END THE SQUASH MATCHES!
I’m aware that’s a bit extreme and don’t mean I want squash matches gone entirely. That was simply a sexy headline to bring up another point that crossed my mind this week.
I posed the following question to my live audience this past Monday on “VOW Reaction”: Would Smackdown stars’ time on Raw each week be better spent cutting promos and doing backstage segments, or continuing the trend of pointless throwaway matches we seem to get now? Sheamus’ match this week being the easy and most recent example.
I see WWE’s dilemma. Raw might be a super show now, but there’s still needs to be a modicum of separation between the two brands. And yes, I realize the contradiction that seems to be currently, as Bryan is in a feud with Punk, Orton just laid out Miz and might even start something with Ziggler, Jericho’s flip-flopping all over the place, etc.
Generally speaking though, Smackdown stars on Raw are subjected only to squash matches, or today’s version of squash matches, against other Smackdown stars. There’s typically no real continuation of their SD storylines and programs.
It’s simply a way to show their faces on the A-show and remind fans that they exist.
The biggest issue I have with the way it is now is that it often breaks up the flow and consistency of Raw’s programming and storylines. We’ll go from a good, forward-moving segment between Cena and Big Show, for example, to a quick match between Christian and Hunico. If we’re lucky, we’ll get Cody Rhodes on commentary.
If you’re a “wrestling” fanatic, you might love this situation. I enjoy a good match as well, but that’s the reason I shell out $50 or more every month for pay per views. Raw and Smackdown are best suited for advancing the stories that will entice me enough to do just that.
The only two alternatives would be ending the split completely or ending the super shows and going back to the way it used to be. Neither very likely to happen anytime soon, but both better options than the current formula.
I can’t imagine it does Smackdown any favors either. You might not get the best story-telling on Raw from SD stars, but it might be enough to keep you from going out of your way to watch them on Friday each week.
