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LOOKING AT THE OTHER HALF OF THE MSG SUPER SHOW EDITION OF SMACKDOWN
by Dave Scherer
Well, it was better than Raw! That was the feeling I was left with by the time Smackdown ended. Overall, there was some fun stuff on the show and, for the most part, it was very representative of what the brand currently is. With so much time before their next PPV, all they can do is try to put together shows that are interesting and continue the storylines, and I think that they did a decent job of that last night.
Plusses: I liked that they have everyone fighting to get the WWE Title shot. The opening segment did a good job of putting importance on the belt and making winning it seem to be the one thing all of the top guys on the show agree about. I enjoyed Kurt Angle a lot on commentary too. He's so much more effective when he plays his character seriously. Don't get me wrong, I thought he was hilarious when he did comedy, but it also took away from his effectiveness as a top guy. ... Booker T and Big Show vs. JBL and Angle was a good, solid TV match. ... I can't believe I am about to type this.....but....I actually enjoyed the Heidenreich-Brawler segment. I don't know if I am becoming a convert to big Jon, but for one night at least, I liked what they did with him. He showed a lot of personality and could definitely get over as a goofy babyface. ... I liked the way they booked MNM last night. They brought them in and put them over right away, which should give them credibly in the eyes of the fans. If they play off of this correctly, they could have a hot new act with them.
Minuses: Wow, the creative team thinks stuttering is a GOOD gimmick to put on a 6'10", 325 pound guy, a guy that they want to push as a monster? Argh, it's just so lame. Matt Morgan can do solid promos, so instead of taking advantage of that, they saddle him with a dopey gimmick. I honestly wonder if those people have even the most remote clue what they are doing. And that doesn't even take into account how uncool it is to make fun of someone for an affliction that they have no control over. ... While I can't say much about Johnny Nitro, since I haven't seen him work very often, the other three guys in the tag title match are all strong workers and I expected more out of the bout than we got. It seems as if they were far too tentative with each other throughout and it showed in the finished product. Yes, I am holding them to a high standard, but I think they can reach it. I am not saying that the match was bad, but I hoped it would be better given who was involved.
A Mixture Of Both: I liked Carlito's work in the Cabana, and MNM's appearance there was well done as well. The interaction between Eddie and Rey, on the other hand, seemed forced and kind of lame. Eddie also seemed off his game when he was out there one on one with Carlito as well. ... It's becoming more and more clear by the week that while John Cena is a good promo guy, with a lot of charisma, his wrestling needs a ton of work. I know that he is trying to address it. I hope that he is successful.
Rhetorical and Unanswered Questions:
Boy, did JBL pale in comparison in the "promo off" to Kurt or what?
What sense did it make for the ref to DQ Big Show and Booker for what JBL and Angle did?
And, when Tazz said he never saw it coming, did he mean because it didn't make any logical sense?
When Teddy came out, were JBL and Angle the only ones who didn't see the four way for next week coming from a mile away?
If Teddy wanted to make it interesting in the tag match, why didn't he make it face/heel vs. face/heel?
Damn, is Melina easy to look at or what?
If Eddie was so ticked at MNM, why didn't he run to his car in the back right away?
Was it just a coincidence that Morgan stole the "everyone will remember the name" line from Goldust, when he was the last one we saw doing a lame, stuttering-type of gimmick?
When one of the Bashams said he was getting "sick of this", shouldn't the other one have told him that they weren't even being used before the security gimmick came about and that he should shut up?
Did you see the "Triple H is God" sign that the fan had near ringside?
And, were you shocked that one made it past security?
If you had to lose the tag belts, wasn't the way that Eddie, getting a face full of Melina, the way to do it?
How cool was Cena's Babe Ruth throwback jersey?
And did Cena, who is from outside Boston, feel sacrilegious wearing it?
Boy, isn't Cena much more effective cutting real promos rather than doing his lame raps?
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