15 Years of WWE Smackdown: Is the Show Irrelevant?

[@haroldwarren2155]

1999-2001 Smackdown was fun to watch 2002-2007 Two Words: White Hot 2008-2012 Luke Warm 2013- present Sometime I'LL REPEAT SOMETIMES just at least one great match

[@Tubewings]

For the record, SmackDown! moved to Fridays in 2005, when the UPN network was still in existence.

[@freemanmike47]

1999-2005 smackdown was pretty watchable and hot. 2006-2008 a little decline but still watchable 2009-2011 tolerable and a little entertaining 2012- present one good match every once in a blue moon

[@freemanmike47]

I truly liked smackdown in 2003 and 2008 2003: brock lesnar, kurt angle, big show, zach gowen, eddie guerrero, chris benoit, the undertaker,tajiri, rey mysterio, matt hardy, ultimo dragon, billy kidman, jamie noble, team angle, john cena, a-train, fbi, sean o'haire, rikishi 2008:Triple h, jeff hardy, mvp, Shelton Benjamin, the brian kendrick, the great khali, the big show, batista, edge, zack ryder and curt hawkins, the colons, john Morrison and the miz, natalya, michelle McCool, victoria, maryse

[@freemanmike47]

*****​ I miss the wwe draft

[@dust2k13]

2009 was a pretty good year for SmackDown though... I remember around the time where CM Punk and Jeff Hardy feuded it was considerd to be at it's best since 2003.

[@SystemFan20]

I think 2003 was the best year for Smackdown

[@bigdaddyswoll16]

I agree, lesnar, angle, show, heyman just to name a few & the commentary was awesome!

[@KegOfMeat]

bigdaddyswoll16 and Taker

[@showtimesportsmedia6906]

Forgot taker, but he was a given.

[@TeamBombersportsUK]

SystemFan20 I have a lot of nostalgia for Smackdown 2002-3 because I played the hell out of the Shut Your Mouth videogame, so that roster and period are big with me. And the respective theme tunes (Marilyn Manson for Smackdown) were awesome!

[@KegOfMeat]

***** 2008-2010 was a very diluted product. 2002- early 2004 was the best.

[@njafo7911]

The Rock routinely called SmackDown his" show, in reference to the fact that the name was derived from one of his catchphrases, "Lay the SmackDown!"

[@JokerG16]

HHH vs. Rock with Austin as special ref at WM31 would be awesome.

[@JokerG16]

Yeah, but we already seen that, lol. But it wouldn't be bad, though.

[@JokerG16]

Now we're talking! Man it sucks that we couldn't see that Survivor Series '99 triple threat match when they were all in their prime. Had Michaels never gotten injured, that would be a bad ass fatal 4 way match, bro.

[@JokerG16]

***** Oh, of course. We don't need anything new school. I want strictly old school shit, bro

[@JokerG16]

That's the best way. I'm still waiting on them to bring back the oval set of Smackdown for one night only.

[@christopherballero866]

Well stated. The brands coming together really hurt both. When the big Smackdown guys left Smackdown got screwed: Taker, Batista, Rey, Punk, Jeff, Show, Eddie, Benoit, Kurt, Lesnar, Edge, etc.

[@ceejay2217]

The last great smackdown moment was the Shield 1st Lost against Kane, Orton and Bryan.

[@bdr113080]

Rock vs Triple H was my favorite feud of the attitude era. One of my 2 favorite matches of the attitude era was Rock vs Triple H in a ladder match for the IC belt at summer slam 98.

[@CJM333]

when it first debuted in 1999 i didnt have cable so i couldnt watch raw (i had to go over someones house to watch it). i was hooked tho cant deny that...those TLC matches between the hardys edge and christian and dudleyz boyz, The Rock making fun of the Big Slow lol Rikishi doing the stink face with the worm, Rhyno goring Jericho through the Ovaltron....THAT was my thursday nights. I cant say the same about current years

[@Lxrdwolf666]

I miss the old stage sets for the individual shows, fuck the HD set(s)! P.S: Pro Wrestling on TV is cold as frozen dog shit for all these WWE shows to be on air, back in the days it was hot as Slimjims!

[@noncombatveteran8714]

2006 to 2009 was great to me i mean edge vs undertaker batista vs undertaker rey mysterio vs cm punk the best of big show during that time

[@travismcdonald6576]

Smackdown was good from 1999-2003. In fact, in late 2002 and 2003, it was better than Raw, since that was part of the period that HHH was turning Raw into his own burial fest along with his 20 min promos.

[@rockajabroni5975]

+Travis McDonald Plus Heyman booked that period of Smackdown

[@IsaiahJohnsoncocoinc]

+trojansfan87 That shit was absolutely terrible.

[@jameslightsey1761]

Smackdown was good in 2004 and 2005 in my opinion.

[@4293787]

Backlash 2000 was the perfect moment it should of been at wrestlemania that year the exact same way it

[@DominationWarrior]

1999-2005 were the best years of Smackdown.

[@GenX6887]

Smackdown was basically WWE's version of WCW Thunder.

[@gocanuckurself1]

Sunday Night Heat.

[@DominationWarrior]

The arenas back then were so creatively amazing! I miss the Backlash, No Mercy, and even the Over the Limit arenas.

[@megamovieman101]

The last time it was relevant was in 2011.

[@The_Husband_of_Jane_Lane]

I used to watch SmackDown! on UPN 44 (KBHK channel 44 in the San Francisco Bay Area) every Thursday night from 8-10pm from sometime around 2003-2005, Fridays on UPN 44 from 8-10pm 2005-06, CW Bay Area (KBCW) from 2006-2008, MNTV (KRON channel 4) from 9-11pm from 2008-2010. Afterwards, I stopped watching SmackDown! (along with RAW) because I can't stand it anymore.

[@ceejay2217]

I think Smackdown wasn't the same after Edge retire and undertaker not on smackdown anymore. They tried with del Rio and it fail LMAFO. Orton save it in 2010 Henry did his thing in 2011.

[@NathanKJohnson]

2003 was the best year for Smackdown. Lesnar's last full year as a full timer, Eddie Guerrero got a push towards the end, John Cena began to get over a baby face, last year of biker Undertaker, awesome matches on Smackdown throughout the year, Stephanie McMahon as a face GM (she wasn't so annoying back then).

[@ststriker]

I really miss the brand split. That's the last time that both Raw and Smackdown were relevant because they both had different stars and feels. Now both shows are nothing more than repeats of each other.

[@The_Husband_of_Jane_Lane]

I don't mind the Brand Extension run, they did it only because they have too many Superstars on the roster so they decided to split RAW & SmackDown! into brands and put half on one show and half on the other. The brand extension era was pretty good (having their own, superstars, storylines and feuds) and I enjoyed it.

[@ststriker]

***** Actually, when they first came up with the idea of the brand split was soon after WCW folded. The original plan was for Raw to be the new WCW with Smackdown being the WWF show. That plan quickly changed after that infamous match between Buff Bagwell vs. Booker T where both wrestlers were booed out of the building. So instead later on they just split the company up into two brands.

[@The_Husband_of_Jane_Lane]

I remember hearing about it on other Solomonster podcasts.

[@illmixture]

The Rock is 10xs the wrestler HHH is/was/or ever will be. yet, HHH got way more titles. go figure.

[@TheLaidBackDrummer]

That's because Rock left WWE at 32 to be a movie star. When Rock left he had 8 or 9 World Titles, HHH at the time only had like 4.

[@illmixture]

i don't know how old you are, but back then HHH always had the belt. he was running shit either with DX and then with Stephanie/Corporation.

[@TheLaidBackDrummer]

iLL MiX No I know. I was watching then. Rock never had a very long run with the Title. But HHH really started to dominate though after the Brand split and Bischoff gave him the World Title. That's when he was holding it non stop for 9 months or a year or 15 months at a time with Flair and Evolution by his side. Other guys would win it but only for a month or two before losing it back to HHH.

[@illmixture]

vincentrich TheLaidBackDrummer wouldn't you leave too if some way less talented/married into the family wrestler was getting all of the shine even though you were raking in all the money?

[@illmixture]

vincentrich HHH was winning world titles long before The Rock left. how old are you?

[@JETLIFEMUZIK]

15 man tag match..How?

[@brandoncabiness7372]

The rock and HHH segment was hilarious

[@FunkSwaggMusiK]

By the time SMACKDOWN! had came on the air in aug '99 wwe already had Raw, Sunday Night Heat, Shotgun Saturday Night, Jakked, LiveWire, And Superstars.

[@semperficarclub4661]

Had to remember everyone back then didn't have cable or dish, so Smackdown was needed for those that didn't have USA Network

[@ajk]

+SemperFi CarClub I watched most RAW on video tape at that time and before from my since deceased uncle (don't remember if I was by 2000 though, but late 97, 98 and at least some of 99 I was), so I was one of those for sure once Smackdown came about (also would watch Shotgun and later Metal/Jakked in this same time period), was appointment viewing for me when it came on. Great memories. I remember the first Thanksgiving Food Fight they ever did....that was something else at the time. Miss that era, so innocent and fresh as a teenage boy.

[@semperficarclub4661]

ajk Smackdown back then was great, the first few years of the brand split it was a better show than Raw, these days it's become Shotgun almost

[@ajk]

remember the gay wedding angle with Bischoff being the priest? that was BRILLIANT and I never saw it coming at the time (though in hindsight you can tell by his voice it's him), was really shocking television. I don't know that it's like Shotgun as MUCH now that Mauro has taken over lead commentary and you have a separate team basically from RAW like in the brand split days and on lead even before that. So it's a bit better than before, but can see the Shotgun aspect....especially given the Raw recaps and the lack of the biggest of the big stars (which is a lot of what made Smackdown in the early years so huge, that carryover of stories from Raw involving the main belt and other big stories, although this too is sorta changing I guess), but it's getting there anyway from before.

[@willhustle25]

Bobby33425 I totally agree. I think Smack down started to decline around '09 myself. But with the exception to NXT, Wwe programming is bad right now. RAW should be cut down to just 2 hrs, Main Event is ok at times but they do have bad shows, & SD isn't watchable. The only time I seriously check for wwe is PPV time on the WWE network. Then again, the PPV's aren't that great but maybe 2-3 out of an entire year.

[@Marvalis]

Smackdown is the only wrestling show besides Nitro that beat Raw in the ratings consistently

[@MrLatrunks14]

I feel that Rock/HHH should of had a One-on-one match at Wrestlemania in the Main Event. Just like Punk/Cena Should of been. But that's just my opinion.

[@LukesYuGiOhChannel]

Yeah I don't think its great anymore but if it still makes them money then they won't get rid of it. When there were a lot more titles available, more champions were around and the show was evenly split, and of course you had title matches on Smackdown back in the day.

[@lewjones3]

HHH gotta realize u gotta put people over sometime

[@dc4ever967]

If they make it seem important by going live, not have repeat matches, change the set, etc then the move might be good but if not then its pointless

[@insupportofjunhado]

Smackdown was the A show until the brand extension ended. Then it was basically Friday Night Heat with a lower volume of wrestling.

[@jakethemuss3]

The Rock is 10X the wrestler HHH was. Better in ring skills, better promo's, better look, and more charisma.

[@YourMarvelFan]

10× better wrestler??? Yeah no. Everything else I agree with tho.

[@jakethemuss3]

Captain Spider-Man Rock was a much better wrestler. Rock had more talent.

[@YourMarvelFan]

+jakethemuss3 I disagree.

[@jakethemuss3]

Captain Spider-Man HHH is a good wrestler, but not great. His skill set is limited. Rock could do everything.

[@azapro911]

Better promos, look and charisma certainly. Better in ring skills? Neh, The Rock by his own admission was never a consummate ring general.

[@lewjones3]

why people give The Rock a hard time for it being "too soon" but praise Cena, Lesnar, or Goldberg a hard time who also got pushed really early and are not good wrestlers

[@ceejay2217]

To me Smackdown lost that touch. Nothing really can't save it now unless HHH take over. Smackdown was the Shit in 2002-2003. It was great in 2004- 2007 2008 and 2009 was a good year.

[@BeardedViking1990]

Wwe has something every night mon-raw Tues-main event Wed-superstars Thurs-nxt Friday-smackdown

[@dennissmith1201]

But it's all the same 😐

[@BeardedViking1990]

i think NXT is alot better and different

[@rayfinkle9924]

There was a time smackdown was better than raw! Now its the new sunday night heat. Thumbs down.

[@JJA1987]

Pretty much everything/nothing TVTraX says is Irrelevant

[@Bobby33425]

Smackdown has sucked since 2008-2009

[@diesel101raw]

To me it died in 2008

[@Bobby33425]

ya it did

[@crews-lj3ph]

2009

[@The_Husband_of_Jane_Lane]

What? The show is always relevant, like RAW.

[@Conici_AU]

Not when the brand split was dead

[@WWEFANWWEFAN-wy6yw]

Smackdown has been bad for a long time.

[@tubbymontana7090]

The reason smackdown sucks now is because its just raw on fridays no lie same matches and everything and also there's not enough star power to keep wwe programs fresh each week hopefully wwe will cut raw back to 2 hours so they can focus more on smackdown

[@bdr113080]

I can't wait til the realize how stupid and out of place the Adam Rose thing is and can it.

[@BeardedViking1990]

Smackdown sucks that's why you don't do a review its ok I understand

[@chefbaxter2211]

First

[@I_Am_The_Social_Reject]

You damn right sir