Before NXT in its current form was introduced, SmackDown was considered the true developmental show for WWE. It was the major stepping stone for a Superstar, where they went from an up-and-coming star to a top man/woman in the company. Brock Lesnar, Edge, Kurt Angle, and others found popularity and praise on SmackDown, before finding true success on RAW. However, NXT has replaced SmackDown in that regard. Under Triple Hs command, it has become arguably the most popular WWE weekly show, due in part to an emphasis on wrestling, smaller crowd, simpler storylines, and most importantly, little need for over-produced and unnecessary McMahon-style drama. Because of this, SmackDown has become irrelevant; its like the middle child of a big family, in that attention is now shifted between the oldest and most experienced show (RAW), and the youngest show that is gaining all the praise (NXT). SmackDown has lost what once made it the preferred WWE program, as well as taking away the audience that once helped SmackDown compete with RAW. Unless SmackDown does something soon to give it a more unique appeal, its relevance will continue to drop, especially as NXTs popularity continues to soar.
Alexander Podgorski is a writer for WhatCulture that has been a fan of professional wrestling since he was 8 years old. He loves all kinds of wrestling, from WWE and sports entertainment, to puroresu in Japan.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen's University in Political Studies and French, and a Master's Degree in Public Administration. He speaks English, French, Polish, a bit of German, and knows some odd words and phrases in half a dozen other languages.
