This Week In WWE: September 13, 2009- September 19, 2009

Welcome to the seventy-second 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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On what would promise to be an unforgettable night in the WWE, the Unified Tag Team Titles were up for grabs in the opening contest as champions Big Show & Chris Jericho continued their reign by defeating MVP & Mark Henry; utilizing Big Show’s devastating right hand to score the win and keep the titles. With MVP & Mark Henry out of the way, who will be the next team to challenge Big Show & Chris Jericho for the Unified Tag Team Titles?

"The Jamaican Sensation" Kofi Kingston was somehow able to defeat The Miz and retain the United States Title in a hard-fought match. Is there any one man that can defeat the exciting United States Champion Kofi Kingston?

At the first ever WWE Breaking Point, there was the first ever Submissions Count Anywhere match as D-Generation X squared off with Legacy. Both teams were put through the ringer in this contest as DX and Legacy fought and locked in submissions all over the Bell Centre in Montreal. At one point in the match up, Cody Rhodes was able to take Shawn Michaels out of the equation by delivering a back drop to "The Showstopper" from the stands to the floor below! Once he saw the destruction of his partner and friend, Triple H unleashed an anger-fueled attack on both members of Legacy. However, the numbers game eventually got to Triple H and it led to Ted DiBiase blasting "The Game" with a cooler; which left Triple H completely knocked out in the backstage area! In the meantime, Shawn Michaels was able to get to his feet and tried to combat Legacy on his own, but Legacy’s well-placed plan soon came to fruition as Rhodes locked in the Figure-4 Leg Lock on Michaels; using the ring post for extra leverage! DiBiase then joined in and locked the Million Dollar Dream onto Shawn Michaels! With so much pain coursing through his already battered body, Shawn Michaels had no choice but to tap out, which gave Legacy the biggest win of their careers! Legacy exploited the prior injuries of D-Generation X and it ended with Legacy’s hands raised in victory over the veteran Superstars. What kind of condition is DX in following such a grueling match and what will the controversial duo have to say about their loss to Legacy? What is the next step for Legacy now that they have defeated DX?

Two monsters clashed at Breaking Point as "The Big Red Monster" Kane defeated The Great Khali in a Singapore Cane Match with a huge chokeslam to his large adversary! Is this the end of the feud between these two?

Then it was time for the ECW Championship to be decided as the champion, Christian, defended against William Regal, with Regal’s "Ruthless Roundtable" in his corner. However, after Regal and his cohorts entered the ring, they learned that ECW General Manager Tiffany had ruled that Vladimir Kozlov & Ezekiel Jackson were banned from ringside! Even without his large backup, Regal dominated much of the match against "Captain Charisma", but in the end, it was Christian hitting the Killswitch on Regal to hang on to the ECW Title! What is next for William Regal and his "Ruthless Roundtable"? Will Regal continue to pursue the ECW Championship? Who will be the next man to challenge Christian for the ECW Title?

Breaking Point featured a special appearance by Montreal’s own, Hall of Famer Pat Patterson! The first Intercontinental Champion in WWE history spoke of his monumental title win and even spoke French to the French-Canadian fans in attendance! However, things turned sour for the legend when the #1 Contender for the Intercontinental Title, Dolph Ziggler, came out. Ziggler tried to introduce himself to the Hall of Famer, but Patterson tells Dolph that he already knows who he is and tells the #1 Contender that if Dolph is "lucky enough", he will win the Intercontinental Title someday. Showing no respect to the legendary competitor, Dolph called Patterson a "senior citizen" and that he thought that Pat was "dead"! Ziggler then showed physical disrespect by shoving Patterson and calls the proud legend a "coward" before delivering a cheap kick to the mid-section of the Hall of Famer. Ziggler was getting ready to do more damage to Patterson, but Intercontinental Champion John Morrison came to the rescue of the first Intercontinental Champion, which prompted Ziggler to leave the ring! In a sign of respect to one of the men who paved the way for him, Morrison raised the hand of Pat Patterson in the middle of the ring.

Then it was time for the much-anticipated "I Quit" Match for the WWE Championship as "The Viper" Randy Orton defended the gold against a determined John Cena. The WWE Champion dominated a lot of the contest as "The Viper" focused his attacks on the injured skull of John Cena. Orton then reveals a pair of handcuffs and proceeds to handcuff Cena to the ropes and then the ring post; with the keys to the handcuffs around the neck of Orton! With Cena helplessly handcuffed, Orton administered serious torture to Cena, which included open shots to the ribs and head of Cena. Orton then brought out a Singapore cane and delivered shot after shot to the mid-section and skull of John Cena. Through all of this torture and decimation, Cena still refused to say the words "I Quit"! However, Cena was eventually able to backdrop Orton and get the keys from "The Viper" and then Cena handcuffed himself to Orton! With nowhere to go for Orton, Cena dragged Orton into the ring as Orton immediately reached for the keys. With escape just out of his reach, Orton struggled to get the keys, but Cena used the handcuffs to lock in a modified version of his STF which was painful enough to force Orton to give it up and say "I Quit"! With those two words, John Cena was once again a top the mountain as the WWE Champion! Now a six-time World Champion, "The Champ" was truly in Montreal and finally got his revenge on "The Viper" for everything Orton has done to Cena. "The Champ" is back, but how will Orton respond to losing his beloved WWE Championship? When will Orton get his rematch for the gold?

Then it was time for the World Heavyweight Championship to be decided in a Submission Match as "The Straightedge Champion" CM Punk defended the title against "The Demon of Death Valley" The Undertaker. CM Punk looked impressive against the immortal "Phenom", but the veteran Undertaker was able to lock in Hell’s Gate on the champion, which forced Punk to immediately tap out! With his dominant submission hold, Hell’s Gate, The Undertaker reclaimed the World Heavyweight Championship and would once again "cast his shadow over SmackDown"! However, Undertaker’s celebration was short-lived as SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long came out and stated that Hell’s Gate was banned from the WWE a while ago by then General Manager Vickie Guerrero! With his stunning decree, Long ordered that the match continue. As Undertaker still processed what had just occurred, CM Punk blind-sided Undertaker and the match continued! CM Punk then managed to lock in the Anaconda Vise on "The Phenom", but as quick as the hold was applied, the referee was as quick in ringing the bell for the submission without Undertaker submitting! After his highway robbery, CM Punk quickly distanced himself from a confused and irate Undertaker. As CM Punk celebrated his controversial title retention, a stoic Theodore Long stood next to the champion. Long had promised to have something "excellent" for Mr. McMahon at Breaking Point, but is this what the Chairman had in mind? What repercussions will Theodore Long suffer from, not only WWE management, but from The Undertaker? Was this a carefully laid out plan by CM Punk and Theodore Long or did Punk take advantage of circumstance? There are a lot of questions to be answered by Theodore Long; what kind of explanation will the GM have for the fans and for The Undertaker?

One night after WWE Breaking Point, the 851st edition of Monday Night RAW would come to you, live, from the Air Canada Centre in the capital of Ontario- Toronto. Seven-time Women’s Champion and Toronto’s own Trish Stratus would serve as Guest Host for RAW. "The Animal" Batista would return to RAW to make a "career-altering" announcement. Plus, only twenty-four hours removed from being forced to tap out to Legacy, DX member Shawn Michaels would compete in his first one-on-one match on RAW in over six months as he took on one-half of Legacy, Ted DiBiase.

The show opened with the return of "The Animal" Batista as the five-time World Champion would make a "career-altering" announcement. "The Animal" started by thanking all of the fans around the world for their support and then reveals that he has returned to RAW to say "goodbye". Randy Orton then interrupts the emotional moment and makes his way to the ring. The former WWE Champion tells Batista that he is "not happy" about losing the WWE Title at Breaking Point, but he is happy about Batista’s retirement. Orton then proclaims that Batista is retiring because of him, not because of the injury to his arm. Believe it or not, Orton’s arrival actually brings a smile to the face of "The Animal"! Batista tells Orton that he is smiling for two reasons; one, Orton is predictable and two, he knows something that Orton doesn’t. With that statement, Batista slid off his protective arm brace and attacked Orton, laying the former champion out with a powerslam before dispatching him from the ring! After the successful luring of "The Viper" to the ring for the attack, "The Animal" drops the bombshell announcement that he’s not retiring, but that he’s going to SmackDown! The surprises just kept on coming from Batista as the former World Champion announced that Guest Host Trish Stratus has given Batista a final match on RAW; a No Holds Barred Match against Randy Orton! Before Batista heads back to Friday Nights, "The Animal" will get his hands on the man who has twice injured him and almost cost him his career in the past, Randy Orton. Will there be anything left of Orton once Batista is done with him?

Still reeling from the string of surprises brought on by Batista, the Toronto crowd was then treated to an appearance by the Guest Host for the night and Toronto’s own, Trish Stratus! "The Diva of the Decade" proclaimed that it was good to be "home"; both in Toronto and in the WWE. The seven-time Women’s Champion then says that she thinks that she will be a good Guest Host since she "knows" RAW and knows what the fans want. Trish then announced that Randy Orton will get his rematch for the WWE Championship at the inaugral WWE Hell in a Cell event in a, you guessed it, Hell in a Cell Match! Following this announcement, Trish promised "stratusfaction"!

One night after failing to pry the United States Championship from Kofi Kingston, The Miz was in tag team action against the United States Champion as Miz teamed up with "The All-American American" Jack Swagger to face the team of Primo & Kofi Kingston. During the match, The Miz stole the United States Title belt from Kofi and walked off with it! This distracted the champion long enough for Swagger to hit his signature powerbomb and pin "The Jamaican Sensation"! How will Kofi respond to The Miz stealing the title belt?

With Diva’s Champion Mickie James on commentary, a new #1 Contender for her Diva’s Title would be determined as Toronto resident, Gail Kim, squared off with Alicia Fox. In the end, it was Fox that took advantage of a missed high risk maneuver by Gail Kim that allowed Alicia Fox to become the #1 Contender for the Diva’s Title! When will Mickie & Fox do battle over the championship?

Backstage, Guest Host Trish Stratus is confronted by Chris Jericho & Beth Phoenix and it leads to the Canadian beauty making a tag team match pitting Chris Jericho & Beth Phoenix against Trish and a partner of her choosing! Who will Trish choose as her partner?

One night after being forced to tap out to Legacy at Breaking Point, "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels was out to avenge the loss as he went one-on-one with one-half of Legacy, Ted DiBiase. Still feeling the effects of the Submissions Count Anywhere match twenty-four hours earlier, the DX member struggled to get the upper hand during the bout, but once he did, Cody Rhodes interfered by attacking Michaels and trying to lock him in the Figure-4 Leg Lock around the steel post like he did at Breaking Point! After being a little too late the night before, Triple H quickly blasted Cody Rhodes to prevent Rhodes from locking the hold in. All four competitors then got involved in a full-on brawl throughout the raucous crowd in the Air Canada Centre! It was later announced that these two teams will once again do battle in three weeks time in a Hell in a Cell Match at WWE Hell in a Cell! How will Legacy fare in their first ever Hell in a Cell Match against Cell veterans Triple H & Shawn Michaels?

In tag team action, Hornswoggle & Evan Bourne teamed up to defeat the team of "The Mexican Warrior" Chavo Guerrero and Carlito. After losing to Hornswoggle yet again, Chavo declared that he "gives up" in regards to trying to beat Hornswoggle! What does this mean for Chavo Guerrero? Will "The Mexican Warrior" be able to move on from his rivalry with Hornswoggle?

After such an explosive night of action on RAW, the individual who overseen it all, Guest Host Trish Stratus, got back into the ring as she teamed up with MVP to take on the team of Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho & "The Glamazon" Beth Phoenix. During the match, the action between MVP & Jericho spilled to the outside of the ring, which led to Big Show interfering! Mark Henry then rushed down to help out his tag team partner, MVP!

Guest Host Trish Stratus declared that the match would not end like that and made the match a 6-Person Mixed Tag Match where she would team with MVP & Mark Henry to take on Beth Phoenix and the Unified Tag Team Champions Big Show & Chris Jericho. In the end, the contest broke down between the males on the outside of the ring, which left Trish & Phoenix going one-on-one. Showing that she still has it, Trish delivered a little Stratusfaction to "The Glamazon" to pick up the win for her team!

With Trish Stratus’ night as Guest Host coming to a close, next week’s RAW Guest Host was revealed to be legendary comedian and actor, Cedric The Entertainer! What will Cedric have in store for next week’s RAW?

Then it was time for the main event as "The Animal" Batista returned to in-ring action in his last match before heading to Friday Night SmackDown and he would face the man who cost him the WWE Championship by injuring his arm back in June, Randy Orton. As if that was not enough, the match would be No Holds Barred! "The Animal" took it to Orton throughout the match, but "The Viper" decided that he had had enough and tried to walk out of the match but was stopped by the new WWE Champion John Cena! Orton’s Hell in a Cell opponent then ran down Orton and "delivered" Orton to Batista. "The Animal" then planted "The Viper" with the Batista Bomb to pick up the win and have a successful send-off! What can we expect from Batista now that the four-time World Heavyweight Champion moves back to Friday Nights? What can we expect to see between new WWE Champion John Cena and the former champion Randy Orton heading into their Hell in a Cell Match in three weeks?

Two nights after Breaking Point, the 171st edition of ECW on Syfy came to you from the Copps Coliseum in Ontario’s port city- Hamilton. After successfully defending his ECW Championship against William Regal at Breaking Point, ECW Champion Christian would find out who his new #1 Contender would be as ten ECW Superstars would compete in a Battle Royal to determine who would take the coveted spot.

The show kicked off with the General Manager of ECW, Tiffany, who discusses how proud she is of the ECW Championship match at Breaking Point. However, the beautiful GM was interrupted by disgruntled former #1 Contender, William Regal, flanked by Vladimir Kozlov & Ezekiel Jackson. Regal apologizes for the interruption and pays Tiffany a few compliments and saying that she is doing a "wonderful" job as the General Manager, but that he is there to discuss what went down at Breaking Point. Regal asked Tiffany why she banned Vladimir Kozlov & Ezekiel Jackson from ringside in the ECW Title match on Sunday. The GM explained to Regal that she wanted to keep the title match strictly one-on-one; with no involvement from Kozlov or Jackson. Regal responds by calling the decision "rash" and states that it is "only right" that he receive another rematch for the ECW Championship. Feeling that Regal had more than his fair share of chances to win the title, Tiffany denied the request of Regal and announced that a new #1 Contender would be named via a 10-Man Battle Royal! Tiffany then instructed Vladimir Kozlov & Ezekiel Jackson to get ready for the Battle Royal later on, but the GM stopped Regal and told Regal that he would not be in the Battle Royal and he would be in action right now! With that, The Hurricane made his way to the ring as Regal would be forced to compete in his street clothes!

Despite being forced to wrestle in his expensive street clothes, William Regal was able to defeat The Hurricane in the opening match. Where does the 2008 King of the Ring go from here? Will Regal attempt to climb the ladder once again to get another shot at the ECW Championship?

After suffering a loss to William Regal, The Hurricane’s night got worse as "The Ripper" Paul Burchill took advantage of the weakened super-hero to attack Hurricane and lay "The Masked Avenger" out in the middle of the ring! When will this "obsession" of Burchill’s be satisfied?

"The Long Island Loudmouth" Zack Ryder was in action against Yoshi Tatsu and, despite an impressive showing, "The New Japanese Buzzsaw" was able to deliver a vicious kick to the skull of Ryder to pick up the win!

Then it was time to determine the new #1 Contender for the ECW Title as ten men would compete in a Battle Royal to see who would face ECW Champion Christian for the title in the future. "The Gold Standard" Shelton Benjamin had an impressive showing in the contest; eliminating Paul Burchill, Sheamus, and, with an assist by Tommy Dreamer, Ezekiel Jackson. However, a bitter Sheamus crushed Benjamin’s dreams of competing for the ECW Championship by eliminating "The Gold Standard" from the contest! This led to a brawl between the two Superstars, which prompted referees to come to ringside and break up the scuffle. Meanwhile, back in the Battle Royal, it was down to the "final four" as Goldust, Vladimir Kozlov, Zack Ryder, & Tommy Dreamer were left in the match. Zack Ryder was able to narrow it down to three by eliminating "The Bizarre One" Goldust. This was followed by the "ECW Original" Tommy Dreamer managing to rid the ring of Vladimir Kozlov. Ryder then took advantage by quickly eliminating Dreamer to cement his spot as the #1 Contender for the ECW Title! For the first time in his career, Ryder will compete for the ECW Championship. The question is, when will he get his opportunity to face the champion, Christian, for the title?

The 23rd edition of WWE Superstars came to you from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario and Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. In his home province, ECW Champion Christian would be in non-title action as he squares off with "The Ripper" Paul Burchill. The #1 Contender for the Intercontinental Title, Dolph Ziggler, would go one-on-one with "The Fighting Irishman" Finlay. Also, "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters would face Santino Marella.

The opening match of the night saw "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters face off with the incomparable Santino Marella in RAW’s offering to Superstars. Despite a valiant effort by Santino, the proud Italian Superstar succumbed to the devastating and unbreakable Masterlock, giving Chris Masters the victory.

With the new #1 Contender to the ECW Title, Zack Ryder, on commentary, ECW Champion Christian went one-on-one with "The Ripper" Paul Burchill in a non-title match. In an incredible match between two of the ECW elite, "Captain Charisma" was able to come out of the match with a victory over Paul Burchill; all in front of his #1 Contender, Zack Ryder. When will "The Long Island Loudmouth" Zack Ryder get his opportunity at the ECW Championship?

It was announced on WWE Superstars that the #1 Contender for the Intercontinental Title, Dolph Ziggler, will get his opportunity at WWE Hell in a Cell, where he will challenge "The Guru of Greatness" John Morrison for the Intercontinental Championship! Which young SmackDown Superstar will walk out of the Prudential Center on October 4 with the Intercontinental Title?

Dolph Ziggler was in action on Superstars as he squared off with "The Fighting Irishman" Finlay in the main event from SmackDown. The end of the match came when the referee was distracted by Finlay’s shillelagh in the ring. This gave Dolph the opportunity to rake the eyes of "The Fighting Irishman" and hit the Zig Zag to pick up the win over Finlay! How will Ziggler fare when he challenges John Morrison for the Intercontinental Title on October 4 at WWE Hell in a Cell?

Five nights after a controversial WWE Breaking Point, the 526th edition of WWE SmackDown came to you from the Copps Coliseum in the port city of Hamilton, Ontario. Following the controversial World Heavyweight Title match at Breaking Point, a lot of questions were left unanswered by SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long, referee Scott Armstrong, and World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk; questions that would hopefully be answered on SmackDown. After decimating Randy Orton on RAW, "The Animal" Batista would return to his new "home" on Friday Night SmackDown.

The show opened with a shot of a long, black limousine arriving at the Copps Coliseum. A very nervous and paranoid Theodore Long emerged from the limo and was immediately surrounded by several security guards. Thoroughly protected, the General Manager entered the arena. Can even this elaborate security force stop The Undertaker from getting to Theodore Long?

"The Animal" was back on SmackDown as Batista made his return to Friday Nights! The five time World Champion explained that his contract on Monday Night RAW had expired and, for the first time in his career, he was able to "choose" what brand he wanted to be a part of and so he chose SmackDown. Batista then proclaimed that SmackDown is the "A Show" and that he can’t "wait to get started". Chris Jericho then crashed the return of "The Animal" by making his way to the ring. Jericho sarcastically welcomed Batista back to SmackDown and said that Batista made him "sick" and that Batista was "begging for cheers". Jericho then called Batista a "Neanderthal" before proclaiming that he is "the face of SmackDown and everyone knows it" and that he is the "man" on SmackDown. Batista responded by quoting a good friend of his and saying that "to be the man, you’ve got to beat the man". Batista then announced that Jericho would be facing him in the main event before laying the Unified Tag Team Champion out with a spinebuster! Will Batista make his return to SmackDown a complete success by defeating Chris Jericho or will the self-proclaimed "face of SmackDown" spoil the return of "The Animal"?

After getting a spinebuster, courtesy of Batista, Chris Jericho stormed backstage and confronted the other half of the Unified Tag Team Champions, Big Show, and demanded to know why Big Show was not out there to back him up. Frustrated, Jericho stated that he would face Batista "alone" in the main event! Without "The World’s Largest Athlete" in his corner, can Jericho defeat Batista?

As the #1 Contender for the Intercontinental Title, Dolph Ziggler, was a guest on commentary, the opening match of the night saw the Intercontinental Champion John Morrison pick up a big win over "Monstrous" Mike Knox. After the match, "The Guru of Greatness" continued to chip away at the psyche of Ziggler by starting up a "Mr. Ziggles" chant aimed at the #1 Contender! Which one of these impressive young Superstars will emerge from WWE Hell in a Cell as the Intercontinental Champion? Will Morrison make his first defense a successful one or will Dolph Ziggler claim the Intercontinental Championship?

Backstage, the referee from the controversial World Heavyweight Title match at Breaking Point, Scott Armstrong, said that he did what he did at Breaking Point because he values his job and stated that he is "not proud" of what he did. Armstrong then stated that he will make "no excuses" for his actions as he did what the job required of him.

SmackDown also saw the in-ring return of Women’s Champion Michelle McCool as she squared off with Melina. In the end, it was Melina standing with her hand raised after pinning the Women’s Champion! Will Melina get a rematch for the Women’s Title now that she has pinned the champion?

Backstage, SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long, still flanked by security, is nervously pacing in his office when he is startled by the arrival of the WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon. The Chairman praised Long for his acquisition of Batista, but then asked Long why he "double-crossed" The Undertaker, saying that the GM owes him an explanation and that his answer had better be a "good" one. McMahon then orders Theodore Long to go out to the ring and publicly explain himself to the fans.

Surrounded by an abundant number of security guards, SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long made his way to the ring and admitted that the events of Breaking Point were "pre-planned" to keep The Undertaker from winning the World Heavyweight Title. The GM then says that he is "not proud" of what he did at Breaking Point, but that he is not the only one involved, citing the referee, Scott Armstrong, and World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk as his accomplices. Long then states that he wants to "apologize" to the fans and to The Undertaker and that he hopes that The Undertaker can "find it in his heart" to "forgive" Long for his controversial actions. With his security force surrounding him again, the GM made his exit to the parking lot and got in his limousine to leave the arena. However, after Long got in, the doors on the limousine quickly locked shut and the divider window rolled down to reveal that The Undertaker was behind the wheel of the vehicle! Smoke then filled the limousine as Theodore Long screamed for help and the limo drove away! Where did "The Phenom" take Theodore Long and what will happen to the GM on his "trip" with The Undertaker?

After seeing the unsettling events that just took place backstage, World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk came to the ring. "The Straightedge Champion" then proclaimed that he made The Undertaker "tap out", just like he said he would and that he came out to confront The Undertaker, but Undertaker was "conveniently" not there. The World Heavyweight Champion then referred to himself as "righteous" and called the fans "inebriated zombies". The confident champion then said that "he means what he says and says what he means", before declaring himself "the choice of a new generation" and saying that being straightedge makes him "better". What will happen when The Undertaker is through with Theodore Long? Will "The Deadman" hunt down the World Heavyweight Champion next?

In their home country, The Hart Dynasty was in action as they picked up a big home field win over Cryme Tyme. Could The Hart Dynasty be on their way to become the #1 Contenders for the Unified Tag Team Titles?

Just five nights after their grueling Singapore Cane Match at Breaking Point, "The Big Red Monster" Kane and The Great Khali went one-on-one on SmackDown. After the match spilled to the outside, Kane quickly grabbed a steel chair and leveled Khali with a shot to the head! With Khali completely out of it, "The Big Red Monster" dragged the large frame of Khali and placed Khali’s knee on the steel steps. The vicious and evil Kane then destroyed the knee of Khali with countless shots with the other half of the steel steps! Kane then walked away from his scene of destruction; proud of his handiwork. EMT’s then rushed to the aid of The Great Khali, loading Khali onto a stretcher and wheeling him out of the arena. How much damage has Kane done to Khali’s knee? When will we see The Great Khali come back to SmackDown?

In the ring, it was set to be R-Truth going one-on-one with Charlie Haas, but instead of R-Truth, Drew McIntyre came out and announced that R-Truth had been in a backstage "accident" and would be unable to compete! McIntyre then said that, in his opinion, Charlie Haas is the winner by forfeit. McIntyre then extended his hand to Charlie Haas, which Haas reluctantly shook. However, when Haas turned his back, McIntyre attacked Haas and laid him out with his vicious double-arm DDT that he calls "The Scot Drop"! When will see R-Truth get his revenge on McIntyre? Can anyone stop the malice and persistent attacks by Drew McIntyre?

Then it was time for the main event as "The Animal" Batista made his in-ring return to SmackDown as he squared off with Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho in a match that Jericho informed his partner, Big Show, that he wanted to do "alone". All by his lonesome, Jericho had an impressive showing against Batista, but when Jericho went for the Codebreaker, Batista caught Jericho and turned the maneuver into a thunderous Batista Bomb and pinned Jericho for the win!

Backstage, Big Show claims that Batista got "lucky" against Jericho. "The World’s Largest Athlete" then challenges Batista for next week’s SmackDown! Will "The Animal" accept the challenge laid down by Big Show? Does Batista even have the strength to overcome the sheer size of Big Show? What role will Chris Jericho have in the match next week, should Batista accept?

Superstar of the Week: Batista