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By Chris Newth, PWTorch contributor

WWE Friday Night Smackdown
May 2, 2008
Upcoming PPV: Judgment Day (third-to-last episode before PPV)

SMACKDOWN STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the thirty-fourth edition of Smackdown Storylines and Feuds.

For those wondering about the Intrigue Level system that I employ, you can refer to the numbers as follows:

10 (excellent), 9 (great), 8-6 (very good, good, pretty good), 5 (decent; has its good and bad qualities), 4-3 (needs work, poor), 2 (bad), 1 (terrible)


World Heavyweight Champion EDGE & Smackdown GM VICKIE GUERRERO vs. THE UNDERTAKER (11 weeks)

This week's main event was billed as the third of three championship matches on Smackdown. Undertaker was slated to put the World Heavyweight Championship on the line against The Great Khali, but Vickie Guerrero put a stop to that. Before Khali could even walk out for his match, Vickie and Edge came out to declare that there would not be a World Title Match. Vickie said that Taker has injured several superstars with his chokehold in the last few months. "Chokeholds are illegal in the WWE," Vickie proclaimed. She said that as GM, it was her responsibility to look after the wrestlers' wellbeing. With that said, Vickie announced that Undertaker's submission hold is officially banned and that if he uses it in any future match, there will be hell to pay. She went on to say that because Taker has shown no remorse for his actions and no concern for the people that he has injured, she has no choice but to strip him of the World Heavyweight Championship.

When Taker refused to bring it to her, she sent The Great Khali to fetch it. Khali ambled to the ring, and Taker laid the title on the mat in front of him. The tension here was palpable. Khali gradually stepped closer to Undertaker and his title as Vickie and Edge stared on from the entrance ramp. As Khali bent over to pick up the title, Taker swiftly kicked him in the head, flooring the giant. Then Taker locked in the now-banned submission chokehold on Khali. While Taker was preoccupied with that, Hawkins and Ryder slithered into the ring, stole the title, and ran to give it to Vickie. The show ended as Taker looked toward a terrified Edge and a very cautious Vickie as they wheeled to the back while Khali lay injured on the mat with blood oozing out of his mouth.

I think James Caldwell nailed it when he said that this is probably an internal reaction from WWE since Smackdown is currently suffering from such a limited number of credible heels. With Edge-Taker firmly played out, the only other heels that could pass in the main event as a threat to Taker's title would be Mark Henry or MVP. But not only has Undertaker already fought and beaten Henry multiple times, but Mark Henry has basically served as one of WWE's biggest jobbers in general over the last year. So, perhaps in terms of credibility and in-ring ability, Henry isn't the best pick.

On the other hand, MVP seemed to be in a great position on the roster until Matt Hardy showed up. In order to push Hardy, Porter had to take a hit. And now that he's lost several times to Matt Hardy in the last few weeks—most recently in his match this week—how could people buy into the idea that he's ready to move on to the Undertaker just yet? He could certainly pull it off, but he'll need some time for WWE to put him back on track. In any event, it looks as though Smackdown may be in desperate need of another WWE Draft.

As for Vickie's announcement, it was pretty entertaining and intriguing. Her reasoning had some truth to it. She mentioned how Taker's submission maneuver had injured multiple wrestlers, and earlier in the show, viewers saw the effects it had on Festus (which was a nice touch). So, despite her clear conflict of interest, Vickie relied on the truth about Undertaker's brutal hold and the legality of WWE to make her decision. However, people who will argue on Undertaker's side, most notably Michael Cole, can turn to some rational details about the situation. For example, how is it that all of those injuries took place and Taker wasn't stopped sooner? Why is Undertaker being hit with retroactive punishment? Wouldn't just banning the move be enough? Isn't stripping him of the World Heavyweight Title for simply "not showing concern" toward people whom he was forced to fight a little excessive? It was a solid storyline strategy. Nicely done.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 9 [same as last week]

Previous Feuds
Edge: Kane, Batista
Vickie Guerrero: Undertaker, Batista
Undertaker: Mark Henry, Batista, Big Daddy V

BATISTA vs. SHAWN MICHAELS vs. CHRIS JERICHO (5 weeks)

This week, Mick Foley interviewed Batista in the middle of the ring concerning his recent past with Shawn Michaels. Foley ran footage of how Michaels may have tweaked his knee at Backlash before rolling footage of Chris Jericho accusing HBK of feigning said injury. Foley asked The Animal directly what he felt about the situation, to which Batista replied, "It would make me sick to my stomach to think that Shawn Michaels faked an injury…. Shawn, for your sake, I hope you are actually hurt because if you're not, when I see you, you will be." Foley nodded at Batista's comments and thanked him for the interview.

It was a good continuation to this still-relatively short storyline. Batista still seems lost on a babyface-heavy Smackdown roster, so his problems with Michaels and Jericho should probably extend at least to Judgment Day and possibly further. WWE is drawing a clear difference between Batista and Jericho, which is useful: While Y2J seems overtly critical, cynical, and assured, Batista is approaching this situation with caution. He doesn't want to believe that Michaels is faking an injury, but he's laying out a threat just in case. It's cautious optimism on Batista's part. The intrigue here is emanating from the dual response. Shawn Michaels isn't on good terms with either Batista or Jericho, and he knows it; he now has problems on both Smackdown and Raw. And all three of these guys are currently not clear-cut babyfaces, which may not get crowds firmly behind certain people, but at least it gives viewers more complex storytelling.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 8 [same since last week]

Previous Feuds
Batista: Edge, The Great Khali, Undertaker, Umaga
Shawn Michaels: Randy Orton, Mr. Kennedy, Ric Flair
Chris Jericho: Randy Orton, JBL, Jeff Hardy, Money in the Bank

United States Champion MVP vs. MATT HARDY (5 weeks)

In the second title match of what Cole dubbed "Championship Friday," Matt Hardy defended his United States Title against his longtime rival, MVP. The match went pretty long and ended when Matt Hardy surprised Porter with a Twist of Fate for the victory. As Hardy walked toward the back, astonishment etched itself across MVP's face. Foley questioned what would be next for Porter after losing this high-profile matchup.

After a very long time, WWE is giving Matt Hardy a well-deserved push as United States Champion. Hardy's a great, realistic babyface character who shows a lot of heart; he's readily cheered for by adoring fans. On the other hand, Hardy's recent success may not be the best thing for MVP at this point, but people could argue that Porter has had his time in the spotlight—nearly a year as U.S. Champion himself. The storyline between these two extends back months, and it had arguably been driving Smackdown during some of the brand's down months last year. When Hardy returned at WrestleMania, his feud with MVP was unquestionable, but it really can't be dragged out too much longer.

After weeks of one-upping Porter, Hardy has obtained several key victories against his longtime opponent, most recently his successful title defense this week on Smackdown. Mick Foley's question is really the most important one: what's next for MVP? Does he continue against Hardy? Does he set his sights on something else? Is he forced into something? That future is unclear, but the results of the past few Hardy-MVP matches are indicative of some type of change for this particular storyline.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7 [same as last week]

Previous Feuds
MVP: Rey Mysterio, Ric Flair, Batista
Matt Hardy: Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch, MVP

VICTORIA & NATALYA NEIDHART vs. MICHELLE McCOOL & CHERRY (5 weeks)

Michael Cole said that their cameras caught Victoria and Natalya picking on Cherry backstage. They went to the video, which showed Michelle McCool quickly arriving on the scene. Natalya made some comment about Michelle typing her name in tons of times in order to be the most searched person on Yahoo, but McCool quickly retaliated with a comeback of her own. Cherry smiled like a defenseless person whose heroine just gave the bullies what they deserved. The match this week featured Victoria teaming with Natalya to face Michelle and Cherry in tag team action. It ended when Victoria knocked Michelle from the top rope, allowing Natalya to cover her while grabbing the tights for the cheated win.

This particular feud has been building very nicely in recent weeks. Victoria and Michelle have a history on Smackdown, and Cherry has now fought both Victoria and Natalya one-on-one. This week, the feud progressed as teams squared off against one another. Right now, the momentum seems to be with the heels, which is helpful considering Natalya's status as the newest diva in WWE. The backstage footage was pretty strong in that these little scenes really seem to capture the essence of all the characters involved. Victoria and Natalya look like best friend bullies, much like The Beautiful People team in TNA. Cherry was being picked on, but she couldn't really stand up for herself, which can put crowd sympathy on her. And at the same time, Michelle standing up to the heel divas makes her look even better. It's a solid storyline for the Smackdown brand.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7 [up 0.5 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Victoria: Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly
Natalya Neidhart: n/a
Michelle McCool: Victoria, Chuck Palumbo
Cherry: n/a

MARK HENRY vs. BIG SHOW (1 week)

In the back, Mark Henry met up with Nunzio while he tied his boots. Henry said that they were opponents again and that he was the world's strongest man. After Henry said, "Good luck out there," Nunzio absorbed the news and silently adopted a pensive look. During Nunzio's entrance, he paused to wait for someone from the back. Suddenly, Big Show walked out to accompany Nunzio to the ring. Mark Henry's smile evaporated instantly.

The match, however, still saw a win for Henry with the World's Strongest Slam. After the match, Henry attempted to inflict more harm to Nunzio, but Show stepped into the ring to stop him. While Henry bailed from the ring, Show picked up a mic and said, "Next time, why don't you try to pick on someone your own size." Yeah, Mark Henry, pick on someone your own size like when Big Show chose to mock Floyd Mayweather a few months ago.

At first, I thought this might actually be a continuation to a very strange feud between Mark Henry and Nunzio after both men fought on ECW two weeks ago. But clearly this will be a Show-Henry feud from here out, with Nunzio's presence up in the air. On a narrative level, it was strong to give this rivalry a healthy start. Henry was shown abusing his power over Nunzio by destroying him and then attempting to inflict even more pain. And Big Show was able to act as the hero who stepped in to save the little guy from the huge bully. The storyline can now continue from here, but the novelty of another big man storyline is wearing thin. In many ways, it might have been a more creative choice to put Henry and Nunzio in some type of ongoing feud. However, this may just be another case of a relatively shallow Smackdown roster. To be fair, though, let's see what kind of story WWE throws to Henry and Show to give it a chance.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5

Previous Feuds
Mark Henry:
Big Show: Floyd Mayweather, The Great Khali

WWE Tag Team Champions JOHN MORRISON & THE MIZ vs. JIMMY WANG YANG & SHANNON MOORE (2 weeks)

Kicking off Smackdown's Championship Night, John Morrison and The Miz defended their WWE Tag Team Titles against Jimmy Wang Yang and Shannon Moore at the start of the show. Foley called Yang the "Asian Redneck" and Moore the "New Age Cowboy." Talk about the current champions revolved around how the titles seem to define Miz and Morrison and how they love to physically hold up the gold. The match ended when Morrison kicked out of Moore's backslide pin attempt before landing his Moonlight Drive finisher for the victory. After retaining their titles, Miz and Morrison celebrated by holding the gold high, much like they did before the match had begun.

So, another short rivalry between these two teams may have ended with the retention of the titles by Miz and Morrison. Yang and Moore are an interesting combination, and even though they each pulled out victories last week over their opponents in singles competition, they still seem like two guys who just cannot get the job done. In other words, they never win when it really counts. That isn't great for babyfaces looking to take off in popularity. Good babyfaces need to not only be likable, but also credible in the ring. Yang and Moore suffer in that department. Hell, unless you count the backslide pin, Shannon Moore doesn't even have an established finishing move. This feud may continue (perhaps to Judgment Day), but WWE is going to be faced with the difficult task of putting steam behind the babyface team whenever they let them suffer losses like this.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5.5 [same as last week]

Previous Feuds
John Morrison & The Miz: Jesse & Festus, Yang & Moore, Dreamer & Delaney
Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore: Morrison & Miz

COLIN DELANEY vs. ECW General Manager ARMANDO ESTRADA (6 weeks w/ 2 weeks hiatus)

ECW General Manager Armando Estrada served as a special gust ring announcer on Smackdown to introduce Colin Delaney and his opponent for the week, Vladimir Kozlov. The match ended when Kozlov hit a series of powerful moves and pinned Colin easily for the three count after his reverse DDT. After the match, Estrada got back on the mic with a smile and happily announced Kozlov the winner.

This was a good narrative fit. Colin got to face a new towering figure in WWE to continue his run of losses, while Kozlov continued his winning streak of squash matches. We have two guys who are on completely different tracks meeting in the ring to strengthen their respective storylines. WWE made a resourceful and clever move here. As for the Colin-Estrada storyline, it needs some more fuel. Luckily, WWE is continuing to hype this week's match between Colin and Estrada which will, if Colin is successful, grant Delaney an official ECW contract. With everything else that Colin is looking to achieve—entrance music, friendships, credibility, respect, a win—WWE has to give him something with which to work. The time has come for Colin to earn a contract.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5 [same as last week]

Previous Feuds
Colin Delaney: John Morrison & The Miz
Armando Estrada: n/a


CONCLUDED FEUDS

(1) Finlay & Hornswoggle vs. Matt Striker


POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Vladimir Kozlov vs. Colin Delaney
(2) Jesse & Festus vs. Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder
(3) Finlay vs. ?


Thanks for reading, everyone. If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments, feel free to email me at newthtorch@hotmail.com. I greatly appreciate all the feedback that I receive, and I will respond to every email. Please insert a word in the subject line that deals with a wrestling topic or write something such as "WWE," "feud," or "Funaki" so that I know it's not junk mail.

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