The final SmackDown before Backlash, coming straight from the UK. Lets get under way.
1. Edge always delivers the promo goodness, but I had the vague feeling that something was missing from his show opening promo this week. All I got from the opening segment is that Edge, SmackDown’s primary main event heel right now, is being portrayed as a mentally disturbed desperate man. While he’s played the part of the whiny heel before, he’s generally made it enjoyable, and I just don’t think it works when he’s the challenger for the title, and not the champion.
2. CM Punk needs to be built up if he is to believably cash in the Money in the Bank this year. The best way to do this, in my opinion, is to give him a big heel turn. Punk’s shown that he can by dynamite on the microphone, and there’s plenty of face talent that Punk could feud with.
3. I’m getting sick of seeing the Triple H/ McMahons vs. Legacy feud shoved down our throats on RAW, do I really need to see a video package promoting it on SmackDown as well?
4. Big Show’s microphone skills are really underrated. While he may not set the world on fire by speaking, he certainly seems capable of putting on an enjoyable promo.
5. While I enjoyed the Undertaker’s match against the Big Show, the ending to the match was a complete disappointment. While it strengthens Big Show as a monster heel, it completely takes away any kind of momentum The Undertaker has.
6. Last week they stated that it was Maryse’s last night on SmackDown. Obviously that was blatantly incorrect. The match last week essentially took away Maryse’s momentum and gave Kim a massive boost, but they completely took that away this week.
7. Major league freaky promo from Jeff Hardy. It reminds me of the type of character he was using during his stint in TNA. I can’t say I was all that impressed. The man just can’t talk.
8. Seeing the MVP vs. Chavo Guerrero match made me think about how great a match Chavo can put on. He shows it every time he takes part in an even match, and its such a shame that WWE continue to treat such a veteran, who still has a lot to give to the business if given the chance, like job fodder.
9. For the second week in a row SmackDown holds an all RAW main event. Its plainly clear that WWE see RAW as the mainstream brand, but making SmackDown an extra two hours to fill in whatever couldn’t be fitted in during the RAW broadcast is just plain stupid booking.
10. It appears that the changes to the roster aren’t going to come into effect until the night after Backlash. I’ve got to wonder what the point was in having the draft so early if it wasn’t going to make a difference. It just makes the draft look pointless when the draft split is barely even kept to anymore.
