*MERGED* Anything Smackdown Syfy, Live & Roster Movements General Discussion

[The D]

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

-- It's worth noting that the official Syfy website lists Edge, as well as The Undertaker, Rey Mysterio, Beth Phoenix and Michelle McCool, as appearing on Friday Night SmackDown when the program debuts on the network this October.

Regarding Edge, he was originally supposed to remain on SmackDown before WWE's mentality during the Draft changed to making the Raw brand the company's top priority. A renewed push for the Smackdown brand is expected this fall given that Vince McMahon has predicted with its move to Syfy that the audience for SmackDown will eventually be as large as Raw's.

Honestly, I can only see good things coming from this, Edge's career on RAW was slowly winding down into Oblivion and SD needs a top star, along with 'Taker, to be on SD while it makes its transition to SyFy. I also think that this is the time to reinstate Edge as a Main-Eventer and candidate for the WHC/WWE title (whichever is on SD @ the time) and definitely start a fued w/ Christian over one of said titles.

What do you guys think of this?
Right Decision?
Wrong Decision?

 

[Ferbian]

I couldn't be happier. I think that Edge really is all about the Smackdown brand. He has been a main stay there for a decent while, and he could very well bring back some of the star power that Smackdown supposedly needs. He could be brought in to be the guy to actually have a main event stay, a legitimate guy so to say.

There can only come good things out of this, as you said yourself. The Smackdown brand might not necessarily need Edge, because they've done just fine. But I can't talk against it because it couldn't hurt either.

I hope WWE handles this well, and that he's gonna return to be a great heel on Smackdown, where he belongs.

 

[TJ Matics]

Certainly the right decision,
SmackDown has just been stalling till October,
& Edge has slowly but surely faded into the BackGround,
Loosing his own Edge,
Placing him on SmackDown would be the best thing for him,
& good for the product

 

[SpoodBeest]

In my opinion I don't think there was any reason to draft Edge to RAW in the first place? He was doing just fine competing on the blue brand. So for I for the life of me can't even begin to ponder why they made such a stupid decision. He was a main stay on SmackDown since 2007 and was a top talent there with a very secure spot for the last three years or so.

So since he does seem to be a little lost on the shuffle over on RAW I would have no qualms with him moving on back to SmackDown. If he didn't make the move in the first place we could have also potentially seen how his face character could have developed but since they had him abruptly turn to feud with Randy Orton, I guess we'll never know. I thought Edge as a face was worth a try but they thought moving him to RAW to feud with the ever so popular Orton was a better idea than leaving SmackDown without a top babyface. I'll never understand the logic in that move but it is what is. And it seems as though SmackDown might be getting yet another heel on it's roster.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

Even though I'm not a fan of the guy, I would have much rather had Orton go to Smackdown than Edge. What's Edge going to do on Smackdown that he hasn't done before? Feud with Christian and that's it. He's feuded with Mysterio and Taker plenty of times. There are so many options with Orton especially since Smackdown is in dire need of another main event face. You could have Orton feud with Swagger and Punk and reignite his feud with 1/2 of Legacy. Orton is a much better choice.

 

[The Crock]

This is a great decision. Edge needed this, badly. He needs to be one of the top guys on the brand and he can be that on Smackdown. I would love to see an Edge - CM Punk feud, another Edge - Undertaker feud, Edge - Kane feud, or maybe even an Edge - Christian feud. This brings so many new possibilities to what he can do, and gives him a great shot at winning the World Heavyweight Championship.

Edge is one of the best heels the WWE has and he will do great on Smackdown. He isn't really needed on Raw, so this is the best decision they could have made. On Smackdown Edge is a huge draw, this gives them another solid name and another reason to tune into Smackdown.

Great move by the WWE, really great move. I can't wait to see how this all plays out, and how Edge is moved from Raw to Smackdown, hopefully it is something involving a good storyline.

 

[LitasRevenge79]

All I can say is THANK YOU!! Let's hope this actually goes through and doesn't fall through the cracks. I personally think that this will be a BIG welcome for SD. I think he was a much better fit with his heel personality on the show. To be frank, RAW seems oversaturated with too much of anything right now Nexus, the anonymous GM. Plus, even from the attitude days, I've kinda preferred Edge on the SD show, even when he was with Christian. I think there would be some great storyline potention having Christian there, and the old flame, Vickie.

 

[klunderbunker]

Yeah because this is what Smackdown needs: ANOTHER heel. They have Rey, Show and Kane as top faces at the moment and it's pretty clear that Kane is about to switch. Taker is never there more than a month at the time, leaving a huge guy and a tiny guy. On the other side you have Punk, Swagger, Gallows, McIntyre, Rhodes and Kane soon more than likely. So let's just throw Edge on top of that. It's not like there are two credible faces there, one of which is a glorified jobber to the starts (Show) and one who is just freaking irritating with his HEART. Smackdown needs a big face, not a big heel, which is all they'll do with Edge for no apparent reason.

 

[Mustang Sally]

I think Edge will be fine in either place but I'm a little disappointed he won't be continuing the program with Jericho.

They have heat.....they're friends.....they have heat again. You never know what's coming next.

It's an extension of the conflict-among-unlikely-parties that WWE has been doing so well lately with the whole organization and I wish the writers could have done more with Edge-Jericho before they're split up.

Hey, maybe Edge can start a lovefest-hatefest with my man Drew.

 

[Dum Dum Dudley]

Even though I'm not a fan of the guy, I would have much rather had Orton go to Smackdown than Edge. What's Edge going to do on Smackdown that he hasn't done before? Feud with Christian and that's it. He's feuded with Mysterio and Taker plenty of times. There are so many options with Orton especially since Smackdown is in dire need of another main event face. You could have Orton feud with Swagger and Punk and reignite his feud with 1/2 of Legacy. Orton is a much better choice.

Yeah because this is what Smackdown needs: ANOTHER heel. They have Rey, Show and Kane as top faces at the moment and it's pretty clear that Kane is about to switch. Taker is never there more than a month at the time, leaving a huge guy and a tiny guy. On the other side you have Punk, Swagger, Gallows, McIntyre, Rhodes and Kane soon more than likely. So let's just throw Edge on top of that.

This was basically my first thoughts when i heard this too. Your top faces are Taker, Show and Rey, and Edge/Rey, Edge/Show and Edge/Taker have been done to death. Your top heels are Punk, Swagger and McIntyre but an Edge face turn didn't work in January so why should it work in Autumn? If he stays heel, he ruins the work that has gone into building Swagger and Punk up, if he goes face, it will probably go tits up. I just feel that he would serve a better purpose by staying on RAW than going on to SD! and undoing all the progress that has been going on.

 

[Bobby B]

Not high on this news at all. Not that I don't like Edge (far from it) - but bringing him back to Smackdown is not going to be a draw for Syfy. He's been there for years, he's feuded with nearly everyone on that show, and his career is on the down turn right now.

I'm convinced that Orton will return to Smackdown for Syfy. He's a sizeably bigger draw than Edge is now, and if he's going to be a face then he won't co-exist on the same show as a face Cena. The Orton face character is in its infancy, and Smackdown would be a great place for him to hone this talent.

If Edge is the big draw WWE has for Syfy, I'd be shocked. Could he be the number two trade to an Orton? Possibly.

 

[Miss Flawless]

You know Vince changes his mind every 2 hours right?

But, I'm gonna be all happy anyways.

I absolutely love Edge!! (I mean he's one of my favourites.) I think his prime is on SD!, one thing I don't get is why he got sent over to RAW in the first place. He was doing fine on SD! He's gonna do even better once he's the top heel on Smackdown. (Sorry CM Punk)

So Edge and Christian are gonna be on the same brand...please god. You know what the IWC wants.

Just don't get your hopes up too much. (like me, but I'll get over it if it never happens.)

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Hmmm, I'm kind of torn on this. Edge really isn't going anywhere on Raw. The Nexus, Sheamus, John Cena, and Randy Orton are dominating that show, and I just don't see him winning the WWE championship anytime soon or in the future.

If he goes back to Smackdown, what will he do next? Feud with Rey and Taker AGAIN? And I doubt he will have a solid run with the World Heavyweight Championship. Sure he most likely be put into the main event again quickly, but not much is going to change from his old days on Smackdown.

Being on Smackdown will probably give Edge a better shot at becoming a world champion again, but I have a feeling his return to Smackdown won't be anything fresh.

 

[mrbrownstone]

I think that it would be a better desicion to move Orton as KB said SD dont really need any more heels, what they need is a credible face as their current top faces Rey, Kane and Show are jobbers to the stars and Taker isnt around all that much. Atleast they have one credible ME heel im CM Punk and one who is well on his way in Swagger. A fued between Orton and Punk would be great IMO. It would benefit Orton aswell as on Raw he is always going to be the number 2 face behind Cena, but if he is on SD then he can be the undisputed face of the brand (as long as Taker isnt around).

If Edge does end up being drafted I wont be too unhappy though as SD is in desperate need of credible ME talent and Edge is just that.

 

[The "Blueprint"]

Im happy for him. When him and Jericho were moved to Raw i was pissed because i thought the Smackdown main event picture would diminish without these two, it kind of did (imo) because you went from Edge vs Y2J to Kane vs Rey Mysterio vs Jack Swagger..if Edge does comeback to Smackdown i hope to see him feud with Christian or CM Punk (if he turns heel again). So many good things can come from this.

 

[AFRIKA BLACK]

im glad he is going back to smackdown because smackdown is a lil boring now that he left imo so this will make me watch smackdown more.

 

[Heartachetonight926]

This is good news for Smackdown in my opinion, Smackdown has always had better wrestling and now that they will have more Star power and on a larger Cable network, Nothing but good can come out of this Financial wise.

But I'm sorry, I don't mean to be a Party pooper here, But Why do all of you Automatically think he is gonna feud with Christian for the title? Now this is just my opinion, But If Christian is destined for a WWE World title don't you think Vince and Creative would of Pushed him by now? No, of course not, Because Vince Doesn't like him, Or at least that is what report's have told me. A feud with Edge is likely, But I highly doubt it would be for a World title. Just My opinion though, I could be wrong.

 

[The Holy One]

I'm in full agreement with this move if it happens. I may be one of the few who actually thought Edge was working as a face and I never felt he should have been drafted to Raw and turned heel. If this move happens, I only see a face turn for Edge to help with building the young heels they have in Swagger, McIntyre, and Rhodes. Christian may turn heel and that's another fued that could happen, and Kane is probably turning too and the only time Edge and him fueded was the two weeks in 2007 before Edge got hurt. Edge can still give some good matches imo and will help with the title picture and main event power on Smackdown immensely. I look forward until I can once again hear "You Think You Know Me" on Smackdown once again. I'm also interested to see how this move will happen; will be similar to Batista last year in that he just declares that he's going to Smackdown or something else.

 

[Theo Mays]

I'm not really for or against this move. I love Edge and people think about him as SD nearly as much as they do Undertaker. Edge isn't doing much on Raw and it is likely he will do the same thing he always does on SD. Which is feud with Taker and/or Mysterio. The best thing that could come of this would be a potential Edge/Christian feud. But like KB said SD really doesn't need another heel, which is just Edge is. Edge's face run was pretty bland and he needs to be heel, as it just fits him. A way to get Edge back on SD would be to reveal him as the attacker of the Undertaker and have him eventually take the title of Kane and then have Taker take the belt in revenge. Though that is pretty unlikely.

 

[wiigotaproblem]

The only reason I would want to see Edge back on Smackdown is for a feud or tag team with Christian. Either way it would be something the fans have wanted to see for a long time, and it would also give Christian a major boost (possibly the last before his career is over). But as previously stated, Edge/Show, Edge/Rey & Edge/Taker has already been done. Edge just isn't a face anymore. Fans love & respect him for what he is; a heel. Anytime he forms an on-screen friendship, we know he's going to backstab 'em. It's Edge. THE ULTIMATE OPPORTUNIST!

Smackdown needs a big name like Edge, but I don't think they need the actual Edge.

 

[Tha Wolfpac]

Hey Yo!

It's a move that certainly needs to happen so Edge can return to being that maniac that we all love.

Seriously since the coming back at the rumble Edge's character has been in cruise control, and creative hasn't really bothered with it. His face turn was pure crap to say the least and was a failure plain and simple. His return to RAW started off well, with him claiming he was sick of PG and bringing back Rated R to a new extent, so he put himself into a feud with Orton which was seriously disappointing considering how good these guys are, i would've saved it for a better time to be quite honest. Edge kinda faded away a bit with all the locomotion going on at RAW.

So a return to the blue brand is a good move for me. But that then makes more heels on Smackdown. Hmm....

 

[Viola Moonlight]

Edge is stuck between a rock and a hard place concerning the possible switch. Whether they decide to leave him on RAW or switch him to SD, his abilities won't be fully utilised. The SmackDown roster has too many heels as it is and adding another will make a void in the face section, unless they decide to turn somebody or give them a HUGE push. Edge would either be the man to turn or get relegated to a lower level (ala Chris Jericho) and put over the mid-card names like Christian and Kofi Kingston. There is a similar problem for Edge on RAW as well. He can't enter the ME as he has already feuded with guys like Cena, Orton and Jericho. Apart from possible feuds with Sheamus and maybe Triple H, he'll be relegated to a lower level again to go against people like John Morrison, R-Truth and Evan Bourne... or maybe even reform the tag team with Chris Jericho so they both stay relevant and if they do win the titles, they go to SmackDown every now and again to bring some star power.

As of right now, Edge's best choice would be to stick on RAW. He has more options for his character and the ME scene will force him and creative (hopefully) to put him in fresh feuds against guys he hasn't competed against. If anyone was to go to SmackDown, it would be Randy Orton or some other high-profile face. They've got some ready-made feuds against people they haven't fought against on many occasions and will provide for some good television. Hell, if WWE do pull the trigger on making Orton the face of the company, maybe switch Cena back to SmackDown... but not Edge. He has accomplished all he can on SD.

 

[JBK2008]

Edge going back to SmackDown is nothing new and his best years are behind him. Orton needs to go there as that brand really needs a credible TOP face right now. Nothing against Edge, Rey, Taker, Kane or Big Show, but Orton would be the draw of that show and it would do wonders over there once SmackDown goes to SyFy. Edge is in a tough place right now. The Nexus angle, Cena and Orton are just dominating the show and he's lost in the shuffle and he's beaten just about everyone on the SmackDown roster like 10 times over. Just don't know what to do with him.

 

[The Scarred One]

When October rolls around, Friday Night SmackDown will once again find a new home on SyFy. Now, this move will mark the first time that SmackDown will be aired on a cable network. Since it's inception, the show has been on UPN, the CW and MyNetworkTV, which saw strong ratings once the show joined their lineups.

I see SmackDown's move to SyFy as a blessing because the WWE will have more freedom and flexibilty with the show than they ever had before.

For example, SmackDown had been previously pre-empted in some areas due to sports. In addition, broadcast networks have had their programming unschedulely pre-empted due to certain events like presidential addresses and benefit specials. If I remember correctly, the first edition of Friday Night SmackDown was notable for having the first hour streammed on WWE.com due to a benefit concert for Hurricane Katrina victims airing on all the major networks. That won't be the case here unless the Twilight Zone New Year's marathon runs on a weekend.

In addition, SmackDown can now air three-hour special editions. I look back on last year's 10th anniversary special and thought to myself it could've been so much better if it was on a cable channel. It just seemed like another SmackDown episode and paled in comparison to RAW's 15th anniversary special. Also, if the WWE needs a couple more extra minutes for SmackDown like they do with RAW, it should be no problem.

Another benefit to moving to SyFy is the possibility of live episodes. There have been reports that the first episode to air on SyFy will be live and will feature the RAW brand. Now, I don't see the WWE holding live airings of SmackDown on a regular basis but I do see it with special occasions like a big-time match that would make you want to tune in.

So now the questions remain. How successful will SmackDown become upon moving to SyFy? Will SyFy's larger market and strong publicity help the show get greater ratings? Can SmackDown become just as big as RAW? Am I and others like me naively kidding ourselves into thinking anything will change? Will SmackDown forever remain the B-Show, regardless of what channel it's on?

 

[TJ Matics]

IMO,
SmackDown will be forever the B-Show,
Just because RAW is,
Well,
RAW,
Even w/ the PG Guest Host Era wreaking Havock on me,
But I do believe that SYFY'S larger market and strong publicity will help the ratings,
If your looking for great quality wrestling,
SmackDown is really the show to go too,
So I can see some people tunning in and getting hooked,
I personally think this move will be the best thing to happen to SmackDown since the Great One