Heyman
12-15-2004, 01:13 AM
QUESTION - Is there a stronger "glass ceiling" on Smackdown than on RAW? (shockingly)
I alluded to this in an earlier posting of mine, but I'd like to elaborate on the subject.
In the last year and a half or so, take a look at the stars that have been created (or "elevated") on RAW.
-Chris Benoit
-Edge
-Shelton Benjamin
-Randy Orton
-Dave Batista
-Gene Snitsky
-La Resistance (to a slight extent....since they've actually beaten Edge/Benoit cleanly before)
Now compare this to Smackdown
-JBL
-Eddie Guerrero
-John Cena
Now in Smackdown's case, you can even argue that although JBL/Guerrero have been "elevated", they haven't been "elevated" to the level that they could have (as of yet). In some respects, both men have been FLOPS as main-eventers (I'll elaborate on this later).
Perhaps the biggest difference between RAW and Smackdown right now, is how they USE their "established" past World/WWE champions.
RAW:
-Triple H
-Shawn Michaels
-Chris Jericho
-Chris Benoit
-Kane
Smackdown
-Kurt Angle
-Big Show
-Undertaker
-Booker T (even though he's only been WCW champ, I'll still include him here).
Take a look at guys like Kane, Jericho, and Benoit on RAW now. Between these three, they have helped "put over" Snitsky, Orton, Edge, Benjamin, and Batista.
Triple H (arguably the biggest star on RAW) has helped Orton and Batista (he helped get them 'over' by association). He helped establish Benoit as a main-eventer, and he helped Benjamin look "for real".
.
.
.
.
.
.
Now......take a look at Smackdown (since February/04):
-Guerrero defeated Lesnar, but the win looked "flukey" (since Goldberg interfered)
-Guerrero defeated Angle at WM, but the win once again looked "flukey". As result, Guerrero STILL didn't look like a credible main-eventer.
-JBL defeats Guerrero with a FLUKE victory to become WWE champ. Not only does this not help JBL that much, but it also solidifies the fact that Guerrero's WWE title win was a fluke.
-Kurt Angle easily defeats up-and-comer Charlie Hass in his first match back.
-Kurt Angle defeats Eddie Guerrero convincingly at Summerslam (once again solidifying the fact that Guerrero's WWE title reign was a fluke).
-JBL gets COMPLETELY dominated by Taker in his feud, but still manages to retain the title. Again - limited credibility is given to JBL. In the end - he still looks like a mid-carder out of place.
-JBL defeats Booker T (a guy who had just recently jobbed the US title CLEANLY to Cena) with a fluke victory to retain title. JBL still has limited credibility.
Adding to these disturbing facts, Smackdown has completely mis-used Rob VanDam.
-Winning the tag titles isn't too bad (since he gets TV time atleast), but they could still use him a LOT better. Oh and by the way - he wasn't on the card for Summerslam.
-Did I mention the fact that Jacqueline (woman) has a been CW champion? Funaki (an announcer) just won the CW battle Royale to become the #1 contender........against Spike Dudley (a complete jobber in the WWE for the most part) And people wonder why no one takes the CW division seriously. :nono:
The only slightly postive thing that I've seen with Smackdown this past year, has been John Cena. His feud with Booker T was decent (with Cena going over), and his matches with the Big Show also helped him gain credibility.
Kudos to Show and Booker T for putting over Cena. :y:
Other than that however, Smackdown has done a PISS poor job in creating stars. A lot of it has to do with the fact that their "established" stars aren't putting 'over' enough people.
Kurt Angle: I've always respected Angle (and always will), but he has to make a decision. Either ignore the doctors' advice and give it 110% in the ring (as a main-eventer), or work a WAY lighter schedule and be a mid-card type guy that helps create new stars.
Given Angle's current physical condition, I'd go with the latter. If Angle can no longer do the things that he once could (because of his neck), then he should give BACK to the business....and put others over at the right time (basically......like what Jericho is doing on RAW).
There's nothing worse than seeing an INJURED and washed-up main-eventer holding down others.
Also - Angle HAS jobbed quite a bit in the past (to Edge, Big Show, Lesnar, Taker, etc.). Unlike guys.........Triple H/Undertaker for instance, there isn't much "shock value" for a upper mid-card guy in defeating Angle.
For instance - if Cena were to defeat Angle on Smackdown, would it really put him "over the top" so to speak? (i.e. would the fans really be THAT surprised?).
Undertaker:
-Since Smackdown wants JBL to be their "centerpiece" (if the last half-year is of any indication), then they MUST have Taker job CLEANLY to JBL.
Triple H finally got established when Mick Foley jobbed to him THREE times (and before this - I'd argue that Triple H still wasn't seen as a TRUE heel main-eventer).
If Undertaker could job to JBL TWICE (or even ONCE) CLEANLY.........then JBL will finally cross that threshold between "pretender" and "contender".
Undertaker is another guy who is physically washed up (from what I know). It's SENSELESS to have him completely squash other wrestlers. The only way that Taker squashing others would make ANY sense, was if Taker was physically capable of working a rigorous schedule as WWE champion......(only to have him do a significant JOB of sorts at a later date).
Here's what I think:
-If Taker wins the belt from JBL, only for there to be a Taker/Angle main-event at Wrestlemania, then this past half-year for Smackdown will have been a COMPLETE waste (since JBL would have gained almost zero credibility during his reign).
What I'd like to see happen:
-I'm not a HUGE fan of this idea, but I'd like to see JBL win the fatal four way on Sunday. After that, JBL defeats Booker T CLEANLY in a singles match. JBL then does the same to Eddie Guerrero a little while later. The "crowning achievment" so to speak, would be JBL cleanly defeating Undertaker.
At Wrestlemania, John Cena defeats JBL to become the NEW WWE champion.
1) JBL becomes a credible main-eventer with all his wins.
2) John Cena becomes a credible main-eventer.
Other things:
-Luther Reigns should defeat Big Show cleanly at one point.
-A heel Charlie Hass (with Dawn Marie) should go over Booker T at some point.
-A re-juvinated Rob Van Dam defeats Kurt Angle cleanly (and re-establishes himself as a decent upper-card wrestler).
-Billy Kidman defeats Eddie Guerrero to become a decent upper-card wrestler.
New stars created/elevated on Smackdown:
-John Cena
-Luther Reigns
-Charlie Hass
-Rob Van Dam
-Billy Kidman
The way things are going now for SD, I just don't see many new stars really being created. At this point, I see FAR more potential for growth on RAW.
I hope my suggestions (or some of them) could be used.
The key for RAW, REALLY is Jericho, Benoit, and Kane when you think about it. All 3 of these guys are former main-event guys, who are now mid-card wrestlers (but still get booked in such a way that they APPEAR to be "main-event" guys at times). In the end - they help elevate other superstars.....without losing too much of their own credibility in the long run (since they get re-built).
I never used to appreciate Kane's role in the WWE until now. The WWE makes Kane look "tough"........only to have him put over an up-and-comer (like Snitsky for instance). Just when you think Kane is a pussy......they re-build him again (for his next "JOB").
Smackdown NEEDS those types of guys. They HAVE those types of guys, but they aren't being used like that.
-Big Show will never draw for Smackdown as a champion.
-Angle is washed up
-Taker is washed up
-Booker T, although excellent, is a thing of that past.
These 4 guys NEED to play the same role that Jericho, Benoit, Kane, and HBK (trust me.......when he comes back, this is what he'll be doing) do for RAW.
-Angle/Booker T/Big Show -->Jericho/Benoit/Kane
-Taker --> HBK
-RVD should be in the same position that Edge is in on RAW.
-JBL should be at the same point, that Triple H was in at the beginning of 2000 (i.e. a guy who's about to get a few clean significant victories).
-Luther Reigns --> Dave Batista
-Charlie Hass --> Shelton Benjamin
-John Cena --> Randy Orton
-Heidenreich --> Gene Snitsky
Hopefully - things will shape up.
I alluded to this in an earlier posting of mine, but I'd like to elaborate on the subject.
In the last year and a half or so, take a look at the stars that have been created (or "elevated") on RAW.
-Chris Benoit
-Edge
-Shelton Benjamin
-Randy Orton
-Dave Batista
-Gene Snitsky
-La Resistance (to a slight extent....since they've actually beaten Edge/Benoit cleanly before)
Now compare this to Smackdown
-JBL
-Eddie Guerrero
-John Cena
Now in Smackdown's case, you can even argue that although JBL/Guerrero have been "elevated", they haven't been "elevated" to the level that they could have (as of yet). In some respects, both men have been FLOPS as main-eventers (I'll elaborate on this later).
Perhaps the biggest difference between RAW and Smackdown right now, is how they USE their "established" past World/WWE champions.
RAW:
-Triple H
-Shawn Michaels
-Chris Jericho
-Chris Benoit
-Kane
Smackdown
-Kurt Angle
-Big Show
-Undertaker
-Booker T (even though he's only been WCW champ, I'll still include him here).
Take a look at guys like Kane, Jericho, and Benoit on RAW now. Between these three, they have helped "put over" Snitsky, Orton, Edge, Benjamin, and Batista.
Triple H (arguably the biggest star on RAW) has helped Orton and Batista (he helped get them 'over' by association). He helped establish Benoit as a main-eventer, and he helped Benjamin look "for real".
.
.
.
.
.
.
Now......take a look at Smackdown (since February/04):
-Guerrero defeated Lesnar, but the win looked "flukey" (since Goldberg interfered)
-Guerrero defeated Angle at WM, but the win once again looked "flukey". As result, Guerrero STILL didn't look like a credible main-eventer.
-JBL defeats Guerrero with a FLUKE victory to become WWE champ. Not only does this not help JBL that much, but it also solidifies the fact that Guerrero's WWE title win was a fluke.
-Kurt Angle easily defeats up-and-comer Charlie Hass in his first match back.
-Kurt Angle defeats Eddie Guerrero convincingly at Summerslam (once again solidifying the fact that Guerrero's WWE title reign was a fluke).
-JBL gets COMPLETELY dominated by Taker in his feud, but still manages to retain the title. Again - limited credibility is given to JBL. In the end - he still looks like a mid-carder out of place.
-JBL defeats Booker T (a guy who had just recently jobbed the US title CLEANLY to Cena) with a fluke victory to retain title. JBL still has limited credibility.
Adding to these disturbing facts, Smackdown has completely mis-used Rob VanDam.
-Winning the tag titles isn't too bad (since he gets TV time atleast), but they could still use him a LOT better. Oh and by the way - he wasn't on the card for Summerslam.
-Did I mention the fact that Jacqueline (woman) has a been CW champion? Funaki (an announcer) just won the CW battle Royale to become the #1 contender........against Spike Dudley (a complete jobber in the WWE for the most part) And people wonder why no one takes the CW division seriously. :nono:
The only slightly postive thing that I've seen with Smackdown this past year, has been John Cena. His feud with Booker T was decent (with Cena going over), and his matches with the Big Show also helped him gain credibility.
Kudos to Show and Booker T for putting over Cena. :y:
Other than that however, Smackdown has done a PISS poor job in creating stars. A lot of it has to do with the fact that their "established" stars aren't putting 'over' enough people.
Kurt Angle: I've always respected Angle (and always will), but he has to make a decision. Either ignore the doctors' advice and give it 110% in the ring (as a main-eventer), or work a WAY lighter schedule and be a mid-card type guy that helps create new stars.
Given Angle's current physical condition, I'd go with the latter. If Angle can no longer do the things that he once could (because of his neck), then he should give BACK to the business....and put others over at the right time (basically......like what Jericho is doing on RAW).
There's nothing worse than seeing an INJURED and washed-up main-eventer holding down others.
Also - Angle HAS jobbed quite a bit in the past (to Edge, Big Show, Lesnar, Taker, etc.). Unlike guys.........Triple H/Undertaker for instance, there isn't much "shock value" for a upper mid-card guy in defeating Angle.
For instance - if Cena were to defeat Angle on Smackdown, would it really put him "over the top" so to speak? (i.e. would the fans really be THAT surprised?).
Undertaker:
-Since Smackdown wants JBL to be their "centerpiece" (if the last half-year is of any indication), then they MUST have Taker job CLEANLY to JBL.
Triple H finally got established when Mick Foley jobbed to him THREE times (and before this - I'd argue that Triple H still wasn't seen as a TRUE heel main-eventer).
If Undertaker could job to JBL TWICE (or even ONCE) CLEANLY.........then JBL will finally cross that threshold between "pretender" and "contender".
Undertaker is another guy who is physically washed up (from what I know). It's SENSELESS to have him completely squash other wrestlers. The only way that Taker squashing others would make ANY sense, was if Taker was physically capable of working a rigorous schedule as WWE champion......(only to have him do a significant JOB of sorts at a later date).
Here's what I think:
-If Taker wins the belt from JBL, only for there to be a Taker/Angle main-event at Wrestlemania, then this past half-year for Smackdown will have been a COMPLETE waste (since JBL would have gained almost zero credibility during his reign).
What I'd like to see happen:
-I'm not a HUGE fan of this idea, but I'd like to see JBL win the fatal four way on Sunday. After that, JBL defeats Booker T CLEANLY in a singles match. JBL then does the same to Eddie Guerrero a little while later. The "crowning achievment" so to speak, would be JBL cleanly defeating Undertaker.
At Wrestlemania, John Cena defeats JBL to become the NEW WWE champion.
1) JBL becomes a credible main-eventer with all his wins.
2) John Cena becomes a credible main-eventer.
Other things:
-Luther Reigns should defeat Big Show cleanly at one point.
-A heel Charlie Hass (with Dawn Marie) should go over Booker T at some point.
-A re-juvinated Rob Van Dam defeats Kurt Angle cleanly (and re-establishes himself as a decent upper-card wrestler).
-Billy Kidman defeats Eddie Guerrero to become a decent upper-card wrestler.
New stars created/elevated on Smackdown:
-John Cena
-Luther Reigns
-Charlie Hass
-Rob Van Dam
-Billy Kidman
The way things are going now for SD, I just don't see many new stars really being created. At this point, I see FAR more potential for growth on RAW.
I hope my suggestions (or some of them) could be used.
The key for RAW, REALLY is Jericho, Benoit, and Kane when you think about it. All 3 of these guys are former main-event guys, who are now mid-card wrestlers (but still get booked in such a way that they APPEAR to be "main-event" guys at times). In the end - they help elevate other superstars.....without losing too much of their own credibility in the long run (since they get re-built).
I never used to appreciate Kane's role in the WWE until now. The WWE makes Kane look "tough"........only to have him put over an up-and-comer (like Snitsky for instance). Just when you think Kane is a pussy......they re-build him again (for his next "JOB").
Smackdown NEEDS those types of guys. They HAVE those types of guys, but they aren't being used like that.
-Big Show will never draw for Smackdown as a champion.
-Angle is washed up
-Taker is washed up
-Booker T, although excellent, is a thing of that past.
These 4 guys NEED to play the same role that Jericho, Benoit, Kane, and HBK (trust me.......when he comes back, this is what he'll be doing) do for RAW.
-Angle/Booker T/Big Show -->Jericho/Benoit/Kane
-Taker --> HBK
-RVD should be in the same position that Edge is in on RAW.
-JBL should be at the same point, that Triple H was in at the beginning of 2000 (i.e. a guy who's about to get a few clean significant victories).
-Luther Reigns --> Dave Batista
-Charlie Hass --> Shelton Benjamin
-John Cena --> Randy Orton
-Heidenreich --> Gene Snitsky
Hopefully - things will shape up.