By Chris Newth, PWTorch contributor

WWE Friday Night Smackdown
May 9, 2008
Upcoming PPV: Judgment Day (second-to-last episode before PPV)

SMACKDOWN STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the thirty-fifth 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)


It can be difficult to juggle continuing feuds on a show that was very wrestling-based. And you'll often find this type of thing on Smackdown. Every now and then, WWE throws a particular competition to Friday night, using the blue brand as a platform to place the wrestling contests at the forefront of the storytelling. There have been many episodes like this, most notably the Beat the Clock Challenges. And as a result, you get very few promos and interviews, and there was no segment dedicated entirely to talk. The breaks from the competition included a divas' match between Kelly Kelly and Natalya as well as a squash match by Vladimir Kozlov.

On the bright side, WWE freshened things up with varying matchups between seemingly random people. They could have easily pitted Matt Hardy against MVP, for instance, or even CM Punk against John Morrison (since they are facing each other at Judgment Day for the WWE Tag Team Titles). But instead of falling into formula, WWE experimented a bit with some mismatches. Even the first match was surprising: Punk versus Hardy, babyface vs. babyface. So, although the booking of this particular episode made tracking the ongoing rivalries a little cumbersome this week, the show worked as a whole. And they left one week open for themselves to refocus everything right before Judgment Day.


World Heavyweight Champion EDGE & Smackdown GM VICKIE GUERRERO vs. THE UNDERTAKER (12 weeks)

The show began where it left off last week as Vickie, accompanied by Edge and Theodore Long, gave a statement regarding the World Title. She read from a prepared statement, claiming that she didn't want to strip Taker of the title, but that she had no choice. She went on to book a match for the World Heavyweight Title at Judgment Day, and "in the interest of fairness," Undertaker would take part in that matchup. To name an opponent, Vickie said that she invited any former World Champion, ECW Champion, or United States Champion in a Championship Chase to Judgment Day. She listed ten superstars that would compete one-on-one, with the winners heading into a Battle Royal in the main event. The winner would be Taker's opponent at next Sunday's PPV.

After five separate contests held throughout the night, six people—Matt Hardy, Finlay, MVP, Kane, Batista, and Big Show—advanced to the Championship Chase to Judgment Day Finals: an Over-the-top-rope Battle Royal. The winner would head to Sunday's PPV to go one-on-one with Undertaker for the vacant World Heavyweight Title. During the match, MVP kept ditching out of the ring through the ropes, which prevented him from being eliminated.

Hardy was the first one out, followed by Finlay, MVP, and Kane. Batista battled Big Show in the final two, and he managed to pull Show over the top rope to the floor to earn the win. However, Vickie came out to announce that Edge has just been medically cleared and that the Championship Chase would continue. Edge literally sprinted to the ring and speared Batista, who was already standing on the ring apron, for the cheap win. After the match, Edge celebrated up the ramp as Cole and Foley complained about the match's conclusion. However, once Edge made his way to the vacated World Title that was on display on the stage, a lightning bolt struck the stand, setting it on fire. Taker's ominous gong sounded, and Edge nervously ran to the back as the show ended.

Overall, this competition worked well. It provided interesting, compelling matches; it set up a good main event with Smackdown's top talent; and it worked with the overall storyline of Edge using his connection with Vickie to cheat and advance to Judgment Day. The way it was handled was a little curious. Why would Vickie logically place Undertaker in the title match without having to do anything? It just seemed a little too fair for Vickie's standards. In fact, Michael Cole seemed to be agreeing with her all night long, until the end, of course.

Vickie was basing her decisions on sound facts. She stripped Taker of the title because of an illegal move, and she allowed both Finlay and MVP to advance to the finals when she could have disqualified both men. But there is an argument that she just wanted both men to fight in the main event so that they could all weaken each other more, making it easier for Edge to slither in and steal the victory. And that leads to the Taker-Edge feud.

Edge and Vickie, although on top, look pretty desperate at the moment. Vickie had to go as far as stripping Taker of the World Title and banning his chokehold just to give Edge a chance at the gold. Narratively, however, it works. Edge looked like a huge cheater by the end of the night, and Vickie once again abused her power as General Manager. As for Undertaker, it may have been more effective to have him at the arena, but by the end, his implied presence was certainly felt.

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 (6 weeks)

This week Batista participated in the Championship Chase, and nothing in particular hinted that his feud with Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho would continue to Judgment Day. This one could be over, but then again, he didn't end up winning the Chase, which likely puts him in a narrative limbo yet again on Smackdown.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): n/a

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 (6 weeks)

Matt Hardy faced CM Punk in a seemingly random matchup in part of the Championship Chase to Judgment Day. The match concluded when Punk reversed a Twist of Fate into a rollup. However, Matt Hardy didn't roll onto his shoulders, instead placing Punk in a pinning position himself and scoring the three count. And with that win, Matt Hardy advanced to the finals.

On the other hand, MVP battled Finlay for the same opportunity. The match saw Finlay deliver a back suplex to MVP, after which the referee counted a pinfall while both men had their shoulders on the mat. Justin Roberts announced that the match resulted in a draw. Later in the show, Vickie Guerrero decided that both men should be considered winners and that they should both participate in the Over-the-top-rope Challenge later in the night.

It is unclear whether Matt Hardy and MVP will continue their feud after this week. Hardy has beaten Porter multiple times since WrestleMania 24, and he's even won the U.S. Title and defended it successfully. This week, WWE separated them (until the main event) by having them compete against different opponents. There probably exists valid reason for why they should continue their feud and why they should end it. The likely decision will probably be made based on the status of other members on the roster. Is there a strong opponent waiting for either man after this rivalry comes to a close?

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6.5 [down 0.5 since last week]

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

ECW Champion KANE vs. CHAVO GUERRERO (w/Bam Neely) (6 weeks)

In one of the matches of the Championship Chase to Judgment Day, Kane took on Chavo Guerrero, his rival since WrestleMania 24. The match ended when Kane countered Chavo's sunset flip using his weight and power to score the win. After the match, Kane cleared the ring by kicking Bam Neely and scaring Chavo.

This one is officially over. The match between these two is likely the last of their feud. We know that on the latest episode of ECW, Kane and Punk move on to Miz and Morrison. We also know that Kane and Punk will team up to face Miz and Morrison for the WWE Tag Team Titles at Judgment Day. So this week, which featured yet another win for The Big Red Machine over Chavo, probably marked the end to this lackluster rivalry.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): n/a

Previous Feuds
Kane: Finlay, Big Daddy V, Shelton Benjamin, Chuck Palumbo
Chavo Guerrero: Rey Mysterio, CM Punk

VICTORIA & NATALYA NEIDHART vs. MICHELLE McCOOL & CHERRY (6 weeks)

Not only were many of the men's feuds displaced this week, but so too was the divas' rivalry. In an odd change of pace, ECW's Kelly Kelly faced Natalya in singles competition. The match saw Natalya yank Kelly off the turnbuckle before cinching in her Sharpshooter for the inevitable win. They cut to Michelle McCool watching backstage, expressing some frustration and anger as she observed Natalya gleefully celebrating her victory.

Later in the show, WWE showed footage courtesy of WWE.com featuring the breakup of Deuce and Domino with their now-former manager, Cherry. As Maryse stood under their arms, Deuce and Domino told a disheartened Cherry that because she went out and started doing things on her own, they were dropping her. They left after saying, "As far as we're concerned, there is no Cherry." Then Maryse confronted Cherry alone, calling her a dog. For her troubles, she received a hard slap from Cherry, which resulted in the most awkward looking overreaction by Maryse. It was almost laugh-out-loud funny.

It seems like WWE may be on the verge of spawning two divas' feuds on Smackdown. The first, of course, is the continuation of what's been happening in recent weeks. Michelle McCool is the top babyface on Smackdown, and her main opponent will be the newest diva to join Smackdown: Natalya. It was clear that their issues are not over, as Michelle watched the video from backstage with some anger on her face.

On the other hand, Cherry may be about to start a feud with Maryse. Apparently, WWE featured video of problems between Cherry and Maryse weeks ago on WWE.com, but they are only now airing it on TV. That could mean that there is a pending rivalry in the works. And if Cherry is sidetracked by Maryse in the coming weeks, perhaps Kelly will fill in to help Michelle with Natalya and Victoria. Hopefully the storyline direction in both cases becomes clearer after Judgment Day.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6.5 [down 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 (2 weeks)

As per Vickie Guerrero's booking, Big Show fought ECW Original Tommy Dreamer in the Championship Chase to Judgment Day. The match clearly went in Show's favor; it ended when Big Show delivered a chokeslam to Dreamer for the easy victory. Cole briefly mentioned that Mark Henry had some harsh words for Big Show on WWE.com, reminding us to get online to see that.

Well, it isn't a good sign when WWE avoids pushing Show-Henry even though it's only the second week for the feud. There is an assumption that this one will continue after Cole mentioned Henry's promo on their website, but nothing too compelling has been provided for any intrigue in their upcoming battles. Show even tapped knuckles with Nunzio on his way to the ring, a small reminder of how this whole thing began. Let's see where it goes next this Friday.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 4.5 [down 0.5 since last week]

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


CONCLUDED FEUDS

(1) Matt Hardy vs. MVP?
(2) Batista vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho?
(3) Kane vs. Chavo Guerrero


POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Vladimir Kozlov vs. ?
(2) Matt Hardy vs. CM Punk
(3) MVP vs. Finlay & Hornswoggle
(4) Kelly Kelly vs. Natalya & Victoria
(5) Batista vs. John Morrison
(6) Big Show vs. Tommy Dreamer
(7) Cherry vs. Maryse


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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