The Curse: The Story Of SmackDown!

Jake B.

Remember when Smackdown! use to be the dominant brand in the WWE?

Yep, you probably don't.

To the casual World Wrestling Entertainment fan that tunes into Smackdown! every Friday night at 8pm on UPN, it's been nothing but a disappointment and a waste of two hours of wrestling for the past two years. Smackdown! had been so ridiculed by Vince McMahon and the higher ups in the WWE that everyone has been wondering why they even bother with booking it (if that's what you want to call them doing). Many have stated that it would be in the best interest of the WWE to effective immediately end this roster split and combine the RAW and Smackdown! rosters for months now, letting ECW stand on its own while RAW & Smackdown! becomes the WWE once again.

Well, I guess you all are wondering how exactly the Smackdown! brand went from complete and utter dominance to the B-Show of the WWE. Let's start from the 'death' blow (no pun or disrespect intended) that marked the beginning of the end for the once dominant brand in the WWE known as Smackdown!.

On what seemed to be a regular Sunday morning on November 13th, 2005, turned out to be a nightmare for not only the WWE, but the wrestling world in general, as well as for his family and friends.

Eddie Guerrero passed away, found dead in his hotel room in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

It was like a dark cloud formed over the wrestling community. Eddie was not only one of the most popular guys on and off-screen in the WWE, but also with guys in NWA: TNA as well as Ring of Honor and other indy & international promotions. The WWE held a press conference regarding Guerrero's death that same day, with people close to Eddie such as his nephew Chavo Guerrero and the chairman of the WWE, Vince McMahon, speaking on the matter. It had also been rumored (and confirmed later on) that Eddie was to win the World Heavyweight championship in a triple threat match with challenger Randy Orton & then champion Batista (who was going to take time off to heal injuries) that night at a Smackdown! taping that would air on November 18th, 2005. TNA even dedicated their pay-per-view the night of his passing to Eddie Guerrero. It was truly one of the saddest days in wrestling history.

The following night, the WWE's flagship show, RAW, was a tribute of sorts to the life of Eddie Guerrero. Many wrestlers on the WWE roster spoke on Eddie Guerrero and how good of a role model, friend and father he was, as well as how he personally affected their lives. A couple matches went on, dedicated in the memory of Eddie Guerrero, including a tremendous emotional Rey Mysterio/Shawn Michaels encounter that in any other circumstances, would have been a dream match waiting to happen. Guys closer to Guerrero, like Chris Benoit, Paul "The Big Show" Wight, Rey Misterio Jr., all broke down in tears during the show, showing how much Guerrero truly meant to them.

A few nights later, WWE Smackdown! aired, also paying respects to the late great Eddie Guerrero, highlighted by a Chris Benoit vs Triple H match deticated to the memory of Guerrero. Benoit picked up the victory with a roll-up after fifteen minutes of back-and-forth competitive action. Afterwards, Benoit and HHH shared an emotional hug, and Dean Malenko, another personal friend of Guerrero's, raised Benoit's hand after the match Even though it would be hard, it was time for the workers in the WWE to go back to work and began to move on.

The following months saw Smackdown! in a major slump. It was completely evident that Eddie Guerrero's death left a big void in the Smackdown! roster, as well as the Smackdown! family. Most of the focus was on The Undertaker/Randy Orton program, which overshadowed Smackdown!'s Survivor Series victory against RAW when Taker returned and destroyed mostly the entire roster. Rey Mysterio seemed to be in line for a push, which many rebelled against because he was only getting so due to Guerrero's death (although rumors had it that he was going to get a decent push towards the United States title in the near future). Batista seemed to be waiting for the Orton/Taker program to be over with so the WWE could move onto the money program with Batista & Orton for WrestleMania 22. Everything seemed ready to pick up with the new year just around the corner.

And then... it began.


The Curse
By the time Smackdown!'s Great American Bash in July of 2006 came around, a couple things were evident regarding the Smackdown! brand.

The main thing indeed was the injuries that plagued the roster. Batista was forced to relinquish the World Heavyweight championship after suffering from various injuries that desperately needed surgery to repair. Batista worked through the injuries for awhile, mainly due to the large void that Eddie Guerrero's death left for the Smackdown! brand. However, after continuous pain from his nagging injuries, Batista decided it was time for him to let them heal so he could come back stronger then ever. And so, the animal bowed out, with his return time set in four to six months.

After Batista opted to take time off for his injuries, other Smackdown! wrestlers began dropping like flies. Chris Benoit decided to take a sabbatical, as he claimed he was both physically and emotionally and worn out, and needed time to take off. Rumors had it that Benoit had been working too hard since Guerrero's death, and finally decided he needed time away from the business like Chris Jericho to think about his future in professional wrestling. The WWE wrote this off as Mark Henry destroying Benoit in his so-called "Path of Destruction". It's not telling when the Crippler will return to the Smackdown! ring, if ever.

Speaking of Mark Henry, who was currently amongst the biggest push of his career, was injured... again. This was no surprise, but it certainly put a damper on the Batista/Henry feud they had built for months once Batista returned to the ring. Henry tore his patella tendon right off the bone, and also split his patella right in half. How he did so, after a simple charge attempting to squash World Heavyweight champion Rey Mysterio in the corner at WWE's Saturday Night Main Event, is not known, but it is known that he will be out of action for the next eight months and will not compete at the Great American Bash. Infact, many believe that once Henry's famous ten-year contract runs out soon, he will either be released from the WWE, or re-signed for a lower amount then he was originally making.

The Boogeyman, one of Smackdown!'s fastest rising stars and a personal favorite of Vince McMahon, had been injured since WrestleMania 22. The undefeated monster tore his left bicep in a house show match with Booker T close to WrestleMania. He worked through the WrestleMania match, underwent surgery a couple days later, and will be out for the next four to six months.

John "Bradshaw" Layfield, one of Smackdown!'s premiere faces, was also plagued with injuries. The big Texan decided to take time off from the ring due to a serious back injury that may keep JBL out of the ring for good. JBL gracefully bowed out of competition by losing the United States championship to Bobby Lashley on the Smackdown! after Judgment Day, as well as losing a shot at the World Heavyweight title to Rey Mysterio later on that night. In storyline sense, JBL had said that if he lost to Mysterio that night, he would retire. However, he later stated that he did not have a formal contract with Smackdown! General Manager Theodore Long, and never intended to leave Smackdown!. He would honor his commitments of retirement, and joined Smackdown!'s announcing team with Michael Cole after Tazz left to re-join ECW.

ECW. Ah, those thieving bastards. With the impending return of ECW just a couple weeks away, Vince McMahon allowed Paul Heyman two draft picks for his new vision of ECW - one from RAW, one from Smackdown!. And so on the May 29th edition of RAW, Heyman announced his two picks. His first, former ECW mainstay and the longest ECW Television champion in the history of the promotion, "Mr. Money In The Bank" Rob Van Dam. Van Dam was an obvious choice, as he was planning on cashing in his Money in The Bank shot on his self-proclaimed "home turf", challenging former WWE Champion John Cena for the WWE championship at ECW's One Night Stand Pay-Per-View. However, nobody expected who Heyman's pick from Smackdown! would be.

Heyman had a vision for the new ECW - to bring the most dominant athletes in the world and let them experience the phenomenon, the new breed that is Extreme Championship Wrestling. And so, Heyman selected Kurt Angle, former World Heavyweight champion as his pick for ECW. This was a huge loss for the Smackdown! brand, as Angle was one of the few credible main eventers on the show. Infact, he had been sent from RAW back to Smackdown! to fill the void left by Batista's absence. Angle, was personally not pleased with being sent to ECW, but tried to make the best of his venture there. In a related note, Nunzio (now known once again as Little Guido), Al Snow, Stevie Richards, Simon Dean (going back to his Super Nova origins) and Doug Basham both left the Smackdown! brand to join Heyman's ECW as well.

Former United States champion Bobby Lashley was also off of the Smackdown! roster. He was discovered to have elevated enzymes of the liver on the eve of the Great American Bash, and would be out until further evaluation. Lashley was scheduled to face United States champion Finlay and William Regal in a triple threat match for the belt at the Great American Bash, but was forced out of the match due to this medical condition. Many have speculated what this could be from, and looking at Lashley, steroids were the first obvious choice. Hepatitis C, which is easily transmittable and incurable, and alcohol abuse could be reasons for this sudden illness as well. However, it has been undetermined what the cause of this is from, and will not be known until after further testing.

The Great Khali also was suffering from some sort of liver disease, and would be out until further evaluation as well. His case was not deemed to be that serious, and it's possible that he could return in the upcoming weeks. However, he too would not be able to compete at the Great American Bash after weeks of being billed as the opponent of The Undertaker in a Punjabi Prison match.

Super Crazy also tested for the same liver disease, and was pulled off of the road effective immediately. Crazy was originally penciled in as being Gregory Helms opponent for the Cruiserweight championship at the Great American Bash, but those plans have since been changed. Mark Henry, Super Crazy, Bobby Lashley & The Great Khali - four superstars scheduled for matches for the Great American Bash that had to be pulled from the card.

Hey, whatever happened to 'Pirate' Paul? Well, he too was injured, a knee injury that would keep him out for an unknown period of time. He was also a victim of Mark Henry's famed "Path of Destruction". During this time off, the WWE will be developing a new gimmick for him upon his return to replace his pirate one that failed to catch on.

Hardcore Holly & Matt Hardy have both been suffering from staph infections for awhile now. Hardy's was not as serious as Holly's, but the case developed once again during the Great American Bash weekend that will keep him off the road for a couple of weeks. Holly has been out of action since November of 2005, but is said to be close to returning to the ring.

Oh yeah, and the drugs. Joey Mercury, once known for his MNM fame and his tag team run in ECW, was in rehab for drug abuse, and was out indefinitely as well. It has been rumored that he will shipped over to ECW when he returns, resulting in another loss for the Smackdown! brand.

You know what's as bad as drug abuse? A temper. Apparently, something either happened after the Great American Bash pay-per-view or prior to it, as the WWE has decided to take Kid Kash (and possibly Jamie Noble) off the road as well for thirty days for what seems to be a personal issue

Hell, even WWE diva Kristal was sent to the hospital after her match at The Great American Bash! A bra & panties match at that, mind you.

And so, how do you compensate for losing four guys being billed in high profile matches on your upcoming pay-per-view, as well as your already thin roster getting thinner and thinner with the WWE seemingly refusing to add or make up for the lost talent of the dying brand?

Go on with the show, I guess.

Quote:

Smackdown! Presents: The Great American Bash Held on Sunday, July 23rd, 2006 Live from the Conseco Field House in Indianapolis, IN - The opening of the show began with some cruiserweight tag team action. It had been made clearly that a tag team division was no longer necessary in the day and age of the WWE, but that didn't stop WWE Tag Team champions Paul London & Brian Kendrick, and challengers The Pitbulls (Jamie Noble & Kid Kash) from going all out to open the show. After thirteen and a half minutes of back-and-forth old school tag team action with a little new school mixed into it, Kendrick nailed a sunset flip on Noble with a dropsault followed by London to keep the tag team titles around the waste of the champions. This was a great opener to warm up the crowd, and showed that maybe there was some promise for this pay-per-view after all. - In our first backstage segment of the night, The Great Khali wanted The Undertaker right then and there. However, Daivari forced Khali to wait. Khali wasn't pleased, and lifted Daivari off of his feet to scare him. - Smackdown! General Manager Theodore Long then came out, and revealed on-screen and to the fans in the live attendance that former United States champion would not be competing tonight. Lashley wanted to fight, and didn't care what the doctors say, but Long (despite the "Let Him Fight!" chants from the crowd) said he couldn't allow that. United States champion Finlay & William Regal both came out, ignoring Lashley as he made his exit. Finlay mocked Long, and said that Lashley was just afraid to fight the two. Finlay told Long, that Regal agreed that Long should just raise Finlay's arm and announce that he was the winner by forfeit, and thus retained the title. Long said that he promised a United States title match, and that the fans were indeed going to get a United States title match, with Finlay defending against Regal. - And so, two members of the King's Court battled over the United States championship. The match was filled with brutal, stiff wrestling that you normally don't see everyday on WWE television. The fans weren't really into the match, as they had no one to cheer and simply didn't care for the match being put on right in front of them. However, that didn't stop internet smarks all around the world from enjoying this contest of stiffness. Some comedy spots resulted as well, with hilarious moments between Regal and The Little Bastard. In the end, both men tried to cheat, but the LB gave Finlay Regal's boot that he ripped off earlier, and that was all Finlay needed to ensure him the win (along with leverage from the ropes) to retain the United States title after fourteen minutes of real wrestling. While the average WWE mark in attendance probably didn't enjoy this match, many on the internet hoped this was the first of many matches between the two to come. - In another backstage segment, Chavo Guerrero planted the seeds for his heel turn by telling Rey how they were family and all that sentimental bullshit, and "World Heavyweight champion" Rey Mysterio was incredibly stupid enough to believe it. That's all I gotta say about that. - Up next, Gregory Helms defended the WWE Cruiserweight championship. That was pretty surprising. What was even more surprising was that Matt Hardy was the challenger. Not so much that, but the fact that Matt freakin' Hardy was going to have a match on PPV! That right there folks is something you don't see every day... err, month. Anyway, Hardy made the challenge (despite Cole saying that he was clearly overweight compared to the weight limits for the cruiserweight division, but hey, if your World HEAVYWEIGHT champion weighs less then your Cruiserweight champion, what does limits matter?), but came up short as after nearly twelve minutes of action, Helms rolled up Hardy and hooked the tights to win the match, and keep his reign as the longest WWE Cruiserweight champion ever going. - And again, The Great Khali wanted The Undertaker. Daivari tells him to take his time, but the Deadman appeared anyway, attacking Daivari. Khali, along with help from the ECW Heavyweight champion The Big Show, attacked Taker. Referees and GM Teddy Long stopped the carnage. - Shortly after, Daivari thanked Show for his help, as the alliance between Khali and Show continued. Long emerged, and says plain and simple that this was bullshit. He then announces since this isn't ECW and since Show decided to come to Smackdown!, that he'll face Taker instead! - Now, the Punjabi Prison match. The "prison" looked a lot like Hell in a Kennel, only with bamboo instead. The structure did, however, look pretty cool and unique. The rules were that the inner cage has four doors, and can only be opened by a referee upon request. Once that door was open, it would remain open for sixty seconds. If the participant was or was not able to get out of the door, the door would close and couldn't be open again. On the outer cage, there was no door, so the only way to win was by escape. Along with the cage was a table with weapons on it. While the idea was fresh and interesting, the match turned out to be nothing more then another Taker/Show brawl with a lame finish, as Taker dived onto Show and the two fell through the cage with Taker being announced as the man who hit the floor first. Another new match by the WWE, and another bad pay-off to the debut of a new match. Afterwards, Khali & Daivari climbed the cell and stared down Taker. - Backstage, Queen Sharmell gave some inspiring words to King Booker, including that tonight, once he defeated Rey Mysterio to become the six-time World champion, he would be the King of the World. - Bra & Panties... Ashley won. Next. - Mr. Kennedy was then interviewed by The Miz~!. Kennedy explained his reason for challenging Batista once he heard that Mark Henry had been injured - because he can and will defeat him. He claimed that once the dust had settled, the announcer would cry out his name as the winner of the match... MISTEEEEEEEEEEEER... KENNEDYYYYYY..... Kennedy. - What was suppose to be Batista battling Mark Henry with the winner becoming the #1 contender for the World championship, turned out to be Batista destroying Mr. Kennedy. Early in the match, Batista slammed Kennedy into the ring steps, and Kennedy appeared to be bleeding hard way. However, the match continued, and Kennedy actually was booked strongly... sort of. In the end, Batista continued the brutal assault on Kennedy. After all, he had been on the sidelines for month and wanted to take out his anger on someone, and since Henry wasn't there, why not Kennedy? Batista absolutely went crazy, and choked Kennedy. When he didn't relinquish the hold, the referee was forced to call the bell and award Kennedy the match by disqualification. The Animal didn't care, and nailed three spinebusters and a Batista Bomb on Kennedy before wiping the blood from Kennedy’s face onto his chest and celebrating. While he didn't pick up the win, it was certainly clear that The Animal was indeed back and unleashed once again. - Finally, it was time for the main event. After battling on Smackdown! in a non-title match, the champion and the challenger engaged in a pretty decent affair over the World championship. The match was paced well, and resulted in a better match then their effort two days ago. In the end, a ref bump occurred, and Mysterio had the match won after a 6-1-9 and a Frog Splash, in tribute to the late great Eddie Guerrero. After realizing that there was no referee, Book took advantage, nailing a low blow and a Book End. The king grabbed a chair from the outside, but missed the chair shot, which allowed Mysterio to dropkick it into Booker's face. With the momentum swinging Rey's way as the ref began to recover, Chavo Guerrero came out and... you guessed it... turned on Mysterio with a chair shot. Book was shocked, but went for the cover anyway. After three slaps of the ref's hand on the match, King Booker was the new World Heavyweight champion. Chavo walked off, as the King and the Queen celebrated. All Hail King Booker was all you heard, as the Great American Bash came to an end. Quick Match Results Paul London & Brian Kendrick© def. The Pitbulls to retain the WWE Tag Team titles at 13:29 Finlay© def. William Regal to retain the United States title at 13:49 with a boot to the face and leverage with the ropes Gregory Helms© def. Matt Hardy to retain the WWE Cruiserweight title at 11:44 with a roll-up while hooking the tights The Undertaker def. The Big Show (substituting for The Great Khali) in a Punjabi Prison match at 21:35 after both men fell through the cage, and Taker was declared the winner as he hit the floor first Ashley Massaro def. Kristal Marshall, Jillian Hall & Michelle McCool in a four-way Bra & Panties match at 5:18 after stripping Kristal Mr. Kennedy def. Batista via disqualification at 8:37 after Batista refused to relinquish his choke hold on Kennedy, forcing the referee to ring the bell King Booker def. Rey Mysterio© to win the World Heavyweight title at 16:48 after Chavo Guerrero's interference

Stranger

Simon Dean is still on Smackdown. Just thought I'd add that.

Jake B.

The Meeting That Changed Everything (7/24/06)

It was one day after Smackdown!’s Great American Bash pay-per-view. How it was somehow a success, I do not know. It seemed that even though Bobby Lashley, The Great Khali, Super Crazy & Mark Henry were all out of action, thus unable to compete on the show, the matches they were suppose to compete in actually turned out better then if said talent had been in them. Well, that’s what the internet said. Doubt any of the marks bought into it, as they want their guys like Lashley and Khali and Henry and… nevemind. They still can appreciate quality wrestling like anyone, however, so this isn’t meant to be a knock to wrestling fans that don’t have as much knowledge as us internet geeks.

However, under such short notice, the pay-per-view was viewed as a success, and showed that Smackdown!, despite their injury plagued roster, were still moving forward with the intent on proving that they were the number one dominant brand in the Sports Entertainment business, far superior to what the WWE puts on as RAW.

That is, of course, unless your Vince McMahon.

And so, a meeting was called, hours prior to RAW going live. Normally, Smackdown! superstars weren’t required to attend RAW, as they weren’t doing anything on the show (barring super cards with a Smackdown! taping before hand and an angle involving Smackdown!, of course). However, Vinnie Mac personally made the call for all Smackdown! superstars to be at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, OH, six o’ clock sharp.

And when Vinnie Mac comes calling, you know it’s going to be trouble.

A lot of the Smackdown! guys were excited to be there, however. It wasn’t every day that they were backstage at RAW, plus the fact that they would be able to see old friends that they hardly ever saw except for on those super card shows and the select pay-per-views. But, many feared that this would finally be in the end of the brand split, as McMahon finally decided to pull the plug on the Smackdown! brand while it continued on life support, and merge the two brands back together. While that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing, seeing as the WWE’s roster is far smaller then it was in 2002 when the brand split first began, the Smackdown! superstars feared losing their jobs. Most of the RAW guys would have their futures secured already, and a lot of the Smackdown! guys (mainly lower card workers and cruiserweights) just knew that they would lose their job.

And so, every active WWE Smackdown! superstar was piled into a locker room specially dubbed “The Smackdown! Locker Room�. It had its own name tag on the front door and everything! I guess most of the guys on the B-Show weren’t use to this. A lot of chatter was going on, as everyone wondered what all this was about.

Booker T: “Hey Teddy, do you know what’s going on man? I ain’t got time to be waitin’ here just for Vince to tell me that most of us gonna get fired, or that I’mma lose the World Heavyweight title to Edge or John Cena and go back to losin’ to the damn Boogeyman.�

Theodore Long: “What the hell you askin’ me for Booker? Mr. MacMahon called me here just like the rest of you all. I don’t get no special privileges playa. I’m wondering what we all here for just like the rest of yall.�

Batista: “Well, it doesn’t matter to me. I already know that I have my slot secured. I don’t know about the rest of these guys.�

Around the room, the littler guys that Dave was talking about looked like they just received the worst news of their life. Well, that’s until Vince gave them the word, anyway. Paul London & Brian Kendrick clutched on to their WWE Tag Team championships, fearing that it would be the last time they held them. Mike “The Miz� Mizanin was sitting in a chair in the back of the room, writing notes on a piece of paper. He was probably trying to memorize his lines days in advance before he had to say them, incase he was going to be canned because of that. Even WWE mainstays like Scotty 2 Hotty & Funaki were looking pretty nervous. Hell, Rey Mysterio was even sweating under his mask!

Long tried to calm the crew down. Even though he was an on-air character, he somehow felt like the leader, as if he really was the general manager of the brand.

Long: “Relax guys. I’m sure Mr. MacMahon ain’t gonna fire yall. Just probably wants to talk to yall, that’s all playas. Relax!�

Hell, even Long didn’t believe it. He felt that this was the end of the brand split just like the rest of the guys, and that he indeed would have no position in the WWE anymore. With Vince McMahon & Shane McMahon on RAW as their authority figures every week attempting to fight off the ego-fucks that were Triple H & Shawn Michaels, why would he be needed as general manager of the whole WWE? He didn’t let the other guys know what he was thinking, though.

Just then, the chairmen himself burst into the locker room. Everyone straightened up in their seats, folding their hands in their lap and paying attention to whatever the boss had to say.

Paul London & Brian Kendrick: “Hello Mr. McMahon, sir!�

Scotty 2 Hotty: “Anything I can do for you, sir?�

Ashley Massaro: “Anything I can do for you, you handsome stud?�

Vince laughed. Somehow, that brought even more nervousness to the already depressed locker room.

Vince McMahon: “Relax everybody, relax. There’s not going to be any merger of RAW & Smackdown!. No one is going to get fired. That is, unless you cross the boss…�

The whole locker room went silent. Vince let out another laugh, prompting everyone in the locker room to laugh their hardest, as if they had heard the funniest joke in the world. Vince stopped and cleared his throat, which cut everyone off. The room was filled with silence once again.

Vince: “However, we DO need to talk about where this brand is headed. But first, I guess you notice that some guys aren’t here. Namely, Ken Kennedy, Matt Hardy & Kid Kash. Well guys, Ken has been injured once again.�

Batista: “Awww man, I didn’t even mean to Vince. Honestly, I didn’t mean to bust him open. It just…�

Vince: “Relax Dave, it’s not your fault. Infact, it’s Ken’s fault for not protecting himself, and when he gets back in a week or two, he won’t be pushed nearly how he was before. Anyway, Matthew is injured as well, but he’ll be back in a couple weeks. As for Kash… well… he’s suspended.�

Everyone looked at Jamie Noble, his tag team partner. Noble looked away, obviously knowing why Kash was suspended before hand, but not wanting to reveal it. Finally, someone spoke up.

Psicosis: “Why?�

Vince: “Why what?�

Psicosis: “Well, you said Kash was suspended. I guess everyone here wants to know why.�

The room goes silent once again, as the superstars wait for McMahon’s response. Before he can speak, the new World Heavyweight champion interrupts him.

Booker T: “Excuse me Vince, but let me field this one for you.�

Book clears his throat, as he turns in his seat to look at Psicosis. He stares at him for a moment, before answering his question.

Booker T: “Shutup fool, and don’t question the boss!�

Most of the guys in the locker room laugh, as the Mexican cruiserweight slumps in his chair. Batista, however, wasn’t laughing at all.

Batista: “Why don’t you shutup Booker? He was just asking a question – a question that you know good and well all of us were wondering. Just keep your comments to yourself.�

Book seems taken back by Batista’s comment, but gets up and looks down at him.

Booker T: “Why don’t you MAKE me shutup, man?�

Batista stands up, and gets in Booker’s face. He smiles at him, and looks at him up and down.

Batista: “Gladly.�

The two began bumping their chest against each other, but Vince and Long get between them.

Vince: “Why don’t you BOTH shutup before I suspended both of you without pay?�

Booker T: “But I’m the World Heavyweight champion.�

Batista: “And I’m… Batista.�

They always did say the big men in the WWE were kind of slow… and not just in the ring.

Vince: “Well Booker, you could very well be the former World Heavyweight champion if you don’t keep your mouth shut. And Batista… oh, nevermind! My point is, both of you need to sit down and stop behaving like children.�

Both men obliged, and the room was quiet once again. Vince cleared his throat, and began to speak.

Vince: “Now, I’m going to make this short because I’m running late to help with RAW. First, as you know, the ratings for Smackdown! are at their lowest point ever. Because of this, the CW Network is beginning to hound me and is considering not picking up Smackdown! after our thirteen trial episodes. All of our writers are busy with RAW and getting ECW off the ground, so… Teddy… you are now the head booker of Smackdown!. Anything you want goes, as long as it is run by me before it goes on the air.�

Everyone let out a quick yell, before being silenced at the wrath of Vince McMahon’s glare. He looked at Long, and smiled. Teddy wasn’t as amused.

Long: “Mr. MacMahon, it’ll be an honor to book Smackdown!, but with all due respect, I don’t know how to book a wrestling show. I just play the General Manager on-air.�

Vince: “Good. Now you can use that experience to play General Manager off-air.�

Long: “Well… do I get any writers?�

Vince: “They’re all busy with helping me with RAW & ECW. You can hire someone if you’d like.�

And ladies in gentlemen – THAT’S where I come into play.

Jake B.

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The Scoop On Smackdown! (7/25/06) Reported by Jesse Christner of Pro Wrestling Scoops Welcome to the weekly edition of the Scoop on Smackdown!, reported by yours truly. As of now, the WWE newsletters will be sent in three different letters – RAW, Smackdown!, & ECW. RAW’s newsletter will be sent out on Sundays, Smackdown!’s on Tuesdays, and ECW’s on Thursday. Got it? Good. - I’d like to personally congratulate Paul (Triple H) & Stephanie McMahon-Levesque on their first born baby, a beautiful little girl by the name of Aurora Rose Levesque. May the process of this little demon child holding back talent begin! Now, time for the news you’ve all been waiting for. The scoops on Smackdown!. - In one of the biggest breaking news stories of the year, we’ve received confirmation that as of yesterday, WWE chairmen Vince McMahon has appointed Theodore Long as the General Manager of Smackdown!. Now I know what you’re thinking – Long is already the GM of Smackdown!. Well, McMahon has decided to give him a huge role backstage, and he will be the sole booker of Smackdown! from now on. Whether or not Long decides to hire anyone to work under him has yet to be determined. This appears to be another shake-up regarding the Smackdown! brand, as their injury plagued roster as well as wrestlers being inactive or suspended has made Vince decide to try something else. More on this story will be revealed next week as it develops. - Speaking of suspended, Kid Kash has been suspended for thirty days. While the exact reason is not known as of now, many have speculated that Kash’s attitude has once again got him in trouble with manager. Word is that Kash had also walked away from the backstage area after everyone was suppose to wait and give Batista a standing ovation upon his return to the ring. Kash stated that “he didn’t feel like it�, and figured since he was a “heel�, why should he do so? Wow, great logic there Kash. Anyway, other rumors are that his suspension was based on a result of a blood test. Either way, Kash will not be seen in the ring for the next thirty days after tonight’s taping, and Jamie Noble will most likely work dark matches until his return. - Tatanka has also been suspended as of today for thirty days, more then likely due to violation of the WWE Wellness program. Tatanka was not scheduled for much anyway, so it’s not really a big loss for the Smackdown! brand, but still hurts the overall roster that’s already growing thin. - While it is a rumor, many feel that a lot of the wrestlers being taken off of the road has to do with either violation of the Wellness program, or a possible outbreak of hepatitis C in the Smackdown! locker room. As reported last week, The Great Khali, Bobby Lashley & Super Crazy have all been taken off of the road. While Khali is expected to return in the upcoming weeks, Lashley and Crazy will be out for an unknown period of time. As said above, the belief among many is that hepatitis C is spreading over the Smackdown! locker room, but the elevation of enzymes in the liver could stem from all sorts of things. Nonetheless, we wish them the best with whatever they may be going through. - Many see this as an opportunity for the WWE to realize that they have to push new talent quicker. While the health and safety for the superstars is the main priority on the WWE’s mind right now, the younger talent will have an opportunity to show more in the upcoming weeks as the WWE tries to get to the bottom of this problem. - Ken Kennedy will also be out for a week or two. He was busted open hard way during his match with Batista at The Great American Bash, and needed twenty stitches to close the wound to remain in the hospital overnight for evaluation. The WWE has decided to let him relax for the next week or so, before making an in-ring return to the WWE in the beginning of August. As of now, the WWE has no plans for Kennedy’s return, as well as a possible match at Summerslam, the WWE’s second biggest pay-per-view of the year. It is believed that the WWE has lost faith in Kennedy as one of the top Smackdown! talents, and the push he was set to receive will be limited. As previously noted, Kennedy also garnered some heat backstage after an outburst on Super Crazy on the quality of a previous match the two had on a recent Smackdown! show. Kennedy was set to receive a huge push based on whether Randy Orton would return to the Smackdown! brand or not. Once it was decided that Orton would go to RAW, Kennedy was still in line for the push, but since has not been mentioned. Many thought that the WWE would run a Batista/Kennedy program until Summerslam, but all those plans have been erased as of now. - Matt Hardy has also been pulled from the road, due to complications with a staph infection that he had months before. However, after a few weeks of antibiotics, Hardy should be back on the road. Talks have also been going around that Hardy may actually receive a little push upon his return. Why now, I wonder, but I guess this is to compensate for the loss of half of the Smackdown! roster. - Kristal Marshall was also injured. The severity of her injury is unknown, but we do know that it has to do with her arm. We shall keep you updated about the status of the Smackdown! divas injury. - Hardcore Holly is recovering, and should be returning in the next month or so. - With Smackdown! currently being under what many view as “a curse�, it is expected that the WWE will send over a couple guys from RAW and allow Smackdown! to use some ECW talent to add to the depleting roster. Kane’s name has been flying around for months as a possible big name on the RAW brand that is currently not doing anything. Kane had been involved in a storyline with The Fake Kane, but since has disappeared off WWE television after unmasking The Fake Kane and taking back his mask. The payoff was never really revealed, but it got The Fake Kane off TV, so whatever. Kane has been busy promoting his See No Evil movie, and will be making his return as he battles The Big Show for the ECW Heavyweight championship tonight at the ECW/Smackdown! tapings. - As for the ECW/Smackdown! tapings, nobody really has any idea how they will go down tonight. While ECW has already been booked and decided on, Smackdown! may have to make many last minute changes due to Long being appointed the new head booker and writer. It may also be possible that Long will not have enough time to run the newly booked Smackdown! before Vince McMahon prior to the show being taped. Tune in next week, as we give you EXCLUSIVE details about everything that goes down tonight at the ECW/Smackdown! taping.

OOC: This newsletter will be a weekly thing, posted after our weekly Monday meetings to go over ideas, storylines, etc. Just giving you guys a real feel to this besides the shows. Other then those two things, everything else I post will be shows. And since I've posted these two things already...

My first edition of Smackdown! will be next. Enjoy.