Who will benefit from Drew McIntyre's Absence?

[STL]

It's been reported that Drew McIntyre's visa has expired and he may not be able to return for months. Drew was doing pretty good in his program with Matt Hardy in my eyes and he was arguably the top midcard heel on the Smackdown Roster. Other than McIntyre, Smackdown's Midcard Heels are: Dolph Ziggler and "Dashing" Cody Rhodes.

My question is: Who will take McIntyre's spot on Smackdown? Will Ziggler's push be elevated? Maybe Rhodes will be featured more on Smackdown. Or will someone turn heel (Christian?, MVP?)?

 

[JGlass]

Well, you have to think it'll be a heel as they are now a little bit shorter on heels.

So I have a few guesses.

Luke Gallows or the Masked Man-With a deported Scott, one of these guys will be allowed to step into the limelight. Look for Gallows to be put over by a JTG or Chris Masters in some sort of feud. That, or look for Gallows and Masked man to get the upper hand on The Dudebusters or Hawkins and Archer.

Dolph Ziggler-It seems like they've been teasing a big push for him for a while, and this would be a good time for him to break out. Pick up where McIntyre left off and feuding with Hardy would be good for him, as Hardy is very much over right now. It also seems like he's about to feud with Kofi, which is good for both of them.

Matt Hardy- Matt Hardy has once again overcome all odds to vanquish another mortal enemy. Not only did he beat him, but he sent his ass back to Scotland (kinda but not really)! This feud seems to have gotten the elder Hardy over, and with Drew gone, there will be a shortage of upper midcard guys. Welcome back to the almost top, Mr. Hardy. We kept your spot warm for you.

 

[J-Dogg]

Maybe Matt Hardy or Dolph Ziggler can benefit, Dolph has been going nowhere much of the time, and i think he is in need of a good push, so he can actually get a good reaction from the fans. His in ring work is good but needs more work on the mic, so maybe he can benefit more than Matt.

On the other hand Matt is in need of something to actually make him semi successful again before he is on his way out, because he can still go at it in the ring, he just needs a good feud so he doesn't get pushed away again to the point he post concerning videos on Youtube and all over the internet.

 

[Goliath Uterus]

Hopefully Dolph Ziggler will benifet from McIntyres absence. They've been hinting at something big with the Vickie pairing, and with the Smackdown! roster being so thin as it is one heels, this could be a great time to bust out the big push.

Put Ziggler in the MITB match, have him win (maybe) and if he doesn't win, give him a run with the IC title already, put him in a fued with Kofi and have them trade the title and have a nice long fued. If Ziggler establishes himself as a top heel while Drew is sorting his Visa issues out, then Ziggler may get the push that was originally meant for Drew.

 

[Nate DaMac]

I think the biggest beneficiary of his time off will be the fans. Thank god we don't have to tolerate his stale ass on television for a while, and if I may quote Doc, "Maybe he'll take some time and learn how to not suck." If he's able to accomplish this, then his deportation was an absolute success. If not, then well hopefully his paperwork gets lost in the mail or something.

However, I believe you're referring to stars on the roster, so I suppose I'll give a legit answer. Ziggy and Cody should probably get a little bit more exposure now. Cody's been doing a pretty good job as of late with the promos and whatnot, and Zig actually has the super heat magnet working alongside him. They should definitely get a little bit more tv time, it cant hurt.

 

[Theo Mays]

I want to say Ziggler but I'm going with Cody Rhodes. His promo last week was easily the best he has ever given and it made us as fans care about him again. Cody has been pretty much invisible (minus NXT) since the draft and since ditching Legacy. Now he has a nickname and it looks like he is being put into the spotlight. I think with DrewMc gone Rhodes is going to step up his game and I think he could be a contender for the MITB match for SD and possibly be the favorite amongst the heels if he were to be in the match. I've always felt Rhodes had massive potential and I always preferred his future to Dibiase and right now it looks like both could be heading in the right direction. Hopefully this pans out well for "Dashing" Cody Rhodes.

 

[Ruthless-RKO]

Who will take McIntyre's spot on Smackdown?
I was hoping it would be Ziggles, its nearly been a year since he was supposed to be the IC champion...

But now I do think Cody Rhodes should also get pushed further...he can cut a promo...

I don't think anyone will turn heel though!!

 

[Daniel]

Well Matt Hardy won't benefit from it. The opposite, in fact. He was in a long, in-depth feud with a big heel and appeared to be doing really well. But now he's got nothing. I guess he could have a good feud with CM Pu-oh wait! He's out too. I'ts back to square for Matt in my eyes.

I think it will probably be Dolph Ziggler. It would appear that he will get another crack at the IC Title after seeing SmackDown last week. Hey, maybe his alliance with Vickie Guerreo is starting to come good. I hope so too, because I really like Ziggler. He's got talent.

 

[The Crock]

It's gonna be Rhodes. Ziggler is in his "excuse me, but I'm a bitch" phase so it definitely won't be him. I think that the whole Dashing gimmick has some potential so he should definitely be the one to benefit.

 

[Viola Moonlight]

I'd concede with the arguments that Dolph Ziggler and/or Cody Rhodes will receive McIntyre's void spot he has left. Ziggler has been on the borderline of a push for the past few months and is ready to take on the challenge of making himself relevant. He has the heat machine Vickie by his side to help him there with the charisma side of things, the only thing that I have seen Ziggles lack in. Props to creative for having people in the works just in case something goes wrong with other superstars.

As for Cody Rhodes, he is going to need a lot of work establishing his current character and role on SmackDown before even receiving that spot. Other than solidifying himself like Ziggles has, Cody has all the tools necessary to get the push and I'm sure the fans will accept it. He has been a successful wrestler his entire WWE career and has never failed to gain heat for the wrong reasons.

Unless someone big turns heel, I don't see anyone else getting that spot in the immediate future. Alberto Del Rio is a long shot, but someone I wouldn't consider into the fray just yet.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

I'm going to pick Cody Rhodes. I loved his promo last Friday, and his new character is great fresh start for him. Cody has been improving in the ring, and I wouldn't be surprised if he found his way into the Intercontinental title picture in the near future.

As far as the storyline goes, Matt Hardy finally got his revenge on Drew after months of being tormented, but I refuse to believe Hardy will become a player in the IC or world title picture. Hardy just isn't a major player. He will just be another random guy on the roster as time goes by. Ziggler and Rhodes have far more potential than Hardy.

 

[kofifan23]

I think the one that will gain the most is Mr. Ziggels. He might get an IC title shot from vicke and even if he did he would not get past kofi. also "dashing" cody rhoads might benifit from this and who knows maybe even gallows if SES brecks up soon i hope christan will get a shot. maybe they should have a fatal 4 way after money in the bank with Mr. ziggels, matt hardy, christan, mvp, and rhoads.

 

[JJYanks121]

Well guys, Drew is back, so this entire thread might be void if the WWE plans to give him back his push, especially since he's back in the MITB.

Drew may be back, but his push died a while before his deportation. He has been beaten handedly by Matt Hardy of late and will have to earn his way back up. In that time, Cody Rhodes and Dolph Ziggler have gotten TV time, but keep in mind Cody is focused on winning Money in the Bank while Ziggles is focused on an IC title shot. Which do you think is benefitting more?

Obviously Matt Hardy also benefitted. He went over "the chosen one" for a good long while, making him a contender again. Proof is in the great segment he did with Christian, as both are primed to be major contenders in the Money in the Bank match. Rhodes also figured to be a factor, as in a match made for heels, he is the only heel in the match as of now. Even if others get in, I'd argue that he has been primed for this spot over hte last few weeks and could very well win for a big push.

Keep in mind that the heel scene on Smackdown is quite weak. Punk is probably the top heel, but after that it's debateable. Swagger just came off a title run but can easily be surpassed on the depth chart. Kane might turn heel but he doesn't have the staying power to be at the top as a heel at this point in his career. Thus, it's on Rhodes, Ziggler, McIntyre, and maybe a heel turn to fill that upper midcard spot with potential to move up to the main event. With McIntyre still not appearing to be going anywhere just yet, expect Rhodes and maybe a heel Christian (seemed he was more heel than Hardy in their promos) to vie for that spot.

 

[The Vintage One]

As Drew's push has seemed to cool off despite his visa problem but there is definitely a void there. I see Ziggler getting pushed into the upper midcard which is where McIntyre was and I see "Dashing" Cody Rhodes getting the bigger push up into the main event.

Cody is due for the push and he has earned it cutting great promos week in and week out with his new gimmick. He is going to win Money In The Bank and hold onto it for a while to give him more credibility as he will be on a major roll, and then eventually capture his first title.

I see Ziggler getting an IC Title very soon, to prove to Vickie he can finally win and then him and Rhodes will void the spot that McIntyre has lost with his current depush.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

the absence that no longer exists