Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context Wrestling / WWESmackDown

Go To

1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fridaynightsmackdown.png]]
2[[caption-width-right:350:''[[Music/{{ACDC}} "Are you ready for a good time?"]]'']]
3
4'''''[=WWE SmackDown=]''''' (also known as ''[=Friday Night SmackDown=]'' or simply ''[=SmackDown=]'') is a ProfessionalWrestling {{series}} produced by Wrestling/{{WWE}} that, as of 2021, airs live every Friday at 8:00 PM ET on Creator/{{Fox}}, with the latinamerican version Fox Sports simulcasting the program with Spanish-language commentary. One of the promotion's two flagship wrestling programs alongside Wrestling/{{WWERaw}}, the name was derived from a CatchPhrase of [[Wrestling/DwayneJohnson The Rock]], who always looked forward to "laying the smack down" on the "roody-poo candy ass(es)" of his opponent(s). As such, The Rock often referred to ''[=SmackDown=]'' as [[ThirdPersonPerson "The Rock's show."]]
5
6Initially airing on Creator/{{UPN}} on Thursday nights back in 1999, ''[=SmackDown=]'' was often considered the BShow, lacking quite a bit of the controversial mayhem of ''Raw''. This was largely due to the fact that unlike ''Raw'', which aired on cable television's USA Network, ''[=SmackDown=]'' aired on network television, which has stricter standards than cable in regard to objectionable content. ''Raw'', starting in late 1999, was also aired live on Monday nights, while ''[=SmackDown=]'' was taped the next day.
7
8Like ''Raw'' did with ''Wrestling/WCWMondayNitro'', ''[=SmackDown=]'' had a competitor in the form of Wrestling/{{WCW}}'s Thursday night show ''Thunder''. This competition was severely downplayed in comparison to the Wrestling/MondayNightWars, however, and only lasted for six months (''Thunder'' got moved to Wednesday nights on January 12, 2000 solely because [=SmackDown=] was creaming it in the ratings). WCW itself went out of business on March 26, 2001.
9
10In 2002, following the company's acquisition of WCW and Wrestling/{{ECW}}, the rather bloated WWE roster was split into two brands: the ''Raw'' brand and the ''[=SmackDown=]'' brand. While ''Raw'' had well-known veterans comprising a good chunk of the roster, ''[=SmackDown=]'' became unique in its placement of new, up-and-coming talent in the spotlight, shaping the future of the company (as well as hosting the first incarnation of WWE's Cruiserweight division); eventually, WWE's third brand (the "revival" of ECW) began to function in this manner by introducing new talent, while ''[=SmackDown=]'' showcased both relatively new talent and veterans alike. Thanks to the brand extension arguably working in its favor, ''[=SmackDown=]'' is rarely considered a BShow now; in fact, several members of the IWC consider it either at the same level as -- '''or better than''' -- ''Raw'' (which would end up happening again after the roster was once more split in 2016).
11
12Soon after the brand extension, ''[=SmackDown=]'' was moved to Friday nights. Many were concerned about the show being ruined by the FridayNightDeathSlot, but in a total [[AvertedTrope aversion]] of that trope, it scored higher ratings for UPN than the network ever did with its Friday night movies or even what was in the slot prior to [=SmackDown=], ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' (which ended its run the season before). Prior to the actual move, WWE took the move in stride by using the slogan "TV that's changing Friday nights" and re-christening the series ''WWE Friday Night [=SmackDown=]''; the exclamation point that was a part of the show's logo since its creation was phased out. When Creator/TheWB merged with UPN to form Creator/TheCW, ''[=SmackDown=]'' retained its time slot on the new network, but despite the strong ratings it pulled in for the network, it was eventually [[ScrewedByTheNetwork booted off]]. The show moved on to Creator/MyNetworkTV, where it usually beat the Friday night lineup provided by Creator/TheCW in UsefulNotes/{{ratings}}; but even this could not save the fledgling network. [=MyNetworkTV=] became a syndication service in the 2009-10 season, with ''[=SmackDown=]'' being the only original program on the "network". And in 2010, even that ended; in October of that year, ''[=SmackDown=]'' [[ChannelHop moved]] [[NetworkDecay to]] Creator/{{Syfy}}. About a year later, the brand extension was phased out; from 2011 to 2016, wrestlers would appear on both ''Raw'' and ''[=SmackDown=]'' interchangeably, a change that WWE would initially capitalize on, briefly rechristening Raw as ''Raw [=SuperShow=]''.
13
14This all changed in 2016. WWE announced a big change; beginning in July, not only would ''[=SmackDown=]'' be going live (meaning it will now air on Tuesdays, thereby ending the possibilities of "dirt sheets" posting spoilers), but both it and ''Raw'' would be separated in a brand extension once again. Two years later, Creator/USANetwork, who had picked up ''[=SmackDown=]'' from Syfy in 2015, decided to drop the program in exchange for an extension of their rights to air ''Raw''. Effective October 2019, new episodes of ''[=SmackDown=]'' began airing on Creator/{{Fox}}, marking the show's return to network television and becoming the first WWE program to air on Fox since two episodes of ''Saturday Night's Main Event'' aired on said network in 1992. As part of the move, the show once again airs on Fridays, though this time still broadcasting live as opposed to airing on tape delay. In October 2024, ''[=SmackDown=]'' will leave Fox for the Creator/USANetwork, a few months before ''Raw'' moves from USA to Creator/{{Netflix}}.
15
16''[=SmackDown=]'' was also the name of [[VideoGame/WWEVideoGames WWE's series of video games]] for the Platform/PlayStation and the Platform/PlayStation2 (later ''[=SmackDown=] vs. Raw''). The games were ''WWF [=SmackDown!=]'' (2000); ''WWF [=SmackDown!=] 2: Know Your Role'' (2000); ''WWF [=SmackDown!=]: Just Bring It'' (2001); the first ''SD'' game on the [=PS2=]), ''WWE [=SmackDown!=]: Shut Your Mouth'' (2002); and ''WWE [=SmackDown!=]: Here Comes the Pain'' (2003). The first three sequels used various sayings of [[Wrestling/DwayneJohnson The Rock]] as subtitles, while the final game broke tradition by using a PhraseCatcher for Wrestling/BrockLesnar[[note]]It was actually Wrestling/{{Tazz}} who said it, but the CatchPhrase is not associated with him.[[/note]]. Following ''Here Comes the Pain'', the series was re-branded ''[=SmackDown=] vs. Raw'' to emphasize the current multi-brand nature of the company, and eventually went MultiPlatform.
17
18As of April 12, 2024, here is the list of people who perform on ''[=Friday Night SmackDown=]''. Wrestling/NickAldis runs the show as a General Manager. Wrestling/CoreyGraves & Wrestling/WadeBarrett are the commentary team, with Cathy Kelley, and Kayla Braxton handling backstage interviews, and Mike Rome as the ring announcer.
19
20[[folder: List of Superstars]]
21!Male
22* Wrestling/AJStyles
23* Bron Breakker
24* Cameron Grimes
25* Wrestling/CodyRhodes (Undisputed WWE Universal Champion)
26* Dragon Lee
27* [[Wrestling/TheUsos Jimmy Uso]]
28* Wrestling/KevinOwens
29* Wrestling/LAKnight
30* Creator/LoganPaul (United States Champion)
31* Wrestling/RandyOrton
32* Wrestling/{{Sheamus}} (inactive)
33
34!Female
35* Wrestling/{{Bayley}} (WWE Women's Champion)
36* Wrestling/BiancaBelair
37* Wrestling/CharlotteFlair (inactive)
38* Jade Cargill
39* Wrestling/{{Naomi}}
40* Shotzi (inactive)
41* Wrestling/{{Tamina|Snuka}}
42* Tiffany Stratton
43
44!Tag Teams and Stables
45* A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory & Grayson Waller [Smackdown Tag Team Champions])
46* [[Wrestling/SamoanDynasty The Bloodline]] (Wrestling/RomanReigns, Solo Sikoa, and Tama Tonga; with Wrestling/PaulHeyman)
47* Cedric Alexander & Ashante "Thee" Andonis
48* Wrestling/DamageCTRL ([[Wrestling/IoShirai IYO SKY]], Dakota Kai and Kairi Sane & [[Wrestling/KanakoUrai Asuka]] [WWE Women's Tag Team Champions])
49* The Final Testament (Wrestling/KarrionKross and The Authors of Pain [Akam and Rezar]; with {{Wrestling/Scarlett|Bordeaux}} and Paul Ellering)
50* Latino World Order (Wrestling/{{Rey Mysterio|Jr}}, Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro, [[Wrestling/CarlitoColon Carlito]] and [[Wrestling/TheaTrinidad Zelina Vega]])
51* Legado del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Los Lotharios [Angel and Berto] and Elektra Lopez)
52* [[Wrestling/BritishStrongStyle New Catch Republic]] (Pete Dunne & Tyler Bate)
53* [[Wrestling/BulletClub The O.C.]] ([[Wrestling/DrewHankinson Luke Gallows]], Wrestling/KarlAnderson, and "Michin" Mia Yim)
54* Pretty Deadly (Elton Prince & Kit Wilson)
55* The Pride (Wrestling/BobbyLashley and The Street Profits [Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford], with B-Fab)
56* The Unholy Union (Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn)
57[[/folder]]
58
59Currently, five championships are defended on ''Smackdown'':
60
61* '''Undisputed WWE Universal Champion: Wrestling/CodyRhodes''' since April 7, 2024
62* '''[[http://www.wwe.com/classics/titlehistory/unitedstates United States Champion]]: Creator/LoganPaul''' since November 4, 2023
63* '''[[https://www.wwe.com/titlehistory/smackdown-tag-team-championship Smackdown Tag Team Champions]]: A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory & Grayson Waller)''' since April 6, 2024
64* '''[[https://www.wwe.com/classics/titlehistory/wwe-womens-championship WWE Women's Champion]]: {{Wrestling/Bayley}}''' since April 7, 2024
65* '''[[https://www.wwe.com/classics/titlehistory/wwe-womens-tag-team-championship WWE Women's Tag Team Champions]]''': '''The Kabuki Warriors ([[Wrestling/KanakoUrai Asuka]] and Kairi Sane)''' since January 26, 2024[[note]]The WWE Women's Tag Team Championship is the only title not exclusive to ''Smackdown'', as the titles are defended across all three WWE brands.[[/note]]
66----
67!!'''Tropes featured include:'''
68* ADayInTheLimelight: The 21st of September 2012 episode was one for Wrestling/TeamHellNo and loosely for the Tag Team Division. This counts considering the previous months of [=SmackDown=] episodes have revolved around Wrestling/{{Sheamus}} and Wrestling/AlbertoDelRio having the Main Event, whereas in this episode Wrestling/{{Sheamus}}, [[Wrestling/AlbertoDelRio Del Rio]], Wrestling/BookerT, Wrestling/RandyOrton and Wrestling/DolphZiggler all made their obligatory appearance, but the whole episode basically revolved around Wrestling/{{Kane}}, [[Wrestling/BryanDanielson Daniel Bryan]], Wrestling/DamienSandow and Wrestling/CodyRhodes with those 4 all appearing in the main event, at the time of writing, that essentially makes it one of these.
69* BShow: After the brand split was dissolved in 2011, [=SmackDown=] quickly became this. Any major storyline continuations would happen on Raw, and [=SmackDown=] was seen as a lesser show. When the brand split was reinstated in 2016, this changed. [=SmackDown=] also went live, putting the two shows on equal playing fields for the first time.
70* ContinuityNod: Eight years after getting rid of the giant fist that graced [=SmackDown=]'s set from 2001 to 2008, the fist returned in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KuF-UwJmkM the show's intro for the 2016 brand extension]].
71** The first stage of the FOX era has entrance brackets along the side as well as a pyro sequence that pays homage to [=SmackDown=]'s first stage and pyro from 99. The logo is a combo of the first two logos as well.
72* CrammingTheCoffin: Played with in 1999: In a [[GimmickMatches casket match]] (where whoever puts his opponent into a ringside coffin first wins) which was originally scheduled to be Wrestling/TheUndertaker vs Wrestling/TripleH, the Undertaker pulled out and was replaced by two of his minions, Viscera and Mideon. HHH manages to get Mideon into the coffin and seal it, but then he gets told that because it's a two-on-one match he has to lock ''both'' of his opponents into the coffin for him to win. He loses.
73* FaceHeelDoubleTurn: In 2016 Carmella debuted on the brand as a face (as she had been on NXT), while Nikki Bella made her return on the heel side of a 6-woman tag. The next episode of [=SmackDown=], Wrestling/{{Carmella}} was jealous at being pinned by Nikki and attacked her. This turned her heel and Nikki face.
74* ForceFeeding: In one episode, Wrestling/MickieJames (nicknamed Piggy James) is held down by Wrestling/BethPhoenix, Wrestling/MichelleMcCool, and Wrestling/{{Layla}} El in the ring and gets stuffed in the face with a cake shaped like a pig. After that, she then has fruit punch dumped on her head.
75* HalloweenEpisode: The 2002 Halloween episode featured a backstage costume party that was home to a number of zany antics throughout the night (as well as Wrestling/JohnCena's [[StarMakingRole first rap]], who had come to the party dressed as Music/VanillaIce).
76* JobberEntrance: As is commonplace for WWE TV shows post-Wrestling/MondayNightWars.
77* LawOfChromaticSuperiority: Just like ''Raw'', [=SmackDown=] is called "The Blue Brand" by the WWE staff, while the Superstars performing on the brand are called "Team Blue".
78* LooksLikeCesare: Wrestling/JeffHardy sported this look in one episode, as he got in touch with his "extreme side" to take out Wrestling/TheUndertaker.
79* LukeIAmYourFather: An infamous storyline in 2005 in which the late Wrestling/EddieGuerrero claimed that Wrestling/{{Rey Mysterio|Jr}}'s son Wrestling/{{Dominik|Mysterio}} is actually his.
80* MrsHypothetical: While serving as a commentator, Wrestling/JohnBradshawLayfield would refer to Wrestling/MichelleMcCool as the "next ex-Mrs. Layfield".
81* NetworkRedheadedStepChild:
82** ''[=SmackDown=]'' has been this on every channel it's appeared on, though it tends to bring in consistently superb ratings. Despite that, Creator/TheCW eventually dumped the show because of this. Now it's on Creator/{{Syfy}}, which is decaying now anyway and had previously aired WWE's version of ECW.
83** This seems to be no longer the case. [=SmackDown=] has [[RescuedfromtheScrappyHeap given Syfy some name recognition]], had the show moved back to Thursdays after years of being on Fridays, and an announcement came earlier in 2015 that the show would be moved to the Creator/USANetwork in the fall (Creator/NBCUniversal owns both networks). 2016 saw the show go live weekly on Tuesday nights for the first time.
84** Seems to be even less of a case of this after the reinstatement of the brand extension. Since the second brand split, the WWE and Intercontinental Championships, WWE's original world heavyweight and secondary championships, are exclusive to [=SmackDown=], while Raw was left with the Universal (a championship created due to them losing the WWE Championship) and United States (which was originally WCW's secondary title, brought to WWE during Wrestling/{{the Invasion|Angle}}) Championships. Because of that, you can make a reasonable case for Smackdown being the flagship show now (though since then Raw and [=SmackDown=] swapped the Intercontinental and United States Championships).
85* NoThemeTune: Like ''WWE Raw'', the opening credits were seemingly dropped between 2012 and 2014 in favor of an opening recap.
86* NotMeThisTime:
87** A storyline in 2010 involved Wrestling/{{Kane}} looking for the one who put Wrestling/TheUndertaker in a coma. When he accused Wrestling/CMPunk of doing the deed, Punk replied that while he wanted to do it, it wasn't him this time.
88** An early storyline in 2011 had [=SmackDown=] General Manager Teddy Long getting taken out. Since Wrestling/WadeBarrett had just formed [[Wrestling/TheNexus The Corre]] on that episode, had done something similar to the previous Raw GM (Wrestling/BretHart) during his time, and Teddy had just [[TemptingFate tempted fate]] by telling them that he would not allow himself to be cowed by their beatdown antics, they were naturally the first suspects. However, they denied having anything to do with it. It eventually turns out that [[spoiler:they were telling the truth. It was [[TyrantTakesTheHelm Vickie Guerrerro]] and [[UnholyMatrimony Dolph Ziggler]] that did it.]]
89* PowerFist: The famous "closed fist" design in the entrance ramp from 2001-2008.
90* PreciousPuppies:
91** An episode during the Wrestling/{{Chyna}} / Wrestling/EddieGuerrero angle, had Eddie do something that had Chyna about to dump him -- until he gave her a puppy.
92** There was also Wrestling/AlSnow's brief run with having a chihuahua named Pepper as his, um, companion object. He gave Pepper to Wrestling/JimRoss, who was doing commentary, while he went to do his match. Jim Ross held the dog, noticed that he was scared of the crowds, and got legitimately angrier (for the dog's sake) as the match went on, mostly neglecting the commentary. Pepper would only make one other appearance on live TV, before being (kayfabe) cooked and eaten.
93** Wrestling/BigShow once tried to give Wrestling/TheUndertaker a peace offering, by giving him a wooden crate with a puppy inside. Right on cue, the entire audience (not very far removed from the Wrestling/AttitudeEra, mind you) broke out in an "Awwwwwwww", all in unison.
94* ReasonableAuthorityFigure:
95** In a deliberate contrast to Raw, [=SmackDown=] had a consistent, fair general manager for several years in Wrestling/TeddyLong. You can say the same now for current commissioner Wrestling/ShaneMcMahon and General Manager Wrestling/{{Paige}}. Even from 2002-2003 when Wrestling/StephanieMcMahon was the GM, she played a {{Face}}.
96** Notably averted when Wrestling/PaulHeyman and Wrestling/KurtAngle were the general managers in the 2003-2004 period.
97* RunningGag: Wrestling/TeddyLong constantly scheduled impromptu tag team matches with people that happened to be arguing in the ring. ''Constantly''. And the trend continued long after he was no longer general manager and eventually released from the company. Thus, ''every'' time this happened (which might as well have been every week), someone, be it a fan on the Internet, a podcast, or even a performer on the actual show, would comment how nice it is to know that his spirit still lives on.
98* SeriesMascot: There have been several wrestlers synonymous with the show throughout its run:
99** [[Wrestling/DwayneJohnson The Rock]], due to the show being named by him.
100** The TurnOfTheMillennium:
101*** Wrestling/EddieGuerrero, Wrestling/KurtAngle, Wrestling/ChrisBenoit, Wrestling/JohnCena, and Wrestling/BrockLesnar are the most synonymous with the brand during the first half, while Wrestling/{{Batista}}, Wrestling/BookerT, and Wrestling/{{Edge|Wrestler}} became this during the latter half of the decade. However, Wrestling/TheUndertaker and Wrestling/{{Rey Mysterio|Jr}} were the only ones to have been a big presence on the show throughout the decade and the first few years of TheNewTens. Tellingly, Taker outright says that "[=SmackDown=] will always be his home" during the lead-up to ''Wrestling/SurvivorSeries 2016'' despite him being a part-timer since 2010, while Mysterio chooses to be in the brand after he came back to the WWE full-time late in 2018 (he has since been drafted to Raw).
102*** For the female wrestlers, Wrestling/TorrieWilson filled the role for most of the decade.
103** TheNewTens has [[Wrestling/BryanDanielson Daniel Bryan]] and Wrestling/AJStyles filling the role for the men, with Wrestling/BeckyLynch and Wrestling/CharlotteFlair filling the role for the women.
104** For authority figures, Wrestling/TeddyLong is the most remembered.
105* ShowStopper: When Wrestling/HulkHogan returned to Wrestling/{{WWE}}, his applause lasted an entire TV segment (approximately 15 minutes). When they came back from commercial, the crowd was still applauding — but since it wasn't broadcast live, it could have been only a short time after they "went to break" that they stopped. (Or conversely, it could have gone on for even longer.)
106* SpotlightStealingSquad: Of the Administrivia/TropesAreTools variety; the "[=SmackDown=] Six" (Wrestling/KurtAngle, Wrestling/ChrisBenoit, Wrestling/{{Edge|Wrestler}}, Wrestling/{{Rey Mysterio|Jr}}, Wrestling/EddieGuerrero...[[AndZoidberg and]] Wrestling/{{Chavo Guerrero|Jr}}[[note]]The only one of the six who never won a world title in WWE.[[/note]]) seemed to make it a mission to steal every TV show and PPV with astounding matches. Paul Heyman, who was the booker of the show, seemed to realize it and basically had the six face each other almost exclusively for the last six months of 2002 to great success, and in fact, they were, in the order listed beforehand, the first three tag teams to hold the WWE Tag Team Championships created that same year.
107* StockFootage: During the 2011-16 time, when the brand extension was lifted (and even some time beforehand), the show spent a considerable amount of screentime recycling footage of what happened on Raw, particularly during the "Road to [=WrestleMania=]" months. On the UK versions of [=SmackDown=], there would be a weekly "From the Vault" segment replaying an old match - purely to fill the amount of time taken up by commercials on the US broadcast.
108* StockSoundEffects: The so-called "Seagull Pop,"[[note]]A nickname for an oft-heard sound of fans cheering, named for the fact that it sounds like seagulls screaming.[[/note]] which WWE definitely used to a great effect on [=SmackDown=] before the 2016 brand split which saw the show go live.
109* TalkShowWithFists: The most prominent is [[Wrestling/TheMiz MizTV]], though it's been overshadowed by [[Wrestling/RonKillings Truth TV]], which even started ''[[MilestoneCelebration Smackdown 1000]]''.
110* TechnicianVersusPerformer: Raw was often seen as the entertainment show, whereas [=SmackDown=] was more of the wrestling show. Raw had the big names while [=SmackDown=] had more solid workers. During the first brand extension it was the other way around with the women's division - where Raw treated the division as serious athletic competition (for the most part), [=SmackDown=] had Divas who were used for {{Fanservice}}. While the Women's Championship was on paper available for both brands, it was clear that ''de facto'' it only for Raw, and [=SmackDown=] didn't have a women's championship until the creation of the Divas Championship in 2008. With the re-introduction of the brand split in 2016, the women's division followed [=SmackDown=]'s lead of being more wrestling-focused.
111* ThanksgivingEpisode: It would have a Thanksgiving-centered episode when it aired on Thursday nights, since it would obviously land on the holiday itself. It was pretty much a yearly tradition for the show to have a Thanksgiving party and food spread backstage or in the ring, and inevitably give way to a big food fight, including the obligatory pie to the face. Best known for the memetic segment with Luther Reigns, who never had a proper Thanksgiving due to being in prison for "five calendars", demanding a serving of a Thanksgiving plate:
112-->'''Luther Reigns:''' Why don't you give me somma this TURKEY?! Somma them ''maaashed'' potatoes! Lemme get somma them peas, I had peas b'fo!
113* ThematicThemeTune: There were a few. When the show first debuted, it had an instrumental theme with someone doing a beatbox "boom bo-boom-boom" effect in the background. From 2003-2004, the theme was more rap oriented, and seemed to be called "I Want It All". Though it was never officially released, many have ripped it from the ''Here Comes the Pain'' game and can be found easily. Finally, the move to Creator/MyNetworkTV provided what many see to be the worst theme the WWE had come up with, "Rock Like Me" (which was featured on a ''WWE The Music'' CD, no less). WWE's in-house band CFO$ wrote all of the [=SmackDown=] themes from 2014 to 2019, with "This Life" (2014-2015), "Black and Blue" (2015-16) and "Take A Chance" (2016-2019). However, with the move to Fox, they decided to bring out "Are You Ready" by Music/{{ACDC}}.
114* TrashTheSet: In an August 2001 episode of ''Smackdown'', Alliance member Wrestling/{{Rhyno}} gored Wrestling/ChrisJericho through the Ovaltron, leading to the "Giant Fist" Stage used from 2001-2008.
115* TyrantTakesTheHelm: While [=SmackDown=] is known for its [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure fair and benevolent authority figures]], it was ran by four [[CardCarryingVillain notoriously]] {{Heel}} General managers on different occasions; Wrestling/PaulHeyman from late 2003 to early 2004, Wrestling/KurtAngle early to mid 2004, Wrestling/VickieGuerrero from late 2007 to mid 2009, and Wrestling/JohnLaurinaitis throughout the middle of 2012.
116* VerySpecialEpisode: The tribute episodes for Wrestling/EddieGuerrero in 2005, and Wrestling/BrayWyatt in 2023.

Top