So the rumour mill has it that the WWE is concerned about how SmackDown is doing and felt that Randy Orton would be a big enough draw to cover the loss of Edge, and how wrong they were. Talk of canceled weekend house shows and lacklustre crowd response to the main eventers all add up to what on the outside looks like a very worrying time for the "B-show".
But let’s take a second and a step back to look at what’s actually happening on the blue brand. We have three credible, former champions competing for the big gold belt, coming off arguably the best match at Over The Limit, and with the current Christian 'heel turn' the feud could go in a new very interesting direction. The heel turn for Christian is a very interesting move on the WWE's part due to the fact he is actually acting less of a heel than Orton has in the last few weeks. Put simply, while still remaining face, Orton has basically been a dick in the feud with Christian and has used circumstances very much to his advantage. Yet Christian will be the one walking out of this feud the bad guy.
You then have Cody Rhodes, a man who over the years I have been very critical of, but you know what? Over the last couple of gimmicks the man I once described as having the charisma of a cardboard cut-out of himself with a bag of sick taped to it has made a believer of me. "Dashing" Cody was a stroke of genuine genius, and while the clear mask is an issue, bag man Cody is a very interesting evolution for his character. Mix in the tag team action reuniting him with a no longer jobbing (well not every week at least) Ted DiBiase to take on the interesting pairing of Daniels and Sin Cara and we have something very interesting to keep him busy until his eventual world heavy weight title shot.
The main issue facing SmackDown post draft is the same one they face every year after the great shuffle, which is they have lost more they ever really gained. Both Drew McIntyre and Jack Swagger would have been a breath of fresh air against Orton for the title however instead I fear they will be lost amongst the mid card of Raw. Not to speak of Alex Riley's solitary appearance in blue before being moved back to Raw for no reason.
Speaking of Raw, while the rumours of SmackDown troubles have been circulating, I have to admit I have been less than impressed with the current offerings from the "flagship show". As I write I am struggling to think what has even been happening on Raw, and it would be so easy to blame that fact on John Cena being champion but his current feud with R- “I post results on Twitter” Truth has saved it. R-Truth is another man who over the years I have been critical of. But once again someone writing for the WWE has dug down deep and pulled out some genuine emotion and let their frustration pour out and let the truth set them free. I only hope the R-Truth and Christian story lines don't end up turning into copies of each other with the names just changed.
Predictions for the next few weeks:
- Johnny Curtis will make an in ring debut, no one will care and he will disappear again. There was a reason you put him in a tag team to start with WWE - the man is just generic.
- Obama will not turn up at Capitol Punishment. But the WWE will make some reference to one day a McMahon being in the White House.
- Batista however may make an appearance at the upcoming PPV. Leading to what I can only hope is a moment of television history when him and Mason Ryan stand in the ring together and then merge into one person.
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