I really enjoyed Smackdown this week, obviously this was helped along with Drew being back and Chavo actually getting a match. It's absolutely great to see Drew back with no more visa problems!
I enjoyed reading your review! =)

...[Drew] also kicked out of Kingston’s Trouble in Paradise finisher.

Actually, he didn't. What happened was that Kofi was signaling for TIP like he usually does, McIntyre ducked when Kofi went for it, and Kofi then hit him with a spinning heel kick. That is not the same as TIP, which is a jumping roundhouse kick. So Kofi didn't hit his finisher on Drew, and Drew didn't kick out of it. Which is good, because that would make look weak. I'm not a fan of wrestlers kicking out of finishers, unless you've got two wrestlers kicking out of each other's finishers in the same match. Just look at how many people have kicked out of the Codebreaker, and how that finisher has been devalued as a result.

The show concluded with Kane grabbing Swagger and throwing him into the “red room” backstage.

"Red room"? That's "moorder" spelled backwards!!! EEK!

"I’m going to lose all interest in it if Kane ends up being the guilty party. …"

Can you stop saying that? They wouldn't go to such great lengths just to say it's Kane at the end

RESPONSE FROM KE: Unfortunately, they would, because they have done stuff like this in the past. I just hope they don't do it again, although The Wrestling Observer has reported that the original idea was for it to be Kane and for Kane and Undertaker to wrestle each other at SummerSlam, although it may have been changed.

The idea that Kane is in MITB and not MVP is just laughable

Kane's whole gimmick has really been now "who injured my brother". So....why not just keep him interfering in matches and such? MVP is the type of entertainer that needs to be in these matches, if only to keep the idea of him being the top main eventer alive in your head.

I don't think anyone pictures Kane with the strap....

"Mysterio must have a lot of heat backstage because not a single person tried to intervene while Swagger brutalized him. …"

Aren't you getting wrestling and reality mixed up in this comment? Backstage heat would only matter if Mysterio were really in danger.

RESPONSE FROM KE: I was being sarcastic. Didn't it seem strange that there were people standing around backstage and no one did anything?

For those who may have purchased some of the recent WWE DVD's:

I'm a big Shawn Michaels fan (but enjoy wrestling in general) and have the From the Vault and Heartbreak & Triumph DVD's. Should I get the most recent My Journey DVD or should I go for the latest releases featuring Undertaker or Ricky Steamboat instead?

Also, is the blood edited out or are the matches shown in their original form?

Thanks.

I think Curt Hawkins has decent charisma, but I agree that there isn't a great chemistry with Hawkins and Vancer Archer. When Hawkins was doing a stint with Florida Championship Wrestling recently, they had him paired with 7-footer Jackson Andrews and they had awesome chemistry. Hawkins was really fun to watch with "his giant" backing him. I was surprised when NXT Season 2 went with Eli Cottonwood over Andrews, who seems much further advanced.
Decent show for Smackdown, but WWE needs to kick things up a notch because this show still couldn't stand up to what TNA offered on Thursday night.

Agree with you on Rhodes' music...thats something WWE usually does a great job with, but this one isn't very good

Hi Kevin - Why exactly are their no managers in pro wrestling anymore? They were always entertaining and of huge benefit to wrestlers who werent good on the stick - thoughts ?

RESPONSE FROM KE: For whatever reason, WWE doesn't like managers, and the rest of the industry seems to have followed its lead.

Smackdown was nice, period.
Some good matches (Kofi-Drew, Archer-Hawkins and Christian-Matt) and Swagger's performance, the show was saved.

Why are you and I are getting the same feeling? Please WWEscripters, don't say that Kane attacked the Undertaker and at Summerslam....

What I like about Straight Edge society is that it can take a different turn anytime. For me, this is one of the most unpredictable stable in WWE history.

I agree on Rhodes' new entrance theme as well. I really dug his old music, and they've gone and replaced it with one of those unmemorable, generic-sounding pop rock songs. Also, his old theme sounded more like "heel music" to me.

Maybe the RAW "anonymous" GM (Batista) attacked The Undertaker.

Back in April, with Batista's backing, RAW Guest Host David Otunga turned on John Cena and attacked him during their tag team match. That angle started months ago.

Perhaps Batista is behind the attack on The Undertaker too?

Thought Smackdown was pretty decent. Just sad to see Chavo Jr. turned into a jobber basically. When was the last time he won a match? Did I blink and miss it?
McIntyre and Kingston were definitely the match of the night!
Am I the only one getting tired of seeing Vince showing the same things over and over? How many times did they show Swagger attacking Mysterio? Three? Four? I know they have two plus hours to fill but couldnt they at least give the other matches more time? I'm not asking for Ironman matches but give the wrestlers more than a few short minutes.
Drew, Kofi and Christian are the only viable options I see for winning MITB.

1.) I'm a huge McIntyre fan because he reminds me of more old-school Intercontinental champions, but I hope he keeps coming along in terms of drawing heat. Still not there.

2.) WWE has really blown the build for the whole Kane-Taker storyline.

3.) Archer and Hawkins are bland, but I'll take anything these days when it comes to tag teams. Harts and Usos could spark new life in that division if it's done right.

Great comment Kev about the fact that there are not any personal managers in WWE (save for The Great Khali I suppose).

It would sure liven things up with another dimension in ring interference and double-cross and the like.

Hey Kev. If you were to become a personal manager, who would be in your stable and what would be your angle?