SMACKDOWN LIVE SUPERTHREAD

martyos121

Another strong Smackdown last night, it’s definitely returned to form in a big way over the last couple of months.

Love the story they’re building between Styles and Joe, the latter of whom is killing it on the mic, there’s nobody as convincing as Joe right now when he speaks, he’s top class.

Becky promo was awful but definitely a Vince move because god forbid Charlotte would ever be the heel. It stuck out like a sore thumb and clearly wasn’t the work of whoever writes the rest of the show.

Jeff Hardy snapping was quality, looked very menacing throughout that segment, looks like he’s in line for a solid program with Orton.

Miz/Maryse and Bryan/Brie stuff was good, if it’s half as good as the buildup to the mixed tag at Mania 33, I’ll be delighted.

Main event was great, but Kofi kicking out of that ladder spot was utterly ridiculous. I’m supposed to be suspending my disbelief and that completely killed any chance of that for me, especially given that Harper was pinned by a much softer looking move. I’m nitpicking tbf, but it still irked me.

Rjd2

SlickRic wrote: »

i honestly believe that Vince believes Charlotte is face because she's a Flair, and she's a buxom blonde. it goes no deeper than that.

Don't forget Becky is a foreigner either. Shin and Zayn also turned and ultimately are still where they were when face. Road Dogg definitely voted Trump in 2016.

SureYWouldntYa

They've got the exact opposite situation with Becky Lynch and Roman Reigns, the mad bstards, well played

Lithium93_

Samoa Joe is the 2nd best heel in WWE right now.

Bounty Hunter

I think the booking of Becky is mad but... I am happy to see her having the main female storyline on the show and continuing to be involved in the title picture.

DM_7

Lithium93_ wrote: »

Samoa Joe is the 2nd best heel in WWE right now.

After Roman?

Lithium93_

DM_7 wrote: »

After Roman?

Nah.

Ciampa & Joe > Every other heel on the rosters.

J. Marston

I'd have Baszler high up the list too just for that Takeover match alone.

Woman is evil.

ERG89

Lynch delivered her promo well but I'd love a heel turn where the heel doesn't blame the fans at all & just said they were doing it for themselves.
It's kinda understandable they had Becky blame the fans as she is easily the best babyface on Smackdown's women roster so she has to try to alienate them. But it also displays how the fans haven't taken to Charlotte as much as WWE imagine.

DM_7

A worthwhile heel turn requires no explanation by said heel.

Think Punk when he clotheslined the Rock. Instant heel.

Nakamura crotch shot post mania bout to AJ.

SlickRic

the issue is, as ever, that the company has no idea how to actively book a babyface in 2018. they haven't a fúcking clue.

so because Charlotte is not sympathetic, and is not naturally a person you want to get behind, if you have Becky (who is naturally someone you want to get behind) turn, the result is that Becky is an even bigger babyface as a result.

they don't know what they're doing.

Lord TSC

Yeah

What has Charlotte done to warrant the crowd getting behind her? Same as Roman, it never seems to matter how often she loses, she never has to earn her shots, she just is given them over and over. If she fails, you know she'll never struggle to get another shot immediately.

What has Becky actually done to warrant a negative reaction? The issue there is she attacked Charlotte, but after years of being a Goody-2-shoes, the "attack" felt like she was just standing up for herself, and fighting against an oppressive "best friend".

Which is THE EXACT SAME ISSUE they had when they tried to turn Bayley two months ago, now that I think of it. The exact same story. Ultra-babyface, too good for her own good, finally turns on her "friend" who has been given chance after chance, only for the crowd to fully agree with the "heels" justifications for being frustrated.

SlickRic

Lord TSC wrote: »

What has Charlotte done to warrant the crowd getting behind her? Same as Roman, it never seems to matter how often she loses, she never has to earn her shots, she just is given them over and over. If she fails, you know she'll never struggle to get another shot immediately.

This, in particular, is something they hilariously never see.

I even remember the commentary when the camera did a close up of Charlotte crying after the attack. And one of them (I think Graves potentially, but I could be wrong. Could've been Saxton) said something like "What has Charlotte done to deserve this?".

It was mad.

They don't see the granting of title shot after title shot after title shot to one talent as an issue. They don't see that as something that could make the audience resent that talent. They had a similar problem with Cena. And I remember Punk mentioning it in his promo ahead of the Royal Rumble with the Rock, saying "why does a guy like Cena, who has had the worst year of him professional career get title shot after title shot after title shot?".

but no, you're just supposed to support Reigns and Flair because, well, they're Reigns and Flair, and Vince says so.

CastorTroy

And Corey should be backing Becky, the same way he backed Bayley

Autecher

Road Dogg disagrees

ERG89

https://twitter.com/Sempervive/status/1032393010632306691?s=19

That reminded me of this tweet I saw earlier

Pentecost

Another indication of how poorly they told the story if that’s what they wanted to get across. He chose to ignore the Charlotte getting handed a title shot bit too.

J. Marston

I think a part of them just wants to lean into the "polarising" thing with some wrestlers. He's clearly lying about that being the story we wanted to hear. They're the ones who booked Becky to run through the division to earn a title shot and then do a promo about it.

SureYWouldntYa

But if the story we want isn't the story we're being told, that has to make Charlotte the heel in all this according to Dogg's logic since it's not playing out how we want it to?

Lord TSC

Did he just describe beating Carmella in a single match to earn a title shot a "mountain"? lol

J. Marston

I'd climb that mountain.

CastorTroy

Truth is ahead of you

Lord TSC

New tag team tourny announced, winners face New Day at HIAC.

First match this week, Bar vs Colons vs Club. There'll be another triple threat next week, though teams aren't annoucned yet (Usos vs Sanity vs Rusev/English?)

CastorTroy

Very short tournament. Forgot the Colons were there

PTH2009

CastorTroy wrote: »

Very short tournament. Forgot the Colons were there

The Colons are stealing a living lol

I suppose there part of a family of wrestlers and living the dream

Lord TSC

My love for Becky grows week on week....

Officer999

Lord TSC wrote: »

My love for Becky grows week on week....

That was a proper superstar reaction she got

SureYWouldntYa

Is the Becky situation another one of those should have listened to the crowd but stuck to their plans moment

Or is it like Daniel Bryan at WM30, they have no choice but to listen to the crowd

Because she’s getting a hell of a reaction, but the last image is a disheartened Charlotte upset in the corner

Lord TSC

Taking from Reddit, cause I've not got the chance to list to the show yet, but...

In Post Wrestling’s review of SD tonight, John Pollock mentioned that after the show he heard from someone in the company that after the response to Becky last week they have changed direction.

He says that going forward they don’t want to portray it as a defined face and heel. Rather, they want it to just be two ex-friends who both have valid reasons why they are against one another and neither will back down from the other.

He made it sound like Becky will be portrayed more as an anti-hero than an outright heel going forward.

SlickRic

that is nonsense, and covering their tracks.

Becky attacked Charlotte from behind, didn't really play to the crowd bar the belt lift (and even that was slow and heelish if you block out the crowd reaction), and they had Charlotte looking distraught in the corner looking for sympathy.

they want Becky as the heel. 100%.

this is the same kind revisionist bullshWWE pulled with the Daniel Bryan WM30 storyline, where they make it sound now like they always meant him to get over and main event Wrestlemania, where nothing could be further from the truth.

they're liars. it's just the way it is. enjoy what's in front of you on screen, and ignore what anyone linked to the company is saying about it. remember, they want you to believe they're geniuses.