DaveyBoy’s Wrestling Menu – Where To Next For Raw, ECW & SmackDown?
Submitted by DaveyBoy on Wednesday, April 11, 2007 at 4:20 AM EST






THE WRESTLING MENU #226

Welcome one and all to the 226th edition of The Wrestling Menu, the column that is sure to satisfy your taste buds when it comes to discussing all things wrestling.

With the obviously larger amount of fans that order & watch WrestleMania each year, I always expect greater feedback than usual when it comes to my WrestleMania review. This year was no exception. For the most part, the feedback was very agreeable though... to an almost surprising extent. I seriously can't tell you what was the main point argued against my review of any particular match on the card to be honest.

Sure, there were quite a few people that stated that HBK vs Cena was the actual match of the night, but it was such a close call for me as well, that I have absolutely no problems with that. If anything, it was my concluding point that my PPV Ratings system was a little harsh on the event that was brought up. As I have said many times in the past, I don't think that any system is perfect though & I definitely prefer to keep the simplistic, yet easily understandable, system that I currently have.

As for the Raw episode that aired live the night after WrestleMania; Well, most fans hated it. And while I didn't exactly give the show a glowing endorsement (I used the descriptions 'off-kilter', 'meandering', 'disappointing' & 'nothing earth shattering' in my conclusion), most people actually felt that I over-rated it. Fair call I suppose, although I have always been one to suggest that PPV events are much more integral to professional wrestling than individual television show episodes.

Anyway, if you have yet to read my column from last week that covered both WrestleMania 23 & the April-2 episode of Raw, you may still do so by clicking on the following link: http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/2007/articles/1175679207.php

On with the 'Where To Next' show.....


APPETIZERS

Where To Next For ECW?

While the 8 man tag match at WrestleMania 23 impressed very few & CM Punk didn't exactly have what I would call a stellar Money In The Bank Ladder Match performance, I actually feel that ECW may have a decent couple of months ahead. I thought the 8 man feud leading up to 'Mania was booked fairly well. Unfortunately, the match did not deliver due to intentionally unimaginative booking from the WWE. I use the word "intentionally" on purpose as why else would the WWE put on the exact same match-up with Extreme Rules only 2 nights later?

Of course, it didn't help ECW that the brand's champion was involved in a feud & match that had nothing to do with the brand itself... A placement which, according to reports, originally was not planned. But I think it's fair to state that Lashley being involved in such a bout had no direct benefits for ECW. Can his pushing to an almost main-event level have indirect benefits in the near-future though?

It almost seemed to me as if the WWE felt that WrestleMania 23 was totally unimportant for the ECW brand & they were more concerned with getting the brand's television show back on track following an ordinary couple of months. As silly as it sounds, I am not totally against such a plan. Although, I don't feel that it would have hurt anything in any way had the Extreme Rules 8 man match been on the WrestleMania card.

Looking at the top of the ECW card, I know that many people have issues with the apparent booking of an eventual Lashley vs Snitsky title feud. I don't. Snitsky has been rather well used in ECW up until this point in time & I think that as long as his push continues to gather momentum, he will be just fine. Sure, I would have preferred that he wasn't a Raw jobber for the past 6-9 months, but what can you do but move on. His squash matches have been pretty good (although I still would prefer 1-2 more big moves per bout), while he isn't as bad as everyone thinks at putting together 10-12 minute matches. This feud can't happen just yet though & that is why Lashley is being kept busy by Vince & co.

Elsewhere, what the 8 man tag match has done is drawn a nice little line between the heels & faces, while also having everyone's favorite straight-edge wrestler straddling that line for optimum effect. While some of the match-ups have obviously beeen used already, they have been done in such a group way that I almost can't remember who fought who. That's actually a positive as the individual feuds can now break off a little more separately from the stables. Obviously, the stables (especially the heel 'New Breed') must remain intact, but I do feel that the feuds now must be a little more distinct from the stable warfare we have been seeing.

While Tommy Dreamer appears to have been the leader of the ECW Originals, few would debate that Rob Van Dam is actually their #1 guy. Seeing as though Elijah Burke has been pushed as the leader of the New Breed, then there is feud #1. And seriously, a feud between RVD & Elijah Burke would not be all that bad now that I think of it.

I would place a tag-team situation into the mix somehow & I think involving this 8 man feud is the best way to go. I actually like the way that Striker (the best promo guy of the New Breed) could play off Kevin Thorn & Ariel, so I would team Striker & Thorn. Their face opponents really could be any 2 of the remaining 3 guys (Dreamer, Sabu & Sandman). This would most probably come down to which of the 3 needs to rest up a niggling injury or is about to get cut. Once more, this could be a good little feud, as long as it was given some time & effort.

Finally, I'd drop one of the originals (the injured one or the man about to be cut) & inject CM Punk into the mix. Sure, the WWE would best be served running with the 'New Breed recruiting CM Punk' angle for a few weeks longer, but don't have it go on & on. Have Punk confirm that he is a lone-wolf face in 2-3 weeks time. Of course, as he feuds with Marcus Corvon (who has shown enough of late to suggest he deserves the 2nd singles spot from the stable), the New Breed will have to play their part more in this feud than the other 2, but don't have it over-strength what should be a pretty good feud between CM Punk & Marcus Corvon.

As (a) ECW's weekly television show is only an hour long, and (b) it has been confirmed that there will be matches from both the Raw & SmackDown brands take place at the June 'One Night Stand' pay-per-view, the above 4 feuds handled correctly can pretty much get the ECW brand satisfactorily through the next 3 months!


MAIN

Where To Next For Raw?

As silly as this may sound, booking the next few months worth of feuds for ECW may in fact be easier than doing it for Raw. I actually feel that Raw is pretty much in a transition phase at the moment & it may take more than a month to get it back on track & with some direction heading into the usually lean period of the northern hemisphere summer. Of course, the sheer star-power of the talent on the Raw brand will be more than enough to overcome any question marks regarding the direction of the WWE's flagship show when all is said & done.

At the top of the card, it's difficult not to see the foursome of John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Edge & Randy Orton battle it out for the WWE Championship in one form or another. I definitely am for a fatal fourway for the title at Backlash. In fact, it wouldn't have bothered me if that multi-man match was booked for WrestleMania 23 to be honest. I still feel there are dynamic problems between Cena & Michaels, as well as between Edge & Orton, to go that route. The best way for those groupings to work out their problems so to speak is in a multi-man format.

Eventually though, this foursome will have to settle down into 2 individual singles feuds. As insinuated, I just don't think Edge vs Orton can work, (unless maybe as a one-off bout), because there is the danger that the live audience won't give a toss who wins & just remain silent. It's a tough call which way to split up the 4 with HBK & Edge the better in-ring workers on either side of the face-heel line. Do you share the spoils then or feud them to get maximum effect for one feud & hope the title picks up the other...???

Well, it's a tough call, but I feel that the determining factor is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow; The WWE Championship. So if, for example, John Cena retains the title, I'd have him feud with Randy Orton, while Edge takes on HBK. But if Shawn Michaels wins the WWE Championship, I'd have him feud with Orton, while Edge & Cena renew acquaintances. Pretty much the same goes if Edge or Orton happen to win the title at Backlash. So, to put it bluntly, Randy Orton will be in the upcoming singles feud for the WWE Championship, unless Edge happens to win the title shortly.

So, once you get past Backlash, there are your top 2 feuds for the next couple of months for Raw. But what about underneath that? It's fair to state that despite the midcard talent on the brand, there are a number of question marks about the meat of Raw for the next 2 months. And one of the man reasons for the problem is that the WWE may very well have booked their InterContinental Champion into a corner. I actually would not have had Umaga win the title in the first place. But what next for the Samoan Bulldozer now that he has clearly come off second best from a feud with ECW World Champion Bobby Lashley?

On the face of it, the 3 most obvious contenders are all seemingly busy taking part in tag-team action. They are Jeff Hardy, Carlito & Ric Flair. But personally, I would have one of these men stand out from the pack & the wrestler that would appear to make the most sense is Carlito. I would have him basically ask Flair to sort of manage him in his quest to overcome the giant champion. Have the face(s) win a battle or two, but ultimately come up short in a rather competitive feud. This way, it keeps Umaga rather strong, but not unstoppable strong, while giving Carlito a push without getting too unrealistic about it all. Of course, this could all play a part in the eventual heel turn of Carlito on Flair, that may have to be delayed a little now.

The most important booking decision regarding the Raw brand of late could very well be having The Hardyz win the World Tag-Team Titles last week. With the strong face reaction that these 2 have been getting, these guys could literally play the role of main-eventers. This would be more the case each & every Monday on television, but could also come into effect on pay-per-view as well. They could defend their titles against Edge & Orton or even against HBK & Cena in a rematch of sorts.

Ultimately though, I wonder where the real challengers to The Hardyz come from. Cryme Tyme are faces, as are The Highlanders. Meanwhile, the teams of Cade & Murdoch, as well Benjamin & Haas have been built down of late. Well, I say that it's time to build either one up again & have them make a tilt at the The Hardyz. Because, chances are that Jeff & Matt will make them look like a million dollars anyway!

Elsewhere on Raw, there isn't a great deal of depth to be honest. It has been clear from the start that the Women's Title feud will return to being Melina vs Mickie. That should be decent enough & we can only hope that they have improved enough together since their last mini-feud. The major X factor on the brand could be how they use Mick Foley. He could very well take part in a feud of sorts with Johnny Nitro & I think that may be a wise way to progress. Nitro has been booked disappointingly of late & a feud with Foley could be the little push that he requires to regain his momentum.

So that is 6 major feuds right there & that is usually a satisfactory amount of feuds to base your next couple of months on. Obviously, there could also be mini-feuds involving Ric Flair vs Chris Masters (as well as Cryme Tyme vs heel tag-team #2) or something like that. But that's all pretty much filler to the 6 feuds I have presented above. Oh & I would just prefer to leave The Great Khali out of the equation altogether if you don't mind!


DESSERT

Where To Next For SmackDown?

Those that read my column will know that I am very keen on SmackDown & believe that it is close in overall quality to Raw. But I must admit that the next few months is a real test for WWE's Friday brand. This has come about due to the possible culmination of a couple of feuds at WM23, injury, as well as roster depletion. Although, I may be getting a little ahead of myself when it comes to the latter factor, as I am presuming they will lose Matt Hardy to Raw due to the title situation. That may not actually be the case, but I am going to presume it since it could be awkward to have 2 sets of tag champs wrestling on the same show. And please hold off on the merging of the tag-team titles suggestions. I will believe that when I see it.

Looking at the main-event scene of SmackDown, I was initially confused with all of the King Booker involvement on SmackDown last Friday, but have since learnt that it was all for naught anyway. Unfortunately, Booker has been made to take a couple of months off apparently due to niggling knee injuries. While this may not seem to be a major issue on the face of it, when you couple it together with the probable loss of Matt Hardy, you leave quite a big hole in the SmackDown roster, not to mention a ready made above-average midcard feud right there.

It's difficult to believe that The Undertaker vs Batista feud will not continue for a little while yet. I think this is the best decision for the brand, but do make that statement conditional on the fact that the WWE cannot get in any way lazy with the booking of the feud. If they just allow such a feud to wobble along unconvincingly & without imagination, then I can almost assure you that the fans reaction to the feud will drop off alarmingly. I'm not necessarily saying that Batista must turn heel, but the dynamic between the 2 must be kept up. I liked the way they began on Friday when Batista came to the ring with so few words: "Congratulations... I want my rematch". And then he just left. Good stuff there!

Of course, there will be some fans that want Ken Kennedy to immediately go after The Undertaker's (or even John Cena's) title. I can't put into words how bad of a move this would be. Kennedy must use his Money In The Bank contract situation to improve his character even more... To get him up to main-event level overness if you will. As JBL has stated over the past few weeks, he must play on the fact that he picks his spots. He must play mind games (even with Cena & Lashley if wanted) & most importantly, he must deliver a handful of killer promos along the way. To be honest, I wouldn't have him even take part in a feud for the next 4-6 weeks!

The U.S Title situation between Chris Benoit & MVP looks set to continue, and so it should after their good showing at WrestleMania. I would keep having MVP play (for want of a better term) mind games with Benoit during his matches to the point where Benoit wants to rip his head off. Have that climax into a big title match (that I'd actually place as a main-event of a SmackDown episode) where Benoit snaps & lets his emotions get the better of him. This should result in a MVP title win.

Not long after that title match (preferably within a week), Mr Kennedy could make some sort of a cocky indirect comment towards Benoit which would then see the Crippler lose total control & begin what could be the feud of the summer that would keep Mr Money In The Bank busy until he cashes in on his contract towards the end of the year! If this feud occurs, MVP could go on defending his U.S Title against someone like Matt Hardy, who would hopefully be free to wrestle some singles matches by June if the scheduling allows for it.

Elsewhere on SmackDown, you have some fairly ready-made feuds in the 2 lower divisions. Paul London & Brian Kendrick should continue to feud with Deuce & Domino in my opinion, with the rookie heels most probably winning the WWE Tag-Team Championships somewhere along the way. Meanwhile, in the cruiserweight division, I don't think that anyone would be against a Chavo Guerrero vs Jimmy Wang Yang feud. In fact, given some time & effort, that feud could be very good.

Who does that leave out? Kane & Finlay. Hey presto, there is another feud! Of course, this presumes that Finlay remains a heel. Despite many fans feeling that he would turn face prior to WrestleMania, I initially thought that it would be a given that he remain a heel. But now, with the level of positive fan reaction that Hornswoggle is attaining, even I am not so sure. But I still think it is safest to keep Finlay a heel for now & a feud with Kane will suffice. In fact, it could be better than it appears on paper actually, as Kane has often had his better matches against technical mat wrestlers, where a strong storyline is involved in a bout.

Hmmm, that is only 5-6 feuds for SmackDown & that may be one short. Maybe having The Hardyz win the World Tag-Team Titles wasn't the wise way to go. But then again, if it favors Raw over SmackDown, then it's a good idea for the WWE... Isn't it!?!?!? I can see them filling the void with one or two filler feuds that most of us will hate (probably involving The Boogeyman and Ashley). But I can also see SmackDown filling the void with loans from the other 2 brands. While it may have initially been simply a way to sell WM23, I can actually see chosen wrestlers floating from brand to brand within the next 2-3 months. I am talking about the likes of Matt & Jeff Hardy, and Bobby Lashley. And this may be enough for SmackDown to fill the plugs until Rey Mysterio returns from injury & is immediately placed at just below the main-event level.

So, looking at the big picture, SmackDown may be the WWE brand that is found wanting in the next few months to put together enough feuds to fill it's programming time. Yet, that is the brand which has repeatedly fought the odds of injury & roster depletion for the past 2 years now, so I have actually got faith in it's remaining roster getting the job done. Of course, if the rumors are true that Chris Benoit is heading to Raw soon, that may very well change things more than a little!


Man, did that column seem to flow well! I just began writing it & all of a sudden, I had written more than 30 paragraphs! I hope it came off just as well to you readers. Whether it did or didn't, if any of you would like to share your thoughts regarding any of my upcoming feud suggestions for any of the WWE's 3 brands, please do not hesitate to send me your thoughts via e-mail. You know that I will reply to all feedback. My e-mail address is DaveyBoy123@bigpond.com, but if you are an LOP Forums member, it would be much appreciated if you could leave feedback on my thread at http://www.lopforums.com/showthread.php?t=217&page=5.

I initially had a DVD Review column planned for next week, but since I don't have one ready to go, I am totally unsure of what you will all be served next Wednesday. Who knows... The streak may end! But I'll remain positive & say that... As per usual, my column will be posted at the same Wednesday time on the same LOP channel. Until then, this is DaveyBoy signing off & asking you to remember that dinner is best served in 3 courses.


DaveyBoy’s Wrestling Menu. 2002-2007

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