WWE SmackDown's Key to Success Will Be Becoming the Wrestling-Heavy Show

WWE SmackDown's fresh start on the USA Network has to see it establish its own identity by being home to some of the company's best slugfests, mat clinics and slobberknockers. 

Too often, SmackDown has felt like Raw-lite, a show with solid but missable wrestling and minor supplements to the current narratives. Featuring longer matches and skilled in-ring showmen who don't always get ample airtime on Monday nights is the key to creating buzz.

WWE already boosted SmackDown by moving it from Friday nights to Thursdays last year. And beginning on Jan. 7, the show will switch networks, heading to USA after five years on Syfy. 

There's still work to be done. The gap between SmackDown and Raw in terms of fan interest is wide.

John Canton nailed it when he wrote for Awful Announcing, "The reality with Smackdown is that most fans consider it a skippable show."

Making it must-watch TV comes down to offering something fans will clamor to catch despite the show being taped.

Pro wrestling is a unique medium in that spoilers don't necessarily spoil it. It doesn't matter if fans know that Dean Ambrose retained the Intercontinental Championship in a 2-out-of-3 Falls match against Kevin Owens. If the talk on the Internet is that the bout is a legitimate Match of the Year candidate, folks will make sure to tune in.

Ryback clearly believes that great wrestling should be SmackDown's calling card. In a conference call (h/t Wrestling Inc) promoting the show's move to USA, Ryback said:

"

I would love to see the SmackDown television show be all about the wrestling and for RAW to be more about the storyline developments and I think we have a great opportunity to do that moving forward because I believe with that it helps give SmackDown a different flavor to bring more eyes to the product.

"

WWE needs to listen to The Big Guy. He's right on here. SmackDown should become the hub for WWE's top matches, making it an alternative to the talk-heavy Raw.

Credit: WWE.com

Having Mauro Ranallo as a new member of the commentary will help. His MMA and boxing background will give SmackDown a different feel, having it come off as the more serious, grittier and more realistic of the two shows.

John "Bradshaw" Layfield has repeatedly claimed on SmackDown, "We fight on Friday night." When SmackDown moved to Thursdays, he adjusted the catchphrase accordingly. 

That sentiment needs to be played up more. More unique battles need to happen on the show. More gimmick bouts and title matches would improve it, as well.

When WWE.com compiled the top 25 matches of 2015, SmackDown was not well-represented. Seven of the contests on the list happened on Raw; zero came from SmackDown.

Raw had all the best editions of the United States Championship Open Challenge, featuring the likes of Cesaro, Sami Zayn and Neville. SmackDown got a Zack Ryder vs. Owens NXT title match instead.

As seen on his CageMatch.net profile, Seth Rollins twice defended the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on Raw during his reign last year. SmackDown hasn't seen a world title defense in years.

Brock Lesnar's last SmackDown match happened over a decade ago, per the Internet Wrestling Database.

That can't remain the case. For WWE to get fans to buy in, it needs to beef up SmackDown's cards.

Throw in a lengthy title match every once in a while. Use SmackDown as the place where the women's division can fully stretch its wings, putting on lengthier bouts. Do as SmackDown did in 2003 and put two of its very best performers on display in an Iron Man match.

Credit: WWE.com

Raw can't do that because it has so many storylines to address.

Raw can't let Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch go for 15 minutes-plus to decide the No. 1 contender for the Divas Championship. It can't have Cesaro wrestle an opponent to a 30-minute draw.

Main Event use to serve as the hub of great matches, but since it moved from Ion Television to Hulu Plus, it's even less high-profile.

Let SmackDown take up the mantle of the wrestling-centric show. Let it be where WWE's best in-ring performers thrive, even if Raw doesn't have space for them.