WWE: Sheamus, Mark Henry and the SmackDown Slugfest

Friday Night SmackDown saw the second match in the rivalry of Sheamus versus Mark Henry, in what Gorilla Monsoon would  have undoubtedly dubbed, "The irresistible force meets the unmovable object."

I prefer to think of it as, "The brick wall versus the whole freaking building."

So far, these two guys have delivered on every front. Mark is a behemoth of a worker, a guy who has been painted as a rage-driven brute on a path of destruction to the World Title.

The only one in his way is Sheamus, the cunning Irishman who is tough as nails and hungry to prove that he is the baddest man in the WWE Universe.

This feud for me is a throwback to the good old days of the business, when two big, rough-and-tumble guys stood toe-to-toe and traded one punishing shot after another. No flashy moves, no grandstanding during a match, just one big slugfest between two monsters.

This is what legitimate toughness in the business is all about. In comic book terms, this is Doomsday versus Superman.

But while these two brawlers tear down the Metropolis of SmackDown, the real question is, who will come out on top?

Henry has already been named the No. 1 contender for Randy Orton’s World Championship, and this match presumably will happen at the upcoming Night of Champions pay-per-view. This bout seems destined to happen, given that Henry has been pushed as the program’s top heel, so much so that there is really nowhere else for him to go but up.

Orton, the guy who owns the World Title much in the same way that John Cena owns the WWE Title, is thought by many to be the favorite to win this match. For the most part, I don’t believe that it’s just because some may not be sold on Henry as World Champion material, it also has to do with another very important fact.

One guy is Randy Orton, and the other guy is Mark Henry.

Orton is the man on SmackDown. Period. That’s not to say that he can’t lose a match, of course. But to lose without the benefit of some silly controversy seems impossible. He is booked as the best wrestler in the locker room, who can pin anyone at anytime. And if he does lose?

It’s not his fault; he loses because someone else, namely Christian, outsmarted him.

That is not to knock Christian, but think for a moment how his feud with Orton has made him look. Yes, he went over twice for the World Title, and no, he can’t win a match against Randy without pulling some crazy stunt.

Again, it seems to be all about making Randy look good.

But, to be fair, when you have a worker who you are trying to sell as your top guy, he needs to look as strong as possible. If Orton were to lose all the time, how could anyone take him seriously as World Champion?

Mark Henry, on the other hand, has been on quite the tear since WWE creative decided that he deserved another good run. Like Orton, he has been nearly unbeatable, but despite how good he has looked during this push, there is still some serious doubt that he will win the belt.

It seems to be a given for many fans that Henry is losing this match. Perhaps that is the problem in booking Henry in this position, against Orton, for the top prize on SmackDown. He’s just not a real threat to take the championship.

Why is that exactly? Is it because of his age? Henry is no youngster, to be sure. He is a 15-year veteran of WWE, and one of the last remaining links to the Attitude Era of the company. But should that be held against him?

It could be that while he is physically intimidating, and hits some big impact moves, he is not what you could call a ring technician. He is a big man, and historically, big men are not the best workers on the roster.

But maybe the answer as to why fans don’t see Henry as more of a serious contender for the gold is because they have teased him with it before, and he did not deliver.

So, why are we supposed to take him seriously now?

Sheamus, in his new face turn, cold be on his way back up the ladder, and if he wins possibly one more match against Henry, he could perhaps surpass The World’s Strongest Man.

Fans have liked this guy for a while now, long before his change of attitude, and if he does indeed win this feud against Henry, then he ultimately will kill the push that Mark has received up to this point.

I have to say, as much as I am hoping otherwise, I see that particular outcome being more likely.

Despite what happens with these two, I am enjoying what I’m seeing thus far. For me, this feud has the potential to bigger, badder and more brutal than anything that SmackDown has seen in a long time. I for one am anxious to see what unfolds from here.