WWE Concerned About Smackdown Business

[Troy]

There has been concern expressed within WWE this past week regarding SmackDown live event business. When WWE did the Draft after Edge retired, the idea was that SmackDown had to be made strong enough that it could still draw on the road. It’s been noted that Orton, Christian and Sheamus aren’t doing good business on top and WWE went in with the idea that Orton would be strong enough to carry the brand, as far as the business side of things go. All of this likely has to do with this weekend’s SmackDown shows being canceled and moved to September.

Losing Edge and then drafting Rey Mysterio away from the brand meant Smackdown lost it's two biggest draws. They should never have drafted Mysterio away from the brand if they weren't going to move Cena there. Orton isn't as big a draw to house shows as Cena or Mysterio or Edge so they made a big mistake there.

Until they build up the faces more they won't draw as much as they used to. Christian, Sin Cara, Daniel Bryan and Ezekiel are the other top faces besides Orton and WWE need to make them mean something so that fans are willing to spend money to see them beat the heels.

Out of the current roster who do you think could be built up to be Smackdown's big draw to house shows?

 

[Keith]

Jackson needs a bit of work on, Cara might be able to shift T-shirts to a certain extent, if they hadn't messed up DB's push he could be a big star right now, he just has this Bret Hart type appeal where he connects with the fans on an every day level, instead of as a superstar, but now he needs rebuilding. Christian seems to be the most over off that list, although Orton might be the star name, it seems like they might need a plan b.

 

[Tapout]

Honestly, I don't think putting Cena over there would have helped. Smackdown has been a slow dying horse. Theres not much left that can save it. I think Smackdown has a very loyal fanbase, and that fanbase was build off of Edge, Mysterio, and Undertaker, the three faces of Smackdown. With all of them gone, they stop showing up. Orton probably turns them away, to be honest. Mysterio moving was stupid, and Christian is the one who has to pick up all the slack, but with no help, it's kinda hard. I don't know what they can do, too be honest. Building a few midcarders might help, but I don't see by much.

 

[Troy]

I think that Cena there would have made a difference since there is that large section of the audience that will watch everything he does. He may be a turnoff for some but I think that he would have been able to maintain the rating and most likely increase it.

With Christian now turning heel I wonder what that means for the ratings and crowd numbers. Orton as the top face doesn't work and there aren't many other faces that are big draws.

 

[Keith]

To be fair Orton still gets big pops, the reaction after his win last week, was pretty impressive, I just think it is a dangerous move to build the whole brand around him, and lets face it when someone is already a star, you need to create others to work with him.

 

[Big Red Jericho Punk]

I knew this would happen, it was just a matter of the time. I still don't know how Raw has Miz, Del Rio, and Punk on the same show. That's three top heels and they aren't even competing for the title next PPV it's R-Truth. Out of all the guys, I think Del Rio should have stayed on Smackdown. The move didn't make much sense to me. Also Troy, didn't you forget Kane is on Smackdown? Kane could always help carry the load on Smackdown as a face.

 

[SeñorBlockito]

Honestly Orton is not a big name in children's eyes. If anything Sin Cara gets a bigger pop then Orton sometimes. Drafting Mysterio indeed was the biggest mistake without letting Sin Cara at least become more popular. With Edge retiring and Undertaker too injury prone to participate Smackdown is getting lower ratings. My idea was keep Christian face and turn Orton heel, I think the outcome would have been a little better.

 

[Deezy]

Orton isn't a draw that some people made him out to be. I've said this about a thousand times. Proof is there in black and white.

Should've never moved Mysterio, Smackdown was his show. It was like moving the Undertaker to Raw, never should happen. Smackdowns problem is the lack of faces, high level ones to be precise. Christian should've never lost the title and he would be a top face with Orton. Now it's just Orton and ???? No one.

WWE is going to have to go into face push overdrive to find another guy to put on a poster and make people want to go see him. Because just saying come out to watch Randy Orton, isn't the same as touting Mysterio, Edge, Christian and others......like it was a few short months ago.

 

[XenForo-Test]

I agree with what Deezy et al. have said above me - Randy Orton isn't the draw that everyone made him out to be. I understand WWE's logic behind the move, in that Orton was the second top face behind John Cena on Raw at the time, and they needed someone to replace Edge, and Mysterio is an injury or so away from retirement. Fact is, Smackdown has historically been the place for the younger talent to get over, and to get polished on-screen before moving to the A-Show - especially considering the show's pre-taped.

What I don't understand is why they couldn't have left well enough alone with Christian as champion and top face on Smackdown. The title hotshot to Orton was VERY sloppy, and it made zero sense. The only reason that I can think of for it happening is that they wanted to recreate the Edge vs. Christian feud that many of us were clamouring for prior to the Rated-R Superstar's impromptu retirement. Thing is... Orton ain't no Edge. There isn't that same history, that same chemistry, that Christian had with Edge. Sure, Orton and Christian have had some GREAT matches, no doubt about it. But... something's missing. Without Edge there, there's no sense to turning Christian heel, as they seem to be trying to do. I, for one, wouldn't buy Christian as a heel. His whole "17 years" storyline is SCREAMING "face". The face chasing the champion, who, I might add, is set in what seems to be a very heel-ish mindset, bar the gymnastics a few weeks ago? I see that as a potential goldmine that they have simply thrown away.

Turning heel, I believe Christian is going to get lost in the shuffle with Mark Henry and Sheamus. With three heels and one face, they seem to have painted themselves into a corner where they have one face champion, and three heels snapping at his heels, with no face main eventers ready and waiting. Unless they want to switch the title back and forth to and from Orton, The Viper is going to have a VERY long reign. Who else on the face side is ready to be called up if need be? Jackson? Needs more building up to be credible as a face. Bryan? Neutered at every turn, although admittedly, he's still making a good go of it. Sin Cara? WAY too rough.

Point is, Christian would be wasted doing what he seems to be doing, and in fact, watching the hotshot title change may have sent many viewers packing. I sincerely hope I'm wrong as hell on this, and I equally pray that Smackdown gets the massive face/heel imbalance under control, and quickly, lest we see Orton get a Cena-esque reign that ruins him in the IWC's eyes for the forseeable future.

 

[The New F'n Show]

This looks a lot like that Cena reign they are going to keep building heels for Orton to beat, they have no one else on the face side. They could build someone but that would take a few months. Christian as a face made sense but as soon as Orton took the belt he didn't have much of a choice except turn on Orton. They may have been better off never putting the belt on Christian and having him chase a heel champ or even chasing Orton without the one show switch.

 

[Troy]

This would all have been better if Orton was a heel since then the face would have been chasing the title. Fans are more likely to get behind the face that is running for the title than the heel. I still don't get why you would turn Christian heel when there is literally no-one else ready to step up in his face role. Smackdown had enough heels in the mainevent to last them a few months in Mark Henry and Sheamus. I would rather have seen those two feud with Christian and Orton than Christian and Orton feuding right away.