With Judgment Day just around the corner, I present to you my 10 thoughts for SmackDown
1. John Morrison is officially playing a babyface role with his choosing of CM Punk as his partner. I’ve been a vocal supporter of Morrison since the start, and he’s always played the heel successfully. Hopefully, this face turn can lead him to the main event scene.
2. It’s nice to see Charlie Haas finally getting used properly. After his admittingly funny spell as an impressionist Haas is finally getting the chance to show off his wrestling skills on SmackDown. Just another reason that SmackDown is the best wrestling show in the WWE right now.
3. Chris Jericho once again provided the promo goodness. I for one am hoping that Jericho does not win the Intercontinental Championship, for the sole reason that I want a Jericho vs. Edge feud over the WWE Championship over the next few months. I’m calling it right now, the Intercontinental Championship match needs to end via DQ or Count Out.
4. Ricky Ortiz is officially working the jobber role. Ortiz was being pushed like mad during his early run on ECW, but now he’s on SmackDown it’s likely that he will be lost in the shuffle. I’m banking on Ortiz finding his way onto the unemployment line during 2009.
5. Not only is SmackDown getting better by the show, but SmackDown’s Women’s division is actually worth watching now. Bar Alicia Fox, who I’m still not sold on, the Women’s tag team match was a very good match and McCool’s “no care†attitude is always fun.
6. The Wang Yang vs. Ziggler match was the low point of the show. While it wasn’t the most disappointing moment of the night it was certainly the most boring. The point was to get Ziggler over, but that was completely undone when Khali manhandled him following the match.
7. You remember when I mentioned the disappointing moment of the show. R-Truth going over Mike Knox was definitely it. Knox is constantly built as a monster heel and is fed jobbers week after week, but then as soon as he is put in a match where he can actually be put over, he loses in less than 3 minutes.
8. Having seen the Edge vs. Chris Jericho match, my desire for a feud between the two has never been higher. These two could put on an excellent “who has the bigger ego†style feud, and they are two of, if not the, best mic workers on SmackDown, and they’re ring work is always enjoyable and exciting.
9. The final segment did exactly what is was intended for, to build towards the three big matches this Sunday. Judgment Day as a whole doesn’t seem overly exciting, but I have to say the SmackDown side of things has some potential.
10. Finally, I thought I would use my final thought to predict the SmackDown side of things this Sunday, so here we go – Edge over Jeff Hardy (probably not cleanly, as a rematch between the two is pretty much a given), CM Punk over Umaga (I’m pulling for Umaga, but if Punk loses then any credibility he has as a championship contender is gone), Rey Mysterio over Chris Jericho (DQ finish, see point 3) and John Morrison over Shelton Benjamin (see point 1).
