On Twitter on Tuesday, Smackdown Live Daniel Bryan announced a new talent evaluation system that is being put in place for the blue brand.
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Officially introducing the #SmackdownTop10. A vote BY the Superstars, FOR the betterment of #SDLive and the enjoyment of the @WWE Universe. #YesYesYes pic.twitter.com/e1P0Cn6v9v
— Bryan Danielson (@bryandanielson) January 30, 2018
It is essentially a power ranking of wrestlers by the wrestlers.
Obviously, before we proceed, we don't know if this is a work and if this is actually going to be as Bryan claims it will. Not to mention we don't know if these votes from WWE Superstars will be made public. More details are likely to emerge whenever the first of these is released from the company.
That being said, it would be rather shocking if this system is legitimate in both practice and application. For the WWE to allow Smackdown Live to have its bookmaking process altered by way of talent voting is incredibly different from it just being ran by members of the WWE's creative team and onscreen authority figures.
Spoiler alert: Wrestling is scripted. Now that you know this, it is worth mentioning that this new wrestlers-dictated power poll is unlikely to alter the outcomes of matches or longer term storytelling. Simply because 20 Smackdown wrestlers theoretically voted for Sin Cara, it does not mean he would be headlining Wrestlemania.
It is likely being used as a gauge to see how wrestlers view each other, and to potentially find out if someone is being massively overlooked by management. As likely, as a storytelling device.
Then again, it could just be a work. A horrible, deceitful work.
