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Originally Posted by mike627
I think SD is dead it does not matter that Orton is now apart of SD. SD died when Cena was drafted to Raw last week and the point was made more clear when Angle showed up this week.
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I don't think Smackdown, the show, is dead. I think the brand identity, though, is going to undergo a huge shake-up, and it may have some adjustment issues for a bit. It was a show that relied on its wrestlers and other on-air characters to set the mood, and define the personality of the brand; and in that respect, it's been gutted, because two of the stronger, more brand-defining characters have shifted to RAW. RAW, meanwhile, has always been the "story" show, where the plotlines can be (and, I'd say, often are) more important than the characters and players within them. That's why RAW losing a huge star (even Batista or HHH) wouldn't feel quite so damaging; it's also why Smackdown is regarded as the better show for "building" wrestlers.
Ultimately, Smackdown still has some talented performers, and will probably get a few more by the end of the draft (people are crying "Jericho!" and "Christian!" wherever you turn; frankly, I'm sure at least one will shift shows), and once they figure out how to use these new wrestlers (that is, which skills to emphasize and "sell" them on - like Benoit's grappling skill, or JBL's mic skills), Smackdown will get its stride back.
So, while the brand identity we've called "Smackdown" from the initial brand split 'til present day may be dead, another version of "Smackdown," based on a new set of superstars, will emerge.