The 1,000th episode of SmackDown Live is scheduled for Tuesday, October 16th, and WWE executives are trying to stack the card in order to produce a night to remember. One of the biggest announcements that WWE made regarding this event is that one of the most successful factions of all time, Evolution, will be reuniting for the first time in over four years.
While Randy Orton is still a regular on the main roster, and Triple H has reinserted himself in the top storyline going right now, Ric Flair has been away from WWE for the most part since managing Charlotte Flair in the infancy of her main roster push, and Batista has been gone from the WWE since his last run in 2014.
To further the hype of SmackDown 1000, WWE has revealed the top five superstars in the history of the blue bland, which debuted as a weekly episodic television program in 1999.
With #SD1000 fast approaching, who would you pick as your favourite Superstar of ALL TIME from the blue brand? pic.twitter.com/uQ1YmEA1Wh
— WWE UK (@WWEUK) October 7, 2018
As seen by the photo, The Rock claimed the number one spot on the list. This is fitting, since it was his electrifying promo work that created the “SmackDown” term in the first place. Months before SmackDown debuted in 1999, The Rock won the WWE Championship at the Survivor Series pay-per-view, pulling a ruse on the fans and aligning with Vince McMahon to spearhead The Corporation.
[lawrence-related id=840775]After losing to Mankind on Raw in January of 1999, he regained it just three weeks later on another episode of Raw. He lost the title at WrestleMania XV to Steve Austin, and did not win it back until over a year later at the 2000 Backlash pay-per-view.
However, during this time, The Rock was an instrumental player in the success of the SmackDown brand, feuding with Triple H over the WWE Championship and ascending up the tag team scene with Mick Foley as the Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection.
Other names in this top five include The Undertaker, AJ Styles, Edge, and Eddie Guerrero. The Undertaker (#2) was a constant on the SmackDown brand for many years, keeping the brand interesting to the fanbase through his many compelling feuds.
AJ Styles (#3) has dominated the SmackDown brand over the past year, as he is now the longest reigning brand-exclusive WWE Champion ever. Both Edge (#4) and Eddie Guerrero (#5) were considered very instrumental in the longevity of SmackDown, and their time on the blue brand has led each to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
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