Michael Hayes named Head Writer of Smackdown

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

--Michael Hayes was named today as new head writer of Smackdown. Alex Greenfield, who had been the head writer since Dave Lagana was reassigned, gave notice to the company because a movie he wrote was green lighted and he has to work in Los Angeles

 

Meltzer.

 

This could make things interesting internally, because when Hayes was with Raw he always politicked to keep SD and ECW below Raw. Not that the company needed help with that, but with Hayes being so upfront about it, it could make his time on SD interesting.

[BorneAgain 0]

As I asked in CTDWAT what's the say on how good Hayes is as a booker anyway?

[Dobbs 3K 0]

I'm a Michael Hayes mark, so I say this is good, and I base that on absolutely nothing else.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

As I asked in CTDWAT what's the say on how good Hayes is as a booker anyway?

The thing I remember him doing on Smackdown is just after Cena turned babyface in 2004 Cena tagged with Benoit, and after the match Hayes pushed for Cena to FU Benoit to make him more of a lone wolf type. Everybody was against it, but Hayes talked to Vince privately, which got Hayes a lot of heat for being seen as promoting his own agenda, and he got Vince to OK it. The fans crapped all over it, and the segment never made it to air as a result.

[Guest Coffey]

"Once a Freebird, always a Freebird."

[Hawk 34 0]

If Hayes was simply working on building promos, I'd be all for it. That being said, why did they change it? SD had been good lately, so whomever (I thought Lagana or Rhodes) shouldn't be moved anyways.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Uh, the original post said that Greenfield left for a job in LA. Didn't sound like this was WWE deciding "to change it."

[uhftv 0]

I agree with Hayes better suited to minor things like promos. I dont think he knows what he's doing with overall booking. That part about Cena and Benoit is a good example of that.

 

I thought Lagana was still with SD. I never heard of this Greenfield guy. I thought he was only with the company a year, so how could you become the head writer of a show in so short a time?

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Who knows? It's not like any of us really know what happens behind the scenes with WWE anyway.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

I never heard of this Greenfield guy. I thought he was only with the company a year, so how could you become the head writer of a show in so short a time?

I believe he was close ally of Stephanie McMahon. I remember Lagana was assigned to ECW because Vince or Stephanie, I think Stephanie, wanted someone to keep tabs on Heyman and also because they felt Heyman wasn't going to last long and also wanted him there to take over if Heyman did go home.

[justcoz 0]

As I asked in CTDWAT what's the say on how good Hayes is as a booker anyway?

The thing I remember him doing on Smackdown is just after Cena turned babyface in 2004 Cena tagged with Benoit, and after the match Hayes pushed for Cena to FU Benoit to make him more of a lone wolf type. Everybody was against it, but Hayes talked to Vince privately, which got Hayes a lot of heat for being seen as promoting his own agenda, and he got Vince to OK it. The fans crapped all over it, and the segment never made it to air as a result.

 

So instead of going the Stone Cold route with Cena's babyface turn like Hayes was pretty much suggesting - they went The Rock route and turned him into a corny catchphrasing cutesy babyface - which the audience crapped on. Not like this is indicative of any creative booking genius on the part of Hayes but maybe he knew that was the direction creative was going to take Cena's then over gimmick which is why he was pushing for the Austin-loner thing.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

As I asked in CTDWAT what's the say on how good Hayes is as a booker anyway?

The thing I remember him doing on Smackdown is just after Cena turned babyface in 2004 Cena tagged with Benoit, and after the match Hayes pushed for Cena to FU Benoit to make him more of a lone wolf type. Everybody was against it, but Hayes talked to Vince privately, which got Hayes a lot of heat for being seen as promoting his own agenda, and he got Vince to OK it. The fans crapped all over it, and the segment never made it to air as a result.

 

So instead of going the Stone Cold route with Cena's babyface turn like Hayes was pretty much suggesting - they went The Rock route and turned him into a corny catchphrasing cutesy babyface - which the audience crapped on. Not like this is indicative of any creative booking genius on the part of Hayes but maybe he knew that was the direction creative was going to take Cena's then over gimmick which is why he was pushing for the Austin-loner thing.

The problem is that while Hayes got his way, it wasn't what the fans wanted to see. Maybe down the road, but there and then the fans did not want to see that out of Cena.

[justcoz 0]

The problem is that while Hayes got his way, it wasn't what the fans wanted to see. Maybe down the road, but there and then the fans did not want to see that out of Cena.

 

Who knows. It never aired, right? So we are likely saying that the fans crapped on it from several reports from the taping. My guess is, above anything, it was pulled from the show because of political nonsense with others in creative, probably Stephanie and Gerwitz, complaining that they vetoed the idea only to have Hayes go straight to Vince to get his way. I'm just suggesting that Hayes was likely trying to make sure Cena's character kept an edge of unpredictabilty, maybe seeing the writing on the wall that others in creative were going to have him doing cute raps about his opponents being gay and turn him into a wannabe Rock that the male fan base would reject. It's all heresay, we really don't know. I just remember reading those reports back then and thinking to myself that Hayes was right.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

The problem is that while Hayes got his way, it wasn't what the fans wanted to see. Maybe down the road, but there and then the fans did not want to see that out of Cena.

 

Who knows. It never aired, right? So we are likely saying that the fans crapped on it from several reports from the taping.

Every report said the fans either booed it or just sat there, not reacting. This isn't one of those "well, we don't really know..." deals. We know. Hayes idea backfired. If the angle got over, it would have aired.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

Do you think maybe they booed it because they thought he was, you know, ATTACKING CHRIS BENOIT. You can't put over motive in commentary when the crowd at the show can't hear it. The fans did not know that he was going for the lone-wolf deal. The fans saw it as "He just FU'd Chris Benoit, BOOOO!"

 

 

If they didn't react at all...well, that's a whole 'nother story. But when one babyface attacks another babyface, it usually means that the attacker is turning heel unless it is already WELL established that the character is a tweener and will basically do what he wants. Cena wasn't being booked like that at the time, I do not believe.

 

Face Austin had DTA, Face Cena is more DOA.

 

 

Technically, by way of the booing, the angle DID GET OVER...sadly, it was not the angle Hayes was pushing for.

[justcoz 0]

The problem is that while Hayes got his way, it wasn't what the fans wanted to see. Maybe down the road, but there and then the fans did not want to see that out of Cena.

 

Who knows. It never aired, right? So we are likely saying that the fans crapped on it from several reports from the taping.

Every report said the fans either booed it or just sat there, not reacting. This isn't one of those "well, we don't really know..." deals. We know. Hayes idea backfired. If the angle got over, it would have aired.

 

Getting over with a live crowd and getting over on a larger scale with the television audience are two different things. They could've easily just sweetened the crowd response by the time Smackdown aired just like they do any other time the fans respond negatively or don't respond at all at SD tapings. The Raw fans didn't want Cena as champion and they still kept pushing it even to the point of having their announcers make up lame excuses for the audience reaction. If Stephanie's panties were in an uproar and other people on creative were complaining about Hayes pushing something on Vince that they turned down earlier in the day, they would have pulled it from airing whether the live audience popped for it or not.

[Black Lushus 0]

sweetening the crowd results in the brand's world champion and top heels getting zero reaction on a live TV setting...

[justcoz 0]

I also agree with where Rando is coming from. The fans are going to be confused (ie no response) or boo out of instinct as if Cena was turning heel on Benoit. It could have easily been switched in production by sweetening the crowd reaction and the commentators talking about Cena being from the street, being a loner, not trusting anyone, etc. to build the motive for the television audience to respond to. That's why I think it was all political, namely Stephanie not liking a member of creative going over her head and running to daddy. Gerwitz had the unfunny gay raps already written out and where do those fit in after Hayes pushes to Vince that Cena is a crabby, street thug that doesn't trust anyone.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

From F4W:

 

A lot of controversy last week regarding the finish of the Smackdown main event. Following Benoit & Cena’s victory over Big Show & Lesnar, Raw writer Michael Hayes suggested Cena hit Benoit with his FU. His argument was that even though Cena was a babyface now and that was a heel move, he felt it would get Cena over more because that kind of thing worked with Steve Austin. He was overruled. Apparently, he then went to Vince McMahon privately and talked him into doing it. Sure enough, the crowd hated it and booed Cena unmercifully, and it was said to be a disaster live. Luckily, the show was taped so they edited the entire thing off the broadcast.

 

Figure Four Weekly

 

Not that I expect anyone to change their mind, but there it is.

[justcoz 0]

From F4W:

 

A lot of controversy last week regarding the finish of the Smackdown main event. Following Benoit & Cena’s victory over Big Show & Lesnar, Raw writer Michael Hayes suggested Cena hit Benoit with his FU. His argument was that even though Cena was a babyface now and that was a heel move, he felt it would get Cena over more because that kind of thing worked with Steve Austin. He was overruled. Apparently, he then went to Vince McMahon privately and talked him into doing it. Sure enough, the crowd hated it and booed Cena unmercifully, and it was said to be a disaster live. Luckily, the show was taped so they edited the entire thing off the broadcast.

 

Figure Four Weekly

 

Not that I expect anyone to change their mind, but there it is.

 

That's funny I was trying to find something myself. I recall Scherer and the pwinsider guys saying it was a bad idea at the time too. I'm still not going to change my mind because I don't think the live crowd reaction, where there is no explanation for the motive as to why someone who had just turned face was attacking an already established face, was the gauge as to whether it would get over like Austin did or not. I just think the character would have had an easier transition from over-heel to babyface if they didn't rob Cena of his edge and the thug attitude that got him over in the first place. That's where I think Hayes was coming from.

[Aero 0]

From F4W:

 

A lot of controversy last week regarding the finish of the Smackdown main event. Following Benoit & Cena’s victory over Big Show & Lesnar, Raw writer Michael Hayes suggested Cena hit Benoit with his FU. His argument was that even though Cena was a babyface now and that was a heel move, he felt it would get Cena over more because that kind of thing worked with Steve Austin. He was overruled. Apparently, he then went to Vince McMahon privately and talked him into doing it. Sure enough, the crowd hated it and booed Cena unmercifully, and it was said to be a disaster live. Luckily, the show was taped so they edited the entire thing off the broadcast.

 

Figure Four Weekly

 

Not that I expect anyone to change their mind, but there it is.

 

If you want further proof, I was at that taping, and yes, the crowd hated it. That was the night Cena was named as the final member of Team Angle for Survivor Series, and everyone was waiting for it, so the crowd was pissed when he apparently turned heel again.

[justcoz 0]

From F4W:

 

A lot of controversy last week regarding the finish of the Smackdown main event. Following Benoit & Cena’s victory over Big Show & Lesnar, Raw writer Michael Hayes suggested Cena hit Benoit with his FU. His argument was that even though Cena was a babyface now and that was a heel move, he felt it would get Cena over more because that kind of thing worked with Steve Austin. He was overruled. Apparently, he then went to Vince McMahon privately and talked him into doing it. Sure enough, the crowd hated it and booed Cena unmercifully, and it was said to be a disaster live. Luckily, the show was taped so they edited the entire thing off the broadcast.

 

Figure Four Weekly

 

Not that I expect anyone to change their mind, but there it is.

 

If you want further proof, I was at that taping, and yes, the crowd hated it. That was the night Cena was named as the final member of Team Angle for Survivor Series, and everyone was waiting for it, so the crowd was pissed when he apparently turned heel again.

 

Okay, I'm an ass. Maybe Hayes was right to some extent, as far as keeping an edge to Cena's character, but the timing of doing what he wanted was off considering that Cena wasn't an established face yet. Hayes may have been thinking that it would build intrigue as to how Cena would get along with his teammates at Survivor Series with Cena more or less being the reluctant babyface loner but the crowd crapped on it out of confusion. Vince was apparently into it enough to approve it and then decided against it. I'm sure others in creative had a fit that Hayes went above them with an angle they had already rejected but the crowd reaction probably sealed its fate more than I originally believed.

[Hasbeen1 0]

You can't just say he's unable to book because of that one problem. I'm anxious to see if his old school ideas can give Smackdown the boost it needs. I thought the MidSouth fans would lynch him for injuring the JYD a long, long time ago, hope he can give the fans that kind of excitement for the Smackdown wrestlers, heels and faces.

[Chazz 0]

Wasn't Hayes the one who came up with that stupid "Orton Knows Best" segment that bombed last summer during The Hogan/Orton fued?

[The Amazing Rando 0]

"last summer"? Wasn't it ... like... two months ago?

[Kizzo 0]

Wasn't Hayes the one who came up with that stupid "Orton Knows Best" segment that bombed last summer during The Hogan/Orton fued?

 

Yep that was his idea...

[Si82 0]

Wasn't Hayes the one who came up with that stupid "Orton Knows Best" segment that bombed last summer during The Hogan/Orton fued?

 

Yep that was his idea...

Well, Smackdown is fucked then.

[Promoter 0]

I think Justcoz is right somewhat especially with the wrong timing. Cena should have been kept a tweener and Vince agreeing must have thought about the Austin comparisons(SOMEONE must have thought going the Rock route was better). The story was never established why Cena would turn on Benoit who remember was in the root of his mega-push. I believe it also had to be political. I mean we see how they FORCE things down the fan's throat when they want a certain response. If all of creative wanted him tweener he would be tweener regardless of reaction in one arena.

 

Hayes as head writer of smackdown is another story

[MillenniumMan831 0]

I can't wait to hear JBL rip into the dumb shit Hayes likely has lined up for Smackdown.

[Guest East.Coast.J]

The Freebirds used to book a lot of their own angles. Michael Hayes may have had a bad experience with booking John Cena, but at least he understands what professional wrestling is and knows how to get heat. His methods may be antiquated, but at least with Hayes at the helm the chances of another WWE show remaining poor man's Vaudville hour seem to be decreased.