With just over a week to go before WrestleMania XXIV, WWE's Friday night fixture needs to kick it into high gear, but don't get your hopes up too much.
I'm usually not one for spoilers, but I took a peak at the results of Tuesday's tapings for this show. Let's just say there's not much to give away.
Among the matches you'll see tonight: Batista taking on Deuce and Domino; Morrison & The Miz defending the tag titles against Jesse & Festus; The Big Show in a squash handicap match; Kane vs. Chuck Palumbo; Edge taking on Funaki; and Chavo Guerrero taking on the Undertaker.
There is also a segment hyping MVP's involvement in the Money in the Bank match.
I've really been taken aback by how little WWE has done to promote the blue brand's involvement in Mania - as little as it is. In fact, WrestleMania features exactly one Smackdown-exclusive match, that being the world title match between The Undertaker and Edge. Smackdowners Finlay, Batista and MVP are all involved in inter-brand matches.
But even with only one major storyline to build for WrestleMania, Smackdown has largely dropped the ball. The storyline between Edge and the Undertaker has been completely paint-by-numbers, with nothing special done to build anticipation for their showdown. WWE needs to give us something - anything - to make fans excited about this match, as well as the other Smackdown wrestlers' matches on the show.
As flat as the Taker-Edge storyline has been, it's McMahon-Austin circa 1998 compared to the "feud" between Umaga and Batista. Despite being one of Smackdown's top stars for the last year, the Animal found himself as the odd man out when WWE's matchmakers were putting together the WrestleMania line up. That said, more should have been done to give Batista a meaningful match on the show.
Smackdown still has next week to really sell WrestleMania, but I won't be holding my breath.
Comments (6)
Sorry man, but if WWE has done this half-assed of a job this long to sell Wrestlemania as anything special, it's not going to happen in a week. I'm certainly not watching SM tonight, and WM isn't getting a dime from me.
The Wrestlemania build-up has been awful. None of the matches have a "dream match" feel, and the Merryweather stuff has just been pathetic. The best move they could have made would have been to do Cena/Undertaker, which is a match we've never seen. You'd have a "dream match" with a compelling story (Cena's comeback versus Undertaker's winning streak) without a predictable outcome. Shawn Michaels could have taken Cena's place in the Triple Threat and Batista could have been given the meaningful retirement match against Ric Flair. Edge, after dropping the title to Taker in February, could then be part of Money in the Bank once again.
actually we have seen Cena vs Taker before, but it was a long time ago and during Cena's run as a midcard heel. they had a whole "everyone respects undertaker except for cena" storyline. if I remember right Cena stole a victory too
If I'm not mistaken doesn't Raw at Wrestlemania only have two matches? The WWE title match and Bunnymania. Ric Flair is also a Smackdown wrestler, so his match with Michaels is also interbrand.
The World Title picture for the last year has involved Edge, Undertaker, and Batista, so why they didn't do a triple threat match for the World Title instead of the WWE Title is puzzling. I know the argument could be made that they did the triple threat a few months back, but that one ended under dubious circumstances with the re-debut of the Edge Guys.
I would have stuck with Cena v HHH for the WWE Title. Who wants to see Cena in yet another WrestleMania triple threat? Better yet, who wants to see Orton in the WrestleMania main event?
JET
This WM probably won't be one of the more memorable WMs but considering it'll be outdoors in a stadium of 50,000 you would think/hope that it will have the feel of being WM. I think the lack of the possibility that Jeff Hardy would win the MITB & then cash in that night is going to be take a lot away from the suspense of the evening. Oh well...it's still Wrestlemania!