WWE Week In Review: January 10, 2010- January 16, 2010

Welcome to the eighty-ninth edition of the WWE Week in Review. 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. I have also added a section that lists where WWE will be hosting their weekly shows. I recommend you also check out an awesome new wrestling website at: 123Wrestling.co.uk (you can also read my WWE Week In Review articles on there).

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The 868th edition of WWE Monday Night RAW came to you, live, from the Target Center in Minneapolis, MN. Legendary and controversial boxer “Iron” Mike Tyson would serve as Guest Host of the show.

Monday Night RAW
Good Week For: Randy Orton (thanks to Legacy, will face Sheamus for the WWE Title at the Royal Rumble)
Bad Week For: Chris Jericho (was left knocked out by Mike Tyson)

The show kicks off with the Guest Host of RAW, “Iron” Mike Tyson, who says that it is great to be back on Monday Night RAW for the first time since 1998 when he had a historic confrontation with Stone Cold Steve Austin, which “Iron Mike” followed up with at WrestleMania XIV by knocking out Shawn Michaels! Tyson says he looks forward to his night running RAW, but Tyson is quickly interrupted by the WWE Champion, Sheamus! “The Celtic Warrior” calls the boxing icon a “washed up former champion” and says that he is the WWE Champion and that makes him “The Baddest Man On The Planet”! Sheamus & Tyson go nose-to-nose, but the potential fight is interrupted by Randy Orton! Orton says he is not interested in creating a “Sports Center moment”, but he is interested in the WWE Title before “suggesting” that Tyson name him as the challenger for the WWE Title at the Royal Rumble! The former WWE Champion, John Cena, then comes out and states that he is there for the WWE Championship! Cena pleads his case to “Iron Mike” that he should be the one to challenge Sheamus for the WWE Title! Kofi Kingston then interrupts and states that he is yet to have a WWE Title match, while Cena & Orton have had several. Kofi then proclaims that he “will not take ‘no’ for an answer”! Sheamus suggests that he get the night off at the Royal Rumble and tells his potential opposition to enter the Royal Rumble Match and “earn” the opportunity! “Iron Mike” steps in and declares that John Cena, Randy Orton, & Kofi Kingston will face off in a Triple Threat Match with the winner facing Sheamus for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble! Who will emerge from the Triple Threat Match and challenge Sheamus for the WWE Title at the Royal Rumble? Will John Cena get another shot at Sheamus and the title or will Kofi Kingston get his first opportunity at the WWE Championship or will Randy Orton reemerge in the WWE Title picture?

The tournament to crown a new Divas Champion continued as Kelly Kelly went one-on-one with Alicia Fox in a First Round Match. Alicia Fox was able to catch Kelly Kelly with a powerbomb to pick up the win and join Maryse & Gail Kim in advancing in the Divas Tournament. Who will be the fourth Diva to advance in the final First Round match?

Legacy made an appearance on the show and Cody Rhodes stated that, last year, Randy Orton won the Royal Rumble Match and this year will be different. Ted DiBiase steps in and says he will be the one winning the Royal Rumble Match! Following this declaration, Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase went face-to-face. The impending implosion of Legacy was interrupted by Legacy’s opponents and fellow entrants in the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match, Evan Bourne & Mark Henry! Despite any hints of dissension, Legacy was able to pick up the win over Evan Bourne & Mark Henry. Will Legacy remain unified when it is every man for himself in the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match?

Backstage, Shawn Michaels confronts “Iron” Mike Tyson and says he wants to have the same “closure” with Tyson that he had with Bret Hart last week. HBK says that he “forgives” Tyson for knocking him out at WrestleMania XIV. Tyson responds by saying that he “enjoyed” knocking Michaels out and that he would “love” to do it again! Chris Jericho interrupts and says that he got Tyson’s private number and the two of them have struck up a friendship! Jericho then reveals that DX will be in a match and, if DX loses, Jericho will be allowed to appear on any brand he wants at any time he wants for however long he wants! Even more shocking than that announcement was Tyson announcing that DX will face Jericho and Jericho’s tag partner, Mike Tyson himself! Will this new friendship between Mike Tyson & Chris Jericho lead to Jericho being able to appear on any brand he wants?

“The All-American American” Jack Swagger appeared on RAW and announced that he is in the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match! Swagger proclaims that he will win the match and main event WrestleMania! Swagger then states that there is no man that can throw him over the top rope and challenges anyone to come to the ring and try it! Santino Marella answers the challenge and states that he was about to come about and lay down the same challenge, but he will instead take Swagger down! Marella was able to outmaneuver Swagger and win “The All-American American American Challenge”! After setting the dubious distinction of lasting just over one second in the Royal Rumble Match last year, can Marella bounce back? How will Jack Swagger fare in the 30-Man extravaganza?

Then it was time to determine who would challenge Sheamus for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble as John Cena, Kofi Kingston, & Randy Orton would battle in a Triple Threat Match with the winner getting the title opportunity. When it looked like Randy Orton was on the verge of losing the match, it was Cody Rhodes who interfered and attacked John Cena, followed by Ted DiBiase coming in and attacking Kofi Kingston! With a big assist by Legacy, Randy Orton was able to strike with the RKO on Kofi Kingston and pick up the win to earn a shot at the WWE Championship against Sheamus at the Royal Rumble! Who will emerge as the WWE Champion when the diabolical and cunning Randy Orton challenges the seemingly unstoppable Sheamus?

RAW also saw an intense confrontation between United States Champion The Miz and his #1 Contender, MVP! MVP tells the brash champion that the life he has led is a life Miz has only seen on TV and “dares” Miz to “open the cage” and release the “animal” within him before sending the United States Champion careening out of the ring with a vicious boot to Miz! When will MVP get his shot at the United States Title and can “The Ballin’ Superstar” earn his third reign as United States Champion?

In the final First Round Match in the Divas Tournament, Eve Torres went one-on-one with the newest RAW Diva, Katie Lea Burchill with the winner facing Maryse, who was on commentary for the match, on next week’s RAW! Eve was able to roll up Katie Lea to pick up the win to advance and face Maryse in the Semi-Finals next week on RAW! Maryse will take on Eve Torres and Gail Kim will face Alicia Fox in the Semi-Finals of the Divas Tournament next week. Who will be the new Divas Champion?

After the shocking kick to the mid-section of Bret Hart last week, WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon made an appearance on RAW to explain his actions. The Chairman states that Bret Hart is not at RAW because Bret is “afraid” and that, last week on RAW, he “screwed Bret”! McMahon then says that he does not play “nice” and he does not “forget”. McMahon then says that Bret was “humbled” by him last week and says there will be “closure” before vowing that Bret Hart will “never be seen in the WWE again”! Mr. McMahon has received his idea of “closure”, but will Bret Hart never be seen in the WWE again as the Chairman has decreed?

It was announced on RAW that, on next week’s show, actors Jon Heder & Don Johnson will serve as the Guest Co-Hosts of RAW! What will the stars of “When In Rome” have in store for RAW next week?

It was then time for the main event as Unified WWE Tag Team Champions D-Generation X would face off with Chris Jericho and his partner, none other than “Iron” Mike Tyson himself! Not only would DX face Chris Jericho & Mike Tyson, but if Tyson & Jericho won, Chris Jericho would get a free pass to be on any brand he wants at any time he wants! Before the main event, Shawn Michaels drops the bombshell that, on next week’s RAW, he wants an answer from The Undertaker about the challenge HBK laid out for a rematch at WrestleMania XXVI!

In a bit of 1998 revisited, it was Mike Tyson who dealt the final blow in the main event as “Iron Mike” revealed his allegiance to DX by, not only revealing a DX t-shirt, but by knocking Jericho out cold with a right hand! Shawn Michaels then pinned Chris Jericho to keep Jericho off of RAW and to bring the “closure” he was looking for with Mike Tyson. Shawn Michaels has demanded an answer from The Undertaker on next week’s RAW regarding a rematch of their epic WrestleMania match from last year. Will “The Deadman” accept the challenge of HBK?

The 188th episode of ECW on Syfy came to you from the Resch Center in Green Bay, WI. The #1 Contender for the ECW Title at the Royal Rumble would be determined via the ECW Homecoming Finale, which was an 8-man Battle Royal featuring past and present ECW Superstars as CM Punk, Kane, Matt Hardy, Vance Archer, Evan Bourne, Shelton Benjamin, Yoshi Tatsu, & Ezekiel Jackson would all vie for the title opportunity.

ECW on Syfy
Good Week For: Ezekiel Jackson (won the ECW Homecoming Finale to earn an ECW Title shot)
Bad Week For: Evan Bourne (was quickly eliminated from the ECW Homecoming Finale by Kane)

The show kicks off with ECW’s resident Latina, Rosa Mendes, who introduces her boyfriend, Zack Ryder. Ryder comes out and states that it is a “big” night for them and claims that everyone is there to celebrate “the new heart and soul of ECW”, Zack Ryder. Ryder then states that he is the one man that is “bigger” than the ECW Title and that he “is ECW”! The Hurricane interrupts “The Long Island Loudmouth” and says he is out there to ask Ryder to “shut up”! Hurricane explains to Ryder that it takes more than one match to become “the heart and soul of ECW” before telling Ryder to shut his “Hurri-lips”, which results in a slap by Rosa Mendes! Hurricane responds by waylaying Ryder with a right hand and sending the confident Superstar packing!

Acting quickly, ECW General Manager Tiffany made an immediate one-on-one match between The Hurricane & Zack Ryder! In the end, Zack Ryder was able to hit The Hurricane with the Zack Attack and pick up the win! Is Ryder on his way to truly becoming “the new heart and soul of ECW”?

After seeing his protégé, Yoshi Tatsu, pick up the win over Caylen Croft on WWE Superstars this past Thursday, Goldust would face off with the revenge-seeking tag partner of Croft, Trent Barreta. With a vicious knee to the face, Barreta was able to pick up the win over the veteran Goldust in his singles match debut!

Then it was time for the main event as CM Punk, Kane, Matt Hardy, Vance Archer, Evan Bourne, Shelton Benjamin, Yoshi Tatsu, & Ezekiel Jackson would all battle in the ECW Homecoming Finale Battle Royal with the winner earning the right to challenge Christian for the ECW Championship at the Royal Rumble. With the ECW Champion himself, Christian, at ringside on commentary, the 8-Man Battle Royal took place to determine his next challenger. Before the match could even begin, the animosity between Shelton Benjamin & Vance Archer boiled over as the two ECW Superstars laid each other out! The match commenced and Evan Bourne was the first casualty as Kane easily tossed the high-flyer over the top rope into elimination. After his brawl with Vance Archer, Shelton Benjamin sacrificed his title opportunity to take Archer out of the match as Benjamin dove into Archer to eliminate himself and Archer! After Ezekiel Jackson eliminates two former ECW Champions in Matt Hardy & CM Punk and Kane eliminates Yoshi Tatsu, it came down to Kane & Ezekiel Jackson for a shot at the ECW Championship! The war between the behemoths came to an end with Ezekiel Jackson managing to eliminate Kane to earn the right to challenge Christian for the ECW Championship at the Royal Rumble! Can “Big Zeke” dethrone Christian to win the ECW Title or will Christian overcome the power and strength of Ezekiel Jackson, as well as the mentoring of William Regal, to retain the ECW Championship?

The 40th edition of WWE Superstars came to you from the Target Center in Minneapolis, MN and from the Resch Center in Green Bay, WI. After seeing his protégé, Ezekiel Jackson, win the ECW Homecoming Finale to earn the right to challenge Christian for the ECW Title at the Royal Rumble, William Regal would get his shot at the champion as he would face Christian one-on-one in a non-title match. Plus, Carlito would face off with Chris Masters and the team of Slam Master J & Jimmy Wang Yang would go against Mike Knox & Charlie Haas.

WWE Superstars
Good Week For: Christian (picked up a hard-fought victory over William Regal)
Bad Week For: Chavo Guerrero (was duped by the teamwork of Primo & Gail Kim, leading to a loss for himself & Jillian)

The show kicked off with a Mixed Tag Match from RAW as one of the four Semi-Finalists in the Divas Tournament, Gail Kim would team up with Primo to face the team of Jillian & Chavo Guerrero. Towards the end of the match, Chavo Guerrero cornered Gail Kim and “The Latin Warrior” thought he had intimidated the Diva, but Gail Kim was able to hit Chavo with her signature Eat Defeat maneuver, followed by Primo rolling Chavo up to pick up the win! How will Gail Kim fare against Alicia Fox this Monday Night on RAW when the two Divas face off in a Semi-Final Match in the Divas Tournament?

With Divas Tournament Semi-Finalist, Eve Torres, watching from ringside, “The Masterpiece” Chris Masters went one-on-one with Carlito. Before the match began, Carlito delivered his trademark disrespect to Chris Masters by spitting apple into the face of “The Masterpiece”, but this defiant act may have lit a fire under Masters as “The Masterpiece” locked in the Masterlock on Carlito, leading to a submission victory!

From SmackDown, the hip-hop and country fusion of Slam Master J & Jimmy Wang Yang took on the team of Mike Knox & Charlie Haas. In the end, it was Jimmy Wang Yang hitting the Yangsault on Charlie Haas to win the match for “The Crunk N’ Country Connection.

Then it was time for the main event as ECW Champion Christian went one-on-one in a non-title match against the mentor of his Royal Rumble opponent and familiar adversary, William Regal. After interjecting himself into the main event, Ezekiel Jackson was ejected from ringside by the referee, leaving the match as it was intended; one-on-one! William Regal was able to dominate a good portion of the match, but the ECW Champion refused to give up and was finally able to hit the Killswitch to pick up the all-important victory over William Regal! Can Christian overcome Ezekiel Jackson come the Royal Rumble? Will William Regal be in the corner of his protégé?

The 543rd edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown came to you from the Resch Center in Green Bay, WI. After two weeks of trying to determine a #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title to no success, Batista would go one-on-one with Rey Mysterio inside the confines of a solid Steel Cage with the winner being named the undisputed #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title at the Royal Rumble.

Friday Night SmackDown
Good Week For: Rey Mysterio (escaped the steel cage, and Batista, to become the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title)
Bad Week For: Mickie James (was assaulted and left laid out by Team Lay-Cool)

Sporting the injuries dealt to him by Guest Host Mike Tyson on RAW, Chris Jericho opens the show and states that he is “not a broken man” and says that getting knocked out by a “mentally unstable” former boxer does not change the fact that he is the “face of SmackDown”! Jericho then announces his participation in the 30-Man Royal Rumble and states he will win the Rumble and head to WrestleMania XXVI, where he will win with the World Heavyweight Title! Jericho then concludes by saying that, after he regains the title, then all of the fans will be the “broken” ones.

Chris Jericho was also in action on SmackDown as he went one-on-one with the former Intercontinental Champion John Morrison. Early on in the match, John Morrison is prepared to dive to the outside onto Chris Jericho, but “The Friday Night Delight” was distracted by the arrival of the Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre, who proceeded to take a seat at ringside for the match! During the match, Jericho was able to lock in the Walls of Jericho on Morrison and, with the Walls of Jericho locked in, Drew McIntyre held the Intercontinental Title belt in front of Morrison to taunt the former champion, but the act actually helped Morrison to the ropes! What did not help Morrison was Morrison becoming momentarily distracted by the Intercontinental Champion as Jericho took advantage of the distraction to hit the Codebreaker and pick up the win! After the match, McIntyre pressed his foot into the jaw of Morrison as the Intercontinental Champion used Morrison’s face as a stepping stone! How will Morrison react to the show of disrespect by McIntyre?

Accompanied by his “Straightedge Follower” Luke Gallows, “The Straightedge Superstar” CM Punk made an appearance on SmackDown to present another “Straightedge Salvation”. Punk states that, last week, he proved that it was “possible” to come to the side of straightedge and vows to keep “saving” people until everyone is a part of the “Straightedge Society”. Luke Gallows then states that he knows what it is like to be addicted and that all people need to “change” is CM Punk and the straightedge lifestyle! Punk then vows to become the first ever “Straightedge Royal Rumble Winner” and that it will be a major step in building the “Straightedge Society”! Punk says that he has to “save” every one individually before sending Luke Gallows to retrieve a volunteer from the audience! CM Punk then has the audience member sit in the middle of the ring and states that the fan is among “friends” in himself & Luke Gallows. Punk tells the fan that he is about to be “reborn” and asks the fan if he is ready to make a “lifetime commitment”, to which the fan responds by declaring that he is “ready”! Punk then initiates the newest member of the “Straightedge Society” by shaving the head of the volunteer! Punk then tells the fan that it is the first “good decision” that he has ever made before declaring that the fan is the newest member of the “Straightedge Society”!

CM Punk & Luke Gallows were also in action on SmackDown as they took part in a Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match with the winning team being named the #1 Contenders for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship as the clean-living duo faced Cryme Tyme, The Hart Dynasty, and the team of Matt Hardy & The Great Khali! At the end of the chaotic Fatal 4-Way Tag Match, it was Luke Gallows hitting the Gallow’s Pole on and pinning JTG that led to CM Punk & Luke Gallows becoming the new #1 Contenders for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship! Can the leaders of “The Straightedge Society” dethrone the legendary D-Generation X to win the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles?

Following his mysterious attacks on both Batista & Rey Mysterio last week, World Heavyweight Champion The Undertaker made an appearance on SmackDown and stated that the new year and new decade brings “new hopes and dreams” to the Superstars of the WWE, but that he will continue to “dominate and collect souls” just like he has for the last two decades! “The Deadman” explained that his attacks on Batista & Rey Mysterio last week were one-time “warnings” and that it does not really “matter” who wins inside the Steel Cage because he is “hell-bent on destruction” and whoever “survives” the Steel Cage Match will not “survive” him at the Royal Rumble! The Undertaker turns his attention to WrestleMania and states that all but one of his past WrestleMania opponents have taken defeat and have not asked for more and that “one” is Shawn Michaels. Undertaker states that HBK came “close”, but “failed” and that Michaels had the “audacity” to challenge him to a WrestleMania rematch and tells HBK that he will be on RAW to deliver his answer to Shawn Michaels “personally”! The Undertaker then decrees that, regardless of his answer, Michaels will “rest in peace”! The Undertaker has never backed down from a challenge, but will “The Phenom” accept Shawn Michaels’ challenge to a rematch at WrestleMania XXVI?

Mickie James was in action on SmackDown as the former Women’s & Divas Champion squared off with an angry Beth Phoenix, stemming from Mickie James Mick Kick to “The Glamazon” last week. Beth Phoenix’s temper got the best of her as “The Glamazon” refused to let up the assault on Mickie James, which led to the referee disqualifying the powerhouse Diva! After the match, Beth Phoenix allowed a vicious dissection of Mickie James by Women’s Champion Michelle McCool & Layla and, despite Mickie’s repeated spurts of fighting back, the Women’s Champion left Mickie laying in the center of the ring! How will Mickie James respond to this attack by Team Lay-Cool?

After two weeks of being felled by Dolph Ziggler, Kane picked up the win over “The Platinum Superstar” with a flattening chokeslam.

Then it was time for the main event as the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title would finally be determined, once and for all, inside a Steel Cage as Batista went one-on-one with Rey Mysterio with the opportunity to challenge The Undertaker for the title at the Royal Rumble on the line. At the end of a punishing Steel Cage Match, it was Rey Mysterio who would out-quick and outsmart Batista as “The Ultimate Underdog” escaped the cage and kicked the door of the steel cage into the skull of Batista before landing with both feet on the outside of the cage to finally become, without question, the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title at the Royal Rumble! Can Rey capitalize on his opportunity at the Royal Rumble and defeat The Undertaker to become the World Heavyweight Champion or will “The Phenom” ensure that the title aspirations of Mysterio “rest in peace”?

Superstars of the Week: Randy Orton, Ezekiel Jackson, & Rey Mysterio

Accomplishments
Two Time Women’s Champion
2008 Slammy Award Winner for Diva of the Year

Did You Know?
When Beth Phoenix was eleven years old, she won a coloring contest to win tickets to a WWE television taping, which sparked her desire to be a wrestler.

Next Week’s WWE Television Schedule
Monday, January 18: RAW, LIVE from the Thompson-Boling Arena at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, TN
Tuesday, January 19: ECW on Syfy from the BI-LO Center in Greenville, SC
Thursday, January 21: WWE Superstars from Knoxville, TN & Greenville, SC
Friday, January 22: The BI-LO Center in Greenville, SC Hosts SmackDown