WWE SmackDown is one of the most successful programs of the company. The show has been a staple of Raw, ever since its introduction in the year 1999. SmackDown, named after the catchphrase of The Rock, has provided numerous memorable moments. Nevertheless, within recent months, the fans started to express concerns regarding the direction of the show. Criticism is increasing as WrestleMania 42 is near.
The management of the women tag team division has been one of the major problems. Plots have been incoherent and disjointed. Such top stars as Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss have not been leveraged on. There were a lot of fans who expected a high-profile match with The Bella twins. Rather, it is indicated that a multi-woman match can take place. This move has displeased the audience who want more of a story.
Misuse of Talent
The other issue is on the top talent usage. Drew McIntyre used to be a main character in SmackDown. The show experienced high viewership during his reign as a champion. In the recent past, he however has been relegated to the bottom of the card. His present feud with Jacob Fatu has not been met with much excitement. The question put forward by fans has been as to why a proven main event star is not being prominently featured anymore.
Creative direction has not been spared as well. Sami Zayn has been facing up and down booking. Before he became a winner of the United States Championship, he was spending weeks in spurts. His vendetta against Trick Williams is not well built up. This has confused fans with regard to the long-term storytelling approach.
Runtime Hurts Show
Another problem is the increased duration of the show. SmackDown may have to be long at three hours. Other audiences think that the length reveals feeble parts. In the absence of good story telling, it becomes harder to keep the audience interested. This has caused parallels with Raw, which now has more interesting narrative.
Feud Falls Flat
Lastly, the feud that pitted Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes has not lived up to the hype. Orton heel turn caused the plot of the story to stall. Other factors such as the appearances of Matt Cardona and Jelly Roll have failed to appeal to the fans. A short absence on the part of Rhodes also detracted the story. With the approach of WrestleMania, there is an opinion that SmackDown needs to immediately get back on track.