WWE Smackdown Hits

Jim Ross: Ross settled in nicely and it was clear that he was determined to be professional and move forward. He and Foley will make a good team eventually. They were good together in spots, but I wasn't crazy about Foley's performance. More on that below. Of course, Ross on play-by-play enhances any broadcast he's a part of.

Edge vs. Matt Hardy: This was a bittersweet match in that it was very entertaining, yet also a reminder of a title feud that the Smackdown writers never bothered to book. This was the best match on the show and it's just a shame that Matt was never given a chance to seriously chase the World Hvt. Championship while he was on Smackdown. As I mentioned last night, this is the best television match I've seen in a while. The nearfalls were great and the live crowd was really into the action even though neither title belt was on the line. A pay-per-view quality match.

Rey Mysterio's parting promo: A good promo that helped establish the brand split. The live crowds don't react like they're saying goodbye to these wrestlers because they know they're not. However, the fact that the wrestlers discuss their departures and make it seem like they're saying goodbye helps establish division between the brands is important. Now if only Vince McMahon and the writers would enforce the rules of the brand divisions.

Umaga vs. Batista match and post-match: The match itself was nothing to write home about. It wasn't a disaster like they had at WrestleMania, but the match called for Batista to sell the head injury he suffered on Monday night and it just didn't make for the most exciting television. Still, it was logical for Batista to sell the injury, and wise to have La Familia and Triple H get involved afterward. Overall, this was a solid go-home edition of Smackdown, although the Hunter vs. John Cena match has slipped into the background because there are so many other things happening in WWE as a result of the draft.

WWE Smackdown Misses

MVP: The lack of crowd reaction to MVP during his ring entrance last night was alarming. The fans didn't seem to care when he came out. The creative team has really dropped the ball with his push lately. Give this guy some mic time and get him involved in a legitimate program. One can only hope the situation will improve now that Smackdown lead writer and MVP supporter Michael Hayes has returned after serving his suspension. By the way, are his "contract issues" with Vickie Guerrero an opening to move him to Raw at some point?

Mick Foley: Foley sounded stiff and somewhat intimidated. It was obvious that he wanted to impress Ross and was trying to play it straight for their debut. It's cool that he respects his partner, but I hope Mick loosens up and interjects more of his personality and humor. He spent most of the night delivering cliche lines and just didn't seem to be having as much fun as he has in past broadcasts. That being said, this team has serious potential and I have no doubt that Foley will settle in and benefit greatly by working with Ross.

Vince McMahon angle followup: The recap and Vickie Guerrero's promo at the beginning of the show just wasn't enough to make anyone take the angle seriously. Even Hunter cracked a joke about Vince being crazy a few minutes later. I'm curious to see if they can make viewers care about the angle on Monday. Perhaps they realized that selling the pay-per-view is more important than the angle this week.

Check back later today for a new Dot Net Podcast with more thoughts on Smackdown and a preview of the WWE Night of Champions pay-per-view.

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