WWE Week In Review: January 31, 2010- February 6, 2010

Welcome to the ninety-second 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 23rd annual WWE Royal Rumble came to you, live on pay-per-view, from the Philips Arena in Atlanta, GA. Thirty men would compete in the traditional Royal Rumble Match with the winner receiving a shot at either the WWE or World Heavyweight Title at WrestleMania. Triple H, Shawn Michaels, John Cena, Batista, Chris Jericho, CM Punk, R-Truth, Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, Big Show, Kane, The Great Khali, The Miz, MVP, Kofi Kingston, Matt Hardy, Carlito, Zack Ryder, Chris Masters, Evan Bourne, Yoshi Tatsu, Mark Henry, Jack Swagger, William Regal, Shelton Benjamin, and some surprise entrants would all vie for the prestigious title opportunity on the grand stage of WrestleMania XXVI. The WWE Championship would be on the line at the Royal Rumble as WWE Champion Sheamus would make his first pay-per-view title defense against a former champion who may be just as ruthless and cunning as the WWE Champion himself in “The Viper” Randy Orton. At the Royal Rumble, The Undertaker would defend the World Heavyweight Championship against a popular Superstar who has shown no fear to the face of “The Deadman”, Rey Mysterio. Christian would face his toughest challenge to date as “Captain Charisma” would defend the ECW Championship against the dominant protégé of William Regal, Ezekiel Jackson. After several weeks of embarrassment and name-calling, Mickie James would get her shot at revenge as she would challenge Michelle McCool for the Women’s Title.

WWE Royal Rumble
Good Night For: Edge (made his surprise return to the Royal Rumble and won the 2010 Royal Rumble Match)
Bad Night For: Shawn Michaels (had his dreams of a WrestleMania Rematch crushed by Batista)

The 23rd annual Royal Rumble kicks off with an ECW Championship match as Christian defends the title against his toughest challenge as champion to date, the protégé of William Regal, Ezekiel Jackson, who brings his mentor with him to ringside. Determined to give the upper hand to his protégé, William Regal puts his hands on the ECW Champion on the outside in the middle of the title match, but unfortunately for Regal & “Big Zeke”, the referee caught Regal red-handed and ejected “The British Brawler” from ringside! Ezekiel Jackson dominated the championship match, but the resilient Christian was able to escape the jaws of defeat and hit the Killswitch, out of nowhere, to retain the ECW Title!

Backstage, SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long informs United States Champion The Miz that there are no Guest Hosts at the Royal Rumble and he is putting The Miz in a match against MVP with the United States Title on the line!

Backstage, Cody Rhodes confronts Randy Orton and informs “The Viper” that he has Orton’s back, but reveals that Ted DiBiase does not feel the same way! Rhodes explains that DiBiase’s goal is to win the Royal Rumble Match and face Orton for the WWE Title at WrestleMania! How will Randy Orton react to this news?

By the order of SmackDown General Manger Theodore Long, The Miz would make a surprise defense of the United States Title against MVP! Miz was able to catch MVP out of nowhere with a roll-up to retain the United States Title! After the match, The Miz got into the face of MVP and flaunted his title retention, but MVP responded by laying Miz out with the Playmaker! How will The Miz respond to this post-match attack by MVP? How will there two fair in the Royal Rumble Match?

Backstage, Ted DiBiase confronts Randy Orton and states that Cody Rhodes is acting “weird” and plans on winning the Royal Rumble Match and challenging for the WWE Title at WrestleMania, but tells Orton that he has got the back of “The Viper”! A frustrated Orton tells DiBiase that he is going to beat Sheamus for the WWE Title and he does not want or need the help of either of them!

Then it was time for the WWE Championship to be defended as “The Celtic Warrior” Sheamus would defend the title against “The Viper” Randy Orton. During the match, with Sheamus on the outside, Cody Rhodes blind-sides the WWE Champion in front of the referee! While the referee’s attention is with Cody Rhodes, Orton hits the RKO on Sheamus, but the referee rings the bell for the disqualification! After the match, Rhodes tried to explain himself to Orton, but Orton pops Rhodes with a right hand and bounces his protégé’s skull off of the mat! Ted DiBiase comes in and pulls Orton off of Rhodes, but as DiBiase checks on Rhodes, Orton pops DiBiase with a right hand! Screaming at Legacy, Orton pummels Rhodes & DiBiase, but when Orton turns around, he is caught with a boot by Sheamus! What is the status of Orton & Legacy following this sequence of events?

After weeks and weeks of embarrassment at the hands of Women’s Champion Michelle McCool & Layla, Mickie James would get her shot at McCool and her Women’s Title. Before her title defense, Women’s Champion Michelle McCool proclaims that she is there to give them “what they paid to see” and states that Mickie James is not there! The Women’s Champion continues her relentless taunting of Mickie James and deems the match a “forfeit” before bringing out her best friend, Layla, dressed as “Piggy James” once again. Having seen and heard enough of Team Lay-Cool, Mickie comes out and takes Layla out! Layla climbs on the apron and is the victim of an errant kick by McCool! Mere moments later, Mickie James hits the Mickie-T on McCool to soundly defeat Michelle McCool and win her fifth Women’s Title! After her title win, a host of WWE Divas come to the ring with a cake and the new Women’s Champion Mickie James, along with the Divas, splatter the cake all over Team Lay-Cool! Mickie James has taken McCool’s title and embarrassed Team Lay-Cool, where does the now former Women’s Champion go from here?

Then it was time for the World Heavyweight Championship to be decided as The Undertaker would defend the gold against “The Ultimate Underdog” Rey Mysterio. The Undertaker was able to endure a bloody, possibly broken, nose en route to hitting the Last Ride and retaining the World Heavyweight Title!

Backstage, Shawn Michaels tells partner Triple H that his rematch with The Undertaker is “meant to be” and Triple H responds by telling Michaels that he will have to find “another way” to The Undertaker!

Then it was time for the epic 30-Man Royal Rumble Match to determine who will be guaranteed a WWE or World Heavyweight Title opportunity at WrestleMania XXVI. All thirty Superstars draw random numbers and the two Superstars who draw #1 & #2 will start the match with a new competitor entering the match every ninety seconds until all thirty men have entered. The one man left standing will challenger for either the WWE or World Heavyweight Title at WrestleMania XXVI.

The first entrant in the 2010 Royal Rumble Match would be “The Platinum Superstar” Dolph Ziggler! Ziggler would start the match with the #2 entrant, Evan Bourne! Ninety seconds later, “The Straightedge Superstar” CM Punk joins the fray as the #3 entrant! Punk quickly eliminates Evan Bourne, followed by Dolph Ziggler! Serena fetches Punk a microphone and Punk states that Bourne & Ziggler are just the first two to be eliminated! JTG then enters the match at #4. After eliminating JTG, CM Punk continues his speech as he awaits the #5 entrant, who turns out to be The Great Khali! CM Punk quickly tries to defuse a confrontation with Khali by offering to “save” Khali! “The Punjabi Playboy” refuses and locks Punk in the Khali Vise Grip! The #6 entrant is a shocking one as Beth Phoenix enters the Rumble! Khali sets Phoenix on the apron, but Phoenix locks lips with Khali and the shocked Khali is eliminated by “The Glamazon”! CM Punk hits the GTS on Phoenix before being joined by #7, Zack Ryder! As Ryder enters, Punk eliminated Phoenix and Punk pops Ryder with his microphone! After eliminating Ryder, Punk proclaims he is better than the #8 entrant, who is revealed as “The Game” Triple H! CM Punk & Triple H goes face-to-face and the two battle as the Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre enters at #9! CM Punk goes for the GTS on Triple H, but “The Game” counters and eliminates CM Punk! Legacy member Ted DiBiase then comes in at #10. Former Intercontinental Champion John Morrison then enters at #11 and it does not take long for Morrison to find his way to rival Drew McIntyre! At #12, in his twelfth Rumble appearance, Kane enters the Royal Rumble Match and wastes no time in dominating the Rumble Match! The #13 entrant joins the match as Cody Rhodes enters the match and immediately assists his Legacy cohort, Ted DiBiase! After failing to win the United States Title, MVP joins the Rumble Match at #14, but MVP is quickly taken out during his entrance by The Miz!

At the halfway point, Carlito enters at #15 as the ring continues to fill with Superstars. Following his attack on MVP, United States Champion The Miz enters at #16! However, MVP enters the ring for revenge and eliminates The Miz, as well as himself! Entrant #17 then joins the fray as Matt Hardy enters the Royal Rumble Match. Kane is quick to eliminate to Matt Hardy and Triple H is even quicker in eliminating Kane! Things get interesting with the #18 entrant, Shawn Michaels, who quickly eliminates Carlito and follows it up by eliminating both members of Legacy, followed by John Morrison! Drew McIntyre then finds himself all alone with both members of DX and is eliminated by the duo before being joined by #19, John Cena! Cena has HBK hoisted up for the Attitude Adjustment, but Triple H makes the save and hits the Pedigree on Cena! Michaels then hits Sweet Chin Music en route to eliminating his partner, Triple H! Following this surprise elimination, Shelton Benjamin enters at #20, but is eliminated by John Cena! Yoshi Tatsu then makes his Rumble Match debut as entrant #21, but Cena makes quick work of Tatsu by eliminating the Rumble first-timer! John Cena & Shawn Michaels are then joined by entrant #22, Big Show! After Big Show takes control of the ring, “The World’s Largest Athlete” comes face-to-face with the #23 entrant, “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry! The #24 entrant then comes in as Chris Masters joins the fray, but Big Show is able to eliminate “The Masterpiece” with ease! The #25 entrant, R-Truth, then enters the match and manages to eliminate both Mark Henry & Big Show! Entrant #26 then joins in as Jack Swagger enters the Royal Rumble Match. The #27 entrant then makes his way to the ring as Kofi Kingston enters the Rumble Match and eliminates Jack Swagger! Kofi eliminates R-Truth just before Truth’s recent rival, Chris Jericho, enters the match at #28! Kofi is able to hit Trouble in Paradise on Shawn Michaels before Kofi is eliminated by John Cena! #29 then makes his entrance into the Royal Rumble as “The Rated R Superstar” himself, Edge makes his shocking return to the WWE! Edge immediately sets his sights on Chris Jericho as he spears everyone in sight and eliminates his former tag partner! The final Superstar then enters the Royal Rumble Match and the #30 entrant is revealed as “The Animal” Batista! With all thirty entrants having been revealed, it comes down to four men- Batista, John Cena, Shawn Michaels, & Edge with a title opportunity at WrestleMania XXVI on the line! Both Edge & Shawn Michaels find themselves on the ring apron and, after Shawn Michaels hits Sweet Chin Music on Edge, knocking him back into the ring, Batista eliminates Shawn Michaels to crush the dream of a WrestleMania Rematch for HBK! An emotional Shawn Michaels then attacks the referee on the outside before entering the ring and delivering Sweet Chin Music to another official! With his dreams shattered, Shawn Michaels makes his exit as the Royal Rumble Match comes down to Batista, John Cena, & Edge. John Cena is able to use the velocity of Batista to his advantage to eliminate “The Animal”! Cena then tries to eliminate Edge, but “The Ultimate Opportunist” counters John Cena and tosses Cena over the top rope to win the 2010 Royal Rumble Match and earn a title opportunity at WrestleMania XXVI!

The 871st edition of WWE Monday Night RAW came to you, live, from the Sommet Center in Nashville, TN. One night after a historic Royal Rumble, legendary television personality William Shatner takes the helm of RAW as the Guest Host. Almost a month after his WWE return and almost a month after he was kicked in the mid-section by Mr. McMahon, Bret Hart comes back to Monday Night RAW to accept the reluctant invitation of the WWE Chairman and confront Mr. McMahon.

The show kicks off with the shocking winner of the 2010 Royal Rumble, “The Rated-R Superstar” Edge, who proclaims that he is, not only back, but “back in the main event of WrestleMania”! Edge stated that the doctors told him that he could never return from his Achilles injury, but once he heard the comments from Chris Jericho at the 2009 Slammy Awards, he made the decision that he would not miss another WrestleMania due to an injury! “The Rated-R Superstar” stated that he rehabbed harder than ever to keep his personal promise of winning the Royal Rumble and that Jericho has his Slammy and his TMZ mug shot, but Edge has the main event spot at WrestleMania! Edge says that he has faced The Undertaker before at WrestleMania, and lost, and that the “smart” decision would be to challenge the champion who has never competed at WrestleMania, Sheamus. However, Edge states that he is going to wait until after the Elimination Chamber event to reveal his decision! The 2010 Royal Rumble Winner is then joined by the WWE Champion, Sheamus, who makes his way to the ring to confront Edge! Sheamus tells “The Rated-R Superstar” that a lot has changed while Edge has been gone and that he has done what Edge could not by defeating John Cena for the WWE Championship! Edge reminds Sheamus that he has “made a career” out of beating Cena, as well as Randy Orton. Sheamus then states that he has defeated Cena and he has defeated Orton, so he would not “break a sweat” in defeating Edge! Sheamus then suggests Edge go back to SmackDown before he puts him “back on the shelf for good”! Sheamus then cheap-shots Edge by throwing the microphone in his face, but when Sheamus tries to hit Edge with his signature boot, Edge dodges the blow and levels the WWE Champion with the Spear! After leaving the WWE Champion laid out in the ring, has the words and actions of Sheamus convinced Edge of his WrestleMania opponent?

The opening match of the night would see the final participant eliminated in the 2010 Royal Rumble Match, John Cena, take on Legacy member Cody Rhodes with a spot in the Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE Championship at the Elimination Chamber event on the line! In the end, it was Cena hitting the Attitude Adjustment on Rhodes en route to qualifying for the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match in three weeks’ time at WWE Elimination Chamber! Who will be the other four competitors who join WWE Champion Sheamus & John Cena in the Eliminatin Chamber Match for the WWE Title?

Backstage, WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon is confronted by Guest Host William Shatner, who boldly proclaims that he “can’t wait” for fellow Canadian, Bret Hart, to “embarrass” McMahon!

After John Cena qualified for the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match, “The All-American American” Jack Swagger found himself going one-on-one with “The Game” Triple H with a spot in the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match on the line! In the end, it was Triple H capitalizing on the overconfidence of Jack Swagger and hitting the Pedigree to join John Cena & WWE Champion Sheamus in the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match! Three down and three to go; who will join Sheamus, John Cena, & Triple H in the Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE Title?

Backstage, Triple H confronts Shawn Michaels and asks for a moment to talk to HBK about eliminating him in the Royal Rumble Match last night. Triple H expresses that he would of done the same, given the opportunity! HBK says that it was not “supposed” to go down like that, he was “supposed” to win the Royal Rumble Match and go to WrestleMania and beat The Undertaker. Triple H tells his partner that Michaels needs to concentrate on beating Randy Orton and qualifying for the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match. Triple H then states that, if Triple H emerges as the WWE Champion at WWE Elimination Chamber, then he would love to “tear the house down” with HBK at WrestleMania.

After his crushing elimination from the Royal Rumble Match, Shawn Michaels went one-on-one with Randy Orton with the fourth spot in the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match on the line. In the end, Orton lived up to being “The Viper” by sneaking in a quick roll-up on Shawn Michaels to qualify for the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match! After the match, a frustrated, distraught, and defeated Shawn Michaels exits the ring following his second crushing loss in twenty-four hours.

Backstage, Ted DiBiase confronts Randy Orton and apologizes to his mentor, but “The Viper” simply walks away from DiBiase!

Following his confrontation with Randy Orton, Ted DiBiase had the daunting task of facing “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry with a spot in the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match on the line! Unlike his Legacy teammate, Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase was able to qualify for the Elimination Chamber Match by defeating Mark Henry!

Backstage, United States Champion The Miz & Big Show discuss getting a Unified WWE Tag Team Titles match out of William Shatner before being approached by CM Punk, Serena, & Luke Gallows! CM Punk proclaims that they are there in search of “whatever passes for an authority figure” to get their Unified WWE Tag Team Title match against DX! Guest Host William Shatner intervenes and announces a huge match for next week’s RAW as Unified WWE Tag Team Champions D-Generation X will defend their titles against both The Miz & Big Show and The Straightedge Society in a Triple Threat Tag Team Match! Who will emerge as the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions on next week’s RAW?

Backstage, Triple H confronts his frustrated partner, Shawn Michaels, and tells HBK to “move on” and explains that it is “not the end of the world”. Triple H tells his tag partner that there are “plenty of other guys” that HBK could face at WrestleMania, but Michaels responds with “not for me”.

It was announced during RAW that, this Friday on SmackDown, the winner of the 2010 Royal Rumble, Edge, will present the return of “The Cutting Edge” with is guest being none other than the World Heavyweight Champion, The Undertaker! After laying the WWE Champion out with a Spear on RAW, what will go down between Edge & The Undertaker this Friday night?

In the final qualifying match for the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match, Kofi Kingston would face “The World’s Largest Athlete” Big Show! Before the match got underway, United States Champion The Miz provides guest commentary for the match. During the match, The Miz gets out of his seat at ringside and taunts Kofi Kingston on the outside. However, MVP jumps the barricade and runs The Miz all the way to the backstage area! In a chaotic back-and-forth match, Big Show finds himself inadvertently knocking out the referee! Big Show signals for a second referee, who comes out and rings the bell for the disqualification! Big Show pleads his case to the referee, citing that his vision was impaired and he did not mean to knock out the referee, but in the end, Big Show left the ring, furious and defeated, while Kofi Kingston finds himself as a participant in the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match! In his first Elimination Chamber Match, Sheamus will defend the WWE Championship against John Cena, Triple H, Randy Orton, Ted DiBiase, & Kofi Kingston. Can Sheamus survive the Elimination Chamber as the WWE Champion?

WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler appears in the ring and introduces his friend and the man who inducted him into the Hall of Fame, the Guest Host of RAW, William Shatner! Accompanied by The Bella Twins, Shatner makes his way into the ring and states that he has had the “greatest time” hosting RAW. The legendary actor then introduces the legendary wrestler, and fellow Canadian, Bret “The Hitman” Hart!

For the first time since he was unceremoniously kicked in the mid-section by Mr. McMahon on January 4, Bret Hart appears on RAW! Bret states that he has had about a month to put things into “perspective” for himself and says that it took him twelve years to return to the WWE. Bret states that he was “wrong” to think that he could come back and make “peace”. Bret then proclaims that he is not there to make “peace” or to find “closure”, he is there to talk to McMahon, face-to-face! “The Hitman” then orders the Chairman to come to the ring and, after impatiently waiting for the arrival of the WWE Chairman, Bret finally gets McMahon as Mr. McMahon comes out and confidently saunters to the ring! The Chairman states that he does not “regret” anything he has done to Bret and Bret responds by saying McMahon is the “world’s greatest liar”! Bret tells McMahon that the Chairman could not lace up his father’s “jock strap” and states that, last week, Cena called McMahon “pathetic”. Bret says that he knows all about “pathetic” after finding himself in a wheelchair following his stroke, but he got out of the wheelchair and walked again and vowed to never feel “pathetic” again. Bret then states that, McMahon’s actions on the night of Bret’s return made him feel “pathetic”! Bret said that he worked for the Chairman for fourteen years and worked injured and sick. Bret then stated that he would tell himself that, someday, McMahon would “appreciate” him, but he was wrong. Bret then recalls McMahon calling him a “piece of gum that’s lost it’s flavor” and Bret proclaims that he has got “just enough flavor” to “kick the ass” of the Chairman! Mr. McMahon responds by calling all of the nicknames of Bret as a “crock”, including his status as a “Canadian hero”! McMahon then states that Bret is not a “hero” to anyone and calls Bret “pathetic”, as well as saying Bret has “no personality”! The Chairman digs deeper by saying that, had it not been for Bret’s list of opponents, Bret would not have made it anywhere! McMahon then says “The Hitman” dresses like a “hobo” and boldly states that Bret “deserved to be screwed”! The Chairman then reveals that he has changed his mind and he will not be inducting Bret’s father, Stu, into the WWE Hall of Fame, claiming that Stu “does not deserve” it! This sends Bret over the edge and “The Hitman” attacks the Chairman! Bret pummels Mr. McMahon, but as Bret gets ready to lock the legendary Sharpshooter on the Chairman, Batista rushes to the aid of McMahon! Batista assaults the Hall of Famer before holding Bret while McMahon shows the ultimate form of disrespect by spitting in the face of the legend! Why has Batista aligned himself with Mr. McMahon? How will Bret Hart respond to the attack by Batista and the actions of Mr. McMahon?

The 191st edition of ECW on Syfy came to you from the FedExForum in Memphis, TN. WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon would make a rare appearance on the show to address the future of ECW! Plus, two nights after Christian successfully defended the ECW Championship against Ezekiel Jackson, ECW would feel the fallout of the 23rd annual Royal Rumble event.

ECW on Syfy
Good Week For: Ezekiel Jackson & William Regal (assaulted and laid out Christian, as well as Gregory Helms)
Bad Week For: Gregory Helms (was laid out by William Regal & Ezekiel Jackson after trying to conduct an interview)

The show kicks off with The Abraham Washington Show with special guest, ECW Champion Christian! Following his monologue, Abe brings out “Captain Charisma” himself, the ECW Champion Christian. Abe congratulates the champion on his successful title defense at the Royal Rumble. Christian states that he is proud of his reign as ECW Champion and proud of the fact that he has taken on, and defeated, every challenger. Zack Ryder, with Rosa Mendes, interrupts the show and brings attention to the public intoxication arrest of Gregory “The Hurricane” Helms! Ryder proclaims that the arrest further solidifies his status as “The Heart And Soul Superhero of ECW”! Christian asks Ryder if he actually has a problem with what Helms did or if Ryder is “jealous” that they are both on television, but that people actually recognize Helms! Christian states that Helms made a “mistake”, just like Ryder does every morning when he looks in the mirror! After Christian refers to Ryder’s girlfriend, Rosa Mendes, as “Tila Tequila”, Ryder pie-faces the ECW Champion and Christian shoves “The Long Island Loudmouth” off of his feet! This prompts Abraham Washington to bring an end to the show. Has Christian met the next challenger for the ECW Title in the form of Zack Ryder?

The opening match of the night was a one-on-one match between intense rivals, Shelton Benjamin & Vance Archer. In the end, it was Archer stealing a victory over Benjamin by way of placing his feet on the ropes!

It was announced on ECW that, Friday on SmackDown, exclusive footage will be shown from what took place after RAW went off the air that involved John Cena coming to the aid of Bret Hart! What went down between Cena & Batista after RAW?

Following their confrontation on The Abraham Washington Show, ECW Champion Christian would face Zack Ryder in a non-title match in the main event!

With Goldust on his corner, Yoshi Tatsu was in action against Trent Barreta, with Caylen Croft in his corner. Barreta came close to defeating Tatsu, but when Barreta complained to the referee regarding a close fall, he turned right into the Buzzsaw Kick by Yoshi Tatsu en route to picking up the win!

Then it was time for the much-anticipated appearance by Mr. McMahon, as the WWE Chairman would address the future of ECW! The Chairman starts with the shocking announcement that, in three weeks’ time, ECW will go “off the air”! Mr. McMahon then announces that a new show will replace ECW; a new and “innovative” program and it will be the “next evolution of the WWE; the next evolution of television history”! What exactly will this new program be about? How will the new show differ from the current ECW show?

In the ring, Gregory Helms brings out Ezekiel Jackson and his mentor, William Regal. Helms asks “Big Zeke” about his loss to Christian at the Royal Rumble. William Regal asks Helms if it is has been a “very trying week” for him and Helms states he will “get past it” and is there to “do his job”. Regal responds by saying that it is about to “get worse” before Ezekiel blind-sides Helms! Regal & Ezekiel then commence a vicious assault on Helms with Regal hitting the Knee Trembler on Helms before the ECW Champion, Christian, armed with a kendo stick, makes the save for Helms and runs Regal & “Big Zeke” from the ring! How will William Regal & Ezekiel Jackson react to Christian coming to the aid of Gregory Helms?

After coming to the aid of Gregory Helms, Christian was in action in the main event as the ECW Champion went one-on-one with “The Long Island Loudmouth” Zack Ryder in a non-title match. After hitting the Killswitch on Ryder, Christian had the match in hand, but Ezekiel Jackson & William Regal interfered and assaulted the ECW Champion, leaving Christian laid out on the outside of the ring! Has Ezekiel Jackson aggressively put himself back into title contention?

The 43rd edition of WWE Superstars came to you from the Sommet Center in Nashville, TN and from the FedExForum in Memphis, TN. Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre would team with The Hart Dynasty to face former champion John Morrison, Matt Hardy, & The Great Khali in a 6-Man Tag Match. Carlito would be in action as he went one-on-one with the high-flying Evan Bourne. In Divas Tag action, Kelly Kelly would team with Eve Torres to face Katie Lea & Alicia Fox.

WWE Superstars
Good Week For: Evan Bourne (was able to win a grueling match over Carlito)
Bad Week For: Kelly Kelly (had her own momentum used against her to lose the match)

The opening match of the night featured the Divas of RAW as Kelly Kelly teamed with Eve Torres to face the team of Katie Lea & Alicia Fox. In the end, it was Alicia Fox rolling through on a high cross body by Kelly Kelly to pick up the win for herself and Katie Lea.

Two of the RAW Superstars who competed in the Royal Rumble Match this past Sunday were in action as Carlito went one-on-one with Evan Bourne. In a stellar back-and-forth contest, it was Evan Bourne overcoming all of the punishment dealt out by Carlito to hit Air Bourne and pin Carlito for the win!

SmackDown hosted the 6-Man Tag main event as Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre teamed with The Hart Dynasty to face the team of former champion John Morrison, Matt Hardy, & The Great Khali. In the end, it was The Great Khali planting David Hart Smith with the Punjabi Plunge en route to winning the match for himself, Matt Hardy, & John Morrison.

The 546th edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown came to you from the FedExForum in Memphis, TN. Five nights after his shocking return and victory in the 2010 Royal Rumble Match, Edge returns to SmackDown and also returning is his talk show, “The Cutting Edge”, and his guest will be none other than the World Heavyweight Champion, The Undertaker. On RAW, the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match for WWE Elimination Chamber was set and, on SmackDown, the Superstars would battle in a series of qualifying matches with the five winners joining World Heavyweight Champion The Undertaker in the World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber Match. Also on SmackDown, exclusive post-RAW footage featuring Batista & John Cena would be shown.

Friday Night SmackDown
Good Week For: Edge (returned to SmackDown and, with The Undertaker, cleared the ring at the end of the The Cutting Edge)
Bad Week For: Michelle McCool (was blasted with a right hand by Beth Phoenix and was on the losing side of tag team action)

Five nights after the Royal Rumble Match, the man who was the first to feel the wrath of the returning Edge, Chris Jericho, opened the show. Jericho states that SmackDown was supposed to be “his night” and says that he should be standing there as the 2010 Royal Rumble Winner, but he is not because that was “taken away” from him. Jericho says that he is “carefully constructing” his way back to the main event, but his plans were derailed at the Royal Rumble and it was because of Edge. Jericho claims that Edge entered the Royal Rumble match “under false pretenses” and that he “did not deserve” to win the Rumble and he did “deserve” it. Jericho then states that, during Edge’s absence, he “carried” the WWE and, now, everyone is talking about Edge. Jericho then calls Edge a “con artist” and says that Edge has “no heart and no passion”. Jericho then accuses Edge of “walking out” and “abandoning” him last year and now Edge is going to the main event of WrestleMania and Jericho has “nothing”! An enraged Jericho then proclaims that he “does not settle for nothing” and that he “qualifies for nothing”. Jericho then orders General Manager Theodore Long to come out and “make it right”! When Long does not come out, Jericho exits the ring and makes his way backstage to find the General Manager! Backstage, Jericho demands to know where Long’s office is located and, after bullying a staff member, Jericho is directed to the GM’s office, where Jericho finds Edge! Edge explains that Jericho is the one who “lit the fire” under him that prompted him to return and that Jericho is the one who “created the monster”! Edge tells Jericho that Jericho will “regret” his return and informs Jericho of his plans to bring back The Cutting Edge with his “old acquaintance”, the World Heavyweight Champion The Undertaker! Jericho responds by telling Edge that he will “be watching”! Does Chris Jericho have a plan to interrupt The Cutting Edge? What will go down when Edge & The Undertaker come face-to-face?

The opening match of the night was a Triple Threat Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match and it saw Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre, John Morrison, & “The Big Red Machine” Kane face off for a spot inside the dangerous structure. Under the umbrella of a match with no disqualifications and no count-outs, Drew McIntyre blasted Kane in the mid-section with the Intercontinental Title belt, followed by the Future Shock DDT. McIntyre pinned Kane, but Morrison hit a vicious kick on McIntyre, followed by Starship Pain on Kane to win the match and earn his spot in the World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber Match! Who will join World Heavyweight Champion The Undertaker & John Morrison in the demonic Elimination Chamber?

In the next Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match, R-Truth went one-on-one with “The Mountain Man Monster” Mike Knox! With his patented Lie Detector maneuver, R-Truth defeated Mike Knox to qualify for the World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber Match!

SmackDown also presented some never-before-seen footage that took place after this week’s RAW! The footage depicted John Cena coming to the aid of Bret Hart following the attack by Batista, but “The Animal” blind-sides Cena and runs Cena shoulder-first into the ring post, then into the ring steps, and over the announce table! Batista then pummels Cena on the outside before blasting Cena in the face with the steel steps! Finally, the diabolical Batista places the steel ring steps in the center of the ring and delivers a vicious Batista Bomb to Cena on the cold, unforgiving steel steps! What is the status of John Cena? What will be the response to this heinous attack?

After witnessing Batista’s assault on John Cena, “The Straightedge Savior” CM Punk would have to face Batista in an Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match! The match begins and Batista simply stands in the corner and smiles at CM Punk, but the shocking moment came when Batista intentionally exits the ring and allow himself to be counted out; ensuring CM Punk’s spot in the Elimination Chamber Match! Batista has expressed that the World Heavyweight Title is all that matters to him, so why did “The Animal” forfeit such an opportunity?

The next Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match saw Matt Hardy go one-on-one with Chris Jericho. In the end, Jericho was able to block an attempt at the Twist of Fate by Matt Hardy and hit the Codebreaker en route to defeating Matt Hardy and earning his spot in the World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber Match! Who will be the final Superstar to qualify for the Elimination Chamber Match?

Five nights after extracting her revenge on Michelle McCool & Layla by taking the Women’s Title from and embarrassing McCool, new Women’s Champion Mickie James appeared on SmackDown. Mickie states that Team Lay-Cool has made it their mission to embarrass her and, at the Royal Rumble, she proved that being “real” is what a “true champion” is about! Mickie then states that “what goes around, comes around” before being interrupted by Beth Phoenix! Phoenix states that, while Mickie celebrated her title win, she competed in the Royal Rumble Match and took her game to a whole new level! Phoenix tells Mickie that she could take the title “anytime, any place” that she wants! Mickie & Phoenix are interrupted by the screeching voice of the SmackDown Consultant, Vickie Guerrero, who states that the match will not happen unless she says so! Vickie then announces that Mickie & Phoenix will team up to face “the true number one contender” Michelle McCool and her partner, Layla!

During the match, Phoenix entered the ring and clocked Mickie with a right hand, as well as McCool before walking out on the match! The match continued as Layla entered the ring and was caught with a roll-up by Mickie en route to Mickie & Phoenix winning the match! What will go down next between these four Divas?

Then it was time for the final Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match as Rey Mysterio would go one-on-one with “The Platinum Superstar” Dolph Ziggler for the final spot in the Elimination Chamber Match for the World Heavyweight Title. In the end, the quickness of Rey Mysterio ensured Rey the final spot in the Elimination Chamber Match for the World Heavyweight Title! After the match, Dolph Ziggler tried to blind-side Mysterio, but the veteran Mysterio was able to avoid the attack and hit the 619 on Ziggler! All six competitors have been confirmed for the World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber Match. Who will emerge from the Elimination Chamber as the World Heavyweight Champion?

Then it was time for the return of The Cutting Edge as the 2010 Royal Rumble Winner, Edge, would present his guest, World Heavyweight Champion The Undertaker, on the show. Edge states that it feels “really, really good” to be back on SmackDown and to be “home”. Edge then says that all he went through was “worth it” for the moment he returned and that he is now on the Road to WrestleMania. Edge states that he could be challenging his guest, The Undertaker, at WrestleMania or he could face the WWE Champion Sheamus at WrestleMania, who noted that spearing Sheamus on RAW was “fun”! Chris Jericho interrupted The Cutting Edge and tells Edge that “The Rated-R Superstar” took his opportunity away and Edge “did not deserve” to win the Royal Rumble Match! Edge explains that Jericho “did not deserve” to win because he eliminated Jericho in the Royal Rumble Match! Jericho calls his elimination a “sneak attack” and proclaims he is the “face of SmackDown”. Edge states that Jericho wanted to make his serious injury a “punch line” before telling Jericho that he wants to make Jericho “eat” his words! Edge states that he is “sick and tired” of hearing Jericho’s suits and his speeches, as well as the look on his face and his face altogether! The confrontation is then interrupted by CM Punk and his Straightedge Society! Punk states that Edge & Jericho look like “junkies” and says it is not about them, it is about the Elimination Chamber and about The Undertaker! Punk then vows to win the Elimination Chamber Match and become a four-time World Heavyweight Champion before the champion himself, The Undertaker, arrives on the scene and, together with Edge, clear the ring! Undertaker plants Punk with a chokeslam then quickly turns around to see Edge ready to spear him! The champion and potential challenger then stand across the ring from each other; not taking their eyes off the Superstar in front of them. Has Edge decided to challenge The Undertaker at WrestleMania? Will The Undertaker even be the World Heavyweight Champion after the Elimination Chamber Match?

Superstar of the Week: 2010 Royal Rumble Winner Edge

Accomplishments
One Time Intercontinental Champion
One Time United States Champion
One Time Unified WWE Tag Team Champion (World Tag Team & WWE Tag Team) (w/ Primo)
One Time WWE Tag Team Champion (w/ Primo)

Did You Know?
While his father, Carlos Colon Sr., is a legendary Caribbean wrestler, Carlito’s mother is actually Canadian.

Next Week’s WWE Television Schedule
Monday, February 8: RAW, LIVE from the Cajundome in Lafayette, LA
Tuesday, February 9: ECW on Syfy from the Baton Rouge River Center in Baton Rouge, LA
Thursday, February 11: WWE Superstars from Lafayette, LA & Baton Rouge, LA
Friday, February 12: The Baton Rouge River Center in Baton Rouge, LA Hosts SmackDown