DISCUSSION - How can Smackdown become a BETTER show in your OPINION?

[Heyman]

PREFACE: Yesterday was the 1st time I have watched something SMACKDOWN related since August of 2003 (I didn't watch the PPV....just watched Heat). Still - I'm feeling pretty excited! Now that I'm back in Portland Oregon, I'll be able to watch and comment on Smackdown more often.




DISCUSSION - How can Smackdown become a BETTER show in your OPINION? (assuming that the WWE starts giving a shit about it again )

Here is my premise: Raw right now, has the foundation and talent needed to be a tremendous show in the not-so-distant future. If it were up to me, I would not change ANYTHING about it right now (in terms of who is on Raw, etc.).

Smackdown however - has been in decline since the Lottery Draft. In your opinion, what needs to be done in order to get Smackdown back on track?

Here are a few suggestions of mine:

From now on, all "new talent" in the WWE gets sent to Smackdown: If the WWE signs anyone from now on (and assuming that no one significant from the current Raw roster gets released), then I suggest that all new talent head to Smackdown.

As far as this 'new' talent is concerned, I would argue that most of them should receive "Kurt-Angle-like" pushes to the top. At a time when Smackdown could use 'new' stars (and in an era where the fans aren't too quick to take a liking to wrestlers who have been in the mid-cards for too long), I think this would be a good route for Smackdown.

I'm really glad that the WWE decided to move Kenzo Suzuki to Smackdown (and get rid of his "Hirihoto" gimmick as well). Once Mordecai has set in nicely, I think that would be the perfect time to introduce Suzuki. In BOTH Mordecai and Suzuki's cases, I'd like to see them receive IMMEDIATE pushes.

Again - I don't want to see them get pushed too fast like they did with Lesnar, but perhaps an "Angle-like" push (or even Orton-like) would be ideal in my opinion.


One of Undertaker, Guerrero, RVD, or John Cena needs to turn heel VERY soon:

On Heat, I watched some John Bradshaw Layfield promos. To be honest......I actually liked the character quite a bit. HOWEVER - I don't think that he's a suitable main-eventer.

Even a guy like Big Show (when he returns) isn't a suitable TOP heel main-eventer in my opinion.....and ditto for Booker T.Unless Suzuki and/or Mordecai receive HUGE pushes upon debuting (which I'm against), I really think that one of the top faces needs to make a heel turn.

The question is, who? Who would YOU turn? Personally - I'd love to see the old ECWesque heel RVD return (under the leadership and guidance of Paul Heyman). A heel Eddie Guerrero would be awesome as well (although it might be very tough to turn the crowd against Eddie). One must also wonder how long Cena's 'rap' gimmick will be interesting for.




Re-hire Road Dogg Jesse James and put him back with Billy Gunn?

I'd suggest to release Billy Gunn ASAP, but the WWE doesn't seem to want to do that. Therefore - I say re-hire Road Dogg. Put him back with Billy Gunn to reform the New Age Outlaws. Atleast this way, Billy Gunn becomes useful again (Gunn hasn't received a crowd reaction since 2002). The New Age Outlaws, when they tag together, can also put over some new teams.

Get rid of the CW division

I mentioned this in another thread (and for those of you who responded in that thread, do not feel obliged to re-iterate your points in this thread).

In a perfect world - keeping the CW division would be awesome. In a perfect world, putting the CW title on 'almost' the same level as the WWE title would be awesome as well. However - this is almost an INVERSE of a perfect world. It is the WWE.......run by Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, and Triple H.

Hence - the CW division has been ruined beyond belief. In this day and age where it's a STIGMA (not 'stigmata' ) to be labelled a "CRUISERWEIGHT", there's just no point in the division existing. Why not just use the depth in the CW division, for other divisions?

-Guys like Rey Mysterio and Billy Kidman can become a legitamate US title contenders.

-Noble and somebody could become a tag team.

-As for the rest? I say Re-create the Hardcore title.....24/7 YES - it makes the title a JOKE, but most of the competitors in that division are seen as a JOKE (by WWE management) ANYWAYS. The Hardcore Division was always a great comedic relief for the fans. It can make for some decent TV.


If the WWE decide to keep the CW division, then here is an idea (it ties in to my earlier point of Smackdown needing a legitimate main-event heel).

Have Eddie Guerrero re-align with the two Chavo's again.....and turn heel in the process

Some advantages:

-Since Chavo would be associated with Eddie again, perhaps the CW title would get more attention due to Chavo's association with Eddie. Have Chavo be CW champ, Eddie be WWE champ, and have the Guerrero's be tag champs as well.

-With Guerrero as a heel, guys like Cena, RVD, and even Rey Mysterio can 'step up'. Before these guys however, a feud with Taker would probably occur (and I wouldn't neccessarily mind seeing this, because Guerrero could probably carry ME to a decent match ).

-The fans love Guerrero, but they love chanting "Eddie sucks" even more. Eddie seems to be kind of like Angle (where the fans LOVE Angle, but wouldn't really have a problem 'booing' him because they love to hate him so much).

[OssMan]

Really I would just want to combine the two shows like they used to have. But if it applies only to Smackdown, I would say to trade a LOT of talent between the shows and get rid of guys like Hardcore Holly.

[Heyman]

Originally Posted by HBK 1. Put the title on Undertaker. 2. No more women in the ring (this applies to both shows) 3. GO LIVE <---(most important) That's all I can think of.

Putting the title on Taker. I actually don't mind this idea. Taker can be a tweener. At first, have him defeat heels. As the year progresses however, have him feud with faces as well. Ultimately, Taker jobs to a guy like Cena?

This could be the equivalent of Taker jobbing to Austin at Summerslam 98'.

Only problem with this, is Taker's workrate is horrible. From a WRESTLING standpoint, I'd be disapointed.


As for #2, I definitely agree for Smackdown. I'd agree for Raw as well, but some fans actually like the women wrestling (lots o' redneck fans in the rasslin' world ).

3) Definitely agree there.

[Heyman]

Originally Posted by AssMan Really I would just want to combine the two shows like they used to have. But if it applies only to Smackdown, I would say to trade a LOT of talent between the shows and get rid of guys like Hardcore Holly.

A few weeks ago, I would've agreed with this thinking.

Now however - I have reconciled to the fact that the WWE will keep the roster split.

I don't think anymore trades should happen. Not only does it affect people in real life, but it also takes away the 'identity' of shows if too many people are traded (trades should happen maybe once in a blue moon).

I agree with getting rid of Holly.


I think for now, the WWE should realize that Raw is in an awesome position.....and has the makings for a tremendous show now.

They should focus on Smackdown now.


p.s If Goldberg DOES come back to the WWE, I say send him to Smackdown.

[What Would Kevin Do?]

First and foremost, hook Kenzo Suzuki up with the two remaining members of KyoDai. Hell, if possible have Tajiri come back ( He could sell the injury ala Undertaker being buried alive, and come back in Great Muta paint.) Have a four man stable, with Suzuki leading, Tajiri an enforcer, and the Yang and the other guy ( name slipped my mind) be a tag team. Smackdown needs a stable.

If not KyoDai as a stable, than Kurt Angle should start a stable to clean up Smackdown. I'm thinking Possibly Bradshaw, Holly, Gunn, and Dupree. While that may sound like a horrible group with the exception of Dupree, they have a reason for being together (hatred of Smackdowns more immoral men, mainly Eddie, Cena, Rico, and Haas by association.)

A unique tag division... This is an idea I had a few weeks back, and while it's extremely unconventional, it might raise interest in the tag division... Make the tag titles both tag titles and single titles... While they would be defended in tag matches, and if a tag team lost, they would lose the titles, there would be a twist... The titles could be defended in a singles match, for example, Rico Vs Rey Mysterio... Mysterio wins, making him one half of the tag team champions, but Haas would still be the other half..... Hey, it could work, and it would make up for the lack of actual teams.

Do not feed Mordecai to the Undertaker. At least not yet... Build him up.. Hell, give Undertaker the title down the road, and let Mordecai feud with him for awhile then, but not right now..

Undertaker as a tweener is a good idea.

New Ring.... This may be a horrible idea, but many of us have heard about the six-sided ring... WHat if WWE snatched the idea before an Indy fed could debut it, and featured it on Smackdown... It would be original, and would be different from Raw.

Give Paul Heyman backstage influence, and a on camera role. Even Heyman as an announcer would be great... Or managing someone like RVD, Matt Morgan, or even Ultimo Dragon would be great.

No woman's matches... Period.

I'll come up with more later.

[Wolverine]

Smackdown needs a lot of work, in my opinion, they need to figure a way to establish some guys, such as JBL, before shooting the moon. I know when you don't have the star power that Raw has it's difficult, but then again...having JBL feud with RVD, or Booker T at first than have em move up to fight Eddie, that I'd not of mind...but than again Bradshaw shouldn't be in the ME, uppercard, ya, but Main Event no.

I would have brought in Mordecai a bit sooner, have him face Taker at Judgement Day, and have Booker T vs. Eddie for the Title at JD. Then at GAB, have Eddie fight JBL, if that were the case, Mordecai can continue with Taker, Booker vs. RVD, n bring in Kenzo Suzuki in the Mix, they have the talent for a good show, just need to put it together...plus Angle being hurt dun help ata ll cept that he's good on the mic and a good GM.

[Kane Knight]

Originally Posted by HBK 1. Put the title on Undertaker. 2. No more women in the ring (this applies to both shows) 3. GO LIVE <---(most important) That's all I can think of.

1. Fuck no.
2. Until they can get more than 3 good female workers, yes.
3. Going livde doesn't affect ratings. It's been covered ad nauseum before.

[John la Rock]

1. RVD needs to turn heel
2. Booker T should be the top contender for the WWE title after JBL
3. Smackdown divas should not be wrestling. They should only be there for T&A
4. A new group can form. Maybe Undertaker's New Ministry? They need a group = to Evolution on Raw
6. And the most important thing that most people agree with is that the show should be LIVE

[Kane Knight]

Originally Posted by HBK If you honestly believe this statement, I can't take you seriously. Besides, this thread is about how to make Smackdown a better show, not how to increase Smackdown's ratings. I think it's pretty freakin obvious that going live would make Smackdown a better show. If you don't think so, refer to the previous paragraph, as it applies here as well.

Sorry, if you think making a show live makes it better, you're a fool to begin with. Same quality of programming.

If you think that a statement that ratings are not affected by whether the show is live or not makes it impossible to take me seriously, I'll refer you to the fact that when Smackdown! was a live show, ratings were not affected significantly.

If you cannot take my statement seriously after that, you're a retard, and hardly worth my time.

Thanks for playing.

[BasicThuganomics]

Originally Posted by Heyman I have reconciled to the fact that the WWE will keep the roster split. I don't think anymore trades should happen. Not only does it affect people in real life, but it also takes away the 'identity' of shows if too many people are traded (trades should happen maybe once in a blue moon).

Its about ****ing time!!!!!!! Damn you've pissed me off so many times with that shit!


As for the rest of your ideas...

Originally Posted by Heyman From now on, all "new talent" in the WWE gets sent to Smackdown

Yeah, thats a good idea for sure. And any new talent should basically not be fed to current talent on the SD roster *coughundertakercough* Any current talent can easily be pushed to the top and accepted, but it's much more difficult for fans to accept new guys. Mordecai does not need to be fed to the Undertaker especially. He has a kickass gimmick and I haven't even seen all of his promo's. I look forward to seeing him in live situations.

Originally Posted by Heyman One of Undertaker, Guerrero, RVD, or John Cena needs to turn heel VERY soon

Yeah that is another obvious idea also. I think that Big Show is an adequate main eventer when he is actually trying to perform well though. But SD is definately lacking in the heels department.

I would personally enjoy a Undertaker ministry type stable, but I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't work out. RVD as an extreme heel would be the best choice though. I really want to see a Heel ECW stable on Smackdown with Paul E. in charge. I've said before that I don't think redoing stuff that was successful in ECW might not be a good idea. But RVD is directionless on SD right now, and I know that with Heyman at his side, WWE could see a side of RVD we haven't seen yet. A small ECW stable would be a great addition to SD IMO.

Originally Posted by Heyman Re-hire Road Dogg Jesse James and put him back with Billy Gunn?

No, just NO!!!!! The NAO would be a terrible idea, because we've already seen them reform like twice and both times haven't been successful at all when they try to reunite. I personally think they are the most overrated tag team in history.

Originally Posted by Heyman Get rid of the CW division

Damn, you're an idiot! The CW division is fine right now. Chavo is a great champion, but the WWE needs to not do stupid ass things like putting that belt on Jaqueline (sp?) I agree that Cruisers should be also going after tag titles or the US title, but that doesn't mean that the CW belt should be eliminated? I would keep the belt around just for the thought of seeing another Chavo/Rey match. The only problem I have with the CW division is when Rey is booked to look like he is superior to the rest of the division. Chavo has been built up good, but people like Noble, Kidman, London, and others need to be booked to look stronger even if they aren't currently going after the title.

Originally Posted by Heyman Have Eddie Guerrero re-align with the two Chavo's again.....and turn heel in the process

Yeah, lets take the most over guy on the roster and the only one who is actually a draw, and turn him against the fans? Sometimes I don't know how you can be such an idiot? Eddie needs to be pushed HUGE on SD because right now he is the only legitimate main eventer who could do the main event scene any justice. UT is too old, and only a "special attraction" Angle might not be back, and no one else is really an over main eventer yet. Bottom line: Eddie needs to be kept in the main event scene and needs to be someone that the fans want to see. Maybe when someone can adequately replace him, he could do a heel turn. But right now, He just cannot be turned heel. IMO, the WWE has no choice but to keep Eddie on top of the SD roster.



Also I believe that Booker T needs to be pushed to the top and he needs it fast. I promise that he will be a better main event heel than Bradshaw could ever be. My picks for top heels on SD would have to be Booker T and an "extreme" RVD with Heyman at his side. I actually think that a really important thing would be for Paul E. to get involved with SD as much as possible. Both on screen and off that is. SD was awesome a couple years ago when Heyman was reportadly doing alot of the writing. And I like the way RAW usually gives us one or two matches to look forward for the next show. One thing I am really enjoying right now by the way is Rico/Haas team. I just think they are hilarious. I also think that Cena needs to become more prominant. He has the chance to be a HUGE superstar like Rock, but he is just so stale right now. WWE needs to let him shock and piss people off like Stone Cold used to do. Shock Value is always a good way to get attention, and letting Cena say what he wants (with the exception of words like **** and shit like that) Have Cena become wild and out of control. He is probably the only person besides Guerrero on SD that is capable of being a draw. Cena could easily be SD's main star very soon, but the show needs to revolve more arround him than it does right now. Right now Cena is being treated like a midcarder unlike Orton on RAW who is obviously being treated as a big deal. Cena needs to interact more in the main event, and needs to quit being so stale and watered down.

[Kane Knight]

Reuniting the rosters isn't sounding all that bad anymore.

The Smackdown locker's lost a lot of talent. Since there's no huge influx of wrestlers, and each brand is supposed to be complete unto itself, this is a bad thing. It'd be great to see some of the current roster be actually used, but we know they'll never bother with Ultimo Dragon or Shannon Moore.

Meanwhile, they spend so much time reviewing the other shows anyways. I mean, we've got like 60 review shows a week, and we still need to hype each show instead of showcasing talent?

What's the point of the roster split when the rosters don't even seem split?

Heyman quits when drafted to Raw, but is allowed to GM Smackdown and more or less manage their talent. Yeah, makes perfect sense.

Benoit manages to hop shows with no repercussions.

There's still 4 PPVs with a split card. this is stupid not just for seperation's sake, but also because it makes people who only get one show less likely to care about the card.

Lovely.

It's a shame that we finally got what we wanted: A palce to showcase people without it becoming the HHH show, and all the WWE does is leave it there to fester with injuries, bad booking, and poor planning.

[Batsu]

Originally Posted by HBK 1. Put the title on Undertaker. 2. No more women in the ring (this applies to both shows) 3. GO LIVE <---(most important) That's all I can think of.

1. No
2. Hell No (being applied to both shows)
3. EH-EHHHH....!!!! WHAT?

Smackdown took the right route, by shipping the misplaced Nidia (one who can actually wrestle) to RAW. That way, the women's division can get developed a little more. It isn't a Japanese technical-fest in there, but I don't mind it. Victoria and others rule. Torrie Wilson, and company ought to not have too many matches... and for the most part, SmackDown isn't ever having many women's matches since the real woman wrestlers got shipped to where they belong... the RAW brand.

Put the title on Taker? No way, not now...that'd be straight up HHH-ing the show at this point. Right now, with Undertaker being the "attraction" of Smackdown, looming outside of the TV cameras, is actually kind of cool.

and what the heck would Smackdown going live do, except suppress spoilers on the net? With UPN's first-hour beeping...which I'm now used to thanks to the "PTC" era of Smackdown....it still wouldn't be that much cooler. It'd be the equivalent of trying to polish a turd.

All that needs to happen is this:

1. Utilize the Cruiserweights properly, like they did at the onset of the original brand split. No more of these ridiculous one-shot title changes. There are tons of people in this division...work on giving them personalities, and you'll have a Rey, a Paul London, a whoever...to get the people to watch. They already let Spanky (who I felt was a nice Jericho/Spike fusion) slip through their fingers...
how about a Funaki push? Crowds seem to have wanted to see this guy succeed since the "EEEEEVIL" days of Kaientai...

2. Stop taking the cheap route. If you want new heels...look at your unused roster instead of rehashing. The only examples of this I've seen are Rene Dupree (thank goodness he escaped La Resistance/Quebecers '04), and they seem to be building Mark Jindrak into another midcard role....Bradshaw into JBL also seems to work, but not at the main event.

3. Don't let too many of the talent go to RAW...and some talent (Hurricane, anyone?) really needs to head back to SmackDown.

Besides these gripes, there is a lot of potential good in SmackDown...but there are some things that really need to be pushed aside. A lot of WWE fans are getting a little tired of the unecessary swerves, and so on.

Booker T's on-screen gripe about being shipped to the minor leagues was a GREAT move...and since his initial face run, this is the best I've seen Booker T...he can be a steady work in progress. At last, a heel who doesn't run from his opposition unless all other recourses have been exhausted.

Kurt Angle...whenever he's on TV, it's a good thing. Too bad he might be leaving...for who knows how long.

I think a lot of the new talent should go straight to SmackDown, as the author of this thread suggested, as RAW already has enough new faces to keep things interesting.

SmackDown! is suffering, but the answer to most of their woes are right under the noses of those in charge.

Ditching the brand extension is not the solution... in fact, it could accelerate WWE's way to total sucktitude. Too many wrestlers, competing for one belt...the brand extension was the best way to solve it. Even though the UPN/Spike TV distribution levels are pretty disparate, it's still the best way... they really are two different shows. And it really does seem like they are in competition with one another... that was the point, wasn't it? Problem is, there's just too much imbalance between the two. That's the only problem, as I see it.

[PureHatred]

I love how Heyman watches one show and decides to rehash seven different topics he's brought up over the last few weeks.

My own personal suggestions:

1) Turn Cena...soon. Not immediately, but before this character becomes entirely too stale to the mainstream fans. He'd get monster heat and an Eddie/Cena feud would carry you through the end of the yea.

2) Undertaker should be pushed as though he's basically a force of nature; destroying anything in his path regardless of face or heel. Tweener doesn't even capture it: if he's going with the Deadman gimmick than even his name should strike the fear of God in you. Upon his return, Big Show should joinhim a a two man Ministry deal.

3) Legitimize the CW division. Chavo is a great champion. They need to create some more legit contenders; Shannon Moore and Nova could both be given nice winning streaks to get them some heat.

4) Keep pushing the parts of Smackdown that are working: Rico/Haas, Rene Dupree uber-heel, Mark Jindrak as The Narcissist, and the Rey/RVD team.

5) GO LIVE...no just kidding. That's a fallacy. Ratings don't go up and a pre-taped show has the benefit of editing which should help with show quality if the WWE was more careful in its production. Plus, UPN would never allow run-overs and would be incredibly paranoid about content.

[Kane Knight]

Live won't happen while on UPN anyways.

Right now, it'd also be a really bad move. With the FCC cracking down on people, all it'd take is one stray cuss word to shake up the WWE, and UPN's a cable channel with Smackdown as a Prime Time show. Can you say potential SNAFU?

Raw's been on USA and Spike. Wow. USA was so desperate that it'd bump raw for Dog shows. Like it really cared about the live nature.

Spike? Spike is struggling with their third image change in a couple of years. It's not like they can be picky. About the best they can do for "macho" programming is a shitty cartoon by a mentally unstable shadow of what was once Stan Lee and Star Trek. Yeah.

Plus, Spike doesn't pander to the family audience, it's not one of the basic channels, etc.

[Kane Knight]

Originally Posted by PureHatred I love how Heyman watches one show and decides to rehash seven different topics he's brought up over the last few weeks. My own personal suggestions: 1) Turn Cena...soon. Not immediately, but before this character becomes entirely too stale to the mainstream fans. He'd get monster heat and an Eddie/Cena feud would carry you through the end of the yea. 2) Undertaker should be pushed as though he's basically a force of nature; destroying anything in his path regardless of face or heel. Tweener doesn't even capture it: if he's going with the Deadman gimmick than even his name should strike the fear of God in you. Upon his return, Big Show should joinhim a a two man Ministry deal. 3) Legitimize the CW division. Chavo is a great champion. They need to create some more legit contenders; Shannon Moore and Nova could both be given nice winning streaks to get them some heat. 4) Keep pushing the parts of Smackdown that are working: Rico/Haas, Rene Dupree uber-heel, Mark Jindrak as The Narcissist, and the Rey/RVD team. 5) GO LIVE...no just kidding. That's a fallacy. Ratings don't go up and a pre-taped show has the benefit of editing which should help with show quality if the WWE was more careful in its production. Plus, UPN would never allow run-overs and would be incredibly paranoid about content.

1. Naw, man, they just need to not sugar coat him. Make him the badass anti-hero type. He can be something like Austin. A face who getscheered for doing heelish things, someone who doesn't give a fuck about the lines he crosses.

2. Taker could very well end up hurting Smackdown. I'm afraid he's gonna kill some of the younger superstars.

3. This could work. The problem is, pushing cruisserweights goes against the notion that "Big men sell."

4. And rework the rest. Perfectly sensible. When somethign works, run with it.

5. Yeah. Ever since the "Monday Night Wars," it's been a mindset that if it's live, it's better.. Which is funny, since Smackdown was beating out Raw for quite some time there. That would indicate that it's less to do with the nature of the show (Live/Taped), but with the quality of the content.

However, some people are stupid, and will carry on, ramming headlong into a brick wall...

[Heyman]

I'll make a much larger response later, but I'll say this for now:

Raw spoiler
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Is there any point in having Maven on Raw? (he returned tonight). Why couldn't he just show up on Smackdown? It would've been MUCH easier to push him as a mid-card face over there. Smackdown NEEDS guys like this.

Also - I think a guy like Steiner would've been ok there as well. Ok - Steiner is a crap wrestler who is injury prone, but atleast he could've put over an up-and-comer.

Also - he is a 'star' to a certain degree. Smackdown could use ANYTHING at this point.

[BLaZeR-]

It shouldn't be that hard to improve the little things that's wrong atleast...

Give Paul Heyman creative control plus more TV time. Give him his faction with RVD, The Dudleys, and Lance Storm(wishful thinking) if he did plan to come out of his retirement. With The Dudleys feuding for the tag titles against whoever has them, Lance Storm going after the US Title and eventually winning it, and RVD in a big feud with Mysterio before moving on to someone like Eddie/Cena.

One of the biggest mistakes IMO was jumping the gun with John Cena and turning him face, I think he needs to be turned heel again, but the problem with that would be the lack of faces...so RVD would probably have to stay face. Cena as the heel he was before with more shock value as someone said earlier would be nice in a feud with 'Taker if he's willing to put him over and not bury him like the treament Booker T got.

One of the more simple things to handle is the CW division, sometimes I wonder about the bookers' lack of common sense...it's pretty inexcusable for professionals to be so stupid. Give these guys a good 15 minute match and they'll more than likely always steal the show...WCW used their CW division perfectly and it was well over with the fans.

Keep that dumb bitch Stephanie McMahon off TV and away from writing angles....enough said.

Send Matt Hardy(with or without Lita), Rhyno, and Test back to Smackdown. Hardy could easily be pushed as an upper midcard face or heel...same with Rhyno who could be pushed as a monster type main-event face if there is a lack of faces from the Cena/RVD turns, and Test who's highly underrated IMO could be another upper midcard heel.

Charlie Haas: I have high hopes for him...hopefully he can gain enough charisma to become a successful face, after he breaks away from Rico...I would love to see Haas in a big feud with a healthy Kurt Angle.

Booker T: He's been getting the shaft ever since stepping into the WWF/E. From what I heard he didn't look to win in his match with 'Taker, the least they could have done was really take The Undertaker to the limit then to finally lose. Booker could easily be pushed as the top heel on Smackdown if done right...give him some key victories, no more comedy....make him as bad-assed as possible, and basically use the same formula HHH had when he was chasing the title in '99-'00. A big feud with Eddie down the road would be perfect....possibly a 3 month feud with Booker winning the title in the end.

[Heyman]

Originally Posted by BasicThuganomics .

My CPU connection is fucked up, so I'll have to keep this short.

1) New Age Outlaws: I think it would be good to get back Road Dogg, because it would make BABG useful again (seems like the WWE doesn't want to release him). New Age Outlaws would be good for live crowds because they like singing along. The team can also be used to put over up-and-coming teams. Also - NAO acted like faces when they were supposed to be heels last time. That's why their last run (and DX in general) didn't work during their re-unification. This time around however, NAO would clearly be face.

2) CW division: Ideally, the CW division would be run like the women's division on Raw (i.e, "a league of their own mentality", multiple champions, plentiful TV time, solid matches, etc.). Instead - the WWE has made their CW division a joke. They have ALWAYS had this mentality. I don't think this will change. Because I think it won't change, I think they are better off cancelling the entire division, and replacing it with the Hardcore 24/7 division. This way, more guys get TV time. Also - the Hardcore Division can provide for some good comedic relief (might be good for TV).

CW matches can still exist in the form of tag matches, and random singles matches. The rest of the Cruiserweights can be used to add depth to the other divisions (i.e. US division, hardcore division, tag team division).

Right now - it almost seems that if you're labelled a "CW", you will never be capable of winning the World title. With Guerrero becoming champ recently, the WWE can really erase this mentality (and prove that 'small guys' can still become champ).

3) Big Show: Big Show is a decent heel main-eventer, but the fans don't really "care" about him.....like they do an Angle, Lesnar, The Rock, Austin, Triple H, or Undertaker. Show has been a heel champ before (and it didn't do anything for ratings), and at a time when SD could use something new (change for the better), I think a popular face turning heel (and becoming champ) would be ideal.

4) Eddie Guerrero as a heel opposed to some others: I chose Eddie to become a heel champ for the following reasons:

a) Eddie Guerrero is a tremendous wrestler who can carry anyone: As a heel champ, he could easily have great feuds with the likes of Taker, Hass, Cena, and RVD. If he was face, he'd have to feud with Big Show, Bradshaw, Booker T, and Dupree. I think it's obvious where the "higher profile" opponents are.

b) The fans love Eddie, but I'm also certain that they'll have no problem chanting "Eddie sucks!" (would they do this with Taker or RVD?).

c) With Eddie re-aligned with Chavo, it could inadvertently get the CW division over again. Since Chavo could be CW champ (and be associated with Eddie), perhaps the CW title could look more important......especially if Eddie helped Chavo out in some of his matches.


d) While Eddie is a super popular face right now, it's not like guys like Cena, RVD, and Taker can't be just as popular. Much later on in the year if a guy like RVD feuds with Eddie (after getting a respectable build up), he can easily be just as popular as Eddie is now.

I'm not in total support of the Guerrero heel turn (I'm just speculating as to who would be the best one to 'turn' out of Guerrero, Cena,Taker, and RVD).

[The Mackem]

To be perfectly honest I don't see too much wrong with Smackdown, yeah it hasn't got the star power but I like the idea that potential new stars can pop up at any minute. Plus Kurt Angle in a wheelchair is making me laugh for some reason.

It must be because I only get Smackdown or something and only see the recap thing of Raw (afterburn or Velocity whatever it is).

[big_bluto]

How to make Smackdown better?

1. Give it time.
They've went through quite an extensive roster shuffle, lost quite a few big names, and they're trying to make amends. Agreed they've made some screw-ups (JBL, Jacqueline CW Champ, WTF?) but they are trying to get people like Dupree, Booker T, the Dudleys, RVD, Rico & Haas, Mysterio and Chavo a push. Plus Eddie is doing a GREAT job just now, and Taker is doing his thing too.

2. Mix it up.
Keep things unpredictable and exciting. Keep throwing a spanner in the works, chaos and mayhem, but all tied into entertaining storylines that further the wrestlers with sustained pushes.

3. Heyman, ECW and Heel RVD
GET THIS GOING! Heyman and the Dudleys is working out well. RVD needs something different from the norm. Either put him in a face v face feud with Eddie and have some fantastic matches, or turn him heel and let him run riot with Heyman goading him on in the background! If you do this right, this could even be the stable that Smackdown could do with, as a force to be reckoned with.

4. Women = Eye-candy
RAW has women who can wrestle, Smackdown doesn't. Use what you have as either eye-candy, managers or to mix things up in storylines. DON'T EVER DO THE AL WILSON STORY EVER AGAIN. EVER. NEVER.

5. Kurt Angle = Comedy Star
Give Kurt something he can deliver and act on. Angle is superb at comedy routines and storylines with humour in them. (Angle to Benoit: Tag team partners don't shake hands........tag team partners gotta hug )
Now that is entertaining as hell, and there is tons of other examples. Give him something where he gets out of his chair and he's dead clumsy and smashed on painkillers and acts real goofy. I'd get out of bed to watch Smackdown if I thought Angle was gonna be doing that stuff. It's the same as Rico & Haas as a tag team - entertaining as hell.

6. Get shot of the dead meat!
Smackdown is carrying dead weight, that has a proven track record of being as much use as a back-pocket in a sock, and as welcome as a fart in a space suit. Get a list of them and say thankyou and goodbye.
Bob Holly, Billy Gunn, Bradshaw, etc.
These guys have put in a lot of service to WWE over the years, but they are just not cutting it anymore. Perhaps the best thing you could do with these guys is to release them - maybe they would be inspired enough to go and join another show and do something better than what they are doing.

7. Let wrestlers have a little more control
Let the Cruiserweights be proper cruiserweights, let hoss's be hoss's, if wrestlers wanna risk it, then let them - it's their call. They chose to get into this business! They'll be more challenged to produce better matches, and we'll be more entertained.

8. Give the tag division something to get their teeth into.
Take the belts off the champs for some obscure reason and start a tournament. Get 8 tag teams together, and have matches every week to determine who the champs should be, and keep them as tag teams for at least 3 months, and have a couple of matches at least every show. Build and maintain a tag division, with EVERYBODY participating, Crusierweights, etc.

9. Sustained talent pushes
Bring in some new talent gradually, keep pushing existing talent, but sustain the pushes! Once Cena, Dupree, RVD, Booker T, Eddie, Taker are all competing main event, that will leave a bit more room for people to take on the US Title, and make more room for Cruiserweights, if Mysterio and Noble move up to US level.


Those are my thoughts and what I would like to see happening.

[darkpower]

Here's what I think they should do with SmackDown to make it better:

1. IF YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE WOMEN WIN "MEN'S" TITLES, HAVE THEM AT LEAST A CREDIABLE THREAT
I actually had no problem with a woman winning the CW champion (hey, they need someone to DO rather than to be eye-candy). However, in the situation of Jacqiue (which did seem last minute because of the Matt Capotelli thing), she never got build up, just suddenly APPEARED, and wasn't considered to be that much of a threat. Therefore, although it could've been somewhat welcome if it was done right, in this case, it wasn't, and in turn, just made it worse for intergender matches (or even intergender feuds) to happen, let alone get over. Therefore, I'm not totally sour on this idea, but at least do it RIGHT. Make the women at least crediable and a viable threat BEFORE going to the title pictures. The WWE Title is totally out of the question for right now (I do intergender matches and feuds in my CWE, so I know that it can be done and done right if proper care is taken). I know more risk is seen with this, so you must consider that before going in.


2. GET THE TRADES GOING
No doubt, the main problem with SD right now is the lack of stars. More or less, main event heels. However, this has NEVER been a good strength on SmackDown, even when they were going strong near the beginning of 03. I would say to get a few mid-card dead weights (those who aren't doing anything on SmackDown, like Holly, Gunn), and ship them over to RAW for a few of their top-carders (Jericho, Batista, Rhyno, hell, at this point, I wouldn't mind it if Triple H went to SmackDown for a while at THIS point). That way, Guerrero would have some more competition at the top.

Also, I don't know if going live would help SmackDown, but it couldn't HURT it in any way. UPN might allow SmackDown to go an extra mile, as it's the #1 rated show still since the last time I looked on their channel, and since networks are starting to fight back against the FCC, as I have also read now, UPN may not be as strict as we may think. And remember, the PTC cannot do anything to the WWE anymore because of the settlement, anyway. They can warn people, but that's about it. No going after sponsors or idle threats to make the WWE "clean it up" anymore, since they did lie about 3/4 of everything they said (I was part of the effort to have it happen, if any of you remember the WFAC and Bob Magee's efforts). So there's really not that much of an excuse why they CAN'T go live. But whether they should or not remains to be seen. Right now, I don't see where it could hurt it. It would definitly bring back an element of surprise to SmackDown that is sort of missing from it.

[KillerWolf]

Originally Posted by Batsu Smackdown took the right route, by shipping the misplaced Nidia (one who can actually wrestle) to RAW. That way, the women's division can get developed a little more. It isn't a Japanese technical-fest in there, but I don't mind it. Victoria and others rule. Torrie Wilson, and company ought to not have too many matches... and for the most part, SmackDown isn't ever having many women's matches since the real woman wrestlers got shipped to where they belong... the RAW brand. Ditching the brand extension is not the solution... in fact, it could accelerate WWE's way to total sucktitude. Too many wrestlers, competing for one belt...the brand extension was the best way to solve it. Even though the UPN/Spike TV distribution levels are pretty disparate, it's still the best way... they really are two different shows. And it really does seem like they are in competition with one another... that was the point, wasn't it? Problem is, there's just too much imbalance between the two. That's the only problem, as I see it.

yeah, it was a good move to move nidia to RAW to bolster the more ligitimate womens division. however, every time ive seen her wrestle she has looked like SHIT. i mean shades of Lita bad.

i never thought there were too many wrestlers competing for one belt, but now with the brand extension there are not enough credible main eventers competing for the titles. thats why Bradshaw had to get a 'cheap-heat' gimmick and was thrown into the main event. that is why there are posts on this thread that ask, "so who do you think will turn heel before the next ppv, the champion or the ONLY viable contender?"
and no it doesnt seem like the two shows are competing with each other. they recap each others programming for phuck sake.

[KillerWolf]

[QUOTE=BLaZeR-]
Keep that dumb bitch Stephanie McMahon off TV and away from writing angles....enough said.

beautifully put

[Kane Knight]

Originally Posted by HBK Okay, I will dismiss your juvenile insults for now and focus on my point, trying to explain to you why I cannot take you seriously and why your opinion regarding live shows is wrong and slaps common sense in the face.

I love it. He makes an attack, then actually tries to play the "bigger man" by saying he'll ignore my juvenile insults.

Jesus, we've already proved you're not worth my time. And we didn't even need to get past your introductory statement to ptove it.

Thanks, retard. You saved me thr trouble of wasting an argument on you.

[The CyNick]

HBK, you are totally wrong about the going live thing. You may prefer a live show, but as KK pointed out (and you seemed to ignore) it has been done in the past, and actually the taped shows were doing better than the live ones. The number of people who read spoilers is so insignificant it just doesn't have an impact on the ratings. As a matter of fact, usually, taping a show allows those few people who do read spoilers to read something of interest, tell their friends, and as a result the number could go up (this happened with Foley winning the WWE title for the first time). You can dispute this all you want, but I guarantee you what KK is saying is the truth. End of story. (probably not though)

Now to Heyman:

I might have forgot some of the stuff, so I appologize if I missed something.

But here's my take on SD:

The best thing I read on this thread was whoever said just give it time. The WWE screwed over SD by stealing talent to make HHH look good. Thats done, nothing you can do about it, but now they are trying to make new stars. Thats going to take time, and we have to be patient.

In terms of turns, the only one I would do is RVD turning on Eddie. I think they need to do some more tag matches together and then eventually he turns on Eddie, either in a tag match, or else in a one-on-one match. I think this needs to be the program for Eddie after the JBL thing ends in June. I also think RVD, with Heyman and the Dudleys makes for a good faction.

Turning Cena might be a good idea down the line, but he's too over right now to do that now. Ive said this a million times, and I'm sure I'll say it a million more, but you shouldn't turn guys that fans dont want to be turned. This would also apply to Eddie and Taker. People love those guys, and more importantly they PAY MONEY to see them, so why take those guys away from the fans? Eddie for example can get over as a heel, but he's never been more over than he is right now, so why go against that.

Hire Road Dogg? Not if I can help it. New Age Outlaws are a tired gimmick from 4 years ago, I dont think it would get over quite frankly.

With new guys, I think SD has enough new guys already who need to get over. What SD really needs at this point is some mid level guys who are over, who can feud with the new guys. You got Jindrak, Dupree, Mordecai, and now Kenzo who all need to be protected and pushed. What they could use are some guys like Test or Rhyno who could work programs with these new guys and put them over. Problem on SD is that they have a bunch of main event guys (Eddie, Cena, Rey, RVD, etc) but few guys who are expendable but have some name recognition.

I hate the Hardcore title, so I dont want to see that brought back. Keep the CW title if they are serious, if not make it a European or TV title, and open it up to all weights. That way, as was said before some of the top CWs can move on to the US title or work tags or whatever.

[Kane Knight]

Side note, anyone think HBK would even be able to tell the difference if he didn't know the show was taped?

[The Lone Drinker]

It needs a mix of old-school and new-school superstars like Raw has. And it needs more then one guy carrying the load. So far, the Undertaker is really the only big named star on there.

[Heyman]

Originally Posted by The CyNick Now to Heyman: In terms of turns, the only one I would do is RVD turning on Eddie. I think they need to do some more tag matches together and then eventually he turns on Eddie, either in a tag match, or else in a one-on-one match. I think this needs to be the program for Eddie after the JBL thing ends in June. I also think RVD, with Heyman and the Dudleys makes for a good faction. Turning Cena might be a good idea down the line, but he's too over right now to do that now. Ive said this a million times, and I'm sure I'll say it a million more, but you shouldn't turn guys that fans dont want to be turned.

Would RVD be any different from Cena, Guerrero, or Taker? (in terms of the fans not wanting him to 'turn'). My initial thought is 'no' since RVD has had the same character for a number of years now.

Speaking of Eddie Guerrero, one reason why I toyed with the idea of HIM turning heel, was because he is the best worker. Guerrero can work programs with Taker, Cena, Mysterio, and RVD and make them ALL look good. Can a guy like RVD do that?

As far as Eddie goes, don't you think he seems kind of like Kurt Angle or The Rock? (i.e. the fans love him/them, but would have no problem 'booing' their characters).

Here's what I was thinking yesterday:

-Leading up to Summerslam, John Cena becomes the #1 contender for Eddie Guerrero's WWE title.

-At Summerslam, Chavo comes out and helps Eddie retain against Cena (signifying Eddie's heel turn).

-Eddie feuds with Cena for another month, before moving on to Undertaker, Rey Mysterio, and Charlie Hass. Also during this time, RVD has gone on a torrid streak of his own. RVD has defeated the likes of the Dudleys (in singles), Booker T, Bradshaw, and Renee Dupree.

Heading up to Wrestlemania, RVD and Eddie Guerrero finally lock horns. At Wrestlemania, RVD goes over Eddie Guerrero to win the title.


One thing about Eddie Guerrero - I have a feeling that his popularity may not last too long as a face (I could be wrong on this, but call it a 'gut' feeling). Eddie doesn't have that loveable 'cockiness' that he had as a heel. Angle didn't have that either. That's something that guys like Austin, The Rock, and Jericho HAVE as faces.

Again - I could be wrong, but it just seems like Eddie's more 'natural' crowd reaction is for the fans to "love to hate" him.

[The CyNick]

I dont think RVD will work as a heel on his own, but I think Heyman is strong enough to get him over.

Cena, Taker and Eddie are are a higher level in terms of being over with the fans than RVD is, so it wouldn't be as big of a problem.

The other thing is that Eddie is 'the' top guy on Smackdown, and all angles will revolve around him for the forseeable future. So there's no reason to set up a series of angles that ultimately puts over RVD as the top guy. Eddie is better and more over, so he needs to be the focus. The only reason I would turn RVD is just so that Eddie has a program that wont suck. Even if RVD would win the title as a transitional, it would quickly go back to Eddie because he's the focus of the SD brand.

I also think Eddie has the juice to stay over for a long time. If he can get a crowd standing on their feet behind him against a stiff like Bradshaw then he can do it against anyone. So therefore I see no good reason to turn him. 2 years from now when he's burned out as a babyface, sure turn, he's good enough that he'l get over, but for now its Eddie's show and there's no reason to change that.

[KillerWolf]

[QUOTE=Heyman]Would RVD be any different from Cena, Guerrero, or Taker? (in terms of the fans not wanting him to 'turn'). My initial thought is 'no' since RVD has had the same character for a number of years now.

what i cant understand is why fans even care about RVD anymore. i think anyone who is a true fan of RVD would want him to turn heel. he's been a nowhere (and boring) character for years now. a heel turn MIGHT make him interesting (and a viable contender) again.

[Joe Kerr]

I read a few replies at the beginning and then skipped down, so I apaologize for any repeats.


First off I mentioned this before that Rey Mysterio and RVD make a great tag team however RVD should be in the main event spotlight. RVD and Rey Mysterio holding tag titles could help keep interest on Smackdown in the tag division but would deprive RVD of his Heavyweight shot. RVD doesnt go over well as Heel (invasion RVD was a cheered heel)

John Cena needs to drop the US title and also get in the Heavyweight picture. The US title is basically a joke anyways look at its history. Big show had the title for what three months and defended it twice. I do beleive this was the first time since Cena won the title from Bigshow that he has defended it. The US title is as important as the womens title.

Smackdown needs to get rid of there women "wrestlers" send them to Raw. Why are they on Smackdown when the womens title is on RAW? Jaqulyn would be good for Raws women division. the only female that should remain on Smackdown is miss jackie mainly because she is nothing more than a manager.

Kurt Angle as GM isnt going to work I dont know why it just doesnt seem like the right angle for him. I know he cant wrestle and it seems like he is going the same route as Austin. Also what happened to RAW vs. Smackdown GM battle?
Two heels battling to make there show superiour loses intrest.

The Undertaker needs to become pure evil. Major Heel turn. He will still be cheered but if he is going back to the dead man roots he needs to be heel. Continue the feud with Booker T up until he turns.

[Savio]

http://www.tpww.net/forums/showthread.php?t=12732 Heyman you asshole!....and you used my wheat color! :foc:

[Innovator]

-Honestly what do people remember about RAW when Smackdown was kicking it's ass...HHH had the title. People were complaining left and right and were refusing to watch. Smackdown had the better WRESTLERS, the up and coming guys were getting good rubs from the veterans, and Heyman was running things backstage.

-HHH doesn't have the title, Smackdown ratings go down and RAW is looking better.

-I think Taker will have the title again sooner or later for one last run, so when he does get it make sure someone like Cena gets the rub and the exposure.

[BasicThuganomics]

Originally Posted by HBK Multiple personality disorder? Riiight... *wink wink* By the way, learn how to spell.

Try and be a smartass all you want, but the fact is that Smackdown has been aired live before and the ratings weren't affected. If you want to be taken seriously, you should try and acknowledge that fact and then continue with your argument you have going on. But you're ignoring it instead so quit trying to act like you got the better of KK when you didn't...

[The Lone Drinker]

In 2002, Smackdown had The Rock, Triple H, Hulk Hogan, Kurt Angle, and Chris Jericho [just to name a few] and they had Vince McMahon running the show every week.

That is why Smackdown was the better show for such a long time. They had big named stars.

Now who do they have besides The Undertaker? No one. I realize Kurt's still there but he cannot even wrestle. Until Smackdown gets wrestlers who are actually over, it will keep on sucking while Raw will keep ruling.

[Kane Knight]

Originally Posted by The Lone Drinker In 2002, Smackdown had The Rock, Triple H, Hulk Hogan, Kurt Angle, and Chris Jericho [just to name a few] and they had Vince McMahon running the show every week. That is why Smackdown was the better show for such a long time. They had big named stars. Now who do they have besides The Undertaker? No one. I realize Kurt's still there but he cannot even wrestle. Until Smackdown gets wrestlers who are actually over, it will keep on sucking while Raw will keep ruling.

Except for the fact that Hogan wasn't drawing. Same with Vince "running the show."

[Kane Knight]

Originally Posted by HBK Multiple personality disorder? Riiight... *wink wink* By the way, learn how to spell.

Oh no! As typing, I hit the "R" key instead ot he "E" key!

Seriously. Your argument is fucking weak if that's the best you can come back with.

[The CyNick]

Sd was still better than RAW even in 2004, before Mania. Its only been since Mania that they have suffered, and I think anyone could see that would happen when you lose Taker, Lesnar, and Angle as regular characters. Plus they also lost Edge to RAW, who could have been a big help to SD.

Now RAW is filled with recognizable stars, and SD is lacking, as a result people are not watching SD as much as they were before the big losses.

I think ultimately Brock was the biggest loss though.

[Corkscrewed]

You know my thoughts.

[spd10000]

Begin with new commentators.