Is Smackdown catching up with Raw?

[Open the Muggy Gate 0]

I've been watching Smackdown improve over the past few weeks. A few suprises here and there, the push of London and Kidman. Evil Spike as the boss. The surprising return of Vis and Gangrel for a couple of weeks...

 

I've got to say, Smackdown has been suprising and entertaining as of late. The matches are starting to get better, the angles more fluid, and the characters are taking shape very well too.

 

Meanwhile, on Raw, some match-ups are being used over and over, and it's kinda of feeling a bit stale in my eyes. They did a good job this past Monday though, I'll admit that.

 

So question... is Smackdown catching up, or is it still way behind in your eyes? In my eyes, it's improving quite a bit...

 

and let's face it.... you can't have enough hosses doing promos about how angry they are.... that's gold.

[SamoaRowe 0]

Hm, let me put it this way. Last week Smackdown held my attention for an entire two hours. After an hour of Raw this past monday night, I had enough.

[Brett Favre 0]

Slowly but surely, they are building up some stars. Not like superstars, but guys that will be able to hold the show down for people like Angle, Eddie, Taker, Cena, Big Show, even JBL.

 

London, Kidman, Spike, Rey, Booker T, Luther Reigns, The Dudleyz, even Kenzo Suzuki, Rene Dupree, and even Heidenreich has a character that's pretty interesting. Now Mark Jindrak returns to SD! and he's about to join Kurt. Things are looking up, different faces are stepping it up, while on RAW things are starting to get stale.

[The Tino Standard 0]

Let's see, Raw is getting stale and you-know-wHHHo just won the title for the billionth time (with no signs of a short reign in sight). Coincidence?

[Guest whitemilesdavis]

Now Mark Jindrak returns to SD! and he's about to join Kurt.

 

You know, for all the new talk about Kurt's backstage attitude, he does seem to understand the concept of "giving the rub".

 

Haas, Benjamin, and Reigns all seem legit after working with Angle. I hope he can do the same for Jindrak.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

I still want Jindrak to go face...

 

 

then call of his fans "Little Marks".

 

"You ALL have a little bit of Mark inside you!"

[Open the Muggy Gate 0]

I still want Jindrak to go face...

 

 

then call of his fans "Little Marks".

 

"You ALL have a little bit of Mark inside you!"

I never thought of that... that's $$$$ right there.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

Didn't he used to do a pumphandle spinning neckbreaker or something like that? You guessed it...call it "The Mark Out".

 

 

Hell, as I stated to a few people, I would go so far as to sell "I'm A Mark!" or "100% Mark!" t-shirts.

[Open the Muggy Gate 0]

I never remembered the pumphandle move. All I know is his back suplex into a Rock Bottom, the Mark of Excellence.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

I thought it was something he did during the InVasion before he got his ass handed to him by the midcard warriors.

[SamoaRowe 0]

Didn't he used to do a pumphandle spinning neckbreaker or something like that? You guessed it...call it "The Mark Out".

 

 

Hell, as I stated to a few people, I would go so far as to sell "I'm A Mark!" or "100% Mark!" t-shirts.

I'd buy two!

 

 

And no... Raw becoming stale and Triple H winning the World title about the same time is far from a coincidence

[Guest fanofcoils]

Smackdown catched up and was better than Raw two weeks ago. The show this week looks generic.

[SamoaRowe 0]

Smackdown catched up and was better than Raw two weeks ago. The show this week looks generic.

But then again, Raw was pretty generic this week too.

[Dangerous A 0]

Your measuring stick is a bad one. Raw sucks fat ass. SD used to only suck shit, but is now moving to just sucking fat ass. SD, before sucking just shit, was sucking fat donkey dick after WM20. A difference and improvement? Yes, but not much of one.

[SamoaRowe 0]

Actually, Smackdown had some exciting shows right before WrestleMania XX and in the week or so before the draft lottery. I'm thinking back to the days of Eddie's WWE title run (before Bradshaw became JBL) and his title defenses against Rey Mysterio, Big Show, and Chavo Guerrero.

[Guest fanofcoils]

Did Rey Mysterio wrestle at all between when WCW closed - when he debuted in WWE?

[dubq 0]

I've been watching Smackdown improve over the past few weeks.  A few suprises here and there, the push of London and Kidman.  Evil Spike as the boss.  The surprising return of Vis and Gangrel for a couple of weeks...

That was an improvement?

[thuganomics 0]

Smackdown actually seems to be the better show for the moment, although the fact they don't really push JBL at us for half an hour at a time is itself enough to cause improvement. Dupree & Suzuki work oddly well as tag champs, and the Kidman and London feud looks like it should prove really, really good.

 

RAW on the other hand can't even seem to figure out what to do with Chris Benoit, William Regal, or half their other stars. Most of Smackdown's cast at least has direction.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Want to answer this question?

 

Compare Backlash's buyrate to Judgment Day's.

 

Compare Bad Blood's buyrate to The Great American Bash's.

 

As for *now*...

 

Compare Unforgiven's buyrate to No Mercy's.

 

That should give you an idea.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Aw, D.A. beat me to it.

 

Mark had the MJ Special (delight?) in WCW which was a torturerack/neckbreaker.

[SamoaRowe 0]

Want to answer this question?

 

Compare Backlash's buyrate to Judgment Day's.

 

Compare Bad Blood's buyrate to The Great American Bash's.

 

As for *now*...

 

Compare Unforgiven's buyrate to No Mercy's.

 

That should give you an idea.

Compare the Great American Bash's buyrate to Vengeance.

[Guest Banders Kennany]

I do in fact think SmackDown! is much improved from a show point of view.

[Tawren 0]

Did Rey Mysterio wrestle at all between when WCW closed - when he debuted in WWE?

Mexico and a couple US indy matches.

[Brett Favre 0]

Pretty much everyone on Smackdown! has some type of storyline going, which is great.

[Twisted Intestine 0]

Pretty much everyone on Smackdown! has some type of storyline going, which is great.

Even Michael Cole is involved in a story line! Who cares if it's about him getting it up the ass.

 

[Ultra Violence 0]

Heyman must indeed be writing Smackdown.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

Smackdown is still the B show because that's how it is treated. However, they certainly are making better use of what they have than the RAW booking team. I find Smackdown to be the more entertaining show because of that and it is catching up in terms of quality, but not in the way Vince sees it.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

Heyman must indeed be writing Smackdown.

Actually, I believe he is writing RAW. Isn't he? I'm sure someone here remembers.

[Open the Muggy Gate 0]

I've been watching Smackdown improve over the past few weeks.  A few suprises here and there, the push of London and Kidman.  Evil Spike as the boss.  The surprising return of Vis and Gangrel for a couple of weeks...

That was an improvement?

I was talking about the surprise factor in that case. I mean... did you see Gangrel and Vis coming? I'm a mark for Gangrel, so there you go...

[what 0]

Heyman must indeed be writing Smackdown.

Actually, I believe he is writing RAW. Isn't he? I'm sure someone here remembers.

He's on the SD booking team and is a consultant for Raw.