By Jon Mezzera, Torch Specialist

SMACKDOWN HITS

None: This was an abysmal episode of Smackdown. There wasn't anything to like about it. I only have three Misses, but two of those three Misses actually encompass multiple segments each. Besides those Misses, there was plenty that could have been good, but wasn't. None of the wrestling quality was good, although some of the matches were decent like John Morrison vs. Mike Knox. I really wasn't entertained by Rey Mysterio & Batista vs. Kane & Chris Jericho, but it was ok. The Captain Lou Albano tribute video was nice and classy, but I had seen it twice earlier in the week. That isn't to say they shouldn't show it again, because they should. It just means that it doesn't have the same impact that it had the first time and so it isn't going to be a Hit again here as it was on Raw. Speaking of Raw, this week it was actually much better than Smackdown and I haven't said that much this year at all.

SMACKDOWN MISSES

Team Smackdown: I know I complained earlier in the week about the weak Team Smackdown for Bragging Rights. So, you might think it a wee bit hypocritical of me to say that it was a mistake to overhaul the team two days before the PPV. But, I am sticking to that assertion. Smackdown got off to a fine start with Jericho's early promo, but then JTG came out and we got a lame gay joke followed by a lame race joke. I loved Jericho's new insult for the crowd to go along with such greats as parasites and hypocrites when he called them germ incubators. The rest of the segment sucked. It was a carbon copy of Raw with the team captains trying to replace one (or in this case all) of the teammates in exactly the same way. Way to be original Smackdown. And, as much as I didn't like some of the team choices, by changing all five members who had to qualify, you totally undue the match stipulations from last week. If you want a viewer to take a stipulation seriously, you have to make it stick. The next time there are qualifying matches for anything, it is hard to sell those matches since they might become meaningless a week later. It didn't make sense. Plus, while there is more of a veteran presence for the new team, it isn't like Matt Hardy, R-Truth, Finlay and the Hart Dynasty have been tearing up the win column as of late. It is still a pretty lame team. And who's to say that this is even the team that Jericho & Kane will go with at the PPV?

Cena - Orton Video: It seems like WWE has shown this same exact video on all four of its shows for at least two weeks in a row. If I am right, that is the eighth time they've shown it now and it feels like even more. I guess it is appropriate that I am sick of seeing a video on this feud's history since I am totally sick of this feud and its history. I don't even know what I'll do if WWE somehow finds a way to keep it going after Bragging Rights.

Punk vs. Undertaker: I don't understand this storyline at all. I haven't understood it since Teddy Long and company screwed the Undertaker at Breaking Point. It hasn't made any sense. Some mystery and intrigue can be great in wrestling angles. A little confusion isn't always a bad thing. But, this is going too far. We know what CM Punk wants, but none of the others. Vince McMahon has been saying Long shouldn't screw the Undertaker, but seemed to be behind a new conspiracy to do just the same thing? What am I missing here? The whole set up made little sense. As you might be able to tell, this Miss is for the entire angle as presented on Smackdown including the match, not just the match itself. I did like how Punk was jumping up and down before the match in gleeful anticipation of getting the World Title back and the wrestling action was fine. The problem was the looming cloud of doom that was hovering over the entire proceedings. It was so over booked. When the booking overshadows the actual talent in the ring (which is quite high in this case), you get to TNA Impact territory which is never a good thing. Maybe after the PPV, Punk will have the Title and somehow they can move Undertaker away from the Title picture for awhile, like a feud with Batista or something, and we can get a nice Punk vs. Mysterio feud for the Title that lasts at least through Royal Rumble.

Jon Mezzera is PWTorch.com's WWE Hits & Misses Specialist, providing his point of view for Raw, Smackdown, ECW, and Superstars each week. Email him at jmezz-torch@sbcglobal.net.

For another view from the original Hitlist author, compare Jason Powell's views to mine by visiting prowrestling.NET's "Hitlist" section here.

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