10 Thoughts on Smackdown 07.29.2011: Randy Orton v. R-Truth, Christian v. John Morrison, Sheamus, Mark Henry

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Welcome to another edition of 10 Thoughts on Smackdown! It’s the first episode from the Blue Crew since Triple H took over as the COO of WWE, so there might possibly be a shaking up of things here. Without further delay, the top 10 thoughts that passed through my mind this week…

 

1. Does this mean R-Truth’s getting a serious push now? His appearance on the Blue Show means that he’s either gonna get the push, or he’s gonna “get GOT”.

2. I don’t know about you all, and maybe I’m in the minority here…but I kind of like HHH in this COO story position. It’s a change of pace for him, somewhat…if you look past the attempts at humor…but it’s a different direction from where we’ve seen him in the past few years. My only knock? CONTINUITY??? Didn’t Orton DDT his wife and make his life hell post-Evolution? At least make things SOMEWHAT difficult for Orton…I know they’re making HHH out to be a no-nonsense boss, but this is just one example of many where there is a lack of storyline continuity…I’ve ranted about it before, so I won’t waste too much time about it in one thought.

3. So let me get this straight…Zack Ryder tries to get on Raw…and finds a position on Smackdown…is that a win or a fail in his eyes? I kind of hope it’s permanent, because he’s been quite entertaining tonight.

4. The Wade Barrett/Daniel Bryan segment was short, to the point, and served its purpose. It made both guys look decent, but I think Bryan needs a little more work on the mic. Terrific wrestler, not a good promo guy though. If WWE lets him cut loose in the ring, his mic work could be overlooked for his in-ring skills, but I don’t know if they’ll let him do that. I hope they do, though…

5. How many times do they plan on recycling AJ, Natalya, Kaitlyn, Tamina, Alicia Fox, and Rosa Mendes in matches each week? If it was going anywhere with a storyline, I’d understand, but this doesn’t seem to be heading anywhere fast. Honestly, I think it’s because Smackdown is seriously lacking in number of Divas. Also, has anyone noticed that in these matches, Rosa has spent most of her time on the apron?

6. So I guess that was Sheamus’ face turn…it kind of reminds me of the Road Warriors back in the 80’s. They were hated to no end, but they didn’t really cheat. It seemed the main reason the NWA turned them was because they’d been in the ring with many of the faces, and the bookers thought, “We don’t have any more faces for the Warriors to tear apart, so let’s try turning them.” Sheamus, as was pointed out last week, doesn’t really cheat either, and turning him face may be a breath of fresh air to the character, and motivate the performer.

7. Is it just my imagination, or does the New Nexus look kind of lost without CM Punk around? That was my biggest question throughout this whole Money in the Bank fallout: what would Punk’s new angle do for the rest of the New Nexus? The match with the Usos was okay, but they still look really bland without a leader.

8. Thought regarding the Raw Rebound: This past Monday night, Cena winning the WWE Championship right back was unnecessary. I know Cena’s their most bankable Superstar, but sometimes the chase for the title is better for the story than having the title. I also understand it was to build up Cena/Punk for Summerslam, but WHY do it at Rey’s expense? It seemed more like a “Screw You” than a “Thank You” to Rey…just my opinion. They could have done without the second match, had the Punk segment at the end, and booked a triple threat for Summerslam. That way, the storyline gets at least one more month of mileage…because let’s face it, WWE’s got the hottest angle they’ve had in quite a while; let it ride for as long as fans are into it. Judging from the reaction Punk’s been getting everywhere he’s been going, it looks like this can ride for quite a while…I’ll even go so far as to say that this reminds me of the reactions that Hart and Austin used to get, and it’s a direction WWE might want to consider going.

9. Does anyone else think Ezekiel Jackson is in the wrong era of wrestling? He seems like he’d fit more in the 80’s, maybe as a good foil for Lex Luger. Speaking of which, he reminds me a lot of a mix of Luger and Ahmed Johnson…I’ll leave the context of that comment up to the reader.

9b. That handicap match just hurt Zeke’s credibility as Intercontinental Champion even more, I fear. This is leaning more and more to Cody Rhodes becoming Intercontinental Champion, but it’s never good when a champion is losing more than he’s winning. More proof as to how little the WWE is caring about titles; again, the World Heavyweight Champion was in the opening match, while the number one contender is in the main event…which one should be viewed more highly, the top contender, or the champion himself? Comments, thoughts?

10. Two-for one thought here on Randy Orton: One, the match with R-Truth this week finally showcased Orton’s character correctly…a psycho with a temper. So much for R-Truth’s potential push…maybe. Anyway, second thought: I wonder, which is supposed to be more over, Orton, or the RKO itself? Sometimes, like tonight, or at Money in the Bank, the RKO is made to be so devastating. Sudden, hard-hitting…it’s understandable as to why it’s so effective. But…is Orton’s finishing move overshadowing the man himself? Hmmm…

Most of these thoughts this week are intended to provoke thought in the readers as well…I may be wrong for thinking some of these thoughts, but that’s why we watch the show, right? Perspective changes from person to person, and that’s the beauty of this business. Sorry for the extra thought, but it just popped in there as I was writing. Anyway, until next week…

Currently a junior at Murray State University, Joe Violet has been writing for Inside Pulse Sports since the summer of 2010, and started writing for Inside Pulse Wrestling in the summer of 2011. He follows several sports, and also follows professional wrestling and MMA. He is pursuing a degree in creative writing/journalism.