Smackdown Spoilers from England...

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

From Death Valley Driver Board:

 

Thanks to Wrestlemag.com for sending along spoilers from today's Smackdown taping in Sheffield, England:

 

Velocity:

 

- Kid Kash beat Chris Chaos.

- MNM defeated Brian Kendrick & Paul London.

- Sylvan beat Funaki.

- Simon Dean pinned Taylor Phoenix.

 

Smackdown!:

 

- Booker T vs. Chris Benoit for the United States Title went to a draw after two referees got involved and each counted a pinfall as both men had their shoulders on the mat. Teddy Long declared the title vacant and that Booker T vs. Benoit was made for Survivor Series as the first in a ‘Best of Seven’ match, with the winner being declared the new US Champion.

 

- The Dicks beat Road Warrior Animal & Heidenreich

 

- Matt Hardy beat Ken Kennedy via DQ.

 

- Melina pinned Christy Hemme.

 

- Juventud beat Nunzio via pinfall to become the new WWE Cruiserweight Champion.

- William Regal & Paul Burchill vs. JBL & Rey Mysterio went to a no-contest after HBK, Carlito and Chris Masters invaded Smackdown! Carlito and Masters were sat at ringside before HBK hit the ring and superkicked JBL. Benoit, Animal, Heidenreich and Hardcore Holly hit the ring to make the save for Smackdown!.

 

- Bobby Lashley pinned Orlando Jordan in what was basically a squash match.

 

- Teddy Long ordered the entire Smackdown! roster to make their way to ringside ahead of tonight’s main event.

 

- Batista vs. Randy Orton for the World Heavyweight Title went to a no contest after a huge brawl broke out between the entire RAW and Smackdown! rosters in the ring and around the ringside area.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

Hell, I'd just like for all of the wrestlers to be around for title matches, I just wouldn't want there to be brawls. BUT, if they were just there at ringside watching and not getting involved that would add to the depth of the match, showing that the other wrestles actually give a shit about who their champion is.

[cabbageboy 0]

Well, at least they didn't put the title on Orton. At least for now.

[Black Lushus 0]

thank the Christ!

[The Amazing Rando 0]

So they start the Best of Seven now? After they've already had like 9 matches?

[Steviekick 0]

I guess the only reason Nunzio got the CW title was because that was the night they were in Italy.

 

Still, good business move by having a title change(s) at non-taped shows and abroad.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Does it even matter.

 

Honestly, Bret could've won the title and next week Smackdown's rating would still be the same. No one cares about the company anymore. it's stale, flat, and filled with either 1) workers who've been in the spotlight every week for too long or 2)generic wrestlers missing entertainment aspects and a connection with the crowd.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

Their roster is way too large, but with so many good wrestlers and or "drawing" wrestlers, it's hard to cut out a large enough percentage to be able to shuffle new faces into the uppercard and be able for fans to connect with lower guys.

 

They could cut out the horrible Basham, Heidenreich (and Animal), Viscera, the HeartThrobs, Stevie Richards and Simon Dean (yeah I know, but Stevie's fairly useless at this point anyway in WWE land and even as Nova the fans probably wouldn't care), Snitsky, Tomko, maybe one or two more women, Sylvan Grenier, Orlando Jordan, Rosey (sorry again), Hardcore Holly, and a few other of the deadweights and have about 40-45 guys and have a fairly deep tag division (about 7 teams if you keep TBS/Kane together for a while), a decent CW division.

 

Note: that 45 doesn't count the women. But with them it would be like 50-55 tops (not counting Lillian and even Maria).

 

a 55 person roster with 14 of them in tag action (with Kane/TBS also heading into the ME scene after another tag team shows up), a dozen or so cruisers, and an average size women's division could be alright. Putting about 25 people a show and actually using the time to their advantage...it could work. The problem is that you can't have so few tag teams for split brands. But adding more people creates more problems. And would mean cutting guys that people might care about ...though that can be remedied by cutting Val Venis, the other Basham, and even Rene Dupree to try and open up time. (Yeah, I know these are guys they don't use anyway).

[haVoc 0]

Teddy Long declared the title vacant and that Booker T vs. Benoit was made for Survivor Series as the first in a ‘Best of Seven’ match

 

Original.

 

Benoit, Animal, Heidenreich and Hardcore Holly hit the ring to make the save for Smackdown!.

 

Poor Benoit.

 

Batista vs. Randy Orton for the World Heavyweight Title went to a no contest

 

Praise the Lord!

[Dark Age 0]

You're missing the point, UseTheSledehammerUh. It's not about ratings, it's about house show business, and their European tours.

[Karc 0]

Why is Batista still "working" when he's badly injured? The guy ripped a muscle in his back. Do these morons not get it?

 

They just spent the last week and a half crying over a friend of theirs who died too young because his heart gave out on him because of what he did for them. Seriously, what the fuck?

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

As soon as the "injury" was reported I believed it to be a work, and still believe so.

[goldengreek 0]

BOOKER / BENOIT BEST OF 7. DIDNT THEY DO THAT IN WCW. FUCKIN HILLARIOUS, WHAT A JOKE.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

As an ammendment to my previous post... I just went through the rosters and not cutting out commentators, announcers, interviewers, and the like... I was able to cut 25 people from both the rosters combined (23 if you don't count the Dicks, which I also cut). I also cut Sharmell and Stacy, because they are both useless.

 

With the exactly 50 wrestlers I had left, I was able to create divisions for both shows that were equal...

 

Both shows would have a 6 person deep world title/upper card scene, a 6 person deep IC/US title scene, a 4 tag team deep TT scene (reusing a few other guys - for example: Raw would have Carlito/Masters & Kane/TBS remaining teams, Smackdown would have Spanky/London, the Mexicools, and Burchill/Regal as teams while using those guys in other divisions).

 

Raw would also have 9 women to use for there division (wrestling ability notwithstanding - not counting Maria) and SD would have an 11 member CW division (which includes all three mexicools, and Rey being both a part of the CW division and the IC title division, which I think he could be good for).

 

25 people a show, not counting Bisch, Long, and the other various' that I mentioned at the beginning isn't THAT bad, and can be spread out and promoted over 3 hours of show time (Raw/Heat, SD/Velocity) and it would simply require some time (probably before a commercial break) to let people know what happened on the internet only shows.

 

As people retiring and/or got injured, etc...people from OVW could be brought up for trials, even as jobbers to the established. All I would say is that the established vet should make the "n00b" look as good as possible so that when that person makes a full time leap they will have a little GOOD exposure than "Oh, he lost to Lashley in 45 seconds a few weeks ago".

 

I would also like to say that my rosters do move some people around (The Cruisers, Conway, and Edge to SD and the Women, Kennedy, and MNM to Raw).

[eiker_ir 0]

so, what's Batista doing for Survivor Series, is he in the 5 vs. 5 match?

[Dogbert 0]

Hmm... Benoit/Booker could be good. They need to play up the 1998 series, though. Let Booker get under Benoit's skin by reminding him of the loss seven years back.

[CBright7831 0]

Don't worry, when they are back in the states next week, we will have a new WWE Champion, and it will be Mr. Randy K. Orton!

 

LET'S CELEBRATE!

[The Niggardly King 0]

[Guest Leelee]

What's Randall's middle name?

 

And I'm pissed he's not champ. Gold matches his smile, so well.

[Guest GoJoe]

Knock?

[BorneAgain 0]

Randall Keith Orton

[haVoc 0]

Why is Batista still "working" when he's badly injured?  The guy ripped a muscle in his back.  Do these morons not get it?

 

They just spent the last week and a half crying over a friend of theirs who died too young because his heart gave out on him because of what he did for them.  Seriously, what the fuck?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Little over dramatic, aren't we?

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

Why is Batista still "working" when he's badly injured?  The guy ripped a muscle in his back.  Do these morons not get it?

 

They just spent the last week and a half crying over a friend of theirs who died too young because his heart gave out on him because of what he did for them.  Seriously, what the fuck?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Little over dramatic, aren't we?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe if more people had been 'over dramatic' in the last 15-20 years, a few more wrestlers might still be alive.

[HollywoodSpikeJenkins 0]

MNM/SpankyLondon?

 

 

 

Velocity is good.

[haVoc 0]

Why is Batista still "working" when he's badly injured?  The guy ripped a muscle in his back.  Do these morons not get it?

 

They just spent the last week and a half crying over a friend of theirs who died too young because his heart gave out on him because of what he did for them.  Seriously, what the fuck?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Little over dramatic, aren't we?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe if more people had been 'over dramatic' in the last 15-20 years, a few more wrestlers might still be alive.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

So everytime a wrestler is injured we should expect they're abusing pain killers?

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

Why is Batista still "working" when he's badly injured?  The guy ripped a muscle in his back.  Do these morons not get it?

 

They just spent the last week and a half crying over a friend of theirs who died too young because his heart gave out on him because of what he did for them.  Seriously, what the fuck?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Little over dramatic, aren't we?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe if more people had been 'over dramatic' in the last 15-20 years, a few more wrestlers might still be alive.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

So everytime a wrestler is injured we should expect they're abusing pain killers?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, but when they're already pushing their body too much as it is, and Batista has a history of tearing muscles, it might not be the best idea to have them keep working. It might be a wise idea to, you know, give them a rest. Let their body heal, and let them clean up.

[Guest The Mustang]

Totally agreed, as we've seen from Eddie, those drug addictions if they get addicted could only make thing's worse..

[haVoc 0]

I'd be more concerned about the drug which is causing the muscle tears then the drugs he might take for the pain. Batista might be sent home to "clean up" longer then most think.

[Guest The Mustang]

I hope so...meh....I just wanna see some body else with that god damn belt.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

I'd be more concerned about the drug which is causing the muscle tears then the drugs he might take for the pain. Batista might be sent home to "clean up" longer then most think.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'd be concerned about any drugs he might be taking, especially ones that increase his chances of even more muscle tears or even something a lot more serious than that. Batista is injured anyway, he needs to time off, if only to to rehab his latest tear, so why not take the title off him here, and let him go home.