Smackdown This Week(Feb10): The Good and The Bad

[danquinn]

Big Show/Sheamus/Barett/Rhodes Segment: I really liked this. Sheamus is looking more and more like a main eventer every week, Rhodes is showing why he'll be World Champion within the next 2 years, Barrett was also pretty decent and The Big Show also impressed. The respect thing with Sheamus was fine, they didn't go too far with the respect and all of a sudden become best buds either which worked for me. Overall it was a good segment.

The match was also pretty good, there were some nice spots, everyone got to look pretty strong, but Sheamus coming off the strongest was obviously the best booking decision. The only thing is, for me, Rhodes was made to look the weakest. As I saw it he only got one decent spot with his kick to the Big Show, and other than that he was being tossed around like a rag doll. I mean this guy is the IC champion, surely they could have made him look a little bit better? It just kind of felt like he's going to be nothing more than a spare part at the chamber, I mean I know he will be, but at least try a little bit harder to not make me think it WWE.

Khali/Mahal - I didn't hate it, but it didn't stand out for me. Decent match considering Khali isn't the best wrestler by any stretch of the imagination and Mahal is fairly new to the WWE, but they did well and the brother-in-law storyline could make for an interesting feud.

I'm not even going to talk about the Natalya/Kidd/Hornswoggle Segment.

Beth/Fox/Tamina- Yeah, we get it now, no one can beat Beth. And if Tamina can't then for the love of God start this Kharma feud after the Chamber.

Cole/AJ/Bryan- I got bored. I watch SD! & Raw on YouTube a day after their posted, and I gotta be honest, I skipped it until Bryan showed up. His heel character is great, and it's working, well I can't stand him, so I guess it's working?

Ted DiBiase/Hunico- Again, where is this going? Does anyone have any idea?

Orton/Bryan- Great match until YET ANOTHER FUCKING DQ FINISH! Seriously creative team, there are OTHER ways to end a match...fucking use them, because it's getting boring quickly.

Anyways as always guys...thoughts?

[Kid Dynamo]

Agree on both segment and match on the Big 4 brawl. However, I still contend that Rhodes should've been booked to beat Goldust at EC, then break the streak at Mania, so it saddens me to see him spinning his wheels in a match he won't win.

I'm upset that Creative was so lazy that they turned DB's veganism into cheap heat. That said, can you at least note how much stronger DB has made the coward heel champ look than ADR and Miz? (can't vouch for Roode because Jesus cries when people watch TNA)

He'll have to find a way to win clean at EC, right?

Mahal needs a much bigger push. Khali is an unintelligible tree who is pimped to the crowd because WWE wants the Indian market (and with good reason). Mahal is a much more interesting wrestler, much more not-butt-ugly, and at least he can talk. (Side-note: ADR/Mahal tag team? Anyone?)

I know nothing is happening with Ted and Hunico but at least they're fighting on TV. I don't know what else to say. WWE is so desperate to bring the ratings back that they are giving more and more time to established stars and nothing for the people that are supposed to become stars later.

That said, creative isn't retarded. If you have been watching NXT, it's been incredibly well-written since abandoning the contest concept and literally just becoming a C-show. they have it in them to make a great show, so I guess they think this is what the people want.

[Jules]

Feb 11, 2012 18:03:29 GMT -4 Kid Dynamo said:

Rhodes should've been booked to beat Goldust at EC, then break the streak at Mania

Taker will not lose the streak (doesn't he have a no-lose at Mania clause in his contract following the Cowboy Boy Orton fiasco?), and he should never lose it as a mark of respect for everything he has achieved.

If the streak was lost to some midcard talent it would completely ruin the whole concept for me, which is based on the idea that Taker is simply invincible at WM.

I understand Dan's frustration with the persistent DQ finishes in DB matches, but I guess that is how they want him to go over right now, as a lame champion who people pay to watch get beat up. It's a shame DB is being used this way because he is such a talent, but he is doing a good job with the little creative are giving him.

[Kid Dynamo]

Taker has said he wants the streak to end...but to the next big thing (not Lesnar).

The Orton match in 05 was the first reference of The Streak, and Orton was going to break it then, but earned the dreaded "backstage heat" (shocker) and was jobbed.

Taker knows that: A) 19-1 and he's still one if the 10 greatest wrestlers in WWE history; B) 20-0 does NOTHING to build up new superstars.

Looking out on the superstars of tomorrow...I think Rhodes has been built to handle the burden and he's not just a midcarder. I see him being the HHH of this generation.

[danquinn]

I like how Bryan is being built up and I agree it works for him, but a DQ EVERY week gets very annoying.

As far as Taker's streak goes, I simply cannot decide. Either he keeps the streak forever and Undertaker is truly invincible, or they let an up and comer break it. The only issue is, they need a guy who is ALWAYS guaranteed to be with WWE, someone who isn't already established but has HOF potential and someone who will take the streak and use it to propel himself to the top. And I have to be honest, there is only one guy who is like that on the roster, and that's Rhodes, but I don't think he's over enough yet for it to work well.

[Jules]

Feb 11, 2012 21:15:09 GMT -4 Kid Dynamo said:

Taker has said he wants the streak to end...but to the next big thing (not Lesnar).

The Orton match in 05 was the first reference of The Streak, and Orton was going to break it then, but earned the dreaded "backstage heat" (shocker) and was jobbed.

Taker knows that: A) 19-1 and he's still one if the 10 greatest wrestlers in WWE history; B) 20-0 does NOTHING to build up new superstars.

Looking out on the superstars of tomorrow...I think Rhodes has been built to handle the burden and he's not just a midcarder. I see him being the HHH of this generation.

Cody Rhodes was jobbed to Great Khali - it doesn't get any more midcard than that.

I understand what you mean by building new superstars, but the fact is there is no up and coming superstar right now that deserves to end the streak. I don't totally disagree about you saying Rhodes being the HHH of his generation, but I don't entirely agree. Rhodes obviously has talent, but whether he can scale the heights of HHH I'm not sure, strikes me a talented nearly man.

Wouldn't be disappointed to be proven wrong though.