2006: Smackdown’s worst year?

It was a weird year. About the only thing I had going for me was Undertaker but his feuds were with Henry, Khali and whatever other 1993 booking they were doing with him.

I didn’t mind Henry is the main event scene as he had been with the company a good 10 years already and is obviously a 400 lb monster that could work a decent match if he was with someone who could get anything out of him.

I found it really weird that Finlay was at the top of the card. Nothing against him but I really didn’t know who he was even tho I watched WCW.

Idk if this is a hot take or not but I think they put the title on Rey for a sympathy PR move and it never felt right to me. Just my two cents on that one but I think Rey’s booking kinda showed they didn’t take him that seriously as champion.

Batista returning in, September 2006(I think), got me amped up again because I was a pretty big fan of his. That’s the last show I ever recorded on a VCR

Kennedy had a good showing in late 06

I wasn’t much into MVP during that time

Angle going to ECW then eventually leaving shortly thereafter was a huge loss. I sure wish things could’ve played out differently but we got some great Kurt matches in TNA. Perc Angle will live forever

Overall, it pretty much sucked but I did enjoy 2007 Smackdown

You shut your mouth - and bow down to King BOOOOOOKAH

Yup...few highlights(on ppv mostly) here and there, but mostly dreadful

Every time I think of SD 2006 I think of that random as hell Tatanka comeback

I basically felt that way about the whole wwe creative when Shawn and HHH started PG DX up.

I actually liked Tatanka's return in 2006 and I got to see him live for the 1st time at a Smackdown House show which was a mark out moment.

I wish they would've done more with his heel turn. There was a huge build up to it and they even gave him new theme music and yet nothing came of it.

It can't touch a 2004 SmackDown bad. It's still pretty bad though lol. I think 2006's main event scene post Mania had no luster for SmackDown. Rey as the jobbed out champion to King Booker who did have a good run. But I don't see this as anything to write home about. It's a lot like Kane's 2010 Thank you World Title reign. It was deserved and there was some good character work; but nothing angle wise that will be remembered per say. Just a very directionless flat show.

Raw had it's issues don't deny that. But, you had Edge-Cena/DX-Rated RKO Program/Jeff Hardy return which led to some pretty good stuff. I'd much rather watch 2006 Raw over SmackDown. Raw had it's pitfalls in 2005 as well, but I think even with Cena still finding his feet; Raw from 2004-2006 was the better show. 2007 was down and out for both shows, but by 2008 and until the end of the brands I think SmackDown regained it's spot as the better brand.

I think the worst was also yet to come for SmackDown even though we are not mentioning. 2010 I think managed to have some good TV matches and okay angles we still got the Jack Swagger title run. Taker-Kane, Edge-Kane Paul Bearer stuff, etc. I think when anybody thinks of Prime PG WWE. I think 2010. It's really hard to look back at anything post Hardy/Punk 2009-2013 minus the few arrays of hope and good big time angles that I enjoy. SmackDown was farrrr more tolerable then Raw in 2010 I think.


SmackDown kind of clearly devolved into the true B show in 2011. The WHC was lowered and the brand extension ended somewhat quietly. It was weird spot since the Brand Extension in a lot of ways remained in place until 2013 in someways. SmackDown kind of had it's own roster centered around the WHC that would appear on Raw in like featured matches since it was Raw ''SuperShow''. The prime time Raw angles weren't typically featured on SmackDown.

By 2012 you had the terrible Delrio-Sheamus angle being the main SD angle in Summer of 2012, and as you OG poster it was recap show. By 2013 the titles were unified and pretty much everyone appeared everywhere. SmackDown could not even get the good TV matches. For example like you had Orton taking on Cesaro on Raw and it ended in some dusty finish, leading to match on SmackDown that was just average by Cesaro defeating Orton by nefarious means and the next Raw would be Orton-Cesaro in a Street Fight that would have no business' being that good for a TV match.

It wasn't even like the Attitude Era where SmackDown would continue the story. It was rehashing Monday's story and it really didn't matter if you watched SmackDown it wouldn't effect the story. I think there was talks/rumors of even SmackDown being axed in like 2013-2015 timeline.




Just building off what everyone else has said... Very weird roster as mentioned by Tatanka.
You got Tatanka, Fit Finlay have a run, Paul London as Jack Sparrow, Booker T being a King; it was like the gimmicks of the old WWF took SmackDown over that year. lol.

SD in 04 actually had a certified roster tbh… many talented guys like RVD, Rey, Eddie, Booker, Angle, Cena, Brock, Big Show, Taker, Dudleyz etc… some good star power there but overall the booking/creative plus injuries killed it all.

The draft affected it too plus Brock leaving. I’d say guys like Rakishi, A Train & Billy Gunn could have helped out the mid card / tag division but they got fired.