This Week In WWE: August 30, 2009- September 5, 2009

Welcome to the seventieth 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.

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The 849th edition of Monday Night RAW came to you, live, from the Joe Louis Arena in "Motor City"- Detroit, MI. In the city where he was inducted into the 2007 WWE Hall of Fame, "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes would be in charge of RAW as the Guest Host. The United States Title would be up for grabs as champion Kofi Kingston faced another challenging title defense as he would face The Miz, Carlito, & Jack Swagger in a Fatal 4-Way Match for the gold. Both of the Unified Tag Team Champions would be in action on RAW as they faced off with their Breaking Point challengers; in a battle of behemoths, "The World’s Largest Athlete" Big Show would square off with "The World’s Strongest Man" Mark Henry and MVP would go one-on-one with Chris Jericho.

The show kicked off with the Guest Host for the evening, 2007 WWE Hall of Famer "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes! The legend stated that he is still proud of his son, Cody Rhodes, despite Cody’s devious association with Randy Orton & Ted DiBiase. "The American Dream" then said that he hopes that Cody will "see the light" someday before making the blockbuster announcement that Cody Rhodes will get a shot at the WWE Championship against his mentor and reigning champion, Randy Orton, in the main event! Dusty then announced that, not only would he be in the corner of his son for the match, but that he was assigning as Special Referee, the #1 Contender for the WWE Title at Breaking Point, John Cena! This led to WWE Champion Randy Orton coming out to confront the Hall of Famer and accuses Dusty of being "jealous" of him since Cody looks up to Orton more than he does to Dusty. The WWE Champion then refers to Dusty’s plan as "pathetic". Dusty fires back by saying that Cody is "hungrier" than Orton. A frustrated Orton referred to the Guest Host as "old man" and threatened to punt Dusty in the head just like he did two years ago! This brings out Cody Rhodes, who reminds Orton that the champion is talking to his father and that he will not pass up the "golden opportunity" and become the youngest WWE Champion in history, outdoing Orton’s similar accomplishment! Cody then tells Orton that it is "strictly business". Orton then turns to Dusty and asks "so the fix is in?", which Dusty gladly confirms to the WWE Champion! With Dusty in his son’s corner and John Cena as the Special Referee, how would Orton survive the night as WWE Champion?

The opening match of the night was an "American Dream" 6-Diva Battle Royal, with the winner getting a shot at the Diva’s Championship later on in the show! "The Glamazon" Beth Phoenix was dominant in the match, eliminating the opposition of Gail Kim, Kelly Kelly, Rosa Mendes, Jillian, & Alicia Fox to secure a title opportunity against former rival Mickie James! Who would emerge as the Diva’s Champion?

In the first of two matches that would have a direct effect on the Unified Tag Team Title Match at Breaking Point, one-half of the Unified Tag Team Champions, Chris Jericho, squared off with one-half of the challenging team at Breaking Point, MVP. In the end, it was the veteran Chris Jericho who was able to hit the Codebreaker on MVP and pick up the win! Will it be a similar scene at Breaking Point with Jericho’s hand raised in victory?

Keeping busy as Guest Host, as well as hanging out with D-Generation X, "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes made a "special" Texas Bull Rope Match between Hornswoggle and Chavo Guerrero! Hornswoggle came to the ring dressed as a cowbody while Chavo was forced to wear a cow costume, complete with a mascot-like head! The object of this special contest was for one of the competitors to tie up his opponent. With a timely distraction by Evan Bourne, Hornswoggle was once again able to humiliate Chavo Guerrero by tying "The Mexican Warrior" up for the win. After the match, Chavo knocked Bourne to the mat, but Bourne responded by laying Chavo out and assisting Hornswoggle in delivering a Tadpole Splash to Chavo!

Then it was time for "The World’s Largest Athlete" to go one-on-one with "The World’s Strongest Man" as Unified Tag Team Champion, Big Show, squared off with one of his challengers for Breaking Point, Mark Henry. Both men used their size to their advantage, but after Mark Henry started to pick up some solid momentum, Big Show resorted to desperate measures by exposing the metal turnbuckle! Show was able to outmaneuver Henry and send him face-first into the exposed steel. Unfortunately for Big Show, the referee saw this and disqualified Big Show! Big Show responded by knocking "The World’s Strongest Man" out could with his dangerous right hand! One way or another, both Big Show & Chris Jericho have shown their dominance over their challengers at Breaking Point. Can MVP & Mark Henry gain momentum as their title match nears?

United States Champion Kofi Kingston was faced with another difficult task as "The Jamaican Sensation" defended his United States Championship in a Fatal 4-Way against The Miz, Carlito, & Jack Swagger. Somehow, Kofi was able to overcome the odds once again and hang on to his United States Title!

The Diva’s Championship was also up for grabs as champion Mickie James defended her title against a familiar adversary, "The Glamazon" Beth Phoenix. Despite being overpowered for almost the entire match, the quicker Mickie James was able to plant Phoenix with a DDT and survive the wrath of "The Glamazon" with her Diva’s Championship intact!

It was announced on RAW that next week’s Guest Host will be none other than legendary host of "The Price Is Right"- Bob Barker! What will the TV legend have in store for Monday Night RAW?

Then it was time for the main event as Randy Orton was set to defend the WWE Championship against one of his proteges, Cody Rhodes with Cody’s dad, Guest Host Dusty Rhodes, in his corner and the #1 Contender for the WWE Title, John Cena, as the Special Referee!

However, before the match could begin, "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes apologized to John Cena for what was about to happen. Just as the Hall of Famer said that, Randy Orton & Cody Rhodes jumped on and assaulted John Cena. Ted DiBiase joined the fray and all three men pounded on Cena in this elaborate plan set up between Orton, Legacy, & Dusty Rhodes! Knowing all too well the damage that Randy Orton & Legacy can do, DX rushed to the aid of John Cena and was able to fend off the vicious trio until Dusty Rhodes blasted Triple H with his cowboy boot! This gave the advantage back to Orton & Legacy, who laid out Shawn Michaels! After the deviously planned assault of John Cena & D-Generation X, the four evil geniuses stood tall over the carnage they left in the ring as WWE Champion Randy Orton, Legacy, & Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes stood together in the ring, but then, out of nowhere, Orton delivered an RKO to Dusty Rhodes! With tears of anger in his eyes, Cody Rhodes stared down the heartless "Viper" Randy Orton. How will Cody Rhodes respond to this heinous act by his mentor, WWE Champion Randy Orton? Has Orton driven a stake into his own creation, Legacy?

The 169th edition of ECW on Syfy came to you from the Quicken Loans Arena in "The Forest City" of Cleveland, OH. ECW would be host to a special encore presentation of the legendary battle between The Undertaker & Shawn Michaels from WrestleMania.

The opening match of the night saw "The Gold Standard" Shelton Benjamin pick up a win over recent rival, Zack Ryder.

Now with an announcer, in the form of WWE Hall of Famer Tony Atlas, Abraham Washington presented The Abraham Washington Show. After belittling the city of Cleveland and referring to himself as the "best late night TV host", Washington brought out his guest- Gregory Helms. The silver-tongued Washington asked if Gregory Helms is also The Hurricane, which Helms denies and states that he came to ECW to be a part of the broadcast team, due to a bad neck injury. Always one to stir the pot, Abraham brought out Paul & Katie Lea Burchill! Paul Burchill calls Helms a "joke" and vows to keep "beating down" The Hurricane until he reveals the truth. Courtesy of the "Hurri-Cam", The Hurricane makes an appearance on ECW and challenges "The Ripper" to a one-on-one match on next week’s ECW, which Paul Burchill gladly accepts! What will go down next week when Paul Burchill and The Hurricane go head-to-head?

The Ruthless Roundtable was in action on ECW as William Regal led his large cohorts, Ezekiel Jackson & Vladimir Kozlov to tag team action as the duo beat the team of Jim Powers & Mike Tolar. After suffering both Total Domination & the Iron Curtain by the two behemoths, Mike Tolar was then locked into the Regal Stretch by William Regal! This brings the ECW Champion Christian out, which prompts the #1 Contender William Regal to challenge Christian to come to the ring and face the Roundtable. "Captain Charisma" opted to enlist some backup as he brought out "ECW Original" Tommy Dreamer to back him up and, after being mocked by Regal, Christian & Dreamer came to the ring wielding kendo sticks, chasing the Roundtable out of the ring! It was later announced that, on next week’s ECW, Christian & Tommy Dreamer will team up to face Ezekiel Jackson & Vladimir Kozlov! Which team with come out victorious next week? What will happen between ECW Champion Christian and his #1 Contender William Regal?

Then it was time for the main event as the rivalry between "The Celtic Warrior" Sheamus and "The Bizarre One" Goldust got taken to the next level as the two squared off in a match with no disqualifications and no count-outs! In the end, it was the ruthless Sheamus who bested Goldust in the contest. Is the rivalry between these two combatants over or will we see more of these two going one-on-one?

WWE.com announced on Wednesday that WWE Breaking Point on September 13 will feature the first ever Submissions Count Anywhere Match when D-Generation X takes on Legacy! The rules for the match are simple; the match can only end in a submission and that submission can take place anywhere in the arena. Which team will come out on top in this unique contest?

The 21st edition of WWE Superstars came to you from the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, MI and from the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH. A 6-Person Mixed Tag Match would take place as all three members of The Hart Dynasty went up against the team of Cryme Tyme & Eve Torres. Plus, Evan Bourne would go one-on-one with "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters and the #1 Contender for the ECW Title, William Regal, would face "The So-Cal Surfer" Tyler Reks.

The opening match of the night was from Monday Night RAW and it saw the high-flying sensation Evan "Air" Bourne out-quick the powerhouse Chris Masters and defeat "The Masterpiece" with Air Bourne.

From ECW, the #1 Contender for the ECW Title, William Regal, was in action as he picked up an impressive victory over "The So-Cal Surfer" Tyler Reks. As if suffering the Knee Trembler from William Regal and losing the match was not enough, Reks was also laid out by Regal’s cohorts in The Ruthless Roundtable as Vladimir Kozlov delivered the Iron Curtain, followed by Ezekiel Jackson delivering Total Domination to Reks. The Ruthless Roundtable has sent a strong message to ECW Champion Christian. What will happen this coming Tuesday on ECW on Syfy when the ECW Champion teams with good friend, "ECW Original" Tommy Dreamer, to battle Vladimir Kozlov & Ezekiel Jackson? What will happen between Christian and his #1 Contender?

SmackDown presented the main event and it saw all three members of The Hart Dynasty defeat the combination of Cryme Tyme & Eve Torres by Natalya pinning Eve Torres after blasting the Diva with a discus clothesline. With this win, is The Hart Dynasty on their way to establishing themselves as a trio to be dealt with on Friday nights?

The 524th edition of WWE SmackDown came to you from the Quicken Loans Arena in the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame- Cleveland, OH. In his first SmackDown appearance since two nights before WrestleMania, the legendary Undertaker would make his return to SmackDown just twelve days after returning to the WWE at SummerSlam and laying out the new World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk. Plus, just nine days before his scheduled match against Dolph Ziggler for the title at Breaking Point, Rey Mysterio would defend the Intercontinental Championship against "The Friday Night Delight" John Morrison.

The show opened with, what the fans thought was, Jeff Hardy, but it turned out it was World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk doing a full-on impersonation of the, now, former WWE Superstar. "The Straightedge Champion" rubs it in by telling the Hardy faithful that Jeff is "gone" and telling the fans that his impersonation will be the last piece of evidence of Jeff Hardy being on SmackDown. The World Heavyweight Champion then referred to Jeff as "The Charismatic Enabler" and called all of the fans "weak". Punk then proclaimed that the fans finally have a champion they can be proud of; a "Straightedge Champion". The confident champion then proclaimed that he is "built to last" and is there to stay and refers to himself as "the choice of a new generation". Punk then turns his attention to his Breaking Point opponent, The Undertaker, saying that he is a "fellow icon" on SmackDown. "The Straightedge Champion" then invites The Undertaker to test his "breaking point" and states that he knows that "The Phenom" is in the arena. When "The Deadman" does not appear, CM Punk says that Undertaker plays "games" and calls Undertaker’s mystical powers a "trick". The champion then proclaims that he has "no breaking point" and says that he can hurt anyone "more than a pill". An emotionally charged Matt Hardy interrupts the speech by CM Punk and rushes to the ring and attacks the champion! The two brawl until several referees come in and break the two men apart. With referees holding Matt back, CM Punk decides to exit.

Backstage, CM Punk is complaining to SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long about Matt Hardy interrupting his time in the ring. The GM responds by announcing a non-title main event match between CM Punk and Matt Hardy! Looking to avenge his brother’s untimely departure from the WWE, will Matt Hardy defeat the World Heavyweight Champion or will "The Straightedge Champion" beat another Hardy?

It was announced on SmackDown that, at Breaking Point, Kane and The Great Khali will, once again, go one-on-one, but this time it will be in a Singapore Cane Match! Who will survive this hardcore bout in Montreal? Will The Great Khali finally get revenge for what Kane has done to him and his younger brother, Ranjin Singh or will "The Big Red Monster" use the rules to topple "The Punjabi Nightmare" and continue his reign of terror against Khali & Singh?

Nine days before their encounter at Breaking Point, Kane & The Great Khali were in tag team action as The Great Khali teamed with "The Fighting Irishman" Finlay to defeat the team of "The Big Red Machine" Kane and "The Evil Genius" Mike Knox. The end of the match came when Kane entered the ring illegally and tried to prevent Finlay from making the tag. However, the wily Irishman managed to send Kane to the outside, but Kane then got a hold of Ranjin Singh which distracted The Great Khali and prevented Finlay from making the much needed tag. All of the action on the outside distracted the referee and it gave Finlay the opportunity to crack Mike Knox over the head with the shillelagh and pick up the win for his team!

Then it was time for Rey Mysterio to defend the Intercontinental Championship against "The Friday Night Delight" John Morrison. In a grueling match full of high speed offense and boundary-pushing endurance, it was "The Guru of Greatness" John Morrison who was able to outlast "The Ultimate Underdog" and claim his third Intercontinental Championship! After the match, Rey Mysterio and John Morrison embraced in a show of respect and a sign of "passing the torch" to the new champion!

There won’t be much rest for new Intercontinental Champion John Morrison as "The Guru of Greatness" will defend his newly won championship against Dolph Ziggler at Breaking Point! Can Morrison successfully defend the gold or will Dolph Ziggler finally win the Intercontinental Title?

R-Truth was scheduled to compete on SmackDown, but the exciting Superstar was once again blind-sided, assaulted, and laid out by Drew McIntyre! Angry at not being part of the show, McIntyre proclaimed that he is going to keep ruining these "parties" until he is recognized as the "superstar" he truly is. After two weeks of being on the wrong end of a strong statement, how will R-Truth respond to Drew McIntyre’s attacks?

The SmackDown Divas were also in action as the team of Eve Torres & Maria defeated the team of Natalya & Layla with Eve getting the fall over Layla.

Then it was time for the main event as World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk went one-on-one with Matt Hardy in a non-title match. During the match, the action between Punk & Matt spilled to the outside and it led to Punk grabbing a steel chair and attacking Matt with it! Punk then wrapped the steel chair around the neck of Matt Hardy, similar to how he set up Matt’s brother Jeff, and was ready to put another Hardy out of the WWE when the lights went out and the familiar gong was heard that signified the arrival of The Undertaker! "The Deadman" appeared in front of CM Punk and delivered a huge chokeslam to "The Straightedge Champion" that drove Punk through the announce table! The Undertaker has made his emphatic return to SmackDown and delivered a clear cut message to the champion; what will happen in nine nights at Breaking Point when CM Punk defends the World Heavyweight Title against The Undertaker? Can "The Straightedge Champion" force Undertaker to submit for the first time in the career of "The Phenom" or will The Undertaker lock the Devil’s Gate on the champion and reign atop SmackDown once again as World Heavyweight Champion?

Superstar of the Week: John Morrison