SmackDown 1000: A Celebration of SmackDown
19 Years, 1,000 episodes and hundreds of moments. The blue-brand as held it's own against the rival show RAW since 1999. Next week WWE celebrates the incredible feet of 1,000 episodes. ThursdayNight SmackDown!, FridayNight SmackDown! or SmackDown LIVE. The name, theme song or logo might have changed in the past, but one stands for sure: SmackDown has made for some epic television. SmackDown was the show i saw my first glimpse of professional wrestling on. Wether it be Edge spearing a carnival queen, Undertaker getting pulled apart by Mark Henry and Big Daddy V or Batista powerbombing Kane into hell. For me 1,000 episodes should be a celebration of the past as we are awaiting the future. Starting in fall 2019 SmackDown is going to move to FOX and will be a exposed to a much larger audience. This could either result in incredible ratings or even the end of SmackDown. As the future is unsure, let's celebrate the past of SmackDown and relive 999 episodes of Land of Opportunity.
It's All in a Name
The name 'SmackDown' sparks from none other than The Rock himself, who is and was not afraid the 'Layeth the SmackDown' on his opponent. The term since even made it to the dictionary.
Why is SmackDown?
Since 1993 WWE already had 'MondayNight RAW' on air. Why did we need another weekly-episodic wrestling show? In late 90s WCW was on it's last legs and ECW already struggled. After signing multiple former WCW and ECW wrestlers, there was not enough room for everyone to be on RAW, so SmackDown was installed to make room for the new talent to showcase their skills, so WWE began airing SmackDown on April 29th 1999 as a taped 2 hour show. Later McMahon decided to create his own rival show and invented the brand split. RAW and SmackDown recieved two different rosters and tried to topple each other in ratings. The Brand Split Excited from 2002 to 2011. After dropping ratings WWE moved SmackDown to Tuesdays to become a live show and reintroduced the brand extension in 2016.
SmackDown in Numbers
Broadcast Channel History in the USA:
UPN (1999-2006)
The CW (2006-2008)
MyNetworkTV (2008-2010)
SyFy (2010-2015)
USA Network (2016-2019)
FOX (starting in Fall 2019) This marks not only a move of the channel, but also a move of the television network group from NBC to FOX.
SmackDown Main Theme Songs:
Everybody on the Ground by Jim Johnston (1999-2001)
The Beautiful People by Marilyn Manson (2001-2003)
I Want it All by Jim Johnston (2003-2004)
Rise Up (Instrummental) by Jim Johnston (2004)
Rise Up by Drowning Pool (2004-2006)
Rise Up 2006 by Ryan McCombs (2006-2008)
If You Rock Like Me by Jim Johnston (2008-2009)
Let It Roll by Divide the Day (2009-2010)
Know Your Enemy by Green Day (2010-2012)
Born 2 Run by 7lions (2012-2014)
This Life by CFO$ (2014-2015)
Centuries by Fall Out Boy (2014)
Black and Blue by CFO$ (2015-2016)
Take a Chance by CFO$ (since 2016)
SmackDown's current intro. SmackDown is rarely using an intro at the moment
SmackDown On-Screen Key Figures: (in order of power)
WWE Chairman:
Vince McMahon (since 1999)
Co-Owner of the WWE:
Ric Flair (2001-2002)
The position is defunct these days
Chief Operating Officer:
Triple H (2011-2016)
Triple H mainly appears on RAW these days, after the new brand split the position was no longer needed for both brands
Commissioner:
Shawn Michaels (1999-2000)
Mick Foley (2000 & 2001)
Debra (2000-2001)
William Regal (2001)
The position has been defunt between 2001 and 2016
Shane McMahon (since 2016)
General Manager:
Stephanie McMahon (2002-2003)
Paul Heyman (2003-2004)
Kurt Angle (2004)
Theodore 'Teddy' Long (2004-2007 & 2009-2012)
Long is the longest acting GM in the brands history and one of the most important people in giving the show it's own identity
Vickie Guerrero (2007-2009, 2011, 2013-2014)
John Laurinaitis (2012)
Booker T (2012-2013)
The position was defunct between 2014 and 2016
Daniel Bryan (2016-2018)
Paige (since 2018)
Other minor positions:
Theodore Long (Senior Advisor from 2012-2013)
Acted as an assitant to Booker T
Eve Torres (Assisant from 2012-2013)
Acted as an assitant to Booker T
Kane (Director of Operations from 2013-2014)
Acted as the longer arm of the Authority for the blue brand
Today Vince McMahon barely appears on SmackDown. If he does, you can look forward to a major announcement.
The Commissioner and the General Manager are the people of power of the brand right now. The General Manager has to answer to the Commissioner and is making the matches. Other than the GM, the Commissioner is not appearing on the show every week.
My Top 10 Moments in SmackDown History:
There are hundreds of moments i can think of when it comes to SmackDown. Sad Ones, Funny Ones and Great Ones. But i don't want to make this article too long so i am reducing my list to 10. Expect odd, too.
10. Edge spearing a Carnival Queen (2007)
One of the first moments i can recall watching on Saturday Nights in Germany. In the build up for Kane challenging Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship this episode of FridayNight SmackDown turned crazy.
9. Eddie Guerrero Tribute Show (2005)
Although on a sad matter, the passing of wrestling legend Eddie Guerrero, WWE put on an heart-warming celebration for the master of Lying, Cheating and Stealing. Viva La Raza!
8. Triple H ruines Edge's and Vickie Guerrero Wedding (2008)
Build up for month the devilish couple of Edge and Vickie Guerrero fell apart by HHH revealing footage of Edge making out with the Wedding Planer Alicia Fox. A true historic moment and a great pay-off to a long running storyline.
7. Batista goes low (2010)
It is a very short sentence 'Eddie is dead' but it made Batista a monster heel on SmackDown. The feud with Rey Mysterio became extremely personal since then. A sad and evil moment for The Animal.
6. Paul Bearer returns (2010)
One of the most awesome moments on SmackDown for me. After Kane attacked The Undertaker to renew their feud, Paul Bearer returned to make it all come full circle. Unexpected and absolutley incredible. One of the best feuds the blue brand has ever had.
5. John Cena meets The Undertaker (2002)
One of the most historic moments in the history of SmackDown. A young and up-and-coming superstars in John Cena meets The Undertaker for the first time. In a rare case, Undertaker shook Cena's hand out of respect. This would spark the incredible career of Cena, who is now a 16-time World Champion.
4. Jeff Hardy must leave SmackDown and the WWE (2009)
CM Punk beat Jeff Hardy in a Steel Cage and therefore Jeff Hardy had to leave SmackDown and WWE. He would not return until 2017. A true a emtional moment and the end of an epic feud between Punk and Hardy.
3. Edge cashes in on the Undertaker (2007)
After The Undertaker has been beaten down after a grueling Steel Cage Match and by the hands of Mark Henry, Edge made history by cashin in his second Money in the Bank briefcase on a wounded Deadman. The crowning of a new World Champion nobody saw coming.
2. Randy Orton pins Christian to become the new World Heavyweight Champion (2011)
Back then i hated this moment and to this day i still do. Only a few days after FINALLY winning the World Title at Extreme Rules 2011, Christian had to drop the title to Randy Orton after the office came to the conclusion of Christian not being able to 'carry a brand'. This sparked lengthy and loud discussions of WWE not listening to their fans once again, which pressured WWE and continuing the feud between Christian and Orton for months to come. The dynamic between Christian and Orton was wonderful and something that was not dublicated until, maybe, 2018 when Becky Lynch won the title off Charlotte Flair. The inital title change might have been horrible, but it sparked some epic months of wrestling.
1. Cody Rhodes attacks Dustin Rhodes on SmackDown (2011)
The Intercontinental Title feud between Cody Rhodes and Booker T boiled over when Dustin Rhodes, brother of Cody and former Tag Team Partner of Booker, returned to SmackDown. All serious, not portraying his Goldust character, he tried to calm Cody down. This however fueled the anger of Cody and resulted in him attacking his own brother. This the first glimpse of the awesome run Cody and Goldust had later in 2013.
Please share your SmackDown Moments with me @Walu2go using the Hashtag #SD1000 to celebrate this epic milestrone of wrestling television.
