Tonight -- October 10th -- WWEs Smackdown program will celebrate its 15th anniversary. While Monday Night Raw is WWEs original primetime weekly wrestling program, Smackdown was created in 1999 to act as a second primetime broadcast. The show was quickly established as must-see television, much like Raw. By 2002, the WWE initiated a brand split which saw Raw and Smackdown acting as their own unique broadcasts. For a brief period of time, Smackdown was not only on par with Raw, but arguably better -- even beating the Monday night program in the ratings on a handful of occasions. Unfortunately, as time went on, Smackdown began to slide. While the show is still a mainstay of the WWEs television lineup, its arguably no longer considered must-watch. Smackdown has since been derided and chastised by fans -- often being referred to as WWEs B-show. Despite this unflattering moniker, the program has produced a bevy of A-plus moments throughout its history. Chief among these historical moments are a wealth of memorable matches. With 15 years of episodes to comb through, weve managed to pluck out 15 of the best matches in the shows history. Join us as we gaze through Smackdowns 15-year history and highlight the programs 15 greatest in-ring encounters.
Douglas Scarpa is a freelance writer, independent filmmaker, art school graduate, and pro wrestling aficionado -- all of which mean he is in financial ruin. He has no backup plan to speak of, yet maintains his abnormally high spirits. If he had only listened to the scorn of his childhood teachers, he wouldn't be in this situation.
