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After a journey of more than 19 years, several airing day changes and almost half a dozen channel switches, Vince McMahon's younger child, Smackdown Live, finally reached a historic milestone when its 1000th episode aired this past Tuesday. While it initially started as an alternative to Monday Night Raw, the show eventually developed its own legacy in the subsequent years and even became a better show than Raw at various point of times.
Just like Raw, which has had the likes of Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, Triple H and John Cena over years as its heart and soul, Smackdown has also relied on a number of world-class performers for not only maintaining the legacy of the show but also increasing its value and prestige. These superstars not only made their name on Smackdown but permanently became associated with WWE's so-called B-Show. Here are 10 such superstars who were, or are, the Heart and Soul of WWE Smackdown.
Special Mentions: Paul Heyman, Brock Lesnar, Teddy Long, The Big Show and Chris Benoit
Becky Lynch
It won't be fair to not call Becky Lynch the single greatest female superstar on Smackdown following the 2016 Brand Extension. Yes, the division had Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss at various times as the top dogs, but Becky has been the only one who is synonymous with the blue brand. Not only was she the first female draftee to the Blue Brand, but she also became the inaugural Smackdown Women's Champion the same year.
Even when she was neither holding the title nor fighting for it, she remained the most over female superstar on the Smackdown roster. If that all wasn't enough, her recent character transformation, her 'so-called' heel turn and her subsequent title victory over Charlotte have solidified her place the alpha female on the blue brand.
Despite her heel tactics, people are now cheering for her more than they ever had, and, if this continues in the future as well, Becky would certainly become the greatest female and the greatest champion in Smackdown history.
AJ Styles
Speaking of Greatest Superstars, is it even possible to talk about the greatest superstars in Smackdown history and not include 'The Phenomenal One' AJ Styles on this list? There is a reason why Styles calls Smackdown the House that he built, because it is, in fact, the truth. Ever since the 2016 Brand Extension, every major storyline on the show has revolved around Styles, and this has produced some of the best matches in the history of the blue brand.
Although WWE will never acknowledge him as the Poster Boy of the promotion, they have never hesitated in actually promoting him as the poster boy of Smackdown. It was during Styles' first reign as WWE champion that Smackdown actually became the A-show from all perspectives.
In the two years that he has been on Smackdown, Styles has been the World Champion for almost 16 months. He has feuded with each and every superstar on the roster and has been one of the biggest reason of Smackdown's immense success i
John Cena
While most of the recent fans of WWE know Cena for his long run as the poster boy of Raw for almost a decade, it won't be fair to not acknowledge his twin runs on Smackdown on both sides of that Raw phase. In fact, it was actually during his initial run on Smackdown that Cena became popular with the fans, something that kick-started his career as a main eventer in the WWE.
Whether as a heel or as a face, Cena's character of a disrespectful rapper got so over with the fans that it resulted in Cena becoming one of the biggest stars on Smackdown just a year after his debut in 2002. His three reigns with the US Title made the title feel important again, and this success pushed him to the top of the ladder at WrestleMania 21, where he became the WWE Champion and started his run as the Face of the Company.
Cena second stint on Smackdown was a rather successful one as well, with the acclaimed rivalry with AJ Styles as the centre of focus for the second half of 2016 that ended with the record 16th World Title win for Cena. Even though he still occasionally appears on Smackdown, Cena would forever be a vital chapter in the history of Smackdown.
Kurt Angle
It seems rather weird that someone like Kurt Angle, who spent almost 70% of his WWE Career on Smackdown, never comes to mind when one talks about the greatest superstars in the history of the show. As a matter of fact, in the four and a half year period between 2002 Brand Extension and his release in the Summer of 2006, Angle was not on the Blue Brand for a total of just 9 months.
Part of the now infamous Smackdown Six, Angle was one of the main forces behind the early success of the Blue Brand as they helped turn the brand into more wrestling-centric. This tag team success was followed by a long run as the biggest superstar on the brand when he held the WWE Championship three times and had memorable rivalries with the likes of Brock Lesnar, Big Show and Eddie Guerrero.
After a 6 month run on Raw in late 2005, Angle's surprise World Heavyweight Title win in early 2006 started his last run on the blue brand. His three-month feud with Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio helped kick-start the main event careers of both Orton and Mysterio, and turned Angle into one of the greatest superstars in the show's history.
Edge
From one member of the Smackdown Six to the other, and this one not only achieved success just like Angle did, but he also reached a whole new level that was never achieved by a heel in the history of Smackdown. Between 2007 and his untimely retirement in 2011, Edge was a constant on the blue brand and helped bring the show back to its previous height with his tremendous work in that period.
As the first opponent to Angle after the Brand Split in 2002, the two amalgamated their rivalry with several other superstars and wrestled through the golden period of the show in late 2002. After moving over to Raw a year later and transitioning himself into one of the most hated villains in the wrestling industry, Edge returned to the blue brand in 2007 and began his run as the show's Top Heel.
During his record, seven reigns with the World Heavyweight Title and two WWE Title reigns as a Smackdown superstar, Edge's rivalries with the likes of Batista, The Undertaker, Triple H and Jeff Hardy turned Smackdown into the A-Show. Given that he achieved so much success on Smackdown, it was fair that he retired as the show's World Champion in 2011.
Eddie Guerrero
Completing this trifecta of Smackdown Six superstars is a legend who broke all the popularity levels and became the most loved superstar on the blue brand during his run with WWE - Eddie Guerrero. While his in-ring profess was never a topic of doubt, it was only after he incorporated his Latino Heat gimmick that Eddie started on an upward trend that made him a legend in Smackdown History.
Just like Edge and Kurt Angle before him and one of his closest friend later on in this list, Guerrero became a star performer as one half of the Los Guerreros with his nephew Chavo. His three tag team title reigns made him the most prolific holder of the title at that time. In addition to that, Eddie became the inaugural holder of the United States Title when it was reinstated in 2003, a period that started his transition into the main event superstar.
His World Title victory over Brock Lesnar at No Way Out 2004 and his subsequent victory celebration are two of the most memorable moments in the show's history. During his final days, Eddie renowned feuds with Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio and Batista turned him into the biggest star on the show, Even 13 years after his unfortunate death, he is fondly remembered as one of the most popular superstars to have ever been part of the blue brand.
Batista
For new fans of wrestling, Dave Batista would forever be that muscular actor who played Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. However, for the fans who watched WWE in the Ruthless aggression and the subsequent era, Batista is a lot more than that. For us, he is the guy who was the Poster Boy of Smackdown for the second half of the 2000s, someone who was never out of the title picture.
With John Cena tearing the house down of Raw as their top babyface, Batista was complimenting him in a perfect way as the ruthless 'Animal' on Smackdown. Even though he won his first World Title as a Raw member, it wasn't until he moved to Smackdown that he transformed into a reliable superstar. Between 2005 and 2009, his four reigns with the World Heavyweight Title coincided with the best period for the now defunct title.
The matches that he wrestled with The Undertaker and Edge in 2007 and 2008 turned Smackdown into a must watch show and made the World Heavyweight Title the most important title in the WWE. Batista's appearance at Smackdown 1000 have sparked rumours of a return in the near future. If he does, given the history he shares with the show, Smackdown should be the only place he should return to.
Rey Mysterio
Rey Mysterio's return to the WWE could not have come at a better time and better place, with the luchador making his full time return to the WWE at the historic 1000th episode of the show where he made a name for himself - Smackdown Live. If there ever were a Mount Rushmore for the greatest superstars in the history of WWE's blue brand, there is a very good chance of Mysterio appearing on it courtesy his legendary career on Smackdown.
Following a stunning debut in the Summer of 2002, Mysterio joined the likes of Eddie Guerrero, Kurt Angle, Edge and Chris Benoit and participated in some of the best Smackdown matches ever produced. He anchored the cruiserweight division for three years and won the brand's tag title a then-record four times. However, his best time on Smackdown and his career started in 2006.
His win at Royal Rumble 2006 started the main event run on the brand, during which he won the World Title two times and wrestled for it on many pay-per-view events. His twin reigns with the Intercontinental Title in 2009 and his feud with Chris Jericho is often called one of the best period in Smackdown and IC Title's history. With the luchador returning to his original home, we can expect a lot of high flying action in the coming months.
The Rock
Can we talk about the radio and its history and not talk about its inventor Guglielmo Marconi? No, right. Just like that, it would be a crime to talk about the history of Smackdown and not talk about the man who gave the show its name. At the time when WWE was trying to establish Smackdown as their second weekly show, it was The Rock who became the star of the show during the peak phase of his career.
Between the show's inception in 1999 and the brand extension in 2002, almost all of the show's main storylines revolved around The Great One. Even though most of the important storylines took place on Smackdown, it was Rocky's constant appearances on the show, along with other top superstars in memorable segments, that resulted in the popularity of the show that it still boasts.
While he only made a handful of appearance after the brand split, his grand contributions during the initial years are enough to proclaim him as one of the greatest Smackdown superstars. Had it not been for just one legendary superstar, one could have made a strong argument that Rocky was the top superstar in the show's history, which leads us to...
The Undertaker
If there is just one superstar who can challenge The Rock for the right to call Smackdown 'His Show', and maybe even succeed, that man is 'The Phenom' The Undertaker. While it was Rocky who was responsible for giving the show a much-needed success and respect during early days, it was The Undertaker who took the show to a whole new level of success in the years that followed the Brand Extension.
While every other superstar shifted among brands, only The Undertaker stayed loyal to Smackdown and stayed a prominent member of the show until his retirement from a full-time schedule in 2010. In the 8 years that preceded that, Taker developed into an integral and vital part of the show that even helped turn the show into the best wrestling show in the world during his run as World Heavyweight Champion in 2007-08.
Not only did he reach the pinnacle of his career when he won three World Heavyweight Titles on Smackdown, but he also helped groom the likes of Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle, Batista and Edge into certified main event stars. While his appearance on Smackdown 1000 was not well received, it was the perfect way of thanking him for his contributions for the show by giving him the final slot on the historic episode.
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