This Week In WWE: August 16, 2009- August 22, 2009

Welcome to the sixty-eighth 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.

You can follow me on Twitter at cish88. I will be posting the latest news (from the wrestling world and my own personal opinions and activities) via my Twitter account, as well as Wrestling101.com. Also, make sure and follow TWO on Twitter at talkwrestling for all the latest, as well.

WWE.com announced on Monday that SummerSlam will feature a one-on-one match between Kane and The Great Khali! Following the heinous actions of Kane against Khali’s translator, Ranjin Singh, and the assault Kane perpetrated on Khali himself, has Kane angered the wrong giant or will "The Big Red Monster" prove that he is not afraid of The Great Khali?

The 847th edition of Monday Night RAW would come to you, live, from the Scottrade Center in the "Gateway To The West" St. Louis, MO. With six days to go before SummerSlam, actor Freddie Prinze, Jr. would be in charge of RAW as the Guest Host! The main event would see WWE Champion and St. Louis’ own Randy Orton team up with his SummerSlam opponent, John Cena, to face the Unified Tag Team Champions Big Show & Chris Jericho in a non-title bout. RAW would also see the return of one of the most controversial factions in WWE history- D-Generation X!

The show kicked off with the Guest Host of RAW- actor Freddie Prinze, Jr. Freddie started by proclaiming that he is a lifelong WWE fan just like the fans in the arena and around the world and that RAW is about the fans, not him. The actor then announces that he will be starting SummerSlam six nights early with both the United States Title and the Diva’s Title being defended! After having some fun with Santino Marella and telling Santino to head to the back and "rehearse", Prinze was interrupted by the WWE Champion Randy Orton; St. Louis’ own. "The Viper" informed Freddie Prinze, Jr. that he did not want to compete in the main event and stated that he does not care about his fellow St. Louisans because he has "nothing in common" with any of them. Orton then proclaims that it is all about him and then orders the Guest Host to take him out of the tag team main event. The actor actually stands up to "The Viper" and tells Orton that he is not Seth Green or Jeremy Piven and he will not be intimidated by Randy Orton! Prinze then lays down the law that Orton will indeed compete in the main event! Prinze starts to leave the ring, but the WWE Champion grabs the Hollywood elite and delivers a spine-cracking backbreaker to the actor! As a remorseless Randy Orton backed away from his handy work, several EMT’s and WWE officials checked on the condition of the Guest Host. What repercussions will the WWE Champion suffer for this heinous assault on Freddie Prinze, Jr.?

In the first of two championship matches announced by RAW Guest Host Freddie Prinze, Jr., Kofi Kingston successfully defended the United States Championship against Carlito!

Back on RAW, The Miz was set to face Evan Bourne, but first stated that he has a "different attitude" and that he has his sights set on the United States Championship! Miz advised Kofi that he will be coming for the championship.

In a message sent directly to the United States Champion Kofi Kingston, The Miz picked up a big win over St. Louis native, Evan Bourne. When will The Miz get his shot at the United States Title? After all that Kofi has been through since winning the title on June 1, is The Miz the man who can take the title off of "The Jamaican Sensation"?

RAW also marked the official reuniting of D-Generation X! The green-clad controversial troublemakers made their trademark entrance and, after soaking in all of the cheers of the DX faithful, the duo started their vintage introduction, but it was abruptly interrupted by Legacy! DX’s SummerSlam opponents took it to the two multi-time World Champions by dismantling both Triple H & Shawn Michaels and leaving both Superstars laid out in the middle of the ring! After such a stunning attack, is even the combined forces of Triple H & Shawn Michaels enough to thwart Legacy at SummerSlam or will the multi-generational tag team put the DX legacy to rest this Sunday?

The Diva’s Championship was on the line on RAW as Mickie James made her first title defense against Gail Kim a successful one by retaining the title. Who will step up to challenge Mickie next?

After weeks of being ducked by Jack Swagger, MVP finally had Swagger in a one-on-one match. However, little was resolved in the bout as Swagger was quickly disqualified from the match after ignoring the five-count of the referee. After the match, the two Superstars were not done with each other as MVP & Swagger brawled in the ring before "The All-American American" thought better of it and made a quick exit from the ring. It was announced after RAW went off the air that these two will square off again this Sunday at SummerSlam! Who will come out on top in this immensely personal battle between "The Ballin’ Superstar" MVP and "The All-American American" Jack Swagger?

After weeks of humiliating losses to Hornswoggle, it looked as though Chavo Guerrero might finally get Hornswoggle without any restrictions in a Falls Count Anywhere Match! Unfortunately for "The Mexican Warrior", Hornswoggle had a plan for Chavo and lured Chavo backstage where Chavo was cracked in the head with a paint can, "Home Alone" style. Hornswoggle then pinned Chavo Guerrero to pick up yet another win over Chavo.

Then it was time for the main event as the unstable team of WWE Champion Randy Orton & #1 Contender John Cena were set to face off with the Unified Tag Team Champions Big Show & Chris Jericho. However, before the match could begin, Guest Host Freddie Prinze, Jr. managed to return to the arena! The injured Prinze informed Randy Orton that he was "taking a page out of Orton’s book" and announced that the main event would now be a Lumberjack Match! The Guest Host then brought out some anti-Orton Lumberjacks! In what was a difficult match for Orton, Big Show, & Chris Jericho, John Cena came out shining as he hit Chris Jericho with the Attitude Adjustment and pinned the tag champion to pick up the win for himself and his very unlikely ally, Randy Orton. True to his moniker of "The Viper", Orton struck with an RKO to John Cena! Orton exited the ring, but it was far from over for the #1 Contender as Big Show & Chris Jericho stomped away at Cena. Several Lumberjacks entered the ring to try and help Cena out, but the seemingly unstoppable duo of Big Show & Chris Jericho took care of the opposition with ease. However, the brief reprieve that Cena received was enough for the #1 Contender to recover and send both Chris Jericho & Big Show to the outside of the ring! John Cena is on a role heading into "The Biggest Event of the Summer", SummerSlam; will "The Champ" return this Sunday or will Randy Orton find a way to dash the championship dreams of John Cena once again?

The 167th edition of ECW on Syfy came to you from the Sprint Center in the largest city in the state of Missouri- Kansas City. In a tag team main event with international flavor, ECW Champion Christian would team with the "ECW Original" Tommy Dreamer to face the team of "The British Brute" William Regal & "The Moscow Mauler" Vladimir Kozlov.
 

The opening match of the night saw The Hurricane make his return to in-ring action as "The Caped Crusader" picked up a win over "The Ripper" Paul Burchill in a one-on-one match. What’s next for ECW’s resident superhero?

Backstage, Tommy Dreamer is being interviewed by the newest ECW interviewer- Courtney Taylor, but the first interview of the inquiring beauty was interrupted by the #1 Contender for the ECW Title, William Regal, who initiated a heinous assault on the "ECW Original" by Regal and "The Moscow Mauler" Vladimir Kozlov. With Kozlov holding Dreamer in place, Regal delivered a vile knee right to the skull of Dreamer! Will Dreamer be in any kind of condition to compete alongside Christian in the main event?

Abraham Washington made an appearance on ECW to present The Abraham Washington Show. The confident talk show host proclaimed that he is the "King of Late Night" and then introduced his guest- "The Bizarre One" Goldust. Goldust came out and joined A.W. on the show and the host wasted no time in mocking Goldust’s unfortunate convulsions and speech problems due to an electrocution he sustained several years ago. Abraham then reveals that he has a second guest and brings out "The Celtic Warrior" Sheamus! Sheamus comes out and tells his bitter rival, Goldust, that Goldust’s win on Superstars last week was "lucky". Sheamus then called Goldust a "gold freak", which resulted in the two ECW Superstars going face-to-face as Abraham Washington called the show to a close. What will happen next between the proud Irishman and the proud wrestling veteran?

"The Long Island Loudmouth" Zack Ryder was in action on ECW, picking up a big win over "The Japanese Buzzsaw" Yoshi Tatsu.

Backstage, ECW General Manager Tiffany reveals that Tommy Dreamer will be unable to be Christian’s partner in the main event due to a concussion! Tiffany then announced the ECW Champion could choose any partner he wanted to replace Dreamer.

Before the main event, it was announced that William Regal will get his shot at the ECW Championship as he challenges Christian for the title this Sunday at SummerSlam!

Then it was time for the main event as ECW Champion Christian was set to face his #1 Contender William Regal & "The Moscow Mauler" Vladimir Kozlov in a tag team match, but who would "The Proprietor of the Peepulation" select as his partner? It turned out to be none other than "The Harlem Nightmare" himself, Ezekiel Jackson! After weeks of playing games of one upsmanship, "Big Zeke" and Vladimir Kozlov might finally get their hands on each other. However, during the match, in a huge shocker, Ezekiel Jackson turned on Christian and planted the ECW Champion with Total Domination! Ezekiel then instructed William Regal to take the pin to win the match for Regal & Kozlov! After the match, both Ezekiel & Kozlov decimated Christian in the center of the ring. At the end of the mayhem, William Regal, Vladimir Kozlov, & Ezekiel Jackson stood tall as a seemingly unstoppable trio. With both Vladimir Kozlov & Ezekiel Jackson on the side of William Regal, does Christian stand a chance of keeping the ECW Championship this Sunday or will Regal’s "master plan" end with Regal being crowned the new ECW Champion?

The 19th edition of WWE Superstars came to you from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, MO and from the Sprint Center in Kansas City, MO. Two of the strongest men in the WWE would do battle in the main event as "The World’s Strongest Man" Mark Henry took on "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters. R-Truth would also be in action on Superstars as he squared off with Charlie Haas. "The Gold Standard" Shelton Benjamin would face "The So-Cal Surfer" Tyler Reks for the first time. The Divas would also be in action as "The Doubly Nice Diva" Kelly Kelly had the unenviable task of trying to defeat "The Glamazon" Beth Phoenix.

The opening match of the night featured two RAW Divas as former Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix squared off with Kelly Kelly one-on-one. With the advantage in quickness, Kelly Kelly got several near falls over "The Glamazon", but the unreal strength of Beth Phoenix proved too much for "The Doubly Nice Diva" as Phoenix planted Kelly Kelly with the Glam Slam to pick up the win. Is "The Glamazon" well on her way to being the next challenger for the Diva’s Championship?

Two ECW Superstars squared off for the first time on Superstars as "The Gold Standard" Shelton Benjamin picked up a win over "The So-Cal Surfer" Tyler Reks.

On the SmackDown side of things, the always electric R-Truth picked up a win over Charlie Haas.

Then it was time for the main event from RAW as "The World’s Strongest Man" Mark Henry squared off with "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters. Masters tried his best to combat power with power, but in the end, Henry got the advantage and planted "The Masterpiece" with the World’s Strongest Slam. Unfortunately for Henry, Masters was too close to the ropes and was able to grab the bottom rope to stay alive in the contest. However, the World’s Strongest Slam made Chris Masters rethink his strategy, so "The Masterpiece" rolled to the outside, but then Masters fully realized who he was dealing with and opted to take the count-out loss over stepping back into the ring with Mark Henry. "The World’s Strongest Man" picked up the win over Chris Masters, but it was via count-out; the second time Mark Henry has won a match due to his opponent backing out of the contest. Will anyone step up and face Mark Henry in a match with a decisive conclusion, for better or for worse?

The 522nd edition of WWE SmackDown came to you from the Sprint Center in Missouri’s largest city- Kansas City. With just two days to go before SummerSlam, SmackDown would see the reuniting of The Hardys as World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy would reunited with his brother, Matt Hardy, to team with "The Guru of Greatness" John Morrison to face the team of the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title CM Punk & The Hart Dynasty.

The night started off with a 6-Man Tag Match putting the team of Intercontinental Champion Rey Mysterio & the #1 Contenders for the Unified Tag Team Titles, Cryme Tyme, against the team of the #1 Contender for the Intercontinental Title, Dolph Ziggler, and the reigning Unified Tag Team Champions Big Show & Chris Jericho. In a match with big SummerSlam implications, it all came down to a powerful giant and an opportunistic #1 Contender to end the match as Dolph Ziggler pinned his SummerSlam opponent, Rey Mysterio, after Big Show delivered a skull-rattling knockout punch to his smaller adversary. Regardless of the events surrounding the win, Dolph Ziggler did pin the Intercontinental Champion; will this Sunday be the day that Dolph Ziggler captures the Intercontinental Championship by defeating Rey Mysterio?

For the first time since his return a few weeks ago, Matt Hardy spoke about his relationship with his brother in an exclusive interview. The elder Hardy stated that he has always protected Jeff throughout both of their lives and that he wants to put all of his motivations for his actions out in the open. Matt admitted that turning on his little brother was a "huge mistake" and that he will never be able to forgive himself for that mistake. Matt then declared that he and Jeff will "move past" their former rivalry and that nothing makes him happier than teaming with Jeff once again. How will the reunited Hardys do in the main event?

"The Big Red Monster" Kane made an appearance and proclaimed that he is "the only true giant on SmackDown" and that The Great Khali has never been a "monster". Kane then stated that Khali "cares" while he "detests". Kane then vowed to "end the myth of The Great Khali" at SummerSlam. "The Big Red Machine" then advises Khali to be afraid of him. An angry Great Khali then came out and Kane opted to grab a steel chair to fend off the angry giant. However, Khali knocked the steel chair out of Kane’s hands! Motivated by revenge for his fallen brother, Khali assaulted Kane in the middle of the ring. Khali then picked up the steel chair, but Kane escaped the wrath of Khali on this night. What will happen when these two behemoths clash this Sunday at SummerSlam? Will Khali avenge the brutal assault on himself and his brother Ranjin Singh or will the sadistic Kane find a way to defeat the angry giant?

Following his vicious attack last week, Mike Knox squared off with his victim from last week, Finlay. The two hard-hitting brawlers did just that, brawl. However, "Monstrous" Mike Knox brawled a little too much and found himself getting disqualified after ignoring the five-count of the referee! After the match, "The Evil Genius" Mike Knox went to work on Finlay, brutally assaulting "The Belfast Brawler" in a similar manner as last week. However, Finlay found his "great equalizer"; the shillelagh. Finlay got a shot in on the mid-section of Knox, but it was not enough to take the big man down! Knox responded with a vicious big boot. The diabolical Knox then blasted Finlay in the skull with the steel ring steps! If his shillelagh can’t assist him with his issue with Mike Knox, how can Finlay combat his bigger adversary? How long can Finlay sustain the damage dealt out by Knox?

With an unreal amount of tables, ladders, and chairs in the arena, World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy made an appearance. The champion addresses the situation with him and his brother by proclaiming that he and Matt are at "peace". Jeff then climbed the ladder and perched himself at the very top of the ladder. Jeff then stated that he was dealt an "unfair hand" last week when WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon forced him to compete in his weakened state. Jeff then revealed that his doctors advised him to retire following CM Punk’s attacks, but that he has "never listened to doctor’s orders". The World Heavyweight Champion then states that the space between the top of the ladder and the ground below is "his". Jeff then tells CM Punk that it will take more than a chair to defeat him in a TLC Match this Sunday. The #1 Contender, CM Punk, comes out and alleges that Jeff is "probably drunk". The confident #1 Contender then tells Jeff that Jeff’s "living in the moment lifestyle" has gotten him nowhere. "The Straightedge Superstar" then says that everyone calls the TLC Match "Jeff’s match", but the truth is that the TLC Match at SummerSlam will be Jeff’s "last match". CM Punk then proclaims that he will prove that being straightedge makes him "better" than Jeff. CM Punk then claims that he has to "get rid of" Jeff Hardy so that the Jeff Hardy fans can see the light and learn to "just say no". The #1 Contender then vowed to "remove" Jeff and his "bad examples" from the WWE forever! Jeff responds by telling Punk that Punk "can’t win" because the TLC Match is a Hardy specialty. CM Punk then tried to tip the ladder over with Jeff Hardy on it, but the experience World Heavyweight Champion landed on his feet and laid Punk out with the Twist of Fate! What will happen when champion and challenger step into the ring in the 6-Man Tag Team main event?

Women’s Champion Michelle McCool returned to SmackDown and served as a guest commentator for the Divas Tag Match as the former Women’s Champion Melina teamed with Maria to face the team of Natalya & Layla. During the match, Melina came to the outside of the ring and shoved the Women’s Champion to the floor! Melina then got back in the ring and ended up winning the match for herself and Maria!

Then it was time for the return of The Hardys! Together once again, World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy and his older brother, Matt Hardy, reunited and teamed with John Morrison in a 6-Man Tag to face the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title, CM Punk, and The Hart Dynasty. In the end, it was Jeff hanging Punk up on the top rope that led to Matt Hardy hitting CM Punk with the Twist of Fate and pinning the #1 Contender! What will happen this Sunday when CM Punk challenged Matt’s brother in a TLC Match? Will "The Straightedge Superstar" get rid of Jeff Hardy like he has vowed to do or will "The Charismatic Champion" continue his reign atop SmackDown and prove that he is better than CM Punk in his own environment?

Superstars of the Week: Legacy (Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase)

The 22nd annual WWE SummerSlam will come to you, live on pay-per-view, this Sunday night from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. Five championships will be defended at "The Biggest Event of the Summer" and two grudge matches will take place, plus the pay-per-view return of D-Generation X!

Ever since Extreme Rules in June, an incredibly personal rivalry has been boiling between Jeff Hardy & CM Punk. It all started at the "extreme" pay-per-view when, after successfully defeating Edge in a Ladder Match to claim the World Heavyweight Title, Jeff Hardy’s dream of becoming a World Champion was once again realized. However, "Mr. Money-in-the-Bank" CM Punk saw his opportunity to cash in his title opportunity and did so on Jeff Hardy. "The Charismatic Enigma" did his best to survive the onslaught of a fresh CM Punk, even kicking out of the GTS, but after Punk hit a second GTS, "The Straightedge Superstar" pinned Jeff to win the World Heavyweight Title, much to the chagrin of Jeff Hardy and his faithful fan base. Later that month, at The Bash, Jeff Hardy had an opportunity to regain the World Heavyweight Title that he believes was stolen from him by CM Punk. During the match, Punk suffered an eye injury and accidentally kicked the referee. Punk got disqualified as a result and kept the belt. After the controversial title match, Jeff Hardy protested that Punk was faking the injury; even mocking Punk’s alleged injury. Jeff would once again get his hands on Punk at the Night of Champions and, this time, Jeff Hardy was able to defeat CM Punk to reclaim the World Heavyweight Title! Ever since losing the championship he says is his "life", CM Punk has had a drastic change in attitude, brutally assaulting Jeff Hardy on two separate occasions. After the first attack, CM Punk was confident that Jeff Hardy was in no condition to compete, much less defend the title, so the opportunistic Punk used his rematch clause and used it on a recent edition of SmackDown. However, WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon named a Special Enforcer to keep things civil during the title match. It turned out to be Jeff’s brother, Matt Hardy! The match saw CM Punk accidentally hit the Special Enforcer with a baseball slide. When Punk had the match won, Matt pulled the referee out of the ring. When Punk got in the face of the elder Hardy, Jeff Hardy capitalized and rolled Punk up to keep the championship! However, Punk once again initiated a heinous attack on the World Heavyweight Champion, leaving Jeff in a heap on the outside of the ring. Appalled by the actions of CM Punk, SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long announced that the rivalry between CM Punk & Jeff Hardy would be put to rest at SummerSlam when Jeff Hardy would defend the World Heavyweight Championship one more time against CM Punk, but this time, it would be Jeff’s specialty- a TLC Match! Can "The Straightedge Superstar" prevail in the TLC Match or will Jeff Hardy prove he is the master of TLC and defeat CM Punk once and for all and keep the World Heavyweight Title?

Ever since 2007, Randy Orton & John Cena have been feuding over the WWE Championship. At SummerSlam, Cena will get his shot to reclaim the WWE Championship that he has not held since October 2, 2007. The day before, John Cena was injured by, ironically enough, Randy Orton! As a result, Cena was forced to relinquish the championship and Orton would end up winning (and losing and winning again) the championship later that month. Now, two years later, Orton & Cena will clash once again over the richest prize in the WWE. Will "The Viper" Randy Orton find some way to leave "The Biggest Event of the Summer" with the WWE Championship in his possession or will John Cena finally defeat Randy Orton and claim his fourth WWE Championship?

At SummerSlam, ECW Champion Christian may be facing his toughest title defense to date as he squares off with "The British Brute" William Regal for the ECW Championship. While it seems like "Captain Charisma" would be able to handle Regal one-on-one, Regal revealed that he has quite the "master plan" in store for the ECW Champion. On ECW, Regal enlisted the services of "The Moscow Mauler" Vladimir Kozlov and "The Harlem Nightmare" Ezekiel Jackson! Will Regal bring Kozlov & "Big Zeke" for backup this Sunday? If so, how can Christian leave Los Angeles with the ECW Championship?

For months, Triple H has been cheated out of countless WWE Title matches by Randy Orton’s cohorts, Legacy. On a recent edition of RAW, "The Game" had had enough of Legacy and challenged Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase to a 2-on-1 Handicap Match! However, things did not go as planned for "The Cerebral Assassin" as Legacy ended up defeating Triple H using the numbers game to their advantage. After the loss to Legacy, Triple H contemplated his next strategy and proclaimed that he could make just "one phone call" and he would have his backup to combat Legacy. That "one phone call" would be to Shawn Michaels, who had not been seen on WWE television since The 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania! Triple H’s trek to find his former partner led him to an office building in San Antonio, where "The Game" found the legendary Shawn Michaels working as a chef! After having to deal with an irate boss and a spoiled little girl, Shawn Michaels was convinced to reform D-Generation X with Triple H! Reunited once again, DX was set to make their triumphant return to Monday Night RAW when Legacy struck the legendary group and completely decimated the newly reformed D-Generation X! After the diabolical attack, Ted DiBiase proclaimed that Legacy is "ready" for DX at SummerSlam. What will happen when the veteran troublemakers known as D-Generation X square off with the young and vicious team of Legacy? Will DX prevail over Legacy or will Legacy prove that they are the future and DX is the past?

At Night of Champions, Dolph Ziggler failed to capture the Intercontinental Championship from champion Rey Mysterio. After defeating Finlay, R-Truth, & Mike Knox in a Fatal 4-Way Match, Dolph earned a second opportunity to take the Intercontinental Title from "The Master of the 619". Will Dolph Ziggler avenge his Night of Champions loss by defeating Rey Mysterio and taking the Intercontinental Title or will "The Ultimate Underdog" find a way to defeat Dolph Ziggler for a second time?

After defeating The Hart Dynasty on a recent edition of SmackDown, Cryme Tyme will get their shot at the Unified Tag Team Championship at SummerSlam. Unfortunately for the challengers, they will have to defeat the reigning champions- Chris Jericho & "The World’s Largest Athlete" Big Show! Can Cryme Tyme upset the two former World Champions or will Big Show & Chris Jericho prove that they are truly the best tag team in wrestling history by keeping the gold?

For weeks, it seemed as though "The Big Red Monster" Kane was actually afraid of somebody; that somebody being The Great Khali. Kane returned to the WWE and cost Khali a match against Dolph Ziggler. Despite starting the war, Kane appeared to want no part of "The Punjabi Giant". However, the sinister Kane would kidnap The Great Khali’s translator, Ranjin Singh, and use Singh to lure The Great Khali into a trap where Kane brutally assaulted Khali with a steel pipe, among other things. At SummerSlam, these two behemoths will do battle in the middle of the ring. Will The Great Khali avenge his fallen brother or does Kane have an evil plan in store for Khali?

For several weeks, "The All-American American" Jack Swagger has been ducking "The Franchise Player" MVP at every turn. Swagger seems to have no desire to do battle with MVP in a fair environment as Swagger always seems to find a way out of fighting "The Ballin’ Superstar". At SummerSlam, there will be nowhere to run for Jack Swagger as he squares off with MVP. Will MVP finally get his hands on Swagger and defeat "The All-American American" or will Swagger show that he is not afraid by defeating MVP?