Smackdown is WWE’s worst brand!
Friday, February 9th, 2007WWE’s broadcast slate reveals an interesting imbalance between their three main brands, at present. Currently, Vincent Kennedy McMahon’s company offers three marquee shows, the two-hour-plus RAW brand, which airs on USA; the two-hour Smackdown brand, which airs on The CW; and the one-hour ECW brand, which airs on SciFi.
One might expect, based on length of broadcast, that ECW would be the castoff brand, the least entertaining of the three. But that’s clearly not the case.
Right now, RAW is clearly WWE’s premier broadcast, featuring the top talent in the company. Any show that feature top star John Cena, as well as contenders like Triple H (now injured), Edge, Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels, Shelton Benjamin, part-timer Mick Foley, and the company’s top divas is clearly in the lead. It’s also the show Vince shows up on most often, revealing the show’s top-billing status.
Yet Smackdown is not the second-best broadcast. Instead, the one-hour ECW has been consistently more entertaining of late, and not just because of “straight-edge extremist” C.M. Punk, a star in the making who is portrayed as such a nice guy, he probably hands out first communion gifts to fans.
No, ECW’s appeal comes from its racier storylines and a cast of wrestlers who, while they may not be suited to Raw or Smackdown, make for an entertaining hour of pro wrestling. Between vets like Rob Van Dam, Sabu, Tommy Dreamer and Sandman to up-and-comers like Elijah Burke, Bobby Lashley, Kevin Thorne, Matt Striker, Mike Knox and Shannon Moore, the edgier brand allows these stars-in-the-making to shine.
Frankly, it is Smackdown that feels more like the WWE’s talent dumping-ground. When their biggest stars are tired, worn-out vets like King Booker, Batista, Chris Benoit, Undertaker, Finlay and William Regal, you have a brand that’s in trouble. Their tag division is so weak, Paul London and Brian Kendrick, whose matches are pure “fast forward over ‘em on Tivo” affairs, have held the titles for nearly nine months. Boring!
Of course, Smackdown is not without hope; their two most promising superstars have the potential to be quite good; Mr. Kennedy and Montel Vontavious Porter are consistently entertaining heels. Yet legit superstars like Matt Hardy and Joey Mercury have to feel trapped their, separated from their respective tag team partners, Jeff Hardy and Johnny Nitro. Reunite those tag teams permanently on Smackdown and at least the tag division would be entertaining.
