WWE Smackdown Hitlist: MVP vs. Batista, Big Show, John Morrison and Miz, main event cage match

Smackdown Hits

MVP vs. Batista: I think most of us spotted the Umaga interference coming a mile away and the finish was a letdown, but this was still a really good match. As much as I enjoyed the chicken shit tendencies that MVP has shown in the past, it’s cool to watch the character progress into a confident and credible heel. Batista worked really hard and delivered some great facial expressions while pretending to be knocked out at ringside. This was easily the best match of their feud and it’s one that I would pay to see again on a house show or as part of a pay-per-view package.

Big Show: I still don’t agree with the decision to have Big Show squash a regular Smackdown tag team, but I think he’s more over now than he has been at any time during his career. The live crowds are reacting to everything he does and he’s managed to get over some of the most basic moves as being devastating to his opponents.

Main Event Cage match: There’s just something that feels right about seeing a bloody Ric Flair inside a steel cage. This was more of a wild brawl that happened to take place inside a cage than anything, and the real focus was placed on the Undertaker vs. Edge feud. Nevertheless, it was a fun brawl while it lasted and Edge escaping both the cage and Undertaker at the end of the show as solid hype for their WrestleMania 24 match.

Michael Cole and Jonathan Coachman: I mentioned last night in my Live Coverage of Smackdown how good these two were during the MVP vs. Batista match. They set the tone nicely and brought a sense of realism to the match by explaining how the no countout, no DQ, and no holds barred stipulations changed the strategies of both wrestlers. These two take a lot of heat, including from yours truly, but I thought they did a good job with that match in particular.

Smackdown Misses

John Morrison vs. The Miz: A match between the reigning WWE Tag Champions should be treated like something special. The tag division isn’t as strong as it once was and I’m not saying that this match should have taken place in the main event slot, but a little build up would have been nice. These two have proven that they can hold their own on the mic on their weekly “Dirt Sheet” segment on WWE.com, so why not give them each 30 seconds to get over the extraordinary aspect of facing off against one another?