WWE Smackdown
December 3rd 2015 provided another episode of Smackdown, as they are set to air live and on USA by the start of the New Year. Let’s take a look back at last night’s episode and analyze further.
Unless it is pre-empted, the crowd reactions were more boisterous, more vociferous towards Rusev and Sheamus in the League of Nations stable. If these reactions of strong booing are indeed legitimately correct, then WWE has hit a home-run. Finally, Sheamus and Rusev have found their intimate connection to the audience even as villains. It goes beyond the generic nationalism of Russia, Bulgaria punctuated by a superiority complex. Sheamus, with the catchphrase and new t-shirt has a new lease of life and as the WWE champion. Ideally, in a “sing-song” antagonist way, Sheamus should chant back, “I’m the Champ” in a similar rhythm to further antagonize the crowd; during the “you look stupid chants.”
The Opening segment of the family created a nice point-counterpoint measure. Roman even as a solo star now, has allies in this post-Shield environment. He has his “brother” Dean Ambrose and his real life blood clan in the Uso’s. This segment brought out the Legion and their respective points of view, along with the New Day. The match then was made consisting of all three New Day members versus Dean Ambrose and both Uso’s in a hotly contested bout.
This segment also created the main event as The Superman with the Super-punch Roman Reigns looked stronger than ever. His chase, his quest for the title is slowly being built up again, despite TLC being on December 12. Reigns defeated all four Legion of Nations members; in a four-on-one handicap match.
Brie Bella who is trading wins and losses, and shown little consistency (and is a tag-along in the twin magic) defeated Becky Lynch. Perhaps with the loss from Charlotte on Monday and foreshadowing from Paige, this means Lynch will turn heel soon? Becky Lynch was introduced as part of the NXT Diva Revolution. However, these ladies, aside from the Sasha intangibles; not much flair or vignettes were shown to properly promote and introduce ladies like Lynch who are in the background. (When you compare the ladies roster, and to people with the lineage like Charlotte, and personal fan preferences of Sasha Banks- where does Lynch fall?)
• In a correction of my previous article: Bray Wyatt continues his path to destruction against D-Von Dudley. I reported earlier in my Raw Revival that it was Buh-Buh Ray to face Bray; and ironically that match was changed. As the scuttlebutt predicts, NXT will soon have the Dudley’s make a run there. A great vision in propping up the new and up and coming talent is a must. They would have great chemistry versus the soon to be heel Vaudevillians and also elevate a hot team in Jason Jordan and Chad Gable. Jordan and Gable appear to be on the fast track, and should receive the belts or a title shot in the next 2-3 months.
In other action, Tyler Breeze defeated Neville. Arguably Neville is getting a RAW deal (pardon the pun). He was NXT champion, and had a great run, and is awesome in-ring performer. However, not much is given to him when it comes to character persona and storyline. The last match he had on RAW, was a mid-card throw-away and without proper feud, introduction, buildup versus Mark Henry. Ideally, Neville, along with John Morrison would be great future opponents for guys like Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Ambrose and Cesaro when he returns. The problem is: Neville is not promoted and build creatively as a “major player”.
The conflict: Sadly, it’s all about his match and the moves as the appeal; and his character and other intangibles go out the window. Aside from his Red Arrow; what is significant, or standing out about Neville? He is treated and booked as a wrestler, who wrestles and it becomes all about the match. He is too good of a talent to be used as just a “wrestler”; and in matches that are good on the card, but don’t add credibility to his productivity in moving up the card. Neville was in hokey feuds over the cosmic thing-a-majic and what did that prove or showcase his best talents for? He goes from potential cross-over appeal with Stephen Amell and which WWE quickly concluded and cut too soon at Summerslam when the team defeated Stardust and Wade Barrett. Neville goes from main event and NXT champion and really knowing a comfort level with his persona- to the mid-card and not really developing feuds that are significant. How for instance- did we go from that, and using Amell and his credentials, appeal to help prop Neville: and then Neville goes back into the mid-card again?
These were the matches on Smackdown from December 3rd 2015. These matches and following stories seemed the most logical; and also had the most “reason” to properly build and promote the main stories, with the avenue to culminate at TLC.
The Overview: The changes needing to be made in making Smackdown better are: more vignettes and spontaneous segments. These matches were better, and this show was better than last week. However, a temporary rebound does not solve the problem. This show and these matches albeit good- are the proverbial band-aid to a much bigger hemorrhaging problem. Ratings and ratings that are important for success have not recovered. The main-stream audience and casual fans are not watching the show, and is what’s lacking. This problem is also evident on RAW as well.
Smackdown is “booking” good matches, but the writing only pays attention to the main-event picture; and catering to those talents. Yes, the main-event is the appeal and the money, as the feature. However, Smackdown has the same problem WCW has in 1998, but in reverse. The matches are good, with a solid under-card, some good main events. But the writing, the focus, and the stories are focused on the main event; and not enough towards the solid under-card, and mid-card. A la, circa WCW has run, and run into the ground of the N.W.O. story. Whereas talents like the Cruiserweights (Ambrose, Ziggler, Cesaro of today equivalent) are given their niche, but not enough which is sad. Especially in dire times, with an injury plagued roster, Smackdown needs to be must-see TV. There is not much attention to the mid-carders, and the new angles and new stories that also support the main-event picture.
What’s needed or to change: Spontaneity and more stories, more angles. Such as, a backstage fights and segue into a bonus bout makes people feel like they are getting something extra. Have it start backstage and spill into the production area, and go into the arena. Link and carry the segments; and it becomes (and comes across) as so hard-hitting that people must watch it. If the brawl is so violent, so impromptu, oh, now we as fans must care. Its goes beyond the traditional tried-and true (and often used) elements to produce a match. There is a big difference versus booking matches, versus producing and “writing” a wrestling show.
Writing is more intricate, detail-oriented and visual for episodic TV; as opposed to match after match. Video vignettes create a better link, a better introduction to properly introduce the new talent, and give us something else as fans to buy into the performer, and prior to just seeing them in the ring and “just wrestling.”
In going live, Smackdown must make all of their segments and matches count. They have been better in the past, going back to 2002-2004. They need to stand out and be different from RAW, and eliminate the filler content, or the re-hashing of what we did/or did not see on Monday.
In lay terms; the Outlook: Smackdown has lost its identity. The NXT shows are frankly better events and better production. More fans, and the diehards gravitate towards the “third brand of WWE”, and their wants and expectations are met, and surpassed in a good show in NXT. People like and prefer NXT over the main-stream TV prime-time airings. In order to gain more fans, and especially casual fans, Smackdown needs to be big every week, and bring better story elements. Imagine the cross over, the casual fans as the audience back watching WWE. Imagine how much more money the talent would make, and the ratings increasing with more viewers. They need better story line creation, arcing and video vignettes to bridge the gap and bring everything together.
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