WWE Week In Review: January 24, 2010- January 30, 2010

Welcome to the ninety-first 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 870th edition of Monday Night RAW came to you, live, from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH. One of the stars of the TV series, “Psych” would serve as the Guest Host as actor Dule Hill would be in charge of the final RAW before the Royal Rumble.

The show kicks off with the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions D-Generation X, sans Hornswoggle, and Shawn Michaels explains that he sent Hornswoggle “home” and states that “serious”! HBK then states that he “needs” to win the Royal Rumble Match and beat The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVI and asks if it is “too much to ask” of Triple H. “The Game” responds by saying that it is too much to ask and that the Royal Rumble Match is a time for them to be “serious” and that the Royal Rumble Match is for an opportunity at a World Title and to headline WrestleMania. Triple H says that he knows how much HBK wants to have a rematch with The Undertaker, but that he wants a World Title opportunity and that they can team up as much as they want in the Rumble Match, but it will come down to the two of them for the title shot. Triple H then states that they will always be friends, but if he has to step on HBK’s “dream” in order to get to his, that he will do it! Shawn Michaels then simply responds by saying, “I understand”.

Following their intense confrontation, DX was in a non-title bout against Legacy. During the match, Triple H set Cody Rhodes up for the Pedigree, but Shawn Michaels tags himself in! Triple H & Shawn Michaels then come face-to-face and Rhodes takes advantage by shoving Triple H into Shawn Michaels! Despite another combustible confrontation, DX was able to pick up the win over Legacy! Will DX be able to stay on the same page long enough to make a successful defense of the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles this Friday night on SmackDown when they face CM Punk & Luke Gallows?

The #1 Contender for the United States Title, MVP, was in action on RAW as he had the unenviable task of facing “The World’s Largest Athlete” Big Show! Before the match, MVP states that The Miz is the United States Champion, but he is the #1 Contender. MVP then accuses The Miz of “running away” from him and vows to take the United States Title from The Miz! This brings out The Miz, who states that MVP has been “incarcerated”, but that the fans support him. Miz then says that, while MVP was in prison, he was becoming a “reality star” and is a bigger “celebrity” than anyone in the building! MVP responds by saying that the fans hate The Miz because Miz is a “jackass”! MVP then states that The Miz would be “popular” in prison to the point of other prisoners would fight in order to be “exclusive” with The Miz! MVP then questions if The Miz’s partnership with Big Show is something more and an infuriated Miz responds by stating that he would love to have their United States Title match at that very moment, but he has a “friend” to take care of MVP!

The Miz’s new “friend”, Big Show, made short work of MVP as “The World’s Largest Athlete” flattened the #1 Contender for the United States Title with a chokeslam! Is The Miz “running away” like MVP alleges? When will Miz & MVP square off with the United States Title on the line?

Following their loss to DX, Legacy has a “discussion” backstage where Cody Rhodes “thanks” Ted DiBiase for saving Rhodes from Sweet Chin Music. Ted DiBiase starts to get in the face of Cody Rhodes, but Randy Orton intervenes and informs his protégés that he is going to beat Sheamus at the Royal Rumble for the WWE Title and he will do it “with or without” Legacy!

Backstage, The Miz confronts Guest Host Dule Hill and tells Dule that he is a “bigger star” than Dule! Dule responds by informing the United States Champion that he will be in action on RAW against an opponent of his choice! Who will Dule Hill select as the opponent for The Miz?

The first of two Semi-Final matches in the Divas Tournament to crown a new Divas Champion took place on RAW as Maryse was set to face off against Eve Torres. Before her Semi-Final match, Maryse stated that she would be the new Divas Champion, but Maryse was “explosively” interrupted as Guest Host Dule Hill set off the stage pyro!

After Maryse scolded the Guest Host in French, she went one-on-one with Eve Torres in a Semi-Final match in the Divas Tournament. Maryse was able to plant Eve Torres with the French Kiss DDT en route to winning the match and securing her spot in the Finals of the Divas Tournament against either Gail Kim or Alicia Fox.

WWE Chairman Mr. McMahn made an appearance on RAW to announce his “decision” regarding the status of Bret Hart! The Chairman states that, if The Undertaker was there, he would “dare” Undertaker to call him a “coward”! McMahon then states that the fans had “forgotten” about Bret Hart and questions if there is a “reason” to bring Bret Hart back! Despite the cheers and chants of the fans, Mr. McMahon declares that Bret will “never” set foot in the WWE again! McMahon then asks the fans for a good reason for Bret to return! One fan tells the Chairman that Bret would beat him and another says that Bret is “awesome”! McMahon then gets back into the ring and states that he has not heard “one good business reason” to bring Bret back before proclaiming that Bret Hart is a “footnote of the past”! The Chairman starts to make his exit from the ring when he is interrupted by John Cena! Cena states that he is not out there to change McMahon’s mind and says that, “until recently”, he did not have a problem with McMahon! Cena tells Mr. McMahon that the Chairman had a lot of “help” building the empire known as the WWE and that he treats his Superstars as if they are expendable commodities! Cena says that the reason people do not “respect” him as a man because all he cares about is “lining his pockets and serving his ego”! Cena then tells McMahon that he brought Bret back to “serve his ego” and calls the Chairman “pathetic”! Cena then tells McMahon that, next week on RAW, he will “invite” Bret to RAW and, if he does not, his points will be proven and, when the Chairman turns ninety years old, he will find McMahon and will take him out of his wheelchair and knock his “false teeth” down his throat! Cena then states that McMahon needs to “do the right thing” before exiting the ring! Mr. McMahon stops Cena and announces that he will invite Bret Hart to RAW next week and that he will not even “flinch” in front of Bret next week! The Chairman then announces that he is placing Cena in a non-title match against the WWE Champion Sheamus! What will go down next week when Mr. McMahon invites Bret Hart back to RAW for the first time since he kicked the Hall of Famer in the mid-section on January 4?

By the order of Guest Host Dule Hill, United States Champion The Miz was in a non-title match against an opponent of Dule’s choosing, which turned out to be Kofi Kingston! In the middle of the match, MVP’s music hits and it distracts The Miz long enough for Kofi to hit Trouble in Paradise on Miz and pick up the victory! MVP has sent a message to The Miz. Can MVP earn his third reign as the United States Champion?

Backstage, Guest Host Dule Hill & Carlito invaded the WWE production truck and, through some conversing with one of the employees running the match graphics for the show, placed Carlito in a match against Kelly Kelly! Carlito was thrilled about the match, but will Carlito Vs. Kelly Kelly really take place?

As Kelly Kelly reluctantly makes her way to the ring to face Carlito, Santino Marella interrupts and states that he looked ridiculous in 2009 and 2010 is a “new year” and he says he will take Kelly Kelly’s place and beat Carlito! Santino then vows to win the Royal Rumble Match and headline WrestleMania! Santino approaches the ring, but is blind-sided by Jack Swagger! Swagger throws Santino in the ring and assaults Santino before symbolically tossing Santino over the top rope! Swagger’s assault on Santino took a brutal turn once Swagger drove Santino, face-first, into the steel ring post.

With Guest Host Dule Hill as a guest on commentary, Gail Kim faced Alicia Fox in the second Semi-Final match in the Divas Tournament. Despite Dule Hill’s prediction to Alicia Fox that she would defeat Gail Kim and advance to the Finals, Gail was able to defeat Fox to advance to the Finals of the Divas Tournament where she will face Maryse to determine the new Divas Champion! After the match, Alicia Fox took her frustrations out on Guest Host Dule Hill with a vicious slap to the actor’s face! The Finals of the Divas Tournament are set between Maryse & Gail Kim. Who will be crowned the new Divas Champion?

Then it was time for the main event as WWE Champion Sheamus went one-on-one with the Superstar he defeated for the title, John Cena, in a non-title match. Following his vicious, signature kick to Cena on the outside of the ring, Sheamus was poised for a count-out victory until the #1 Contender for the WWE Title, Randy Orton, interfered and laid Sheamus out with the RKO! After taking the WWE Champion down, Orton set his sights on Cena and was about to plant Cena with a DDT, but Cena countered and hit the Attitude Adjustment on Orton; leaving both champion and challenger laid out! Will John Cena be the one left standing this Sunday at the Royal Rumble as the winner of the Royal Rumble Match?

The 190th edition of ECW on Syfy came to you from the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, OH. Following the 2-on-1 attack perpetrated on him last week, ECW Champion Christian would enlist the help of SmackDown’s “Big Red Machine” Kane to face his attackers, the #1 Contender for the ECW Title, Ezekiel Jackson, and the mentor of “Big Zeke”, William Regal.

ECW on Syfy
Good Week For: Ezekiel Jackson (pinned the ECW Champion in a tag team match)
Bad Week For: Shelton Benjamin (was laid out backstage by Vance Archer)

The show kicks off with William Regal, who introduces his protégé; the #1 Contender for the ECW Title at the Royal Rumble, Ezekiel Jackson. “Big Zeke” comes out and proclaims that “five days” is all that Christian has left as ECW Champion and tells Christian that the “end” has come! Christian then comes out and vows to “lay his vengeance” upon Ezekiel Jackson! Ezekiel states that Christian has faced “no one” like him and Christian responds by saying he is a two-time ECW Champion and he has beaten them all and states that he looks forward to facing “Big Zeke” at the Royal Rumble. Christian then says that the only reason Christian was laid out last week was because it was a 2-on-1 situation and proclaims that he is evening the odds before bringing out his tag team partner, Kane!

Five days before he defends the ECW Championship against Ezekiel Jackson at the Royal Rumble, ECW Champion Christian teamed up with “The Big Red Machine” Kane to face Ezekiel Jackson and his mentor, William Regal. During the match, the monsters of the match, Kane & Ezekiel Jackson, take their fight to the outside of the ring. Meanwhile, in the ring, Christian sets William Regal up for the Killswitch, but, unknown to Christian, “Big Zeke” tags himself into the contest and hits Total Domination on Christian en route to pinning the ECW Champion! Can Ezekiel Jackson pin Christian when it matters this Sunday at the Royal Rumble and claim the ECW Title?

Backstage, Shelton Benjamin discusses the Royal Rumble Match this Sunday, but “The Gold Standard” was blind-sided by Vance Archer, who leaves Benjamin laid out before stating that “hopes and dreams” are all that Shelton has, but what he did is “reality”! How will Shelton Benjamin respond to this attack by Vance Archer?

Then it was time for the main event as the self-proclaimed “Heart and Soul Superhero of ECW” Zack Ryder teamed up with The Dudebusters, Caylen Croft & Trent Barreta, against the team of Goldust, Yoshi Tatsu, & The Hurricane in a 6-Man Tag Match. In the end, it was Yoshi Tatsu hitting his Buzzsaw Kick on Trent Barreta en route to winning the match for his team! How will Yoshi Tatsu, Zack Ryder, & The Hurricane fare in the Royal Rumble Match this Sunday night?

The 42nd edition of WWE Superstars came to you from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH and from the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, OH. Chris Masters, Primo, & Chavo Guerrero would face off in a Triple Threat Match with a spot in the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match on the line. Plus, Matt Hardy would go one-on-one with The Hart Dynasty’s David Hart Smith and The Bella Twins would face the team of Katie Lea & Jillian.

WWE Superstars
Good Week For: Chris Masters (won a Triple Threat Match to qualify for the Royal Rumble Match)
Bad Week For: Matt Hardy (lost to David Hart Smith and was thrown to the outside by The Great Khali)

The show kicked off with a Divas Tag Match from RAW as The Bella Twins would face “The Sour Songstress” Jillian and the newest RAW Diva, Katie Lea. In the end, Nikki Bella was able to roll up Katie Lea to pick up the win for herself and Brie.

Then it was time for a Triple Threat Match that would determine one RAW Superstar’s entry into the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match as Chris Masters, Primo, & Chavo Guerrero would battle for the coveted spot. In the end, it was Chris Masters who locked in his patented Masterlock on Chavo Guerrero to earn a spot in the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match! How will “The Masterpiece” fair this Sunday in the Royal Rumble Match?

Chris Jericho made an appearance on WWE Superstars and stated that it is “disgusting” how the other Royal Rumble entrants make their vows to win the Rumble Match and calls them all “liars”! Jericho then says that he is an “honest man” and the “truth” is that he will add another accomplishment to his list of accolades by winning the Royal Rumble Match and headlining WrestleMania! Jericho then proclaims that he is “the baddest man on the planet” and is “the best at what he does” before being interrupted by R-Truth, who makes his way to the ring! Truth states that Jericho is “the best”; the best at “running his mouth” and calls Jericho “annoying” and a “pimple”! Truth then questions Jericho’s claims to being an “honest man” and calls him a “liar” before vowing that he will win the Royal Rumble Match and headline WrestleMania! The bold R-Truth then tells Jericho that, if given the opportunity, he will not hesitate to eliminate Jericho! In response, Jericho tried to cheap-shot R-Truth, but Truth countered and cleared the ring of Chris Jericho!

Then it was time for the main event, from SmackDown, as Matt Hardy, with The Great Khali & Ranjin Singh at ringside, would face David Hart Smith, with his Hart Dynasty cohorts, Natalya & Tyson Kidd, at ringside. With a big assist by Natalya & Tyson Kidd, David Hart Smith was able to hit a big boot on Matt Hardy to pick up the win! After the match, The Great Khali came in and cleaned house of Tyson Kidd, David Hart Smith, and even his partner, Matt Hardy! The Great Khali is certainly aware of the “every man for himself” aspect of the Royal Rumble Match, but will it lead to victory for “The Punjabi Playboy” this Sunday?

The 545th edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown came to you from the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, OH. With just two days to go until the Royal Rumble, SmackDown would host two big championship matches as D-Generation X would return to SmackDown to defend the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles against CM Punk & Luke Gallows and, in a No DQ Match, Drew McIntyre would defend the Intercontinental Title against former champion John Morrison.

Friday Night SmackDown
Good Week For: The Undertaker (stood tall at the end of SmackDown after a double chokeslam on Rey Mysterio & Shawn Michaels)
Bad Week For: Shawn Michaels & Rey Mysterio (had their match end inconclusively and were laid out by The Undertaker)

The show kicked off with the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions D-Generation X as they were set to defend their titles against “The Straightedge Superstar” CM Punk and his “Straightedge Disciple” Luke Gallows. Before DX could even begin their trademark introduction, they were interrupted by the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title, Rey Mysterio! Rey confronts Shawn Michaels and tells Michaels that he “respects” HBK, but he does not think that HBK “respects” him! Rey states that HBK is planning to win the Royal Rumble Match and get his WrestleMania rematch with The Undertaker via a World Heavyweight Title opportunity and, by doing so, HBK thinks that Rey will not win the World Heavyweight Title from The Undertaker at the Royal Rumble! Michaels responds by telling Rey that’s “exactly” what he thinks! HBK then asks Rey what he thinks he is doing getting in his face. Triple H interrupts and tells Rey that Hornswoggle is not there and suggests that Rey “runs along”! Rey responds by telling the duo that he is going to do what neither of them could do at WrestleMania and what they will never have the chance to do again by defeating The Undertaker! Michaels then asks what happens if Rey does not make it to the Rumble and Rey poses the same question to HBK and suggests that they settle it in the ring if HBK has a problem! “The Straightedge Superstar” CM Punk, along with Luke Gallows and the newest member of “The Straightedge Society”, Serena, interrupt and proclaims that they will be the first “Straightedge” Unified WWE Tag Team Champions in history! Triple H responds by saying that he is relieved to hear Punk is “straight” and states that no one cares about the “straightedge” lifestyle! Triple H says that Punk does not drink, smoke, or do drugs, but he looks like he has been hanging out with Amy Winehouse and suggests Punk shave the “squirrel” shaved off of his chin and says one of them needs to shower! SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long comes out and proclaims that CM Punk & Luke Gallows will not be getting their title match on that edition of SmackDown! Long explains that, for the first time ever, Rey Mysterio will go one-on-one with Shawn Michaels and CM Punk will go one-on-one with Triple H, with the latter happening right away!

While he and Luke Gallows would not be getting their shot at the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles on SmackDown, CM Punk would face off in a one-on-one match with “The Game” Triple H! The proud veteran Triple H even opted to compete in the match without Shawn Michaels at ringside, while Luke Gallows & Serena were at ringside in support of their leader and savior, CM Punk! Triple H has CM Punk set up for the Pedigree to end the match, but Serena rushed into the ring and jumped onto the back of Triple H! Luke Gallows then entered the ring and pummeled “The Game” before CM Punk joined the beat down. Luke Gallows then pulled out the clippers to do the unthinkable to Triple H by shaving his head! Luckily for Triple H, Shawn Michaels rushed to the ring and saved his tag team partner from the embarrassment of having his head shaved! Together, DX rid the ring of Gallows and set their sites on CM Punk, but Punk propped Serena in front of him to prevent an attack by DX! After HBK feigned a super kick, Serena quickly got out of the ring! How will Michaels fair when he goes one-on-one with Rey Mysterio? How will DX do in the Royal Rumble Match this Sunday?

Following their confrontation on WWE Superstars, Chris Jericho and R-Truth went one-on-one on SmackDown. R-Truth was able to block a Codebreaker attempt and roll-up Jericho to pick up the win! How will Jericho & R-Truth fair in the Royal Rumble Match this Sunday night?

Then it was time for the Intercontinental Title to be on the line as Drew McIntyre would defend the title against former champion John Morrison in a No DQ Match. In a brutal back-and-forth battle, it was Drew McIntyre planting John Morrison, face-first, onto the Intercontinental Title belt with the double-arm DDT known as the “Future Shock” that kept the title around the waist of McIntyre! Who will be the next Superstar to step up and challenge McIntyre for the Intercontinental Championship?

Women’s Champion Michelle McCool made an appearance on SmackDown and proclaimed that she sent Mickie James “back to the barnyard” last week. McCool then states that she is a “fighting champion” and challenges any SmackDown Diva to come out and challenge her for her Women’s Title! The challenge was answered by Layla dressed up in a fat suit as “Piggy James”! Believe it or not, the Women’s Title match actually took place with McCool getting the easy win to retain the Women’s Title. How will McCool fair against the real Mickie James this Sunday with her Women’s Title on the line?

Backstage, Batista confronts Shawn Michaels and tells HBK that he does not care about Michaels’ desire to have a rematch with The Undertaker and threatens Shawn Michaels by telling HBK to “stay out his way” in the Royal Rumble Match! HBK tells Batista that he always thought “The Animal” was “overrated”! Triple H then stepped in before anything could go down between his longtime friend, Shawn Michaels, and his former protégé, Batista. Triple H got into the face of Batista, but “The Animal” decided to back off! What will happen this Sunday when all three of these men take part in the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match?

Then it was time for the main event as, for the first time ever on SmackDown, the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title, Rey Mysterio, would go one-on-one with one-half of the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions, Shawn Michaels. The stellar match came to an abrupt halt once Batista interrupted and hit Rey Mysterio with a Spinebuster! “The Animal” then sets Shawn Michaels up for the Batista Bomb, but Triple H came to the aid of his tag team partner and sacrificed himself to take Batista over the top rope! With Rey Mysterio & Shawn Michaels down in the ring, the familiar gong of The Undertaker sounded and “The Phenom” appeared and simultaneously laid out both Mysterio & Michaels with a double chokeslam! The World Heavyweight Champion then stood tall in the center of the ring. Will this be the case come the Royal Rumble this Sunday or will Rey Mysterio upset The Undertaker and claim the World Heavyweight Championship? What will go down between Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Batista, and the rest of the competitors in the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match? Who will be “the one” who gets a World Title opportunity at WrestleMania?

Superstar of the Week: John Cena

 

For twenty-two years, the annual Royal Rumble event has meant one thing; the Royal Rumble Match, a match where thirty men from RAW, SmackDown, & ECW compete in an over-the-top rope battle royal with the winner getting a shot at either the WWE or World Heavyweight Title at WrestleMania. This year’s Royal Rumble Match features some of the biggest stars in the WWE today all vying for a World Title opportunity on “The Grandest Stage of Them All” as Triple H, Shawn Michaels, John Cena, Batista, Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Big Show, Kane, & The Great Khali are just a few of the thirty competitors looking for a guaranteed title opportunity and a guaranteed main event match at WrestleMania XXVI. With teams like DX and Legacy in the Royal Rumble Match, will there be betrayals between these teams, especially considering Shawn Michaels unrelenting desire to have a WrestleMania Rematch with The Undertaker? Could the 23rd annual Royal Rumble Match see the disbanding of teammates and friends? Who will be “the one” who is left standing with a World Title shot this Sunday night?

At the Royal Rumble, “The Celtic Warrior” Sheamus will make his first pay-per-view defense of the WWE Championship as he faces a competitor who might just be as cunning and ruthless as the champion himself in “The Viper” Randy Orton. Which one of these intense competitors will leave Atlanta as the WWE Champion?

After becoming the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title via the Beat The Clock Challenge, Rey Mysterio had his status as #1 Contender taken away by SmackDown Consultant Vickie Guerrero, which led to a one-on-one match with Batista to name the #1 Contender once and for all. After that match ended indecisively, thanks to The Undertaker, Rey was finally able to become the undisputed #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title by defeating Batista in a Steel Cage Match. Now at the Royal Rumble, Rey Mysterio will get his title shot as he challenges The Undertaker for the World Heavyweight Title. Rey has shown no fear of “The Deadman” in recent weeks, but will that lead to Rey being crowned the World Heavyweight Champion or will The Undertaker instill fear into the heart of Rey Mysterio and walk out with the World Heavyweight Title intact?

On January 12, Ezekiel Jackson overcame Superstars from all three brands to win the ECW Homecoming Finale and become the #1 Contender for the ECW Championship at the Royal Rumble. With the assistance of his mentor, William Regal, “Big Zeke” has consistently gotten the better of Christian over recent weeks. Will Ezekiel Jackson’s dominance lead him to the ECW Title this Sunday or will the resilient Christian be able to overcome the strength and relentless power of the #1 Contender to remain the ECW Champion?

After weeks and weeks of relentless torment at the hands of Women’s Michelle McCool & Layla, Mickie James will get her opportunity at ultimate revenge this Sunday at the Royal Rumble when she challenges McCcol for the Women’s Title. Can Mickie earn her fifth reign as Women’s Champion or will Michelle McCool utilize her vicious nature, and possibly best friend Layla, to retain her gold?

Superstar Profile of the Week
Name: The Hurricane
Born On: July 12, 1974 in Smithfield, NC
Age: 35
Billed From: North Carolina
Resides: Smithfield, NC
Wrestler Since: 1991
Trained By: WCW Power Plant, Matt Hardy, & Jeff Hardy

Accomplishments
Three Time Cruiserweight Champion (2x WWE & 1x WCW)
One Time WWE European Champion
One Time WWE Hardcore Champion
One Time WCW Hardcore Co-Champion (w/ Shannon Moore & Evan Karagias)
Two Time WWE World Tag Team Champion (1x w/ Kane & 1x w/ Rosey)

Did You Know?
The Hurricane was the stunt double for actor David Arquette in the 2000 movie, “Ready To Rumble”.

Next Week’s WWE Television Schedule
Monday, February 1: RAW, LIVE from the Sommet Center in Nashville, TN
Tuesday, February 2: ECW on Syfy from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, TN
Thursday, February 4: WWE Superstars from Nashville, TN & Memphis, TN
Friday, February 5: The FedEx Forum in Memphis, TN Hosts SmackDown