With Orton Injured, Is It Time For Booker T To Step Up?

[bridgechamp]

The WWE must be sweating ridiculously bad after ortons injury and with a lack of credible characters is it time to give booker one last run. You may think i am mad but just watch bookee vs cody. He looks in great shape and could definetly fill the void by orton. Let him win a beat the clock challenge and beat byran at the rumble and have him going to wrestlemania. He could even wrestle cody for the title. What you all think?

 

[Trill Co$by]

I think, if anything, this is the time when WWE really needs to push Sheamus as the face of Smackdown. Big Show's busy turning D Bryan into a heel, and Henry's out on injury. Sheamus is the only guy on Smackdown right now that has the physical dominance to go into a feud with guys like Barrett and help them get over. No, he doesn't have to lose his feuds and he can still get someone over by beating them (and making them look strong)... and if WWE is good at what they're doing, then they can make a huge baby face in Sheamus.

 

[FlexAmerican Dynamite]

Um. I hope you don't mean turn Booker into the face of smackdown. Because that would be really bad. I agree with the poster above saying this is now a crucial time more than ever to try to push Sheamus as the face of smackdown. I don't know how i feel about turning Bryan heel but Sheamus needs to start feuding with Barrett or Rhodes and becomes the face of smackdown.

 

[XXJJ]

Booker is wrestling at the SD houseshows this week. They also moved AirBoom to the smackdown house shows this week to try to compensate for missing Orton.

But Booker is a part-time wrestler/announcer. He isn't going to be involved in the main event scene on Smackdown. He is currently being used in the proper role... as a guy who can help put over some midcard heels.

 

[Spunky]

No, it's the perfect time to push someone new into the main event picture. Why push a 47 year old man(albeit, still very good.) when they could put all of that effort into Sheamus, or Cody Rhodes, or even Daniel Bryan? They'll get more use out of the latter three whom all are just starting to hit their prime, rather than someone that could potentially retire in the next couple of years.

 

[Trance Metaphor]

It's no longer Booker T's time and it makes no sense to push a part-time wrestler who is primarily there for commentary. That's what he does now. He's already had his glory days and he's won six World titles. What could pushing Booker T accomplish? The way he's involved in this feud with Cody Rhodes is a good example of what Booker T should be doing when he's in the ring. He loses his matches to put the younger guys over while picking up one or two victories himself to show that he can still go. Where he is right now is perfect and it's not at the top nor does it have to be.

 

[Mustang Sally]

I still wonder whether Booker is getting into the ring because he wants to..... or is the company somehow forcing the issue? At 47, you would think he would rather concentrate on his commentary job.....yet, he looks so great when he wrestles. I can't believe what terrific shape he's in. If Smackdown needs a good guy with a strong rep to fill in until Orton gets back, perhaps Booker will do it. He's certainly capable.

However, be forewarned: the WWE website reports Drew McIntyre as having been transferred back to the Smackdown roster. No, it's not that I see him stepping in and immediately filling in for Randy Orton......but I'd like to think that if they moved Drew back to where he had success before, they have something in mind for him this time.

Drew as a face, anyone?

 

[#hamler]

No sounds about right.

What Booker T is doing now is what fits him the best at this point in his career. Pushing him towards the main event would just be a waste when you could easily use that time for someone who will be in the WWE for a longer period of time. However, I will say that Booker T definitely needs to get his ass in the ring as a full time wrestler again. Booker T is a phenomenal face. He's a lovable character so it's no wonder the crowd reacts positive toward him. I keep reading about these posts about young guys stepping it up but what a lot of posters here don't realize is that in order for one to step up, one needs somebody to step over.

Now that Orton is out, it is going to be alot harder without a huge babyface to put some of these young heels over. Orton has recently put over two of the faster rising talents on Smackdown in Cody Rhodes and Wade Barrett. These superstars cannot just step up and walk right into Smackdown's main event picture. Guys like Wade Barrett, Drew McIntyre or any other heel now have one less babyface to help get them over. Randy Orton being out is certainly going to hurt some of these heels chances of shining on through.

Booker T is the answer. Put him back in the ring as a full time wrestler (if he allows it). Have him help put over some of these younger less over guys on Smackdown. He's doing incredible work with Cody Rhodes right now. Imagine Drew McIntyre getting the kind of rub Booker T is giving to Cody at the moment. While Booker T should definitely stay away from the brand's top title, he should definitely remain active.

 

[Captain Morgan Freeman]

I think as long as Booker is ok with it then they should keep him on until Orton is ready to come back but no longer then that. Im sure he was only planning on working in a small feud with Cody for a few weeks but plans change and hopefully he can be convinced to stay on for a while longer. The guy is in a shape that would put wrestlers half his age to shame and has a lot to offer some of the young talent on Smackdown. Guys like Barrett and Cody could really get over working with Booker hell even Drew and Ted would benefit from working with him.

So to answer your question i wouldn't put him near the title as i feel guys like Bryan and Sheamus would be better suited in the title picture at the moment. However the only main event guys on Smackdown are Sheamus, Big Show, Bryan, Henry(minor injury) and Christian(not definite return date). Therefore there is room for some of the younger guys to step up and there's no one better right now then Booker to help them do that.

 

[CMPUNK.]

Booker doesnt need to step up in my opinion and i dont think he would want too himself, i think he wants to put over mid card talent instead. This is a chance though for the likes of rhodes etc to step up.

 

[y2grae]

Booker as he is at the moment, to quote most replies, works well.

just:

keep him from a title
keep him from a microphone attached to a headset please
he seriously makes Tazz seem pro at commentating, hell, even Mike Adamle

 

[Paria]

As I've stated before, the WWE has been looking to the past too much lately, bringing the Rock back, Booker, Nash, Triple H, Bret, Jericho(if he is the mystery guy). Although many of us grew up on these guys and undoubtedly love these performers, The WWE needs to focus more on pushing the future, and we have plenty of future stars here right now and it's kinda irritating to me that they are dropping the ball on some of them. Barrett, Sheamus, Sheffield, Mason Ryan, Alex Riley, Brodus, The Miz, Reks, Big Zeke, Diabiase and the list goes on and on. I would love to see one PPV with just these kinda guys, that would really help in getting them over, and it needs to happen soon. Why wait until your "stars" are worn out and washed up before utilizing the awesome talent they have right now. However, back to Orton being out, I would love to see Barrett win the Belt and see an epic feud between he and Sheamus.

 

[Cats Pajamas]

Now is a great time to fall back on those guys who have been on the top briefly already. I'm a huge fan of the King of Smackdown, but Booker T was a prop for Cody Rhodes, I hate to admit it but he definitely would be a little awkward at the top.

 

[gwarren]

Depends if you believe all the reports or not. If they're right and Orton's out for 6 months, I say push Sheamus and Big Show, maybe even move Punk or Cena to SD. However, some people say Orton will win the Rumble, which is only a week or so away. How epic would that be, if WWE have tricked everyone, even the almighty IWC into believing ORton would be out for 6 months, then BOOM, number 30 is Orton?