Opinion
Top 5: Things I Learned From WWE Smackdown On FOX
Greg DeMarco sat down to enjoy WWE Smackdown on FOX, and finished with several takeaways. Check out the Top 5 and see if you agree!
Greg DeMarco sat down to enjoy WWE Smackdown on FOX, and finished with several takeaways. Check out the Top 5 and see if you agree!
October 4, 2019 was the date we all had circled on our calendars for quite some time–the day WWE Smackdown made it’s debut on the FOX network. While Smackdown had been on network television in the past, it was never on a network the reach of FOX. You no longer need cable, internet access, or a ticket to see WWE, you need a TV and some basic rabbit ears. For the first time ever, WWE Smackdown is available in 99.9% of American households (according to Media Bistro).
So like 99.9% of you, I sat down to watch WWE Smackdown on FOX. Like .01% of you, I decided to write about it! Here are my biggest takeaways from the broadcast, with some bonus honorable mentions at the bottom.
1. Becky Lynch Is The Biggest Female Star In Company History
WWE had a ton of options for the talent to kick off Smackdown proper (not counting the welcome by Stephanie and Vince). They went with Becky Lynch. Becky Lynch may not have started the Divas’ Revolution/Women’s Evolution, but she damn sure took the flag and waived it more than anyone. She willed herself into a top spot, main evented WrestleMania, and now she walked out as first focal point of WWE’s efforts on network television. At this point I don’t think it’s even an argument…Becky Lynch is the biggest female star in company history.
2. You Knew It Was Bad For Kofi Kingston When He Was Introduced First
Look, it’s one thing for the champion to enter first. That’s something we have seen for years, and is used to balance out the presentation and manage the roller-coaster of emotions a crowd can experience. But once everyone was int the ring, Kofi Kingston was introduced first? Damn man, that was the only sign I needed! Once Kofi was the first man introduced for Smackdown’s main event by Greg Hamilton, his fate was sealed. A crushing defeat at the hands of the Beast Incarnate, the new reigning, defending, undisputed WWE Champion, Box Office Brock Lesnar.
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3. Corporate Sponsorship Is Only Getting Bigger
Look, commercials are great, but we can all fast forward through them if we’ve time-shifted our programming even just a little bit. But if you can get your brand inside the show? That’s money. And that’s exactly what we had tonight. Progressive is the presenting sponsor of WWE Smackdown, and also had the Progressive Match Flo appear during the show. Pizza Hut was promoted during the broadcast, along with Snickers. you also had the main event, which was sponsored by the Ghost Recon Breakpoint video game. “Ghost Recon Breakpoint,” by the way, takes about as long to say as the main event lasted.
4. Mainstream Crossover Is Real
Branding is huge for WWE, just as it is FOX. That’s why this relationship is such a great fit. Well that includes mainstream crossover, and we had it tonight. On the fringe, you had a graphics package that felt like FOX Sunday NFL broadcasts. You also had Erin Andrews working backstage, with no one screaming on Twitter that she’s stealing valuable screen time from Kayla Braxton (no one other than me, anyway). You also had the obvious appearance of Cain Velasquez, who showed up with Rey Mysterio and drove the STAPLES Center crowd into a frenzied state. He probably should have kept his shirt on, too. Then there was the interplay between Braun Strowman and Tyson Fury, which is obviously going somewhere.
Mainstream crossover isn’t new to WWE, but this is the first time we had this much of it in a single show. Welcome to FOX, WWE!
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5. The Two-Person Broadcast Booth Is Better
With “special contributor” Renee Young nowhere near the broadcast table, Michael Cole and Corey Graves were firmly entrenched as the lead commentary team for WWE. And it felt right. A two-person booth is indeed better, as proven by Michael Cole and Nigel McGuinness at the first WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament, and confirmed on Friday night.
So there is your Top 5 Things I Learned From WWE Smackdown On FOX. What did you take away from the show?
As a bonus, here are the other headings that didn’t make the Top 5 tonight:
- Baron Corbin Is Already A Staple Of WWE
- The Rock Is The Greatest Performer In Sports Entertainment History
- The Fiend Is Very Important to WWE
- Kevin Owens Is The Modern Day Every Man
- Roman Reigns Is Still The Big Dog
- That Is The Grandest Stage WWE Has Ever Made
Follow me on Twitter @ChairshotGreg.
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Opinion
Chris King: The Wyatt Sicks’ Wasted Potential By WWE
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
It’s that time of the year again, folks; it’s unfortunate and downright awful that so many WWE superstars got released today. I’m not going to list all of them, but I am going to talk about one of my favorite factions,
The Wyatt Sicks. Nikki Cross, Joe Gacy, Erik Rowan, and Bo Dallas (Uncle Howdy) were something special. After Bo’s brother Bray Wyatt’s tragic passing, WWE felt like there was a hole that needed to be filled. Wyatt was one of the most creative and brilliant characters, and Bo would be taking over his brother’s concept and bringing it to life. In 2024, at the end of an incredible documentary highlighting Wyatt’s career and struggles, Bo appeared on the screen portrayed as Uncle Howdy. The last time Uncle Howdy was seen on-screen was at the 2023 Royal Rumble, where Wyatt defeated LA Knight in a Pitch Black Match. Howdy jumped off a structure onto Knight.
This post-credit scene sparked so much speculation and excitement that Wyatt’s brother would carry on his legacy and possibly debut the faction that was Wyatt’s concept. On the June 17th episode of Monday Night Raw, The Wyatt Sicks made their dramatic debut ,destroying the backstage area as well as “murdering” Chad Gable. It was such an iconic arrival for Howdy as he made his menacing walk from the back into the audience who were chanting “Holy Shit.” The Sicks and American Made (Chad Gable and The Creed Brothers) battled for months, with The Sicks being victorious. On the September 9th episode of Raw, The Sicks defeated them, with Howdy getting the win with Sister Abigail.
The following year, The Sicks would move over to Friday Night SmackDown, and it seemed like WWE had a plan in place. They would win the tag team championships from The Street Profits and start to look dominant. Now, what should have happened next is Howdy should have won the United States title. The Sicks could have held all the gold over on the blue brand, but it never happened. The Sicks entered into a never-ending feud with The MFT’s (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, JC Mateo, and Talla Tonga.) It started off exciting, and the WWE Universe was red-hot for their interactions.
After months of repetitive matches and The MFT’s stealing their lantern, the feud grew tiresome and boring. Even Tama asked Solo why they are still holding onto the lantern, as it was destroying them as a whole. Finally on the SmackDown before Mania, Tama
gave the lantern back to Howdy against Solo’s wishes. Please explain to me why both factions fought almost every single week instead of just having one final blowoff match at WrestleMania.
It should have been either a massive street fight or a falls count anywhere match on the grandest stage of them all. Instead, it turned into a meaningless week-after-week extravaganza that benefited no one. The MFTs won the rivalry, and The Sicks don’t even work for WWE anymore. This was the same criminalized creative process that Wyatt dealt with during his first run in the company.
We’ll never know how much of a dangerous force The Wyatt Sicks could have been in the WWE. For all their careers’ sake, I hope they stay far away from the company for as long as possible. Every superstar that was cut deserves better!
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Opinion
Chris King: Bloodline Saga: Is This the Right Call For WWE?
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns is once again World Heavyweight Champion after his dominant win over CM Punk at WrestleMania 42. On the following night on Monday Night Raw, The OG Bloodline came back together as a well-oiled machine as The Usos stood side by side with Roman. With the WWE Universe asking who would be the first to challenge “The Tribal Chief,” Jacob Fatu shocked the world by answering the call.
Fatu is running hot after his impressive win over Drew McIntyre and feels like he is ready to become the new world champion. This bloodline segment ended Raw, and it picked right back up on SmackDown with even Solo Sikoa and the MFTs involved. This is now two shows that have been centered around The Bloodline saga, and it’s made me question whether or not WWE should be retelling this story.
The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, The Usos, and Solo Sikoa) ran WWE for over four years as Reigns’ henchmen, doing his dirty work to retain his title. Even though Roman has declared he doesn’t want Jey and Jimmy to serve him, it sure seems like WWE are spinning their wheels. Fatu could add a whole new chapter into the story, even if he’s not able to beat Roman at Backlash. “The Samoan Werewolf” could be forced to do the same thing as Jey did all those years ago and fall in line.
In my opinion, I feel like Fatu should be challenging for the Undisputed WWE Championship because that’s a title I feel like he should win. I understand standing up to your blood and trying to prove you’re the best, but I don’t think this is the right move. It feels like 2022 all over again, as The Bloodline is the central focus on both shows. If Fatu doesn’t win, what happens to all his momentum he’s been building over the last two years?
Why did WWE make this the best choice for storyline purposes? Why couldn’t creative have come up with a different challenger for Roman? There are so many other superstars that could challenge The Tribal Chief, such as Rusev, Bron Breakker, Gunther, or even a returning Sheamus.
I just can’t help but question WWE’s logic here, and it kind of reminds me of all the times The Shield reunited. Could WWE be pushing the same storyline too many times here? Could the WWE Universe get tired of this rinse and repeat cycle of The Bloodline Saga?
Are we about to see all the weekly episodes solely focused on The Bloodline again? Will it be cinema… Yes. Is there still money in The Bloodline… Yes. Was it the right call? That’s to be determined!
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