Reason why Edge jobbed to HBK on Raw. $5 says you can name who was behind it.

[KingofOldSchool]

Raw head writer Brian Gewirtz was credited, or blamed, depending on your point of view, for booking Shawn Michaels to pin World Heavyweight champion Edge on his last night on Raw. Gewirtz's explanation was that guy leaving the territory, or brand in this case, has to job on the way out.

Triple H was the power behind the move because when it was questioned, he supported it, which made it close to a done deal. There is a belief backstage that Triple H doesn't want Edge to succeed, noting that he tried to block all previous plans of him to moving to SmackDown and winning the title until Mr. Kennedy went down with an injury, and at this point he couldn't reasonably block it anymore. There was vocal opposition to Edge being pinned, saying that it makes the SmackDown title and champion look secondary. Triple H's argument was that HBK is the biggest tenured star on the brand, and he had just put over Khali, and he needs a big win because he'll be wrestling Cena on PPV again within the next few shows. On the other hand, Michaels suggested doing a non-finish, since from his perspective, the key point of the match was for him to be beat down by Randy Orton to promote their match for tonight at Judgment Day. Michaels said he didn't want to bury the SmackDown title but was told it was Vince McMahon's decision and he wasn't changing it.

As you might imagine, Edge wasn't pleased with the booking decision and he wasn't hiding his dissatisfaction backstage that night. Edge is said to be happy to move over to Smackdown because internally it's considered less political, not to mention that he doesn't have to deal with a certain wrestler as much anymore.

Credit: Wrestling Observer

[Kane Knight]

See? The Kilq Politicked and God smote one of them.

:y:

Honestly, the argument doesn't make any sense when both "territories" are owned by the same company.

On the other hand, this is a pretty minor thing, and nobody should really care about how it "hurts Edge."

Come on, the guy couldn't pin Undertaker the first try when he'd already been decimated...And doing a job in a fair fight is what makes him look weak? Fucking retarded.

[Anybody Thrilla]

Well, the WHC losing cleanly in a non-title match does absolutely nothing for the credibility of the title...but that didn't seem to stop them with Rey Mysterio. I'm not shocked that Edge lost. I EXPECTED Edge to lose...it just would've been nice if they could give the guy the rub every once in a while. I bet he'll cheat in every single successful title defense.

[Nark Order]

I was thinking of Mysterio as well as soon as this happened. This isn't the first time a Smackdown Champion has been booked to look weak. Mysterio jobbed to Kane, Henry, and Khali for 3 weeks and then beat JBL at the PPV and on Smackdown. I thought it was the most retarded booking I has seen in years. Not only did it look like Khali, Henry, and Kane could've won the belt whenever they wanted to (them not wanting to is what makes the title look like shit) but it made Mysterio AND JBL look like jobbers at the same time.

As far as Edge losing cleanly to Michaels... Am I surprised? Not in the slightest. Did it make Smackdown look like shit yet again? Hell yes it did, but I think we've all accepted that WWE wants it to be the lesser show by now.

[RGWhat316]

Just asinine booking as usual. Edge is more credible to me than Khali. So maybe Shawn should have just beaten Khali instead, but then put over Edge. I feel for Edge, but hope he is happier on SmackDown. Good to know HHH hasn't changed any.

[Rob]

no wonder the company is going ass backwards

[IC Champion]

Edge is a better Heel then Triple H was or will be with possible exception of his 99-00 run.

[IC Champion]

So why doesnt HHH like Edge anyway?

[KingofOldSchool]

Triple H can be the only blonde mega-heel in the company.

[tucsonspeed6]

WWE doesn't care so much about putting over its titles or making good booking decisions. They're in a niche now where merchandising is the only revenue worth pursuing. Faces sell t-shirts. Booking the faces to look like gods will sell the most t-shirts possible. Giving the top heel a mega push would make the show more interesting, but I can bet that John Cena merch sales would drop through the floor if he started jobbing like he should.

I bet he'll cheat in every single successful title defense.

If he didn't, the very unpredictability of the shows would be enough to make Smackdown watchable. But since we're talking about WWE here...

[KingofOldSchool]

If the bookers knew how to book someone to lose on a somewhat normal basis without looking like a complete goof, then they could job Cena more.

I mean Cena could not be champion and still sell merchandise. I mean Rock had no problem moving merchandise when he wasn't champion, likewise with Jericho.

[Anybody Thrilla]

I refuse to purchase the merchandise of a non-champion, fuck that.

[Mr. Nerfect]

If the bookers knew how to book someone to lose on a somewhat normal basis without looking like a complete goof, then they could job Cena more.

I mean Cena could not be champion and still sell merchandise. I mean Rock had no problem moving merchandise when he wasn't champion, likewise with Jericho.

And that was when the WWE was good. The WWE protects its top babyfaces too much, and the end result is that no one gives a damn.

Edge not pinning Taker on the first attempt in their World Heavyweight Title match was perfectly acceptable. The same thing happened with John Cena. It is just a way to pad the contest, and make the babyface seem like a fighter. Edge going over immediately would be like the Ultimate Warrior beating Triple H.

Speaking of Triple H: He is just a cock. The guy sounds like he doesn't want Edge to succeed, which is just a bullshit excuse for him to keep his "legacy" as one of the WWE's "greatest heels of all-time." A few like The One completely overrate Triple H, and if it weren't for his luck and the generosity of others, he could be in the same position as Val Venis right now. Shawn Michaels going over Edge basically makes HBK look stronger than Edge, which in turn will make SmackDown!'s top stars look retarded when they can't beat Edge themselves.

The only way this will turn out right is if Edge goes over HBK on an edition of SmackDown! in the near future with the title on the line. They've pretty much loosened brand restrictions, so Edge could defend against HBK, and they could use this match to explain his injury. Have Edge force Michaels to tap out to the Edgecator, and get his heat back in a big way.

[CSL]

<font color=white>Don't really have a problem with it tbh.</font>

[DRBailey]

Meh, Edge should still have some momentum, I don't see him cheating that much either. All I know is that this reign should be better than the last one...

[Anybody Thrilla]

How do you not see Edge cheating? He's freakin' Edge. I bet it'll be like when Chris Jericho was champ and it never looked like he deserved to win. His whole schtick right now is that he's an opportunist. There's no way he's going over many people clean.

[Rob]

Seriously, they should just report Steph and Hunter bury everyone on WWE.com and in the quaterly reports and media appearances. People might actually be interested in seeing them get humbled on TV.

[Kane Knight]

Seriously, they should just report Steph and Hunter bury everyone on WWE.com and in the quaterly reports and media appearances. People might actually be interested in seeing them get humbled on TV.

It's halve the ammount of information coming out of the dirt sheets, though.

[DRBailey]

Cheating to win, he'll cheat in matches but having the champ cheat to win isn't going to make him look strong...fuck it, he's gonna cheat, they're gonna do a Rey on him, and we, like friends of crack addicts, know a slow death is happening in front of us with the credibility

[KayfabeMan]

They all look fucking weak.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Seriously, they should just report Steph and Hunter bury everyone on WWE.com and in the quaterly reports and media appearances. People might actually be interested in seeing them get humbled on TV.

I actually think that is the way to go with Triple H when he returns. Instead of having him as lame "I think I'm funny" Triple H, they should just bring him back and sledgehammer random people during a tag team match, or something, and when asked why he did it, just have him say it's because he's banging the boss' daughter, thus he can do what he likes.

[Pepsi Man]

Honestly, the argument doesn't make any sense when both "territories" are owned by the same company.
Exactly. I was going to make this point.

[KingofOldSchool]

Seriously, they should just report Steph and Hunter bury everyone on WWE.com and in the quaterly reports and media appearances. People might actually be interested in seeing them get humbled on TV.

Call in the Iron Sheik, he'll make dem humble old country style!

[Kane Knight]

Exactly. I was going to make this point.

I'd further the point by saying Michaels is someone who would least need a territorial rub in the first place, so jobbing to him accomplishes little. Though it's kind of lose-lose.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I'd further the point by saying Michaels is someone who would least need a territorial rub in the first place, so jobbing to him accomplishes little. Though it's kind of lose-lose.

Considering he was going to go over Orton, and rebuild his path to the top at Judgment Day, I think putting Edge over would have actually accomplished something, as minute as it would have been.

HBK going over does nothing for no one, really. Especially considering that HBK is now hurt.

[Dave Youell]

Triple H was the power behind the move because when it was questioned, he supported it, which made it close to a done deal. There is a belief backstage that Triple H doesn't want Edge to succeed, noting that he tried to block all previous plans of him to moving to SmackDown and winning the title until Mr. Kennedy went down with an injury, and at this point he couldn't reasonably block it anymore. There was vocal opposition to Edge being pinned, saying that it makes the SmackDown title and champion look secondary. Triple H's argument was that HBK is the biggest tenured star on the brand, and he had just put over Khali, and he needs a big win because he'll be wrestling Cena on PPV again within the next few shows. On the other hand, Michaels suggested doing a non-finish, since from his perspective, the key point of the match was for him to be beat down by Randy Orton to promote their match for tonight at Judgment Day. Michaels said he didn't want to bury the SmackDown title but was told it was Vince McMahon's decision and he wasn't changing it.

Credit: Wrestling Observer

And now HBK is probably going to be out with a knee injury that was well known before that match, so this makes even less sense now

[KayfabeMan]

Less sense.

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