than Cena. If he was just two or three years younger, the WWE might put some extra caution in so he could be the face of the company for a years between Cena and the next big thing, but he and Cena are so close in age that I don't think the WWE ever plans to see Orton become face of the company. Because of this, sending him to Smackdown isn't a half-bad idea; it'll boost ratings, there will be new feud opportunities for him, and he can finally be dominant on a card where the writers don't have to worry about making him run into John Cena in a championship chase.

Another solution could be letting Christian remain the face of Smackdown, but stacking the card with other face talents. You already have Christian and a very popular face in Rey Mysterio, but you could also add Morrison (unlikely now that he's in a WWE title match), Daniel Bryan, and Evan Bourne.

I think the most likely solution is to send one or two of those young faces over to Smackdown (let's goooo Daniel Bryan!) and encouraging everyone to step their game up, and in return, they'll be pushed. When Jericho comes back he'll help give some star power to the main even scene, and hopefully by that time Daniel Bryan or Kofi will have been built up enough to compete at that level along with Jericho.

 

[Post]

My first thought is that Christian is the perfect fit. He is a guy that has paid his dues and put in the work. Christian is solid and dependable in the ring and has a great fan base. He would make a great face WHC and is believable as the top guy.

But, I voted for Chris Jericho.

As, previously mentioned, after the dancing show, it appears Jericho will return. WWE has even been promoting his dancing appearances via twitter. Jericho is due for a run as a face, and when he is back in the ring you have to believe that he is going to be in the main event scene. It makes sense. Jericho has been the perfect heel in the past. He is able to manipulate the fans into booing him or cheering him. If he ends up on Smackdown, he should be the man.

 

[Reddog1146]

I voted for Christian, he could temporarily fill Edge's shoes, they were nearly alike i many ways. I say temporarily because his career is getting long and he may have to retire soon like Edge.

 

[Peep]

My first thought is that Christian is the perfect fit. He is a guy that has paid his dues and put in the work. Christian is solid and dependable in the ring and has a great fan base. He would make a great face WHC and is believable as the top guy.

But, I voted for Chris Jericho.

As, previously mentioned, after the dancing show, it appears Jericho will return. WWE has even been promoting his dancing appearances via twitter. Jericho is due for a run as a face, and when he is back in the ring you have to believe that he is going to be in the main event scene. It makes sense. Jericho has been the perfect heel in the past. He is able to manipulate the fans into booing him or cheering him. If he ends up on Smackdown, he should be the man.

I'd be in favor of Jericho going back to Raw after his Dancing run is over (haven't really been following it). He'll have some popularity upon his return and that might be wasted on SD! Put him on Raw as a face so someone other than Cena can feud with Miz, assuming he's still champion.

SD! doesn't need anyone special to come in. Either this is finally Christian's time (which I think it is) or Alberto Del Rio will take over the show as WHC and finally become the mega-heel the WWE wants him to be.

 

[Ming]

On the poll above I voted for Chris Jericho. He could have a lengthy title run and then put someone over when he loses the title (due to his age). But if he doesn't return to SmackDown then maybe it should be Alberto Del Rio.

I know Alberto's Road to WrestleMania was less than impressive but WWE have put too much time into him for him to not win the title eventually.

Edge's replacement for me would be Jericho but unless Edge personally recommended and handpicked Christian to win the title at Extreme Rules then I don't see how Alberto Del Rio won't win it, because I don't think Christian would be a good-enough (in terms of charisma and drawing power) World Heavyweight Champion, Alberto is the biggest heel on SmackDown and if he wins the World Title, it would possibly elevate him to mega-heel.

JGlass also brought up a very good point on Randy Orton moving to SmackDown, which is a good possibility.

 

[Positivity]

Christian: It's definitely a logical move and all, but Edge's "brother" has never appealed to me, at least not when he's been in this company. When they were both young, I had always felt like they were pretty much as close to even as you could get when it came to things like charisma, wrestling skills and that sort of stuff. But once he had left for TNA and came back, it was so much different. There are always flashes of potential, but I've never felt like he has been able to draw much at all, unless he's going up against a solid heel or something. He has seemed to rely on cutting jokes and stuff, but that is the difference. Edge never had to cut many jokes to get heat or to get a pop, he simply stayed loyal to his character and people loved him. It's always harder to be a face, definitely, but I just can't see him as the face of Smackdown.

Alberto Del Rio: WWE invested a heck of a ton into this guy from the get go. He's rarely ever seen as weak, but I felt like after the Royal Rumble, he started to lose his luster. And that is not good for a heck of a lot of reasons, one of them being because the Rumble is supposed to make main eventers or stars out of the winners, or at least push them even a little bit higher than they already were. But it did the opposite, and I don't think he can maintain his status for much longer. He did start off quick and fast as rabbit, but has seriously slowed down since then. I almost think he should be put back in the higher mid card, maybe feud with Barrett or something, he needs to get back whatever he lost on his Road to Wrestlemania.

Wade Barrett: You look at Wade, and you immediately start thinking of the Nexus. I'm sorry but honestly, that was what got him to where he was now. It wasn't a single handed effort by himself, he rarely even earned the high class feuds that he got. It was all about the impact they made, as a group. Nobody expected them, and when you start by destroying ever superstar and announcer in sight, you're obviously going to get some attention. I guess what I'm saying is that I feel like everyone, including a lot of the IWC, were too focused on what the Nexus was doing to realize that his mic skills are average and he's really nothing special in the ring. And now that the Corre is seemingly breaking up, he's going to have to forget about his past history, and climb up the ladder himself. If he proves that he can improve and that he can get up there without other peoples help, then sure, maybe he could be one of the big parts of Smackdown, but only then.

Dolph Ziggler: No way jose. Three quarters of the reaction he gets usually, is because of Vickie. He needs to find a way to get his own heat, to get his own reactions, to separate himself from the woman who he seems to always be trailing behind. If you want to bring up the fact that yes, Edge was once in the same position, there is a difference. Edge had already solidified himself as a solid heel at that point, he had the talent to cut promo's by himself and everything else, he had already proved himself. Of course, he also eventually moved away and this was in the latter of his career also. Dolph hasn't shown that he has that ability, and I think they're trying to get the behemoth of the woman to try and hide what he is missing, but she's not doing it well enough. Could he get a title shot in the near future? Maybe. But he's much too wet behind the years to be the fact of any brand, from Smackdown to NXT.

Cody Rhodes: There's just not something there, I'm not sure what it is. I want to call it star quality and I think that is what I'll settle on, he just doesn't seem like he could be "that guy" to me. Indeed, his feud with Ray was interesting and definitely something that pulled the whole of the IWC in. But he's still young, and how is he going to do when he doesn't have his crutch? His crutch, being his mask. It added a lot to his character and in my mind, I felt he was given it in the first place because it was obvious he couldn't do much without it. But I feel like he can't use it forever, he's going to have to eventually lose it. And then what happens? I'm sincerely worried that he falls back to the overly crowded mid card. He has the potential, but I feel like he still has the time to improve, it isn't like he's a senior, he doesn't need to be given a shot right this second and I don't think he should be.

Chris Jericho: Yes! Dancing With The Stars will soon come to an end and Smackdown is calling, it really is. I heard somebody say that they'd rather see him go to Raw and I have to ask, why? So we can see another repeat of Jericho versus Cena? Because eventually, that would be exactly what would happen. Smackdown needs faces and Smackdown needs Jericho, Raw is still in tip top shape without him, they didn't just lose their top superstar. Fans would light up for this guy, and you can't even disagree with that. Once they got over their markout session, he could easily feud with so many guys on the roster. Alberto Del Rio? Hell yes. The Corre? Hey, it could work. Drew McIntyre? I'd watch it. The Undertaker? A possible match for Wrestlemania next year, but hey, it could always happen earlier, would you try and stop it? Christian? It's been done before but Jericho could easily carry him. There are a ton of opportunities right there, and there will most likely be a boatload more after the Draft. Why go with a young guy when you can have a guy who has pretty much been the face of a brand, who has been the freaking Undisputed champion and who has drawn more than any of the other guys listed? There is no suitable answer. That is my outlook, feel free to agree or disagree.

 

[El Rev sXe]

I have three options, tow are from the poll, the most obvious and one is well, you'll read it .

Christian: Edge's best friend, similar styles, he has been really over since he came back to ECW a couple of years ago and even more since he returned from his injury. Plus the man has charisma, mic skills, in ring skills greta chemistry with almost anyone. Almost a perfect choice, the only problem is that Christian isn't exactly the most young guy out there...

Chris Jericho: In fact he has done it in the past while Edge was injured a couple years ago. His feud with Mysterio was brilliant. I can see him easily being SD's main draw/face/heel. However there is a problem, just like with Christian who knows for how much more can Jericho wrestle. Another issue is the fatc that Jericho doesn't give his full atention towards the WWE, he is also a host, rockstar, apparently dancer and many other things.

My last pick and favorite one CM Punk. This guy has the charisma, the mic skills, the ring skills, the psychology, knows how to work a crowd perfectly! After Punk end his feud with Orton, I don't see him making to many thing s on Raw. However if the draft is done properly, we could have the perfect replacement of Edge on SD!
What a greta feud would be Punk/Christian.

 

[Wade's Public Transit Bomb]

I just don't see Christian or Jericho being the top of the SD food chain. I don't know how old they are, but they are most definitively in the latter part of their careers. With Jericho, he wasn't a good drawing champion and Cage is untested at the level of the WWE. Add the fact that there's more to being in the main event than being booked. I don't see given the relevantly lackluster fan response to Christian and how Jericho has never consistently stayed near the top of the card, the fans really buying into either one of them long term.

That and I think there are guys who are clearly more charismatic and have much bigger upside without the years of wear and tear.

 

[The Crazman]

I'm leaning toward Christian for the foreseeable future, and a returning Jericho being the lead faces and the focus of the show along with Del Rio. As much as I'd love to see Christian get a really good run over the next year with the current youth movement in full flow he just doesn't seem like a sensible choice. Maybe over the next couple of weeks he'll get the reward for his hard work but it won't be a long term thing and will probably be used to make him a bigger target when he puts over a younger talent. I see that being a similar scenario for Jericho when/if he returns. I think he'll be a face, have a short run in the main event, making him a target to be taken down by a rising star. possibly Barrett in a mentor vs pupil type feud.

I don't really see a young face, or even a heel who could turn, on the current roster who can step up. Possible McIntyre but he does need some work. Barrett as I mentioned before and Cody Rhodes have been impressive of late but you never know how they can work as a face. We have seen Cody as a face but that was right at the beginning of his career and he's come a long way since then. Can Kofi Kingston or Chris Master step up? I like both these guys but I doubt it. They could possibly go through with the small tease of Swagger turning they've shown lately, but I don't see it.

However with the draft next week apparently as a panic reaction to Edges retirement its possible they'll use this chance to move somebody over with the chance to step up. Smackdown seems the perfect place for talent like Morrison or even Sin Cara to really hone their skills with it being pre-taped so botches can be edited. I can see either or both of these guys moving over and being given the chance to shine.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

Right now, it has to be Christian. It's right there, they just need to pull the trigger. He has a long history with Edge, and filling his shoes would please a lot of fans (think Eddie/Rey, to a degree, obviously).

Is he the long-term solution? Obviously not, he's 37 years old. But, riding the wave of emotion after Edge's departure, he works. Not to mention he's always entertaining, more so as a heel, but then again, I've never seen him carry the show as a face. Should be interesting.

 

[TheLambofDeth]

I'm going with someone not names specifically. That being Randy Orton. With SD having such a void now they need an established catalyst to lead the brand right now. Raw is getting to small for him and Cena, and Cena is too much of the face of the company to leave Raw.

Mysterio is too old, it's too late for Christian to become the face of anything in the WWE. Maybe Jericho if he decided to come back, but I don't see him staying around long enough to be the face of SD, since this looks like his last run. And guys like Alberto Ziggler, Morrison and Barrett aren't established or over enough to make anyone care about SD at this point. They're going to have to move Orton or Cena.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Let's take a look at each guy in the poll:


Christian
A likely choice. He is close friends with Edge in real life so if Edge got to hand pick his replacement it would almost have to be Christian. At least in the short term until a new face of Smackdown is ready to take that role.


Alberto del Rio
Another possiblity. He's a heel though and Edge has turned face. Del Rio could become the top heel pretty easily, but the question then is who would be the top face? Taker isn't around as often anymore and Edge's replacement is the question of this thread.


Chris Jericho
Jericho is coming back (or so we hope) after he is done dancing. He has not been a face in almost 3 years so seeing him return to that role while feuding with Del Rio could make for a great summer feud and give us a new top guy for the brand in Jericho.


Wade Barrett
In the long term he is a very likely choice. In the short term, not so much. He needs to be built up a little more, but I see that it could happen.


Cody Rhodes
Same scenario as Barrett but he'd need more development plus he is a heel and Del Rio will become the top heel of Smackdown for sure.


Triple H
Not a chance. He wants to be more involved with decisions backstage so he will not be onscreen as much and when he does it will be on Raw. Enjoyed Trips' run as THE top Smackdown guy in 2008-2009 though.


Anyone from Raw
Depends on the draft. Orton could be a good choice when looking at the Raw roster. Separating him from Cena wouldn't hurt, then the two top faces would be the faces of the two brands.


Dolph Ziggler
Doubt it. He's on Raw now unless that changes in the draft and Del Rio is already looking to become the top heel of Smackdown.



So.... after looking at each.... It's tough to say. It depends on how the draft goes. It will probably be Christian in the short term because he is the best option to replace Edge as they are best friends both onscreen and in real life. In the long term it could be Orton if he gets drafted to Smackdown or someone like Wade Barrett if he gets developed a little more before a face turn later. Even Jericho could be great, but he has to finish dancing first and then make the choice to actually return.

 

[se7enstacks]

In my opinion there is no one who can replace Edge, but if there was to be a person I think it should be Christian, he has the potential to be a champion, He is a great performer in the ring, he has what it takes...there really isn't anyone else in the WWE that really hasn't had the chance to shine like Christian, he might've had the ECW Title but that isn't shit compared to having the WWE or World Title...he would make a great champion.