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By Chris Newth, PWTorch contributor

WWE Friday Night Smackdown
July 4, 2008
Upcoming PPV: The Great American Bash (third-to-last episode before PPV)

SMACKDOWN STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the forty-second 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)


As I've noted in the Raw and ECW Storylines and Feuds articles, I'm looking for your concise thoughts on any WWE storyline. Just send in 1-5 sentences on what you think the feud's strengths, weaknesses, etc. are, and I'll include them in an upcoming article to spark more discussion. My email address is newthtorch@hotmail.com, so send me your thoughts now! (Okay, send them after reading this article so you can make different points.)


WWE Champion TRIPLE H vs. EDGE & Smackdown GM VICKIE GUERRERO (1 week)

Smackdown kicked off with MVP's VIP Lounge where Porter welcomed Triple H to Smackdown. The beginning of the segment was chock full of praises, compliments, and congratulations. However, the tide shifted when Triple H not-so-subtly mocked MVP's "Power Ranger" ring attire. When Porter touted his position as the highest-paid wrestler on the roster, Triple H came back with a line about how he'd rather be a 12-time WWE Champion than the biggest waste of money on Smackdown. They then played footage of Edge losing the World Heavyweight Title to CM Punk on Raw.

As Triple H and MVP joked about the situation, Vickie Guerrero drove everything to a halt with her well-established "Excuse me!" line. Vickie and Triple H argued for a while—Vickie bragging about Edge's accomplishments and Hunter joking about the relationship Edge and Vickie share. MVP tried to explain Triple H's jokes, but his response was met with a silencing "Shut up!" by the GM. Vickie then announced that at the Great American Bash, Triple H would put his WWE Title on the line against Edge.

Later in the back, Edge walked down a hallway as people avoided eye contact, and an embittered Vickie booked Hawkins and Ryder against Jesse and Festus. That match concluded with a win for Jesse and Festus when Festus delivered his flapjack move on Ryder. After the match, Edge came to the ring, and in a rage, speared Festus before hurling punches and kicks. Festus was unable to even defend himself because he was in his stoic, catatonic state. Edge ended the assault with a chair shot to Festus's head, leveling the big man.

Then, in a pretty intense scene backstage, Vickie told Edge that he should relax because she set up a WWE Title Match for him at the Great American Bash. He said that it wasn't immediate comfort. She then commented on how stupid it was to show up on Raw Monday night, saying that she didn't even give him permission to go. That's when Edge freaked out, but Vickie reminded him that she was still his boss. Edge stormed out of the room as Vickie looked saddened.

After the Hardy-Morrison matchup, Vickie called Edge back to her office. Edge told her that she would never even be where she is if it weren't for him—that she was nothing more than Teddy Long's "lapdog." He went on to say that he's the real General Manager of Smackdown. She fought back by asking him if he knows how much she's sacrificed: her neck, her back, etc. "It's all about you, isn't it, baby?" Vickie asked resentfully. When she started whispering to herself in Spanish, Edge told her to shut up, which prompted her to jump out of her wheelchair and scream "Get out!" He left the room, but when he tried to go back, he found that the door was locked. He angrily kicked the door before leaving.

At the end of the show, Edge walked to the ring without entrance music or special lighting. He said that this would be his first and last public statement regarding what happened on Raw. The gist of the speech was that he was victimized by two unfair, cowardly attacks by Batista and CM Punk. When Edge seemed ready to reveal some personal secrets about Vickie Guerrero, the General Manager herself walked out to ask Edge what he was doing; she was confused and angry. Edge, in response to her question, walked up the ramp to meet her on stage. "The wedding is off!" he announced. Vickie began what was an almost ear-piercing screaming as she threw her ring to the ground, got to her knees, and pulled at her hair to close the show.

Both Edge and Vickie deserve a lot of credit for the way they pulled off their big fight. It was intense, believable, and entertaining. Their crumbling engagement was the ongoing through line for the entire show. Edge cut an awesome promo at the end of the show where he really drove home how important that World Title was to him and how screwed up things are in his life. And Vickie showed Edge how strong she could be, standing up to him for the first time.

ANALYSIS OF EDGE'S CHARACTER

Let's talk about Edge's character. He's arguably the strongest character—heel or babyface—on any of WWE's rosters, and his current state is the culmination of years of narrative buildup. If we were to start with the obvious, he's clearly a disreputable guy. If there's a shortcut, he's sure to take it, and as long as he's on top, nothing else matters. If things go his way, his overly joyous attitude makes him seem like he's on top of the world, but once he senses a threat, he's quick to jump into deceive-and-cheat mode. Like announcers constantly point out, Edge is the Ultimate Opportunist. He'll seize upon any opportunity to outdo someone, no matter what the cost.

As far as friendships are concerned, Edge is relatively isolated. Sure he has had La Familia in his back pocket with the Smackdown GM as his fiancée, but there are underlying tensions that have always been existent in that faction. The problem for Edge is that he can't allow himself to truly trust anyone for two reasons: 1) he doesn't like the idea of others being on his level, and 2) nobody can really live up to his expectations. Look at how he blamed Hawkins and Ryder for his losing the World Heavyweight Title on Raw. As far as reality is concerned, he was the one who sent them to escort Jim Ross out of the building. So, although he recently had a "family" backing, Edge has usually worked alone. He's a bona fide pariah on Smackdown.

Every character must have well-established goals, motives, fears, etc. to be effective in the overall story that WWE is trying to tell. That's why various backstage vignettes, interviews, promos, and other non-wrestling segments are so imperative; they enhance the character for his/her in-ring appearances. Even something that seems as innocuous and pointless as knowing what that person would do if he had a day off—knowing what they are like outside the arena—can be tremendously useful. Many people can probably imagine Edge as the kind of guy who would sit around and gawk at his various accomplishments, which are probably hanging up in one way or another in his house. We got a taste of this type of character development when he very much enjoyed his spa session with Vickie.

We also know that his short-term goal is to be a World Champion. He now has his sights set on Triple H's WWE Title. As for long-term aspirations, he wants to be known as one of the best—if not, the best. Sitting atop the rest of the roster is exactly what his character thrives on. But, at the same time, we know that he's somewhat unstable. The ebb and flow of his personal disposition is pretty dramatic as he can go from being elated one minute to being crazed and incensed the next. There almost seems to be very little middle ground when it comes to his attitude.

Viewers can also sense that he's conceited, but he's also insecure, unstable, and untrusting. These are all important traits that make his character "round." Let's say, for example, that the only sign of weakness he had was that of conceit. Sure, his smugness could make him a decent heel; in fact, many heels on WWE's roster seem to fit that bill without going much further. However, the strongest characters in television, movies, books, and even video games have weaknesses that make them even more like us. Edge's character has to resonate with us just as much as John Cena's or Triple H's does. Have people who hate Edge ever wondered if they dislike him because he's so much like them?

This week, Edge said that he felt naked without the World Title around his waist. That's vulnerability. But remember, it was his foolishness and cockiness that cost him the title. Vickie pointed out what everybody was thinking Monday night. Why did Edge show up on Raw in the first place? He did it to brag about himself. Well, that came back and bit him in the ass. This week's major psychological blowup between him and Vickie points heavily toward Edge's mental and emotional instability. And we know that he's practically incapable of trusting others. The fact that he blames everyone else (including the fans) for his mistakes proves not only that he doesn't take responsibility, but also that he has a huge difficulty trusting the people around him.

Overall, Edge is undoubtedly the strongest heel in WWE, and the company should invest just as much time and effort to develop their other stars, especially the babyfaces. Because WWE wants to give viewers reason to dislike someone, heels often get a lot more narrative support. The saying is probably true: It's a lot harder to be a babyface than it is to be a heel. We all know why people dislike Edge and Randy Orton. But why do people cheer for less-established babyfaces like CM Punk? If the only answer is because they are pitted against the evil heels, that's probably a good case to work on their character. Punk is one of the lucky few who earned a lot of fan support by just showing up with that intangible factor, but many other babyfaces on the roster are in need of some narrative facelifts. As for Edge, he's taken what has been given to him and transformed it into WWE's strongest character, and that's something we can all appreciate.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 8

Previous Feuds
Edge: Kane, Batista
Vickie Guerrero: Undertaker, Batista
Triple H: King Booker, Umaga, Jeff Hardy, Orton & JBL, Randy Orton, John Cena

United States Champion MATT HARDY vs. CHAVO GUERRERO (w/ Bam Neely) (4 weeks)

In a special Fatal 4th of July 4-Way Match, Matt Hardy put his United States Championship on the line against Chavo Guerrero, Mr. Kennedy, and Shelton Benjamin. The match saw Matt Hardy give Shelton Benjamin a Twist of Fate (with both of them landing on poor Chavo). Hardy then covered Chavo and scored the three count to retain his U.S. Title.

There isn't much to this feud. Another win for Matt Hardy practically seals this one. With no threat to Hardy's title, Chavo needs to find someone else with whom to feud. It also raises the question about Chavo's bodyguard: What good is Bam Neely doing? You'd think that he would be an excuse for Chavo to maneuver in the upper-midcard with victories every now and then, but he doesn't seem to have helped Chavo much. Maybe he'd be more useful as a tag team partner.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5.5 [down 0.5 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Matt Hardy: Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch, MVP
Chavo Guerrero: Rey Mysterio, CM Punk, Kane

WWE Tag Team Champions JOHN MORRISON & THE MIZ vs. FINLAY & HORNSWOGGLE (5 weeks)

This week, John Morrison lost to Jeff Hardy in singles competition, but nothing was done on the show to advance any Morrison/Miz-Finlay/Hornswoggle tag feud.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5.5 [down 0.5 since ECW]

Previous Feuds
John Morrison & The Miz: Jesse & Festus, Yang & Moore, Dreamer & Delaney
Finlay: Kane, Rey Mysterio, The Great Khali, Mr. McMahon, JBL
Hornswoggle: Mr. McMahon

NATALYA NEIDHART vs. MICHELLE McCOOL (14 weeks w/ 3 weeks hiatus)

This week's Smackdown also featured another Golden Dreams match, where Michelle McCool, Victoria, Cherry, Maryse, and Kelly Kelly all competed for a chance to face Natalya for the new WWE Diva's Championship. Natalya, now a redhead, joined Ross and Foley on commentary. After many attempts by various divas to grab the glittery blue star, Michelle McCool kicked Maryse off the ropes, ascended the turnbuckle, and pulled the star down for the victory.

This was the inevitable ending we've been waiting 14 weeks for. Now Natalya and Michelle have a strong excuse to get into the ring and fight—and it will be for a newly created Diva's Title. At this point, it seems to be a wrestling-exclusive type of storyline, but with the new title fueling the rivalry, there's no reason why WWE would go in a different direction. The focus at this point must be on making the Diva's Title a respectable championship based on creative, athletic in-ring competition. Now that both McCool and Natalya are in line for the title shot, this feud can really start rolling.

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

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


CONCLUDED FEUDS

(1) Edge vs. Batista
(2) Mark Henry vs. Kane vs. Big Show
(3) John Morrison & The Miz vs. Finlay & Hornswoggle?


POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Vladimir Kozlov vs. ?
(2) The Great Khali vs. ?
(3) Umaga vs. ?
(4) Triple H vs. MVP
(5) Vickie vs. Hawkins & Ryder
(6) Edge vs. Vickie
(7) Jeff Hardy vs. John Morrison
(8) Hawkins & Ryder vs. Jesse & Festus


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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