The Big IWC Question #1: Do you watch SmackDown?

[XL]

This has bugged me for a few weeks now. It seems there is a core group here that watch SmackDown on a weekly basis - some would even go as far as to say that it is consistently the best show on a week to week basis.

However, there seems to be a larger group of people that can't stand the show, describing it as "God awful" and branding it "unwatchable".

So, do you watch the show? If you don't, why not?

[#BROKEN Hasney]

I did, but Mark Henry as a focal point of the show and less Wade Barret sightings have severely dampened that.

Fix that, add in some more Daniel Bryan/Tyson Kidd/Regal (I think he's Smackdown?) and we'll talk.

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

I used to watch Smackdown but I got rid of my DVR due to it costing too much. I don't want to watch the edited European (Pussy) version they put on YouTube.

I only watch classic wrestling online unless I download Raw after getting back from work. I wish I had a DVR still.

[Rammsteinmad]

Pretty much every week since forever.

[DaVe]

Smackdown is the man (figuratively speaking). Every 3:30 on Fridays.

[Mike the Metal Ed]

It's not live, and I don't have Sky; so I don't think to stream it.

[VSG]

Catch it on youtube in the weekend every week.

[Gertner]

It's good, but it's on a Friday night. If it were on a different night I'd watch it more.

[What Would Kevin Do?]

It's good, but it's on a Friday night. If it were on a different night I'd watch it more.

Benefits of a DVR. Usually watch it Saturday or Sunday morning while I'm waking up.

[Jura]

I only watch it when I read something interesting in the spoilers that I want to see but I'm not a fan of them editing the product with fake cheers or boos, redoing matches or cutting out parts of the match.

[The Gold Standard]

I DVR it every week, but I usually end up deleting it by saturday morning. Reading spoilers has really hurt me watching SD. The problem is I can't stop. It is like a sickness. However, I do watch if I know something big happens.

[Xero]

I wasn't watching it for like 5 years or so outside of a random episode here or there, then I started sort of getting back into last year. Around Mania I started watching regularly and now I watch it every week. Although sometimes I do get back logged on episodes, I don't miss any of them.

I definitely prefer SmackDown! to RAW and it's easily the better show. But the problem is, with the way WWE treats it as the secondary brand, people give less of a shit about it than they really should.

When people say "WWE Sucks", most of the time they're only focusing on the RAW brand because that's the "flagship" show and WWE treats it as such. But the fact is that it's much more wrestling-oriented, both in the ring and storyline-wise.

If they focused more on SmackDown! it'd probably degrade into RAW II, so whatever, keep it as the secondary brand.

[Gertner]

Sheamus is worth watching Smackdown. Been my favourite Artistic Combatant hands down for well over a year now.

[Rammsteinmad]

Christian's and Orton's five-month fued was probably the best Artisitc Combat feud this year.

[Gertner]

Christian's and Orton's five-month fued was probably the best Artisitc Combat feud this year.

The finest piece of art that I've seen since a Picasso.

[Rammsteinmad]

Wait really? Didn't you hate Christian? Or someone else?

[Gertner]

I hate face Christian. Heel Christian I like. Just don't like him as a long term champ. The feud was hot though.

[Rammsteinmad]

So conflicted right now. I wanna punch you and hug you at the same time for that comment.

[XL]

It's not live, and I don't have Sky; so I don't think to stream it.
Why is the fact that it's not live such a big deal?

[XL]

It's good, but it's on a Friday night. If it were on a different night I'd watch it more.
Yeah, I don't watch in on a Friday night, I usually catch it on a Saturday morning/afternoon. If you don't have a DVR, it's available online (and not just the "pussy Euro version either") just depends how much trouble you think it's worth I guess.

[XL]

I DVR it every week, but I usually end up deleting it by saturday morning. Reading spoilers has really hurt me watching SD. The problem is I can't stop. It is like a sickness. However, I do watch if I know something big happens.
Dude, you really need to stop that!

I've managed to hold off on reading spoilers for the most part for the past few months, makes the show far more enjoyable.

I wish you could "hide" threads on these forums because the SPOILER threads always sream at me to be read.

[screech]

I watch every week. Sometimes live (on TV), but mostly online.

Almost always a great show. I'll never understand how people can read spoilers and deem the show "unwatchable" immediately.

[Flash Funk]

It has been better than Raw for some time now

[XCaliber]

It used to be the A show for me but regardless of that I still view it every week.

[Emperor Smeat]

I watch it sometimes although most of the time I end up forgetting to watch it than actually ignoring it because it could be bad or an "inferior" show.

Only thing I really hated was when the channel it was on kept changing every few weeks to months with my old cable provider due to MyNetworkTV not being an actual channel for a while.

[SammyG]

No, because Friday night is for partying.

[JimmyMess]

No, because Friday night is for partying.

To right you are, sir.

[Skippord]

I DVR it

[XL]

No, because Friday night is for partying.
You seem like the kinda guy who parties all week long but what stops you watching at some point after the original airing?

[Triple Naitch]

I watch it every week, usually on DVR. I try to stay away from the spoilers, except for the Friday before the PPV for Tipsters.

[Immortal Moose]

I chose sometimes, but I usually watch it every week since it's dvr'd I don't watch it on Fridays though.

[GD]

I have been a Smackdown guy since Brock Lesnar's first reign as WWE Champion. I watch it on youtube.

[Lock Jaw]

I try to watch it on Youtube, but some weeks I miss it. If I don't see it on the weekend, I don't bother.

[Cool King]

I watch it every week.

I don't have Sky Sports, so I just watch it on YouTube on Friday nights. The only problem I have with watching it on YouTube is the screenshots of the videos.

Last week, one of them was Sin Cara getting his arm raised in victory after a match, so watching it on YouTube can sometimes ruin the outcome of matches and storylines, but I'll live.

[Juan]

The "It's on Fridays" excuse is such a flimsy excuse not to watch Smackdown. There are like a hundred other ways to watch it

[dronepool]

I watch it once in a while. Usually if I read something unique/amusing in the spoilers and if I'm at home that particular day/If I'm not doing anything that Friday or waiting until later on that night, it's a good way to kill 2 hours but there have been times where I turned on the PS3 in the middle of it. There have been times where I just forgot it was on. To me it just isn't as exciting to watch like RAW is. It isn't bad, it just doesn't 'feel that important'.

I think it would be better off if it was on Thursday. Seems like a better day.

[ZosoMetalManiac]

I never watch it because of my work schedule. If I know of a match I want to see, I'll find the match on YouTube. That's about it.

[Battlekat]

I DVR it every week, but I usually end up deleting it by saturday morning. Reading spoilers has really hurt me watching SD. The problem is I can't stop. It is like a sickness. However, I do watch if I know something big happens.

Pretty much this. I'm almost always out on friday nights and always mean to download a torrent or something. Once I read the spoilers I have very little incentive to watch/download it over the weekend. Once Hockey starts back up there is basically no prayer of me watching it.

[Nightwing]

I always forget its on. WWE.com has been posting the segments after so if its worth it ill catch it there.

[screech]

WWE Fan Nation YouTube channel posts the whole show. Usually by Saturday morning.

[XL]

I kinda wanna hear from those that describe the show as unwatchable and "God awful" (think that one was St. Jimmy).

[Gertner]

Too much personality for St. Jimmy's liking.

[Anybody Thrilla]

There's always at least one GREAT match on Smackdown every week. Cody Rhodes, Sheamus, Christian, Daniel Bryan, and Wade Barrett are all awesome. Randy Orton has been evolving into a REAL star, and I'm definitely enjoying him right now. I love Smackdown.

[XL]

Hey a$$hole, you gonna PM me back!?

[XL]

Did you not see him front and centre during the closing segment of Raw 2 days ago?