SmackDown won't make it six months without a new top face

[Coco]

Just the facts, people. Calling it objectively, SmackDown is going to be in need of a new top face very soon. The current crop of main event good guys on the show simply can't be trusted to be durable in the long term. Edge is probably going to need to take his summer vacation this year just as he has for the last three. Rey Mysterio's knees are probably hanging by a thread to get through WrestleMania. Undertaker is turning into more of a crippled old man as the weeks pass. These top faces are pathetic. Taker's can barely move sometimes without having to conspicuously sell his hip. Edge's offense is weaker looking that I consider appropriate and the man is likely nearing the end of his career. Rey might not have much left either.

The solution? This is unclear.

R-Truth hasn't been pushed consistently enough for me to believe there's any chance of him being thrust into the main event, despite how over he is.

Morrison wishes he was as over as R-Truth.

Can Christian establish himself at the top of the card that quickly?

Will Michaels ever work Tuesdays on a regular basis?

Is Triple H due to take time off following Mania as the sheets indicate?

Taking all of this into account, I think there's one choice who's head and shoulders above the rest. John Cena. The Champ. The face of the company. If there's one man who could carry the wounded blue brand on his shoulders, this it.

Now feel free to counter that by telling me why Kofi or Orton or someone like that would be a better choice. Or maybe you feel Khali needs a major push.

Or maybe you feel that these three men will never be injured again.

Is my logic sound or am I talking shit?

 

[The Doctor]

Well, I believe the "Won't last six months" statement is a bit of an exaggeration, but you're basically right. I believe that with all the rumors of retirement and taking time off, not only Smackdown but RAW as well is going to have some trouble in their ME scene.

For a quick fix, putting Cena on Smackdown would be the best choice. Orton is slowly becoming a new RAW mega-face, with possibly Sheamus or Miz becoming the new top heel. If Taker and Shawn retire, Trippy takes time off, Rey leaves, etc., there are few people who could really carry Smackdown at a moment's notice.

However, the better choice would be to build a top face. R-Truth had potential. Heck, he still has potential. He's mad over, but his booking has been spotty and bad. If they had let him last just a little longer in the EC, that could have helped him immensely. It's a shame they're so focused on pushing Morrison when truth is better on the mic and is way more over.

WWE needs to get on this now. Right now. They need to pull the trigger and giving Truth more main event time and lots of wins. Build him up, maybe culminating in a big title win at TLC or something. He has the crowd connection, and he's kept it despite them feeding him to Shelton Benjamin, Drew McIntyre, and many others.

There's no reason why they SHOULDN'T be building Truth up, really.

 

[Remix]

I agree that SD will be in need of a new top face. 'Taker's going to bugger off and hibernate for the summer, and Rey needs major surgury on his knees. Edge, while he's unlikely to get injured again will likely need a decent number two face (so that just in case he does need to take injury time there's be someone to take over. As a Morrison mark I'd like JoMo to be the No. 1 or 2 babyface (I'm sticking to the theory that he's one of two angles away from superstardom), but that's unlikely to happen this year (maybe this nime next year though).

It depends on how the brand looks after the draft really. It's hard to know who can fill which nisches until we know which nisches need to be filled.

 

[#1Peep]

Smackdown is really in need of a top face, if all these top stars are set to take time off after Wrestlemania. Although I'm a huge Morrison fan, he needs to feud (and win) against someone like Chris Jericho and just prove how truly great he is.
I think that Christian should make the switch to the Blue Brand in the Draft and take lead as the top face. He has credibiity, he is over and he has a great moveset.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Edge has the best shot at being the top face. At first the crowd was giving him a mixed reaction, but as time goes on, that reaction seems to be more and more positive now, but it's true, Edge probably will take time off again this summer, and I wouldn't be surprised if we saw him take more time off in the future because a torn Achilles is very serious injury to try and recover from. I'm a fan of Taker's, but he just can't stay healthy any more. He's pretty banged up now, and it's highly likely he'll take time off after Mania this year.

I also doubt HBK will ever go to Smackdown. Shawn has lots of pull in WWE, and if he doesn't want to got the blue brand, then he won't go. It was cool seeing Triple H on Smackdown a little while ago, but I don't see him leaving Raw either.

So that just leaves Morrison and Truth. Truth is way over with the crowd, but I don't see WWE putting the World Heavyweight Championship on him...I just don't. He's never really gotten close to the title, and because of his age, WWE probably won't give him a push like that. Morrison doesn't seem ready for the main event yet. Sure he's beat CM Punk a couple times when he was World Heavyweight Champion, but nothing ever really came of it.

Christian would probably be the most logical choice to be the top guy on Smackdown. He's pretty over with the crowd, has tons of charisma, and is good on the mic, but the problem is he's on Raw right now. Hopefully the draft can change all of that.

 

[hatehabsforever]

Put John Morrison in the MITB, and have him win it. Have Jericho successfully defend against Edge at WM26. Morrison feuds with Jericho and later defeats him to become the new World Heavyweight Champion, and finally gets the push he's been deserving of for months.

Why not? They gave Sheamus a title run and he was totally unproven. What's there to lose by not giving JoMo a shot? If he does well with it, he gets pushed to the top of the WWE. If he falters, he can just drop the belt again. Nowadays belts change hands so quickly anyway, I see no down side to giving it a go. If it works you have a new face champion on the roster. If not, any of a number of guys are ready for a turn.

Forget R-Truth, at least until he is given a new gimmick and gets rid of the "what's up" song, the second most annoying thing in the WWE today.

And as much as I love Christian, he's never getting a run as a major title holder on either brand of the WWE. Never.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Just the facts, people. Calling it objectively, SmackDown is going to be in need of a new top face very soon.

Yeah, you might be right. Many of the main eventers either keep getting injured or taking time off after Wrestlemania.

Edge is probably going to need to take his summer vacation this year just as he has for the last three.

He might take time off after Wrestlemania because he came back from an injury that is so hard to recover from.... but he didn't take time off for the last 3 summers. 2009 He got injured before all the Hardy/Punk matches began. 2008 he feuded with Taker all summer. 2007 He got injured halfway through the summer during a feud with Kane, which led to the Khali reign.

Rey Mysterio's knees are probably hanging by a thread to get through WrestleMania.

Quite possibly. Rey belongs in the midcard anyway, I do NOT want him to be the top face.

Undertaker is turning into more of a crippled old man as the weeks pass.

Yeah.... won't surprise me one bit if it comes down to Taker only wrestling at Wrestlemania and taking the rest of the year off other than doing promos, for a year or two, so that he can still hit 20-0 before retiring.

These top faces are pathetic. Taker's can barely move sometimes without having to conspicuously sell his hip. Edge's offense is weaker looking that I consider appropriate and the man is likely nearing the end of his career. Rey might not have much left either.

Edge honestly has a good shot at being the top face. His "spear! spear! spear!" chants are a little cheesy, but otherwise I like him as a face and would like to see him remain the top face for a bit, hopefully he won't take the summer off or get injured.

R-Truth hasn't been pushed consistently enough for me to believe there's any chance of him being thrust into the main event, despite how over he is.

Truth probably won't get pushed to the top of the card though. He is a form TNA World Champion and Vince hates it when his talent wins their first world title in another federation.

Morrison wishes he was as over as R-Truth.

No he doesn't. Morrison is more over than Truth.

Can Christian establish himself at the top of the card that quickly?

Absolutely. Christian is the best pick and I hope he gets drafted to Smackdown. He did an excellent job as a mega-face on ECW. I think he can do it again on Smackdown, it will be a great summer if Christian goes to Smackdown because he's the perfect candidate for the top face, even if Edge is still there.

Will Michaels ever work Tuesdays on a regular basis?

Doubt it unless he absolutely had to.

Is Triple H due to take time off following Mania as the sheets indicate?

Perhaps.... he's on Raw though and we're talking about Smackdown main eventers. I wouldn't mind seeing Trips return to Smackdown but he is probably staying on Raw, regardless of injury status.

Taking all of this into account, I think there's one choice who's head and shoulders above the rest. John Cena. The Champ. The face of the company. If there's one man who could carry the wounded blue brand on his shoulders, this it.

No. Cena is the face of the WWE and belongs on the flagship brand. Raw is hardly watchable with the terrible guest hosts and cheesy segments.... Cena is one of the few people that make it tolerable. Trust me on this one, Cena needs to stay on Raw. Impact is going to be on monday nights starting this week, WWE needs their top face on monday nights.

Now feel free to counter that by telling me why Kofi or Orton or someone like that would be a better choice. Or maybe you feel Khali needs a major push.

Are we talking Kofi/Orton going to Smackdown? Hmmm.... I wouldn't mind that. Kofi would be given a better shot at developing his character on Smackdown, much like when Punk got moved over to Smackdown. Orton as an anti-hero top face could also be cool. Khali does NOT need another major push lol....

Or maybe you feel that these three men will never be injured again.

No, no one can predict the future. Injuries happen. I'm sure that they have backup plans on who to push just in case. They need to be building up guys like Morrison and Truth in case they run out of faces. They should do the same for McIntyre and Ziggler in case they run out of heels. You never know what might happen. I'd honestly say that Christian going to Smackdown would be the best option because he's great at being the top face of a brand. Edge has the best shot though, unless he is taking time off to recover more from that injury.

 

[Theo Mays]

Dagger I disagree about JoMo being more over than Truth. Truth is crazy over with the people. The guy is easily one of the most over superstars in the business and I'd say he is the most over midcard guy on SD (I'm throwing Rey in the main event scene). I think Truth can handle the duties as the number 2 face behind Edge. Honestly though it wouldn't surprise me to see someone like Christian, Kofi, or hell even John Cena moved to SD to help them out, as they could be in need of some talent.

Raw will also be in need as well with Triple H and HBK taking off. Though I don't think Trips is going to be out long, but HBK will likely be gone a good amount of time. After Mania will be the E's chance to build up some more of the youth and see who has it and who doesn't.

 

[Checkmate]

Barring the draft, I think it all comes down to three guys:

Edge:If Edge can stay injury free, I can see this being one of his best runs on Smackdown. He will feud with Jericho from Mania through the next PPV or so, and then can move on to whatever heel comes over from the draft (Sheamus?). Edge will likely be THE top face, but there is always room in that pivotal secondary spot.

R-Truth:He is insanely over, for almost no reason. He hasn't been pushed, hasn't won a midcard title, and has received only one Heavyweight Title shot. Yet, the people love him, and he is a good worker. If the race factor is a non-factor, Truth should get a main event run. I can't really see it happening, but stranger things have happened. Khali at one point in time was the top heel on Smackdown, so why couldn't Truth be the top face?

Morrison:JoMo should be the next main event guy, even if Truth is over a bit more. However, just because I think he is, doesn't mean he will ever get there. Maybe Morrison will fall into obscurity, but I hope not. Normally, whenever someone gets a DVD, they get something going with their career. Morrison had the whole "ankle injury" which played well into his Elimination Chamber showing. Hell, he almost had the Undertaker eliminated if it wasn't for the "injury". I think they are giving Morrison his dues, and maybe after this random tag title shot at Mania, JoMo will get a bigger push.


The draft will likely play a factor either way. Perhaps one or all of these guys will be on RAW after the draft. Perhaps a huge face like Cena will make the jump to Smackdown. Maybe Christian will finally get a main event run on the blue brand. We can only assume these things, but I'd stick to watching the above three guys for next top face.

 

[luis_is_king]

Dude, you're a tad bit exxagerating on this one. There are so many options to go from here... let's say edge wins the title and drops it or goes for a break around the summer time why not have christian cash it in against the one who beat edge and be the new top face of smackdown.

-As for truth and john morrison I could see them having some success in the tag team division to make morrison more over as he is paired w/ R-truth one of the more popular wwe superstar there is and then as the year rolls on both goes back to working single matches where one of them could go on to enter the main event scene.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

Exaggeration on the six months aside, I believe it is time for Smackdown to get a new top face. One of my first options would be turning Orton face and then drafting him to Smackdown and send either Batista, Jericho, or Punk to RAW to be the top heel so it counteracts. I don't trust Edge to be the top face because I don't think it will work to the effect people won't it to and he may take time off of Wrestlemania. If that option doesn't work then it is time for Cena to go back "home". I'm quite worrisome with this option because if you send Cena to Smackdown, Orton most likely will turn face and be the top face of RAW. Unless you draft a heel from Smackdown, I don't see anybody strong enough to take over Orton's old spot. The Miz is getting there but hasn't got there yet and Rhodes and DiBiase need a tad more seasoning.

I'm sure that they will fix this when draft time comes by either sending a face Cena or Orton to Smackdown and getting Punk, Batista, or Jericho on RAW.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

I can see Edge taking that stop until someone is ready. Remember the top heels in Smackdown are CM Punk and Chris Jericho, both get a ton of heat. Having a program with Edge/Punk or Edge/Jericho could buy 8 to 12 months worth of main event rivalries in Smackdown! That's enough time to build up a John Morrison, R-Truth, or another drafted superstar as a top face.

 

[gd]

Yeah, probably. Undertaker didn't even show up when he was the champ around Rumble time. No way he's there in the summer. Apparently Rey is going to retire soon. I suppose Edge may last awhile, but you never know.

As for the other choices, Morrison is utterly shit on the mic. R-Truth isn't ready yet, maybe in a year or 2. Christian seems like a possibility, assuming he wins the MITB, which he should.

However, either Cena or Orton are the most likely choice. One of them should be going to SD soon, likely Orton as Cena isn't going to be leaving Monday Nights anytime soon. I suppose Orton would do a fine job as a face, a lot of people seem to like him for some reason.

Of course, there are plenty of other possibilities, like Matt Hardy and Shad, but I didn't want to bother pointing out the obvious.

 

[Triple K]

Well, with the draft coming up, expect a change of scenery. Morrison, Truth, and Benjamin appear to be getting pushes of some sort, and Edge is becoming a top face. I won't be surprised if you see Cena move to Smackdown, because he's done all he can over on Raw. So, the draft is less than two months away. They'll be fine.

 

[Undertaker the 5th]

I think that the new face of Smackdown could be a returning Jeff Hardy. I know it is very hard for it to happen, but he still isn't with TNA. Not that I know of. He could handle being the face of the brand, after all he was that face a little before he got terminated vs CM Punk.

If that does not work than I think bringing Y2J back could also work. I think that would be great because his gimmick is getting boring and a change could do good for him.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Anyone citing Christian as a possibility is dreaming. Solid addition to a roster? Sure. Face of the show? Never.

It will probably be Morrison, crowd reaction be damned. R-Truth is easily the most over guy they have on the brand other then Edge, Mysterio and Taker, but unfortunately the WWE fucking ruined that character from day one. I am pretty sure the altercation with otunga were the first serious words he has spoken since his vingettes before he debuted. He has been a bug eyed martin lawerence character since he debuted, and by some fuckin mircale, he is STILL super over. Unfortunately, it will be quite an uphill battle to turn that character into something to be taken seriously, and I doubt WWE will put the effort into someone whom THEY didn't make.

So they will continue to push Morrison past the milky way galaxy, despite no one giving a fuck. After that doesn't work, you may be looking at RKO showing up in his new anti hero gimmick. Its all I can really think of, to be honest.

 

[sordidboySavoy]

Heres an idea; end the freakin roster split. i mean when they did that they had too many stara for one show. and if all these people do retirw go back to one roster.keep the ic and us belt,unify the world and wwe titles.edge cena,hhh,orton sheamus,jericho,punk and maybe jomo are the main eventers,have a good upper midcard for the ic title and a decent midcard for the us belt. then u trim the fat off the roster and bam wwe is a little better. maybe give the shows somw kind of unique characteristic so its not the same as raw but seriously like since the roster split like a dozen or so world champs either died,quit,retired, or got released so i think the split is redundant and unnecessary