By Chris Newth, PWTorch contributor

WWE Friday Night Smackdown
July 25, 2008
Upcoming PPV: SummerSlam (fourth-to-last episode before PPV)

SMACKDOWN STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the forty-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)


WWE Champion TRIPLE H vs. THE GREAT KHALI (1 week)

Summary:

In a special Summer Blockbuster Battle Royal, Mr. Kennedy, The Great Khali, MVP, Umaga, Jeff Hardy, and Big Show all competed for a chance to become the number one contender for the WWE Title. The match eventually narrowed down to Jeff Hardy and Khali. In the end, however, Khali connected with his big chop to the head, felling Hardy. Khali then lifted Hardy from the ground and hurled him over the top rope to score the victory. After the mach, Triple H's music hit, and the Game walked to the ring to get a better look at whom he will be defending his title against at SummerSlam. Triple H jumped into the ring, walked right into Khali's chest, and stared right into Khali's face. The intimidation was apparently too much for Khali, as the giant backed off and exited the ring with little nudging from Ranjin Singh.

Analysis:

This might be a really smart move by WWE despite the stigma that some fans think Khali has. The main event is already heavily loaded with Edge-Undertaker and Raw's big World Title combinations. So Triple H now can get a chance to simply destroy another guy on the roster at next month's PPV. Plus, if Khali is going to have any credibility, he can't be the giant who seems indestructible, yet can't ever seem to make it into the WWE Title hunt. Every now and then it's good for him to win a chance at the title even though the outcome will be almost too predictable.

The bad news is that it's very difficult to forge a compelling story around a wrestler who can't speak English. Ranjin Singh can easily handle the translation and promos, but there still exists a gaping narrative hole in Khali's character. Unfortunately, viewers don't know anything about him beyond his massive size, something that they've noted instantly the second he walked out on WWE TV. He's essentially empty beyond that. I guess we know that he has a bad temper and that he, for whatever reason, enjoys attacking the babyfaces on the roster more than he does the heels. But no reason for this has ever been given. Fans, however, will enjoy watching the Game bring down the giant. How will that Pedigree look?

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5.5

Previous Feuds
Triple H: King Booker, Umaga, Jeff Hardy, Orton & JBL, Randy Orton, John Cena
The Great Khali: Batista, Finlay, Hornswoggle, Big Show

EDGE vs. THE UNDERTAKER & Smackdown GM VICKIE GUERRERO (4 weeks)

Summary:

Backstage, Hawkins and Ryder met with Edge, who was pensively waiting for something. Edge, happy to see them, congratulated them for winning the WWE Tag Team Championship last Sunday at the Bash. He also wanted to apologize, but Hawkins and Ryder didn't want an apology. They left on good terms, but Edge found everything a little confusing. The segment ended with Edge looking perplexed and alone. Later in the back, Edge met with Alicia to tell her to blend into the woodwork after what happened last week. Bam Neely was seen in the corner of the frame overhearing the conversation as Edge told Alicia to meet him back at the hotel so that Vickie didn't catch them.

Toward the end of the show, Vickie arrived at the arena as Chavo wheeled her into the building. Vickie had a look of anger on her face. Bam Neely met up with Chavo as they walked and asked him if he had told her what Edge said earlier. Chavo clearly had not because Vickie jumped at the question, asking inquisitively what Edge said. Chavo said they'd talk in her office. Bam later met Edge to tell him that Vickie had arrived. Edge told him that he would apologize to Vickie in public. Even later in the show, Bam again saw Vickie and told her that Edge wanted to apologize to her…or that he wanted her to apologize to him (Bam clearly had trouble remembering the details). Good little tidbit on his character.

At the end of the show, Edge came out to apologize to his wife, "Victoria, my Vickie." He called her to the ring, and Chavo and Bam wheeled her out. Edge knelt down on one knee, almost making it heartfelt. "I know that what I did was horrible," Edge began. He started making excuses, saying that Alicia was aggressive and that he said no multiple times. He also said that he didn't leave because he wanted to make sure all the wedding plans were set. "I understand," Vickie responded. They embraced in a hug, but when Edge went for a kiss, she turned away. Vickie then said that when she was mad at him, she did something that he might not like. He asked her nervously, and she said, "I reinstated The Undertaker." The crowd cheered as Edge anxiously considered his options.

After a few minutes of thought, Edge suggested to Vickie that they can go on a honeymoon and let Undertaker and Triple H destroy one another. He said that when they return, he can pick the bones and then regain the WWE Title from whoever's left standing. Vickie said that the plan wasn't possible because she already assigned Undertaker's opponent for SummerSlam, and it is Edge. Oh, and she lastly added that the match would be a Hell in a Cell Match. She broke into laughter as Edge looked extremely unsettled.

Analysis:

It was another solid week of the drawn-out Edge-Vickie relationship saga. WWE wrote their breakup to essentially last four weeks when some people would have simply tossed it all into one single night. The result was a more realistic scenario as two people were shown to have a big fight, get over it the next week after missing one another, have a new problem inevitably arise, and see the relationship freefall again, this time permanently. The setup was well-planned, and it worked. Plus, now the Undertaker's return makes perfect sense. Vickie was the one who officially banished him, and one way to bring him back within the context of the story while abiding by logic is to have Vickie use her power as GM of Smackdown to reinstate the Phenom.

Vickie has been very strong in her role on the show, but her future status is now unknown. Will she remain a heel, yet still strike at Edge with the bad blood between them? Or will she now transform into a babyface character who will wholeheartedly make Edge's life hell? As for Edge, he did a fantastic job this week throughout the show. When we first saw him, he looked as though he was truly pondering his situation within a new aura of isolation now that he's lost Vickie—or that he was trying to come up with creative excuses. Then we see that he's still trying to hide his relationship with Alicia from people (namely Vickie and La Familia). And the conclusion of the show featured great lines, voice inflection, and facial expressions by the Rated-R Superstar. He was clearly unsettled and unnerved by Vickie's announcement about Undertaker.

The only thing that I think WWE missed was an opportunity to end the Vickie-Edge relationship with a more interesting twist. Don't get me wrong; the storyline is still strong and the follow-up concerning how Vickie will treat Edge going forward will likely be the same. However, WWE had begun their relationship with a strong hint that Vickie was completely enamored with Edge—infatuated, actually. It was also heavily hinted that Edge was secretly taking advantage of her. Although Edge cheating on Vickie seems completely logical for his character, WWE could have taken it in a different direction by having her (or someone else) find out that Edge was truly taking advantage of her to receive financial and professional benefits. I think that Vickie (or Triple H) uncovering the truth about Edge working behind her back would have been stronger than Triple H catching Edge making a personal mistake, albeit a devastating one.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 9.5 [same as last week]

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

WWE Tag Team Champions CURT HAWKINS & ZACK RYDER vs. JESSE & FESTUS (4 weeks)

Summary:

This week saw Curt Hawkins go one-on-one with Festus. The match ended pretty quickly when Festus caught Hawkins with his fierce flapjack finisher for the win. After the bout, Hawkins and Ryder took advantage of Festus's vulnerable condition by spiking him with a double DDT after the bell had rung.

Analysis:

It was another week of Hawkins and Ryder using Festus's condition against him, except this time they had the WWE Tag Team Titles with them. It's smart for WWE to continue this storyline of Hawkins and Ryder taking complete advantage of the bell; however, at some point the babyfaces are going to have to find a way to turn the tables on their opponents. One week Jesse was able to ring the bell himself so that Festus could go on the attack, but they'll need to try something else next time.

Jesse and Festus are an interesting tag team with a unique look since both of them seem so different. It would be nice to see and hear more of Jesse since he's the "brains" of the team, and the more normal one. There's a small sense that he's not a really bright guy, but that it doesn't really matter because he cares so much for his vulnerable and troubled friend. That side of their characters is the really small impression you get when watching them, but WWE should craft a storyline to portray more of it.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6 [same as last week]

Previous Feuds
Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder: n/a
Jesse & Festus: Deuce 'N' Domino, Morrison & Miz

MVP vs. JEFF HARDY (1 week)

Summary:

This week's Smackdown kicked off with MVP's VIP Lounge, and Porter introduced Jeff Hardy as his special guest for the night. Things began with some chummy banter in the beginning as MVP welcomed Hardy to Smackdown, but the tension gradually began to increase when Porter dragged a lot of Hardy's personal life into the conversation.

MVP mentioned how Hardy was suspended before WrestleMania, and Hardy responded by saying that he thinks the people respect the truth. Porter also mentioned how Hardy lost the Intercontinental Championship and how his house, full of personal property, burned to the ground a few months ago. Hardy wasn't pleased with MVP's psychoanalysis or with Porter taking the opportunity to give him advice. He even told MVP that he should appreciate "second chances" better than anyone. Hardy ultimately got tired of the whole thing and pushed MVP to the ground; Porter then bailed to ringside as Hardy stared back at him.

Analysis:

The interaction between Jeff Hardy and MVP during the Lounge segment was effective in opening some really personal sides to these two, particularly Jeff Hardy. I love how WWE is adding another dimension to Hardy's character by suggesting that his high-flying, crash-and-burn wrestling style transcends his in-ring work and pervades his real life too. But it's a pretty controversial storyline, so the big question will be how far WWE takes it. As long as Hardy and MVP are comfortable enough incorporating real-life faults, tragedies, and mistakes into their television personalities, it shouldn't be a problem. Plus, the potential for rich character development here is massive: how much more real and in-depth can you get if the character is the real person?

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6.5

Previous Feuds
Jeff Hardy: Umaga, Mr. Kennedy, Triple H, Randy Orton, Chris Jericho
MVP: Rey Mysterio, Ric Flair, Batista, Matt Hardy

MR. KENNEDY vs. UMAGA (3 weeks)

Summary:

This week, both Mr. Kennedy and Umaga participated in the Summer Blockbuster Battle Royal to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship, but neither man won the match. Khali took that spot after throwing Jeff Hardy over the top rope.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6 [down 0.5 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Mr. Kennedy: Jeff Hardy, Shawn Michaels, William Regal, Paul Burchill
Umaga: Jeff Hardy, Triple H, Batista

NATALYA NEIDHART vs. MICHELLE McCOOL (17 weeks w/ 4 weeks hiatus)

Summary:

After a recap of Michelle McCool winning the very first WWE Divas' Title at the Great American Bash against Natalya, McCool found herself in competition with Maryse. The match saw Michelle roll Maryse into her signature heel hook finisher for the tapout victory. No sign of Natalya at any point in the segment.

Analysis:

This was an odd way to follow up from the Great American Bash. Where was Natalya? Perhaps WWE figured that they'd end the feud since it has extended over five months at this point. If that's the case, you have to wonder who will step up as Michelle's next big challenge. Could Victoria be looking to reemerge on Smackdown to vie for the new Divas' Title?

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

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


CONCLUDED FEUDS

(1) Mr. Kennedy vs. Umaga?
(2) John Morrison & The Miz vs. Finlay & Hornswoggle
(3) Michelle McCool vs. Natalya Neidhart?


POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Vladimir Kozlov vs. ?
(2) Shelton Benjamin vs. Jimmy Wang Yang
(3) Edge vs. Bam Neely and Chavo Guerrero
(4) Brian Kendrick 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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