FanPost

Where SmackDown can improve in 2017

If you listen to a lot of online talk in the wrestling world, SmackDown Live is the best show in wrestling. This talk is not wrong. They are in a groove right now, with new acts getting over, several acts putting on good matches, and two individuals in particular (AJ Styles and The Miz) having career-defining runs. SmackDown was a success in 2016.

Yet for all the just praise the show gets, the blue brand has room for improvement in 2017. Let's have a look at some of the areas where they can grow.

1. The Women's Division Needs to Take the Next Step

Looking at the Women's Divisions in the two brands, there is a bit of a mismatch. Raw has Sasha, Bayley, and Charlotte as its top acts. SmackDown has Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss, and Nikki Bella. The in-ring talent is heavily stacked in Raw's favor. SmackDown took a risk on young and unproven talent like Alexa Bliss and Carmella. They've turned out to be good character actresses and promos. In the case of Bliss, they seem to be developing a star.

While they've been good characters and promos, they are still rather green in the ring. While workrate is overrated in the WWE, you need to be at a certain level if you are to really rise to the top. Bliss and Carmella aren't there yet. Given their relative youth (Bliss is 25, Carmella is 29) and inexperience (both have been wrestling for less than 3 years), there is room for growth, and that growth is realistic. Let's hope they can achieve it. Especially with Bliss. An average ring worker with her promo and character skills, at her young age is going to go really far.

2. Elevate the Tag Team Division

This seems to be something they will realistically be pursuing. Daniel Bryan has stated that on the next SmackDown, the main event will be the tag title match between American Alpha and The Wyatt Family. They have a deep tag division of serviceable workers both face and heel. These teams can work off of the focal point of the division in American Alpha. While it was understandable to go with Slater and Rhyno, a side effect of that was enthusiasm for American Alpha cooled.

Now is the time to get it back.

They have the more diehard fans, and a style that can win over the more casual fans. Giving them increased exposure will certainly help. There might even be a chance a certain pair of proud southern boys who are in no need of your slick or your city could act as a foil for them, which would likely take the division to even greater heights.

As it is right now, Randy Orton providing his gravitas to the division is a sound move. You can even trade the titles back and forth a bit here on the build to I, where a very lively Orlando crowd will cheer the very popular NXT alumni.

3. Build New Babyfaces

This is something I've talked about before. While there are still those who say face and heel alignments don't matter, they've yet to show where a product is hot without a top babyface. This is part of the American wrestling tradition, and it isn't going away.

Right now Smackdown has a lot of good heels. Orton is revitalized. AJ is doing his best work yet. The Miz has reinvented and elevated himself to where he's almost certainly winning the WWE championship in 2017. Baron Corbin is the rising heel prospect, and Dolph Ziggler has the potential to be revitalized by a heel turn.

Where are the babyfaces? Right now you have John Cena, Dean Ambrose, Becky Lynch, and American Alpha as your top babyfaces. On the singles side in the mens division, Apollo Crews is still damaged goods, and you don't really have any other options. John Cena isn't getting any younger and is a part-time talent going forward. Looking at this, its clear why they put the Intercontinental belt on Ambrose. Can he overcome years of bad booking? That remains to be seen.

In the meantime, SmackDown should really start heating up a male singles star. Despite the damage, Apollo Crews is still the best chance among those on the roster. Give him a lower card angle and try him out on a Talking Smack segment. Let him start developing a character. Crowds, whether house shows or live, have at least been receptive to him. Put some good workers with him, have some guys backstage help with his promos, start investing in this guy to where 2-3 years from now, he can start a main event run.

Another option is to call somebody up from NXT. Yet the only realistic option there is Shinsuke Nakamura, soon to be 37, closer to the age of Cena and Styles than to Ambrose or Crews. While NXT fans have cheered for Tye Dillinger, this is also a man north of 35, and that's ignoring the fact his comps are far more likely to be Bo Dallas and Adam Rose instead of a top act.

A final option would be a trade with Raw for someone like Sami Zayn. I think this is the option worth pursuing even if you start utilizing the other two. SmackDown is heel heavy. After Mania, they can afford to part with a Ziggler for Sami Zayn. Zayn's a tremendous babyface who can get the crowd behind him if pushed. He's also a dynamite worker, especially in pay-per-view (PPV) settings. Yet if they are going to do that, they have to let him develop his character away from being associated with anyone else. The most damaging thing they did to Zayn was calling him up and continuing the Kevin Owens feud, without providing the necessary context to the wider audience of why they were fighting, why the feud matters, etc.

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SmackDown is in good shape heading into 2017. I would continue to argue it is in better shape than Raw. To maintain that shape (and to be able to capitalize on the possibility of more success), they should take these steps. Wrestling is always about maximizing your present but preparing for the future. Let's hope they do so.

The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Cageside Seats readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cageside Seats editors or staff.