It’s that time again…time for more of 10 Thoughts on Smackdown! I know it’s supposed to be 10 thoughts, but the way things have been going down, I hope you all don’t mind if I include more than 10, because I just haven’t been able to limit myself to just 10 thoughts. Anyway, without any further delay, here we go!
1. Listening to Christian’s promo during the contract signing last week, it seems WWE is going with an anti-authority kick. I mean, look at R-Truth’s “conspiracy theoryâ€, Christian’s problems with Teddy Long, and CM Punk’s “shoot†from 2 weeks ago, for example. Am I the only one who sees a pattern here?
2. You know, the way they’re making a big deal about Booker T getting a bag every week, it seems like they might be setting up something between Booker and Cody Rhodes, perhaps with more people thrown in there. Thoughts?
3. Mark Henry’s been in the WWE for 15 years now, having debuted in 1996, and you can likely count on one hand the number of times he’s been pushed. This looks to be the biggest one he’s received yet. So he’s fighting the Big Show at Money in the Bank…and even though we all know it’s not going to be a five-star classic, kudos to WWE for actually making this look somewhat interesting.
4. Did Michael Cole REALLY name-drop Harlem Heat?? I know I already said this, but with Booker T being included more and more into different storylines, as well as his banter with Michael Cole, it seems like they might be leading to Booker coming back into the ring more often. Speaking of which, it really looks like Michael Cole’s become more of a douche than ever since his “apologyâ€â€¦
5. So…the Divas matches really look to have went down in quality since Finlay left WWE. I understand he was working with them a lot, and since he’s left, it really shows in the ring. I know the IWC have been complaining a lot about the Divas and their match quality…perhaps Finlay’s departure had a direct impact on it. Heck, during the match rundown, the Divas Championship match didn’t even get mentioned…anyone else see something wrong with this picture?
6. Mark Henry/Kane was about what you would expect it to be…looked like a recycled match from the ECW days when Mark Henry was ECW Champion. It did what it was supposed to do, made Henry look even more menacing while promoting the angle against the Big Show.
7. Sin Cara/Tyson Kidd: NICE match! Fast paced, for the most part, good action…in my opinion, match of the night! Kidd’s really underrated, I hope they start using him more: heck, he might even be a good foil for Daniel Bryan…I could see some good matches between Kidd/Bryan, if they ever decide to go that route.
8a. You’ve got Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater competing in the Money in the Bank match, and in a quasi-rivalry with the Usos…seems like they’re trying to make the tag team division relevant again, but this match, while good, isn’t exactly a good way to make Gabriel and Slater look strong going into Money in the Bank. Their little exchange after the match may lead to a split in the ladder match, but at this point, it’s difficult to tell.
8b. Did anyone else think of the 90’s tag team Power and Glory (Hercules and Paul Roma) when the Usos used that superplex/top rope splash combo besides me? Or am I just dating myself as a fan here??
9. Matt Striker asks Teddy Long if he’s intimidated by Mark Henry…does anyone even remember that Long used to MANAGE Mark Henry? The one thing that bothers me about WWE: storyline continuity, or the lack thereof. It’s almost like we’re expected to forget about the storyline once it’s complete! Sorry, just HAD to throw that out there, it’s my biggest pet peeve as a wrestling fan.
10a. I admit, I was impressed with the main event this week. Sheamus is looking more and more like a true-all around wrestler every week, much more than just a big brawler. He’s been improving majorly every week, and this week made his stock go up. Also, I wouldn’t be surprised if after the Christian/Orton feud settles, Sheamus could turn tweener, possibly even face, to feud with Christian.
10b. Following up from last week…the count on kicks to the face THIS week: 15.
While I’m thinking about it, I’ll go ahead and state my predictions for the two Money in the Bank matches. Smackdown’s match likely goes to Sheamus. The way they just pushed the story of Orton kicking him in the head could lead to Sheamus cashing in that very night. I know it’s not original, but it also looks very likely to me. It’s kind of hard for me to decide between Sheamus and Wade Barrett, but with Barrett being involved with Gabriel and Slater, Sheamus looks to be the most likely candidate. Raw’s Money in the Bank match looks to be the one with more intrigue, as you have 2 former winners in the match, but I’d go with Alberto del Rio on this one. I can just imagine del Rio with the briefcase, and the promos that this would lead to. It seems they’ve been grooming him for a World title run for a while now, and they may be ready to pull the trigger on it very soon.
Until next week…
