This Week In WWE: July 19, 2009- July 25, 2009

Welcome to the sixty-fourth edition of This Week In WWE. Feel free to contact me on TWO or Wrestling 101 anytime with comments, questions, and anything in between. I have added a new section at the end of the article highlighting a different WWE Superstar or Diva every week. Please contact me if you have a request for a Superstar or Diva you would like to see highlighted in an upcoming edition.

The 843rd edition of Monday Night RAW came to you, live, from the RBC Center at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. On the last RAW before Night of Champions, Billy Gibbons & Dusty Hill of ZZ Top would serve as the Guest Hosts of RAW!

RAW kicked off with one of the two challengers for Randy Orton’s WWE Championship at Night of Champions, John Cena. Cena proclaimed that the Triple Threat Match at the Night of Champions would be "one of the greatest matches in history". WWE Champion Randy Orton interrupted the former champion and vowed to beat both John Cena & Triple H this Sunday and keep the WWE Title. After Cena threatens to fight Orton, both Orton & Cena get ready to fight until Randy Orton backs away and stands on the ring apron. Never one to fight alone, "The Viper" has his Legacy cohorts get on the apron as well so Orton & Legacy have Cena surrounded. Cena invites all three of them to come into the ring, but Triple H comes out and runs Randy Orton & Legacy out of the ring. "The Game" states that he is determined to keep Randy Orton from retaining the WWE Title at Night of Champions. Orton responds by challenging Triple H & John Cena to "allow" Orton to join Legacy to face the two of them in the main event in a 3-on-2 Handicap Match. Cena responds by saying that there is "no reason" for Triple H and himself to accept the challenge. Cena & Triple H then jointly accept the challenge of Randy Orton & Legacy! Can Triple H & John Cena co-exist in the main event or will the tightly-knit group of Randy Orton & Legacy find a way to defeat the two title contenders?

Before the 6-Man Tag Match, it was announced that Kofi Kingston will be defending the United States Championship at the Night of Champions against five different opponents in a 6-Pack Challenge! Kofi will be opposed by "The World’s Largest Athlete" Big Show, "The Franchise Playa" MVP, "The All-American American" Jack Swagger, "The Self-Proclaimed Awesome" Miz, & "The Carribean Back Stabber" Carlito. How can Kofi survive the onslaught of five very capable challengers?

In a 6-Man Tag Match, United States Champion Kofi Kingston would team with the man he defeated for the championship, MVP, and Primo to take on the team of "The World’s Largest Athlete" Big Show, former ECW Champion Jack Swagger, & former United States Champion Carlito. In the end, it was brother pinning brother as Primo got a small measure of retribution over his older brother by pinning Carlito to win the match for his team. After the match was over, Big Show struck with force over his smaller adversaries as he speared Primo and chokeslammed the man who was just his partner, Jack Swagger. Big Show was not done as he also planted MVP with a thunderous chokeslam and knocked out Kofi Kingston with a jaw-cracking right hand! Can anyone slow down Big Show this Sunday or will "The World’s Largest Athlete" become the most dominant United States Champion in recent memory?

Backstage, Chris Jericho confronts RAW’s Guest Hosts, ZZ Top. Jericho tells the legendary band that they are in the same category as "icons" and that Jericho is a rock star himself. Jericho then offers to join Gibbons & Hill in a "jam session" later on. The Rock N’ Roll Hall of Famers inform the Unified Tag Team Champion that they had different plans for him in the form of a match with "The World’s Strongest Man" Mark Henry! How will Jericho fare against Mark Henry in a rematch from last week?

At ringside, The Brian Kendrick is instructing Michael Cole & Jerry "The King" Lawler on how to sell Kendrick’s "greatness" and demanded that they "mention" how good of a candidate Kendrick would be to be Jericho’s mystery partner at Night of Champions. "The King" suggests that Kendrick get in the ring for his match. Kendrick responds by telling the WWE Hall of Famer that he is a multiple time tag team champion in the WWE while Lawler has never won a championship in the WWE. Then, as Kendrick’s opponent was going to be announced, "The King" stepped in and inserted himself into the match to get a piece of The Brian Kendrick! Showing that he still "has it", the Hall of Famer picked up the win (in his street clothes, no less!).

The #1 Contender for the Divas Title at the Night of Champions, Mickie James, is being interviewed near the staging area. Mickie states that, this Sunday at Night of Champions, she is going to give the Divas Champion, Maryse, a "reality check". Knowing a thing or two about a "reality check", The Miz interrupted the #1 Contender and immediately began singing the praises of the Divas Champion, Maryse and reminding Mickie that Maryse scored a pinfall over Mickie last week. Mickie responded by telling The Miz that Miz can’t "score at all". The Divas Champion then comes out and gets in the face of her #1 Contender. Maryse then sprays Mickie right in the eyes with a can of hairspray! What will happen when Maryse & Mickie James square off this Sunday? Who will walk out of the Wachovia Center as the Divas Champion?

Then it was time for the Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho to square off with "The World’s Strongest Man" Mark Henry. After being pummeled by Henry, Jericho, much like last week, sought a way out of the contest and found it in the form of a steel chair shot to Mark Henry and a disqualification loss to "The World’s Strongest Man". After the match, Chris Jericho tried to use the steel chair on the skull of Henry, but Henry caught the chair shot in time and threw Jericho over the announce table! Both competitors ended up back in the ring and Jericho tried to hit the Codebreaker on Mark Henry, but Henry again thwarted the self-proclaimed "face of SmackDown" by catching Chris Jericho in mid-air and turning it into a flattening World’s Strongest Slam! Jericho was, once again, demolished by "The World’s Strongest Man", what kind of condition will Chris Jericho be in this Sunday when he defends the Unified Tag Team Championship against Legacy? Who will Jericho’s mystery partner be in that bout?

By the order of RAW Guest Hosts, ZZ Top, Chavo Guerrero was forced to compete in a "Sharp Dressed Man" Match against Hornswoggle! Before the match, some mischeivious Superstar sewn the legs of Chavo’s suit together. In the end, it was Hornswoggle standing tall as the "Sharp Dressed Man" as he embarassed "The Mexican Warrior" once again by stripping Chavo of his suit. How much embarassment can Chavo take from Hornswoggle?

In another innovation by ZZ Top, the devious team of Rosa Mendes & Alicia Fox defeated the team of Gail Kim & Kelly Kelly in a "Legs" Match!

Backstage, Legacy confronts Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho. The cocky second-generation Superstars mock Jericho by calling Jericho’s dad a "bench-warming hockey player". Never one to shy away from a good manipulation, Jericho "planted the seed" in the heads of Legacy that Randy Orton just might be the mystery partner at Night of Champions! It certainly got Rhodes & DiBiase thinking, but is it a possibility? With so many eligible Superstars available from all three brands, who will Chris Jericho select as his new partner this Sunday?

A huge announcement was made on RAW in regards to next week’s Guest Host. Next week’s Guest Host on Monday Night RAW will be none other than NBA legend, Shaquille O’Neal! What will happen when one of the greatest "ballers" in NBA history is in charge of Monday Night RAW?

Then it was time for the main event as Triple H & John Cena would try and co-exist to combat Randy Orton & Legacy in a 3-on-2 Handicap Match. While chaos ensued outside the ring, it was John Cena who dodged a punt by Randy Orton and rolled up "The Viper" to pin the WWE Champion and pick up the win for himself & Triple H! While "The Game" & Cena co-existed in the main event, it will be a completely different story this Sunday as it will be every man for himself when Randy Orton, Triple H, & John Cena all battle for the richest prize in the WWE, the WWE Championship. Who will come out on top in this three-man collision at the Night of Champions?

The 163rd edition of ECW on Syfy came to you from the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, VA. With only five days to go until they wage war over the ECW Championship, ECW Champion Tommy Dreamer & #1 Contender, Christian, would be guests on "The Abraham Washington Show". Also, Tyler Reks would make his ECW in-ring debut.

The opening match of the night saw one of ECW’s newest Superstars, Yoshi Tatsu, pick up a big win over a ring veteran, William Regal! With wins over both Shelton Benjamin and William Regal in recent weeks, Yoshi Tatsu is quickly ascending the ladder in ECW. What is next for the exciting new Superstar?

"The Harlem Nightmare" Ezekiel Jackson was in action on ECW, picking up a swift and destructive win over Mike Williams. After the match, Vladimir Kozlov marched to the ring and flattened an already destroyed Mike Williams with the Iron Curtain in a show of one upsmanship to "Big Zeke". Can we expect a clash of the titans on ECW? Which intense and dominating Superstar will come out on top?

It was Goldust taking on "The Gold Standard" as "The Bizarre One" squared off with Shelton Benjamin. In the end, it was Shelton Benjamin hitting Pay Dirt on Goldust for the win.

Backstage, Paul Burchill is interrupted in his interview by some noise nearby. "The Ripper" found Goldust nearby recovering from his loss to Shelton Benjamin. Goldust stuttered and randomly grunted while talking to Burchill. Burchill ridiculed Goldust about his "condition" and Goldust explained that he had been electrocuted several years ago and that is why he has the nervous spasms and noises. Goldust then inadvertently struck Paul Burchill, but Katie Lea Burchill held her brother back from attacking Goldust.

Paul Burchill was also in action on ECW, losing to ECW newcomer, Tyler Reks. "The So-Cal Surfer" picked up his first win in his WWE career by rolling up "The Ripper" for the quick win. After the match, a frustrated Paul Burchill viciously shoved Reks off of the ring apron and face-first onto the arena floor. After lashing out at Goldust and attacked Tyler Reks, is Paul Burchill nearing the edge?

Then it was time for champion and challenger to come face-to-face as Abraham Washington presented "The Abraham Washington Show" with his guests- ECW Champion Tommy Dreamer & #1 Contender, Christian, just five days before the two of them would square off at the Night of Champions to determine the ECW Champion. Abraham Washington introduced the #1 Contender, Christian, first. Christian came out and "A.W." started his "introduction" of Tommy Dreamer by, once again, making fun of the ECW Champion and calling the "ECW Original" overweight. After a couple of jokes at Dreamer’s expense, Washington introduced the ECW Champion and Dreamer came out. The interview got underway, but things started to get heated after A.W. told Christian that the #1 Contender had the "perfect face for radio". Never one to shy away from a good insult, "Captain Charisma" responded by telling Abraham Washington that Washington has the "perfect show for public access" and accusing Washington of lacking original material. Christian then turns to business and vows to regain the ECW Championship at the Night of Champions. This sparks an argument between Dreamer & Christian, but A.W. breaks it up and proclaims that it is "his show" and he will do "all the talking". Washington goes back to insulting Dreamer’s weight and starts insulting the city that boosted the career of the "ECW Original", Philadelphia. Dreamer told the host that he is getting sick of the ridicule by Abraham Washington and that he takes insults against his days in ECW personally. Christian asked Dreamer if Dreamer was going to get "extreme" on Christian at the Night of Champions in Philadelphia. Christian then asks if Dreamer is going to cry again if he keeps the title this Sunday. Fed up with the double-pronged attack, Dreamer told Christian that insulting Dreamer and the ECW Championship in that manner is a "real slap in the face". Christian responds by giving Dreamer a real slap in the face and Dreamer answers with a slap of his own! What will happen when these two former friends step into the ring this Sunday with the ECW Championship in the line? Will Tommy Dreamer hang on to the championship or will Christian claim the gold for the second time in his career?

The 15th edition of WWE Superstars came to you from the RBC Center at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC and from the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, VA. The main event of the show would see "The Guru of Greatness" John Morrison square off with "The Big Red Machine" Kane. The #1 Contender for the ECW Title at Night of Champions, Christian, would be in action against William Regal. Also, Evan Bourne would do battle with "The Pitbull" Jamie Noble.

The opening match of the night was from ECW and it saw the #1 Contender for the ECW Title, Christian, pick up the win over William Regal. How will "Captain Charisma" fare this Sunday at Night of Champions when he challenges Tommy Dreamer for the ECW Championship?

From the RAW side of things, Evan "Air" Bourne picked up a hard-fought victory over "The Pitbull" Jamie Noble.

The main event of the evening was from SmackDown and it saw "The Friday Night Delight" John Morrison face the "The Big Red Monster" Kane. Kane’s unbridled power dominated John Morrison, but "The Guru of Greatness" was able to use his arsenal of kicks and fast-paced maneuvers to combat "The Big Red Machine". In the end, Kane launched a steel chair into the chest of an airborne John Morrison to end the match in a disqualification win for John Morrison. After the match, Kane was getting ready to inflict more damage on "The Shaman of Sexy", but The Great Khali once again came after Kane. With "The Big Red Monster" distracted by the arrival of Khali, John Morrison delivered a steel chair shot to the back of Kane. This put down the sadistic Kane long enough for Khali to grab a hold of the massive leg of Kane and try to pull Kane out of the ring and into his grasp. Unfortunately for Khali, Kane frantically kicked his way loose and made another quick exit from the ring and left through the crowd. Ever since Kane returned and cost him a No Disqualification Match against Dolph Ziggler at The Bash, The Great Khali has been on the hunt for revenge on "The Big Red Machine", but Khali can not seem to get his hands on Kane. Will these two massive SmackDown Superstars face each other one-on-one or will Kane continue to duck "The Punjabi Nightmare"?

WWE.com announced on Friday that Michelle McCool will be defending her Women’s Title for the first time against former champion Melina. With the addition of a Women’s Championship match to the event, every single WWE Championship will be defended at the Night of Champions this Sunday night.

The 518th edition of WWE SmackDown came to you from the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, VA. On the last stop before Night of Champions, there would be a Champion Vs. Champion contest as World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk squared off with Intercontinental Champion Rey Mysterio just forty-eight hours before they defend their respective titles at the Night of Champions.

The opening match of the night saw the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title, Jeff Hardy, pick up a big win over Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho. Can "The Charismatic Enigma" defeat CM Punk this Sunday and reclaim the World Heavyweight Title?

The Great Khali was also in action against "The Desert Destroyer" Mike Knox. In the middle of the contest, Kane came out, distracting Khali long enough for Knox to get the advantage in the match. However, Khali would regain control in the bout and ended up planting Knox with the Punjabi Plunge and picking up the win. After the match, "The Punjabi Nightmare" challenged Kane to come into the ring. "The Big Red Machine" made his way to the ring and started to get into the ring, but, once again, opted to walk away from the fight. Kane has done everything in his power to avoid any physical contact with The Great Khali as of late; will Khali ever get his hands on Kane?

The #1 Contender for the Intercontinental Title at Night of Champions, Dolph Ziggler, was in action against "The Fighting Irishman" Finlay. The end of the match came when Dolph hit the Name Drop on the outside of the ring on Finlay and Finlay was unable to answer the ten-count, giving Ziggler the win via count-out. While he defeated Finlay by count-out, if Dolph wins by the same means this Sunday, he will not win the Intercontinental Title. Who will walk out of Philadelphia as the Intercontinental Champion? Will Dolph Ziggler claim the prestigious championship or will Rey Mysterio continue his reign as Intercontinental Champion?

World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk made an appearance to "challenge" the WWE fans. "The Straightedge Superstar" challenged the fans to see things his way; to try and live the clean lifestyle. Punk stated that it is "difficult" to be him; to be "straightedge". CM Punk then educated the fans on how pleasures in life, like smoking, drinking, or doing drugs, can turn into addictions. Punk proclaims that a "strong person" would not start doing any of those things. Punk tells the audience that they will never find their "self-respect". The World Heavyweight Champion then challenges the fans to "just say no". The #1 Contender to the World Heavyweight Title, Jeff Hardy, interrupts and accuses Punk of standing on his "soap box" and "preaching" to the WWE faithful. Jeff Hardy then tells the champion that Punk has forgotten that he is "human" and that humans make mistakes in life and anyone can beat addiction. CM Punk responds by saying that he does not want to "enable" Jeff and that he does not even want to be in the same ring as "The Extreme Enigma". The World Heavyweight Champion then left the ring and walked to the back.

As the war between Cryme Tyme & The Hart Dynasty continues, the ladies of the two sides faced off with Eve Torres picking up the win over Natalya.

R-Truth was in action on SmackDown, picking up a hard-fought victory over Charlie Haas.

Then it was time for the Champion Vs. Champion main event as World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk took on Intercontinental Champion Rey Mysterio. In the middle of the grueling battle between the two champions, Dolph Ziggler made his way to ringside. It did not long for the #1 Contender to Rey’s Intercontinental Title to get involved as Dolph got on the ring apron, but was quickly knocked off the apron by Mysterio. A little later on, Mysterio hit the 619 on CM Punk and had the victory in his grasp when Dolph Ziggler broke up the pin and forced the match to a grinding halt. After the match, Rey Mysterio fought back against "The Name Dropper" and had Ziggler set up for the 619, but CM Punk intervened and leveled the Intercontinental Champion! As CM Punk looked on, Dolph Ziggler planted Rey Mysterio with two of his signature Name Drops, leaving the Intercontinental Champion laying in the ring. Dolph was getting ready to hit a third Name Drop when Jeff Hardy rushed past CM Punk and attacked Dolph Ziggler, sending Ziggler out of the ring, saving Mysterio from the wrath of Ziggler. However, with Jeff’s attention elsewhere, CM Punk came back into the ring and grabbed Jeff and hit the GTS on the #1 Contender! Who will come out on top this Sunday when these two bitter adversaries face each other for the World Heavyweight Title? Will CM Punk find a way to hang on to the gold and put his rivalry with Jeff Hardy to rest or will "The Extreme Enigma" reclaim the World Heavyweight Title?
 

Superstar of the Week: John Cena

The third annual WWE Night of Champions will come to you, live on pay-per-view, this Sunday night from the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, PA.

On a recent edition of Monday Night RAW, WWE Champion Randy Orton interrupted the Finals of a tournament to select Orton’s challenger at the Night of Champions. Two of Orton’s most bitter rivals, Triple H & John Cena, fought tooth and nail to earn the opportunity to face "The Viper" for the WWE Title at Night of Champions. In an attempt to get both men out of the title picture, Randy Orton sent Legacy to interrupt the match and force the match to end in a No Contest. Orton believed that his plan had worked, stating that both Triple H & John Cena lost so neither man would oppose him at Night of Champions. That night’s Guest Host, "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, had a different solution for the title match and decreed that both men would challenge Orton for the WWE Title at the Night of Champions in a Triple Threat Match! After all that "The Viper" has been through over recent months with Triple H, how can Orton survive Night of Champions as the WWE Champion? Who will leave Philly the champion?

Ever since CM Punk cashed in the Money-in-the-Bank title opportunity at Extreme Rules and took the World Heavyweight Championship from him, "The Charismatic Enigma" Jeff Hardy has been on the hunt to regain the title he fought so hard to win. Jeff received his rematch at The Bash, but CM Punk suffered a questionable eye injury and ended up leaving the event still the World Heavyweight Champion. Jeff has proclaimed that CM Punk faked the injury in order to keep the championship while CM Punk has seen the fans turn on him in favor of Jeff Hardy. CM Punk recently made this rivalry personal by bringing up Jeff Hardy’s checkered past and reminding "The Extreme Enigma" of Punk’s "straightedge" lifestyle as opposed to Jeff’s reckless way of life. At Night of Champions, Jeff Hardy will get another opportunity at the World Heavyweight Title when he challenges "The Straightedge Superstar" CM Punk for the gold. Will Jeff Hardy reclaim the title that was unceremoniously taken from him or will CM Punk finally put the whole Jeff Hardy saga "to sleep" and keep the championship around his waist?

Prior to Extreme Rules, "ECW Original" Tommy Dreamer proclaimed that he would either win the ECW Championship at Extreme Rules or he would leave ECW; in a Hardcore Triple Threat Match at the event, Dreamer defeated then champion Christian and Jack Swagger by pinning Swagger to realize his dream of becoming the ECW Champion one more time. However, the former champion, Christian, feels that Dreamer has not truly defeated him since Swagger was the one who was pinned, not him. Ever since Extreme Rules, Christian has been on a mission to regain the ECW Championship. Christian’s desire to win the title and Dreamer’s desire to keep it has torn the friendship of these two men to shreds. What will happen when these two former friends do battle over the ECW Championship this Sunday? Will Dreamer prove that he can defeat Christian without a shadow of a doubt or will "Captain Charisma" reclaim the gold?

On a recent edition of SmackDown, Dolph Ziggler came out of nowhere and attacked Intercontinental Champion Rey Mysterio. A couple of weeks ago on WWE Superstars, Dolph challenged "The Master of the 619" to a championship match at the Night of Champions. A match that the fighting Intercontinental Champion readily accepted. Who will come out on top this Sunday? Will the ever resilient Rey Mysterio retain the Intercontinental Championship or will "The Name Dropper" Dolph Ziggler continue his meteoric rise and dethrone Rey for the championship?

As of late, United States Champion Kofi Kingston has been in some tough spots, to say the least; it all started when he was assaulted by "The World’s Largest Athlete" Big Show for a still unknown reason. In recent weeks, Kofi has lost to Big Show & Evan Bourne in non-title matches and has been assaulted by Big Show on countless occasions. At the Night of Champions, "The Jamaican Sensation" will defend the United States Championship in an improbable situation; a 6-Pack Challenge. In the match, Kofi will have to combat "The Caribbean Back Stabber" Carlito, "The Franchise Playa" MVP, the self-proclaimed "awesome" Miz, "The All-American American" Jack Swagger, & "The World’s Largest Athlete" Big Show! In a match where all six combatants can be in the ring at the same time and any Superstar can defeat another Superstar, Kofi Kingston will need a miracle to walk out of Philadelphia the United States Champion! Will Kofi somehow survive the night with the gold or will one of his six very capable adversaries claim the prestigious championship?

Getting drafted to SmackDown in the WWE Draft seems to have been a turn in the wrong direction for the career of Melina. Melina was drafted to SmackDown with the Women’s Championship, but in her first title defense as a member of the SmackDown roster, Melina lost the gold to the vicious Michelle McCool, who made history by becoming the first Diva to have held the Women’s and Divas Titles. Now at the Night of Champions, Melina will get her shot at regaining the Women’s Championship. Will Melina start her fifth reign as Women’s Champion or will Michelle McCool prove that she is better than Melina and keep the title around her beautiful waist?

Ever since coming to Monday Night RAW in the WWE Draft, Divas Champion Maryse has seemingly been avoiding Mickie James. However, Maryse has recently pinned Mickie James and sprayed hair spray in the Diva’s eyes. At the Night of Champions, Maryse will put her gold on the line against the #1 Contender, Mickie James. Will Maryse prove that she is not afraid and defeat Mickie James to keep the Divas Title or will Mickie James become the second Diva in the WWE to have held both the Women’s & Divas Titles?

Originally it was supposed to be Chris Jericho & Edge defending the Unified Tag Team Titles against Legacy at the Night of Champions. Unfortunately, Edge went down with an Achilles tendon injury and required surgery for the injury and would be out of action indefinitely. This left Chris Jericho alone and seemed as though Jericho would have to relinquish the titles. Ever the scholar, Jericho revealed that he had a clause put in his contract that stated that if Edge was injured, he would be allowed to select a suitable replacement. Since this announcement, Jericho has thrown his former tag team partner, Edge, under the bus, saying that "The Rated-R Superstar" is not in his "league" and that he will select a partner for the Night of Champions that is better than Edge. Who will Chris Jericho choose as his new partner to combat Legacy at the Night of Champions? Will this mystery partner be able to ensure that the gold stays with the team or will Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase make Legacy an even more historic group by adding the Unified Tag Team Titles to it’s ranks?