This Week In WWE: October 4, 2009- October 10, 2009

Welcome to the seventy-fifth 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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As hell came to Newark, NJ for the inaugural WWE Hell in a Cell event, the event kicked off in a huge way with the World Heavyweight Championship as "The Straightedge Champion" CM Punk and his revenge-driven challenger, The Undertaker, would go to war inside the demonic Hell in a Cell. CM Punk had an impressive showing in his first Hell in a Cell Match by managing to slow down "The Phenom" with the timely assistance of the steel steps to the knee of The Undertaker. After slowing down Undertaker, CM Punk waylaid "The Deadman" with a steel chair shot! Despite the abuse dished out by CM Punk, The Undertaker was able to come back with a strong comeback and hit Punk with the Tombstone Piledriver to win his seventh World Championship! The Undertaker did as he vowed to do; he took the World Heavyweight Championship of CM Punk. Now that The Undertaker has cast his shadow over SmackDown as the champion, who will step up to challenge "The Deadman"? Will CM Punk be seeking his rematch?

The Intercontinental Championship was on the line as John Morrison defended the gold against the #1 Contender, Dolph Ziggler. The confident #1 Contender dominated much of the match against the champion, but in the end, it was "The Guru of Greatness" who landed Starship Pain on Ziggler to retain his Intercontinental Championship!

After being a thorn in her side for weeks, Mickie James finally took it to her #1 Contender, Alicia Fox, and retained her Divas Championship!

Four former World Champions would do battle as Unified Tag Team Champions Big Show & Chris Jericho defended the gold against their toughest challengers to date; the team of former WWE Tag Team Champions, Batista & Rey Mysterio. In a tag team match that can only be described as chaotic, it looked like Rey would make a triumphant return by earning the tag titles for himself and Batista, but Big Show and his devastating knockout punch knocked that hope out of "The Master of the 619". With Chris Jericho and Batista down on the outside, it was down to Big Show and Rey Mysterio. It looked as though "The Biggest Little Man" would manage to upset "The World’s Largest Athlete" after hitting the 619, but as Rey went to his aerial tactics, it was a well-placed right hand by Big Show that grounded Mysterio and allowed Big Show to pin Mysterio to retain the Unified Tag Team Titles for himself and Chris Jericho! After narrowly escaping with the titles intact, who will be the next team to try and challenge the self-proclaimed "most dominant tag team in WWE history"?

Then it was time to return to hell as John Cena defended the WWE Championship against former champion Randy Orton inside the demonic Hell in a Cell. At one point in the match, Cena had the match won when he locked in his STF onto Orton and forced Orton to tap out, but in a bad break for "The Champ", the referee had just been knocked down and did not see Orton submit! Both competitors gave it all they had and then some, but after Orton kicked out of the Attitude Adjustment by Cena and Cena kicked out of the RKO by Orton, the question became- what will it take for one of these men to walk out as WWE Champion? Orton would provide the diabolical answer to that question as the ruthless former champion tied Cena up in the ropes and proceeded to choke "The Champ" out! After Orton was out of it, "The Viper" released the hold, which allowed the referee to free the unconscious Cena from the ropes. Cena slowly started to regain consciousness, but the sinister mind of Randy Orton had come up with a plan to finally put Cena down for the count. Orton relied on his vicious punt to punt his way to becoming a six time World Champion! Now that "The Viper" has regained the WWE Championship from John Cena, is Orton finally done with John Cena? When will Cena have his rematch for the title?

After weeks of vicious backstage assaults, Drew McIntyre would finally have a sanctioned match against R-Truth. R-Truth was fueled by revenge for the heinous attacks by McIntyre, but the self-proclaimed "future World Heavyweight Champion" was able to plant R-Truth and pick up the win in his pay-per-view debut! Has McIntyre’s victory brought a conclusion to the rivalry with R-Truth or will R-Truth not be satisfied until he defeats the intense Scotsman?

Backstage, new WWE Champion Randy Orton is recovering from his brutal Hell in a Cell Match with John Cena, when he is confronted by Legacy. The cocky multigenerational duo praised their mentor for Orton’s victory against Cena and after Rhodes & DiBiase started to talk about their plans after the show, a disgusted Randy Orton stepped in and warns Legacy that they don’t know what they’re in for. Despite the warning by Orton, Legacy still exuded confidence as Cody Rhodes said that Orton reminded him of his "old man". Orton then reminded the duo that he is not Rhodes’ father, that he is the WWE Champion. Orton again warns Legacy about what they are getting into with Hell in a Cell and DX, but a cocky Ted DiBiase advises Orton not to "underestimate" them. Is Legacy confident for good reason or is it false bravado as they head to war with DX?

Then it was time for the Triple Threat Match for the United States Championship as champion Kofi Kingston defended the gold against both The Miz & Jack Swagger. However, before the match began, Miz had some choice words for the city of Newark. Miz once again vows to win the United States Title and then quotes his "good friend" Conan O’Brien by saying that "all sewers lead to Newark". The self-proclaimed "awesome" Superstar then begged Newark mayor Corey Booker to ban him from Newark like the mayor did to Conan. Miz then concluded his widely unpopular speech by proclaiming that Newark will finally be "known for something" when he wins the United States Championship!

Despite the promises set by the overly confident Miz & Jack Swagger, Kofi Kingston was able to take advantage of the unique Triple Threat rules to retain the United States Title! It looked like Jack Swagger was closing in on the United States Titles as "The All-American American" laid out The Miz with his signature powerbomb. However, before Swagger could capitalize on his handiwork, it was Kofi who took Swagger out of the match with Trouble In Paradise followed by Kofi pinning Miz that allowed Kofi to once again overcome the odds and retain the United States Championship! Who will be the next pursuer of the United States Title?

While the WWE & World Heavyweight Titles both changed hands inside Hell in a Cell, the third and final Hell in a Cell Match was not about titles, but about respect and legacies as the legendary duo of D-Generation X faced the cocky young team, Legacy. Seemingly always one step ahead of the veterans, Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase got an early advantage by blind-siding DX as they made their entrance! Without stepping foot inside the Cell, the two teams brawled all around the Cell! The intensity rose as DX was able to isolate Cody Rhodes and, after a monitor shot by Triple H, DX was able to deliver a double suplex to Cody Rhodes on the unforgiving SmackDown announce table! After seeing what happened to his partner, Ted DiBiase dove onto Triple H as the brawl resumed. DiBiase then delivered a devastating suplex of his own as he suplexed Triple H on the arena floor! With neither team having set foot in the Hell in a Cell for the match to start, the teams split up and battled through the crowd. After Shawn Michaels back-dropped Cody Rhodes over the barricade and back into the ringside area, things got ugly for DX. As Michaels climbed over the barricade, Cody Rhodes had taken possession of the steel chain that locks the Cell door in place. The diabolical second-generation Superstar then blasted HBK in the knee with the chain! With Michaels down for the moment, Rhodes rushed up to the stage and blasted Triple H in the head with the steel chain! Rhodes & DiBiase then delivered a vile double DDT onto the steel stage followed by the Cross Rhodes by Cody Rhodes! With Triple H emphatically out of the equation, both members of Legacy turned their attention to Shawn Michaels. With intent to maim, Legacy placed the bad knee of HBK and slammed the steel Cell door onto the knee! Things only got worse for Shawn Michaels from that point as Legacy through Michaels back into the confines of the Cell and locked and chained the Cell door shut with Triple H locked outside! As the match finally got started, Legacy continued their diabolical 2-on-1 assault of Shawn Michaels. With Triple H not only locked out, but knocked out, there was nothing preventing Legacy from destroying Shawn Michaels. Michaels repeatedly tried to fight back against Legacy, but the numbers game proved to be too much for an already pain-filled Michaels. In what could have been his last hope, Michaels tossed a steel chair into the face of Cody Rhodes, but HBK was immediately attacked by Ted DiBiase. While this was going on, Triple H had gotten to his feet and was scrambling to get inside Hell in a Cell to help Shawn Michaels. Even though Triple H had recovered from the earlier onslaught of Legacy, "The Game" was still locked out of the Cell! As Triple H continually tried to break into the Cell, Legacy continued to assault Shawn Michaels and taunt Triple H. Triple H then grabs a steel chair and is repeatedly trying to break into the Cell, even using the steel chair to pry on the door! As Triple H helplessly watched, Legacy continued to destroy Shawn Michaels. However, Michaels proved to still have something left as HBK managed to blast DiBiase with Sweet Chin Music! The short burst was for naught as Rhodes pulled Michaels off of the pin attempt and blasted HBK in the back with a steel chair! After realizing that the steel chair was not going to help him break into the Cell, Triple H glared at Legacy as the diabolical young duo taunted "The Game". In the midst of Legacy’s taunts, Triple H just turns around and walks out; leaving Shawn Michaels! With the Triple H factor no longer an issue, Legacy resumed their heinous and methodical decimation of the legendary Shawn Michaels. Rhodes & DiBiase then throw HBK back into the ring and, with evil intentions, Legacy slowly plotted out their plan of attack. In a unique and devastating use of a steel chair, Cody Rhodes placed the chair on the skull of Michaels so that Ted DiBiase could dropkick the chair into the head of HBK! Legacy proved they are more focused on dishing out punishment to Michaels than winning the match when Cody Rhodes used the steel post to lock in the unique Figure-4 Leg Lock that Legacy used to defeat DX at Breaking Point! With Ted DiBiase locking in the Million Dollar Dream on HBK, the double submission was locked in! While HBK is in the double submission, Triple H returns with bolt cutters! As "The Game" works to cut the chain to break into the Cell. With Triple H getting closer to getting into the Cell, Ted DiBiase quickly laid out Shawn Michaels with Dream Street on a steel chair! Triple H then finally cuts the chain and is finally able to fend off Legacy! "The Game" comes into the ring and starts battling both members of Legacy, but, once again, the numbers game catches up with Triple H and Legacy then starts to double team Triple H. However, Triple H was able to hold Legacy off long enough to allow Shawn Michaels to recover enough to save Triple H from the same 2-on-1 beat down that he had received. With the odds even between the two teams, DX started their own decimation of Legacy on the outside of the ring. With all four competitors inside the Cell, a referee came down to try and chain the door shut. However, Triple H grabbed the chain for a little bit of pay back on Legacy as he blasted Ted DiBiase with the chain! With Cody Rhodes still recovering, DiBiase was left all alone with both members of DX. Following up his shot with the steel chain, Triple H delivered a Pedigree to DiBiase on the arena floor! With revenge on their minds, DX then dragged DiBiase outside of the Cell. With DiBiase completely out of it on the outside of the Cell, Triple H then chained the door shut; leaving Cody Rhodes all alone with Triple H & Shawn Michaels! Now with the shoe on the other foot, DX started their destruction of Cody Rhodes. With Ted DiBiase being forced to watch his partner’s dismemberment just like Triple H had to do when Legacy isolated Shawn Michaels, DX wasted no time as Triple H placed a steel chair around the neck of Cody Rhodes followed by Shawn Michaels hitting his signature elbow drop onto the steel chair! Triple H then went outside and got a sledgehammer as HBK "tuned up the band" for Sweet Chin Music. "The Cerebral Assassin" then prepared for HBK to hit his superkick and when Michaels hit the superkick, Triple H blasted Cody Rhodes in the skull with the sledgehammer; simultaneously "compacting" the head of Cody Rhodes! Shawn Michaels then pinned Cody Rhodes to put an end to the brutal Hell in a Cell Match. As the Hell in a Cell rose, Ted DiBiase rushed into the ring to check on his decimated partner, but DiBiase was met with the superkick of Shawn Michaels! Triumphant over Legacy, DX then stood tall and celebrated their victory and the end of their rivalry with Legacy. What kind of condition is DX and Legacy in after such a uniquely brutal Hell in a Cell Match? Is this truly the end of the DX/Legacy saga?

One night removed from WWE Hell in a Cell, the 854th edition of WWE Monday Night RAW came to you, live, from the Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza in "The Diamond City" of Wilkes-Barre, PA. Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger would serve as Guest Host and would be accompanied by the offensive line of the Steelers.

The Guest Host of RAW wasted no time in making an appearance as the Quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger opened the show and declared that he would start RAW off with a "surprise". What a "surprise" it was as "Big Ben" then announced the first ever Diva Bowl, featuring Divas from all three brands with Gail Kim as the Special Referee!

In the first ever Diva Bowl put together by Guest Host Ben Roethlisberger, the team of Divas Champion Mickie James, former Women’s Champion Melina, Eve Torres, Kelly Kelly, Maria, & The Bella Twins defeated the team of Women’s Champion Michelle McCool, Beth Phoenix, Natalya, Jillian, Rosa Mendes, Layla, & Alicia Fox with Mickie James pinning Alicia Fox for the second night in a row! What else would "Big Ben" have in store for RAW?

The Divas’ victory celebration was short-lived, however, as the new WWE Champion Randy Orton interrupted the festivities. After the Divas cleared the ring, Orton declared that he defeated John Cena inside Hell in a Cell last night. The new champion then said that he did not need any "backup" or "shortcuts"; that he beat Cena when it was just the two of them inside the Cell. Orton then proclaimed that he "beat Cena, end of story". Orton then says that he would bet that Cena is going to interrupt him and request his rematch for the WWE Title. "The Viper" then openly invites the former WWE Champion to come to the ring and John Cena accepts the invitation and comes to the ring. After seeing that the former champion was ready to fight, Orton made it clear that Cena would not be getting his rematch on RAW. Cena then proclaimed that Orton Vs. Cena is "the rivalry" and that he wants another match with Orton for the WWE Championship and he does not want it to be any ordinary match, but "the match"; a 60-Minute Iron Man Match! Cena then proclaims that the Iron Man Match would end their rivalry. The WWE Champion replies by telling Cena that they will have the match on his "terms" and that he wants to make sure that the Iron Man Match is the final match between them, so he adds in the stipulation that, if John Cena loses, he must leave RAW! Not only that, but Orton added that the match would have no disqualifications and no count-outs! Confident in his abilites and never one to refuse a challenge, Cena accepts the match and the conditions and shakes Randy Orton’s hand to make it official! It was later announced that this epic match will take place in three weeks’ time at WWE Bragging Rights. In only the sixth Iron Man Match in WWE History and the first one to take place since 2005, Randy Orton and John Cena will do battle for one grueling hour with no disqualifications and no count-outs with the stipulation that, if Cena fails to regain the WWE Title, he must leave RAW. Who will leave "The Steel City" of Pittsburgh with the WWE Title having outlasted their opponent for one hour? Will John Cena ultimately prove that he is better than Randy Orton by regaining the WWE Title or will Orton retain the title and banish John Cena from RAW and from his life?

One night after failing to win the United States Title at WWE Hell in a Cell, "The All-American American" Jack Swagger was all smiles as he stated that he was not pinned in the Triple Threat Match and proclaimed that he is a "winner". The always confident Swagger then promised to remain undefeated for the rest of the year! Can Jack Swagger truly survive the rest of 2009 without a loss?

"The All-American American" Jack Swagger got off to a good start on his decree to be undefeated for the rest of the year by picking up a victory over Primo. Jack Swagger is now 1-0 in his quest to remain undefeated, but how long can this streak last? Will Swagger make it through the year with no losses?

After some "miscommunication" last week, Chavo Guerrero & Chris Masters once again teamed up, this time to battle MVP & Mark Henry. Things did not go well for "The Mexican Warrior" and "The Masterpiece" as Chris Masters accidentally hit Chavo with an elbow that led to MVP pinning Chavo to pick up the win! After the match, the dysfunctional team argued before Chris Masters attacked Chavo and tried to put him in the Masterlock, but Chavo was saved by Hornswoggle when Hornswoggle bit Masters! After the assist from Hornswoggle, Chavo planted Masters with a DDT! What is the story between Chavo & Hornswoggle?

Guest Host Ben Roethlisberger then came to the ring and said that RAW had been great so far and that it would continue, but "Big Ben" was quickly interrupted by the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions Big Show & Chris Jericho! JeriShow made their way into the ring and Big Show questions how "big" Ben is and how "big" the offensive line for the Pittsburgh Steelers is. The Quarterback then brought out his offensive line to show Big Show just how big they were. The entire offensive line lined up in the ring and took the three-point stance as Big Show did the same! When it looked like Big Show might collide with the massive wall of offensive linemen, JeriShow quickly got out of the ring! Then things got interesting as D-Generation X came out! DX comes into the ring and greets "Big Ben" and the offensive line as Chris Jericho, on the ramp, calls DX "miscreants" and accuses them of just being out there to shell their DX merchandise. Triple H denied Jericho’s claim before referring to Jericho’s hair as "ridiculous". A serious Shawn Michaels then stated that he is still feeling the effects of the grueling Hell in a Cell Match against Legacy less than twenty-four hours ago. HBK told the tag champions that they have beaten some great teams, but there is one team they have not faced. Big Show took it as a challenge and said that challenge was "dumb" and proclaims that DX does not want a piece of them. Jericho then stated that DX doesn’t "deserve" to face them. As the man in charge, Ben Roethlisberger stepped in and made the match official! With that simple decree by the Guest Host, the main event would be the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions Big Show & Chris Jericho facing D-Generation X for the first time ever! After the announcement, DX, "Big Ben", and the offensive line of the Steelers celebrated, DX style!

After talking with Guest Host Ben Roethlisberger, The Miz was granted a one-on-one match for the United States Title against Kofi Kingston! In an incredible match by both competitors, it was The Miz who capitalized on a crucial mistake by Kofi Kingston to hit the Skull Crushing Finale and finally claim the United States Title! The Miz is now the United States Champion; the first singles title in his career! When will Kofi request his mandatory rematch and will The Miz be able to keep the gold when that time comes?

It was announced on RAW that the Guest Hosts for next week’s RAW will be Nancy O’Dell & Maria Menounos from Access Hollywood! What will the ladies of Access Hollywood have in store for Monday Night RAW next week?

Then it was time for the main event as the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions Big Show & Chris Jericho faced D-Generation X in a non-title match. After knocking Big Show over the barricade on the outside, Jericho was all alone against both members of DX! When Jericho realized this, he quickly exited the ring and thought he had successfully walked out on the match until Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers’ offensive line lined up on the stage to prevent Jericho from leaving! With nowhere for Jericho to escape to, DX brought Jericho back into the ring where he was met with a rendition of Sweet Chin Music by Shawn Michaels and was pinned by Triple H for a DX victory! After defeating the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions, DX resumed their DX style celebration with Ben Roethlisberger and his offensive line! Now that D-Generation X has picked up a non-title victory over the champions, will DX get a shot at the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles? If so, when will these two teams clash for the gold?

The 174th edition of ECW on Syfy came to you from the Sovereign Bank Arena in the capital city of New Jersey- Trenton. On his second week "on the job", Interim ECW General Manager William Regal would make an appearance.

The show kicked off with the Interim General Manager of ECW, William Regal, who was accompanied by his towering associates, Ezekiel Jackson & Vladimir Kozlov. The Interim GM starts by sending his "best wishes" to the convalescing General Manager Tiffany. Regal then said that, while the decision was unpopular, he is the "best choice" to serve as the Interim GM. "The British Brawler" then said that it is "only right" that he name himself the #1 Contender for the ECW Championship! This brought out Zack Ryder, who said that Regal took away his one-on-one match with Christian last week and made it an 8-Man Tag Team match that led to their team losing. Regal & Ryder then argue over the #1 Contender’s spot until the ECW Champion, Christian, comes out, who proclaims that neither man "deserves" a title shot. "Captain Charisma" then brought out two familiar faces and one not-so-familiar face. Christian then "demonstrated" that the janitor of the Sovereign Bank Arena was "more deserving" than Ryder or Regal. Christian then moved on to WWE Hall of Famer Tony Atlas and said that the legend was "more deserving" than Ryder or Regal. Lastly, Christian came to "The New Japanese Buzzsaw" Yoshi Tatsu, who Christian touts as the most deserving of them all as he has defeated both William Regal & Zack Ryder before! Much to the dismay of William Regal, the ECW Champion brings out a person who can sort the whole situation out as Christian brought out the ECW General Manager herself, Tiffany! With her arm in a cast and sling, the GM proclaimed that "nothing" would stop her from doing her job as the General Manager of ECW. The returning GM then got down to business as she announced three blockbuster matches to take place on ECW! In an effort for all three potential contenders to prove they deserve the title shot, William Regal would go one-on-one with the man who pinned him last week, Yoshi Tatsu! Not only that, but Zack Ryder would finally get a one-on-one match with Christian as he would face the ECW Champion in a non-title match. After announcing these two huge matches, Tiffany informed Ezekiel Jackson & Vladimir Kozlov that they would be in action in the opening bout!

William Regal’s "associates", Ezekiel Jackson & Vladimir Kozlov once again showed their prowess and sheer power by defeating two veterans- "The Bizarre Lonestar" Goldust and the "ECW Original" Tommy Dreamer! Can anyone stop this contingent put together by William Regal?

Then it was time for William Regal and Yoshi Tatsu to state their case for a shot at the ECW Championship as the two went one-on-one. After a hard-fought match, it was Yoshi Tatsu hitting his signature kick on William Regal that led to Tatsu getting the pin on Regal to pick up the victory! While the referee counted to three and declared Tatsu the winner, there was some controversy involved as, when Tatsu made the cover, Regal had his foot under the bottom rope, which should have stopped the three count! However, since the referee did not see it in time, the referee’s decision stands!

After bringing out Ezekiel Jackson & Vladimir Kozlov to help him plead his case to the referee, Regal and company decided not to leave the ringside area and all three men took a seat at ringside as the ECW Champion Christian was set to face off with Zack Ryder in a non-title rematch from two weeks ago.

With Regal and his cohorts seated at ringside, the ECW Champion Christian went head-to-head with Zack Ryder. However, once the match spilled to the outside, it was Vladimir Kozlov who attacked Christian for the disqualification. The bigger story was the events that followed as Ezekiel Jackson tossed "Captain Charisma" into the ring to William Regal, who laid the ECW Champion out with the Knee Trembler! After getting cheated out of another one-on-one match with Christian, Zack Ryder voiced his extreme disapproval to Regal and his large backup. "Big Zeke" responded by manhandling Ryder and laying him out with Total Domination! The devastating trio of William Regal, Ezekiel Jackson, & Vladimir Kozlov stood tall over the broken bodies of ECW Champion Christian & Zack Ryder. Now that Tiffany has returned as the General Manager, how will she respond to the actions by Regal and company? How will Christian & Zack Ryder respond?

The opening match of the night was from RAW and it saw Legacy member Ted DiBiase face off with the high-flying Evan Bourne. Before the match, DiBiase declared that he was "dedicating" his match to his partner, Cody Rhodes, who is convalescing at home following Sunday’s brutal Hell in a Cell Match against DX. The third-generation Superstar then commanded a "moment of silence" for his injured tag partner.

There may have to be a "moment of silence" for Evan Bourne after he was put through the ringer against Ted DiBiase as the Legacy member took out his frustrations from Hell in a Cell out on the high-flyer and sealed the win with Dream Street. What will we see from the young Superstar while he is on his own? When will we see Cody Rhodes back in a WWE ring?

A brewing ECW rivalry made it’s way to WWE Superstars as "The Gold Standard" Shelton Benjamin looked to avenge an attack he suffered last week as he faced off with his attacker, "The Celtic Warrior" Sheamus. Even with his bandaged and injured left shoulder, Benjamin still stepped up to the challenge and it looks as though that was a mistake for "The Gold Standard" as the relentless Sheamus assaulted the shoulder of Benjamin to the point that he was disqualified for the attack! After the match, the referee helped Shelton Benjamin to his feet, only for Sheamus to lay Benjamin out with a bicycle kick! How and when will Shelton Benjamin retaliate? Can Benjamin combat Sheamus with his shoulder in the shape it is in?

Then it was time for the main event, from SmackDown, as familiar rivals Cryme Tyme and The Hart Dynasty squared off. The end of the match came Natalya distracted the referee to try and assist her Hart Dynasty associate, David Hart Smith, however, the referee being distracted allowed Eve Torres to distract David Hart Smith. Cryme Tyme’s heavy hitter, Shad, then hit Thugnificent on Smith to pick up the win for himself and JTG! What will we see next in this tag team war?

Five days after WWE Hell in a Cell, the 529th edition of WWE SmackDown would come to you from the Sovereign Bank Arena in the 290 year old capital city of Trenton, NJ. After delivering his promise to win the World Heavyweight Title from CM Punk inside Hell in a Cell, the new World Heavyweight Champion, The Undertaker, would make an appearance. Also, Rey Mysterio makes his return to SmackDown.

With a new World Heavyweight Champion now reigning over SmackDown, the show started off with SmackDown General Manager, Theodore Long, who congratulated The Undertaker on winning the title inside Hell in a Cell on Sunday The GM then proclaims that SmackDown is the "dominant brand" in the WWE. Theodore Long then stated that, if John Cena loses his Iron Man Match against Randy Orton at Bragging Rights and forced to leave RAW, that Cena is welcome to come to SmackDown. CM Punk interrupts the GM and states that "SmackDown doesn’t need John Cena" and says that Long should focus on him and his guaranteed rematch for the World Heavyweight Championship. The former World Heavyweight Champion then delivers his terms to Long; saying that he wants his rematch against The Undertaker to be a Submission Match with Scott Armstrong as the referee and Theodore Long at ringside! Long started to dispute Punk’s rematch demands, but was interrupted by none other than the Chairman of WWE, Mr. McMahon! The Chairman tells Long that his "patience is wearing thin" and that neither CM Punk or World Heavyweight Champion The Undertaker will like what Long has planned. "The Boss" then questioned Long on why the GM keeps getting on the bad side of The Undertaker. The Chairman then reveals that, at WWE Bragging Rights, the World Heavyweight Title will be on the line in a Fatal 4-Way Match as The Undertaker defends the title against three former World Heavyweight Champions; CM Punk, Rey Mysterio, & Batista! What a task dealt to "The Deadman" for his first title defense since becoming the new champion. Can even The Undertaker overcome the unfavorable odds of a Fatal 4-Way Match?

One of the three challengers for the World Heavyweight Title at Bragging Rights was in action as Rey Mysterio returned to SmackDown as he went one-on-one with his familiar foe and one-half of the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions, Chris Jericho. After suffering through the Walls of Jericho and missing two 619’s, "The Ultimate Underdog" was able to hit Jericho with the 619 and pin the tag champion for the win! Will the quickness and unpredictability of Rey Mysterio lead to a second title reign for "The Master of the 619"?

One week after successfully defending her Women’s Title against Melina at the Decade of SmackDown celebration, Michelle McCool was in non-title action on SmackDown, picking up the win over Eve Torres. Who will be the next Diva to challenge McCool for the prestigious Women’s Championship?

Speaking of championships, the Intercontinental Championship was up for grabs on SmackDown as John Morrison defended the gold against Dolph Ziggler in a rematch from WWE Hell in a Cell this past Sunday. In the middle of the bout, Ziggler’s girlfriend, Maria, came down and had a seat at ringside to cheer on her boyfriend. However, things got interesting when both Morrison & Ziggler found themselves on the outside of the ring. After throwing Morrison back into the ring, Ziggler grabbed the steel chair that Maria was using to sit on and leaned it up against the ring apron and got back into the match. What Ziggler did not see was that, after he entered the ring, Maria retrieved the chair and sat back down on it. When Ziggler went looking for his "backup", it was not there and the distraction of him discovering the chair was gone and then discovering that Maria was using it was enough for John Morrison to capitalize on the distraction and pin Dolph Ziggler to retain the Intercontinental Championship! After successfully defending the Intercontinental Title against Dolph Ziggler twice this week, has John Morrison seen the last of Dolph Ziggler?

Backstage, Maria is trying to talk to a frustrated Dolph Ziggler and Ziggler informs Maria that he wanted to keep his professional life and his personal life separate. Dolph then proclaimed that he sees the lights and the big time for him in his professional life, but he does not see Maria in his personal life!

Five nights removed from defeating CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship inside the demonic Hell in a Cell, The Undertaker made an appearance on SmackDown. The new World Heavyweight Champion proclaimed that the title he holds is the "holy grail" of SmackDown and that those who seek the title will find themselves in his "yard", and for some, it will be their "graveyard". The mysterious man in black then discussed his three opponents at Bragging Rights as he declared that he took CM Punk’s title at WWE Hell in a Cell, but at Bragging Rights, he would take Punk’s "soul". The new champion then vowed to show "no mercy" to Rey Mysterio and stated that Batista’s "strength and rage" will not save his "soul" come Bragging Rights. "The Phenom" then proclaims that, one-by-one, they will all "rest in peace". Will The Undertaker walk out of Bragging Rights with the World Heavyweight Title still intact or will one his three challengers regain the gold?

Then it was time for the main event as two of the three challengers for the World Heavyweight Title at Bragging Rights squared off as "The Straightedge Superstar" CM Punk went one-on-one with "The Animal" Batista. In the end, it was the quickness and cunning of CM Punk that led to Punk getting a count-out victory over Batista! However, CM Punk’s celebration was short-lived as "The Animal" laid CM Punk out with a thunderous Batista Bomb! In just a couple of weeks, four men will go to war over the World Heavyweight Championship in a Fatal 4-Way Match. Who will emerge victorious and what will the unique setup of the Fatal 4-Way mean for the four combatants?

Superstars of the Week: D-Generation X (Triple H & Shawn Michaels)