Monday, June 8, 2009

Blue reign -- the rise of SmackDown


So last night CM Punk surprisingly cashed in on his Money in the Bank title shot by taking advantage of a very opportunistic scenario, and walked away with the World Heavyweight Championship. Just two minutes after Jeff Hardy won the gold from Edge in a hellacious Ladder Match. Watch the scene unfold:




This situation brings to light the fact that, for the second time since the initial WWE Brand Extension, SmackDown has emerged as the highly superior brand -- even as Raw is treated like the company's favorite child.

Truth be told, I've always been partial to SmackDown. I like blue more than red, I thought their initial roster was better (Angle, Edge, Hogan, The Rock, Jericho, some Canadian dude), and I can't help but root for the underdog. However, the Blue Show really came into prominence with the original "SmackDown Six" - Angle, Lord Voldemort, Eddie Guerrero, Chavo Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, and Edge. Even WWE couldn't ignore the fact that SmackDown was the premiere brand. More times than not, they got the main event slot (due in large part to Brock Lesnar's super push), and they constantly stole the show.

We're now seeing that again, with the Superstars shown above: Edge, Jericho, CM Punk, John Morrison, Rey Mysterio, and Jeff Hardy. These guys, in addition to solid competitors like the Undertaker and Shelton Benjamin, have carried the torch quite well. Honestly, I couldn't find Orton, Batista, and Triple more excruciatingly boring in the ring and on the mic. On the other hand, we've been seeing some really innovative, interesting stuff with the intertwining feuds between Edge, Hardy, Jericho, and Mysterio -- which should now involve Punk as well. I'm legitimately eager to find out how Punk's actions will play out. Will fans and Hardy understand his actions? Will he turn heel? I really want to see what happens next.

Hell, as many others have noted, ECW is arguably more consistently enjoyable and exciting than Raw.

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