WWE Week In Review: March 28, 2010- April 3, 2010

Welcome to the one-hundredth 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. Make sure to check out the section at the end of the article highlighting a different WWE Superstar, Diva, or Legend every week. I have also added a section that lists where WWE will be hosting their weekly shows.

You can follow me on Twitter at Wrestling101com. I will be posting the latest news from the wrestling world via my Twitter account, as well as Wrestling101.com.

World Wrestling Entertainment, along with Slim Jim, presented: WrestleMania XXVI, which came to you, live, from the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ. The biggest night on the WWE calendar would see two legendary Superstars with an irreplaceable presence at WrestleMania go one-on-one as The Undertaker would put his 17-0 undefeated WrestleMania streak on the line against the twenty-five year career of the incomparable Shawn Michaels in a match that can only end by pinfall or submission, where, if Shawn Michaels beat The Undertaker, then HBK would be the first Superstar in history to end the streak, but if The Undertaker wins, then “The Deadman” would become known as the man who ended the great career of Shawn Michaels. In a match rooted in personal animosity, Batista would defend the WWE Championship against the man he stole the championship from at WWE Elimination Chamber, John Cena. WrestleMania would also see the World Heavyweight Championship defended as the confident champion Chris Jericho would defend against former tag team partner and current rival, the 2010 Royal Rumble Winner, Edge. After twelve long years of hearing “Bret screwed Bret” in relation to the infamous Montreal Screwjob in 1997, Hall of Famer Bret “Hitman” Hart would finally get his shot at revenge as he clashes with the Chairman of the WWE, Mr. McMahon, in a No Holds Barred match. In a heated and highly personal match, Rey Mysterio would be looking to extract revenge for himself and his family by defeating CM Punk, but if Punk wins, then Rey would be forced to join The Straightedge Society. After being eliminated from the Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE Championship last month by Triple H, Sheamus has had his sights set on “The Game” and, at WrestleMania, Sheamus will go one-on-one with Triple H in the first WrestleMania for “The Celtic Warrior”. A Triple Threat Match would see the final step in the complete dissention of Randy Orton & Legacy as Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, & Ted DiBiase would face off. In the biggest Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match in WrestleMania history, Christian, Dolph Ziggler, Kane, Shelton Benjamin, Jack Swagger, MVP, Matt Hardy, Evan Bourne, Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre, & Kofi Kingston would all compete in the WrestleMania tradition with the winner of the match earning themselves a shot at either the WWE or World Heavyweight Titles anytime from the moment they win the contract until WrestleMania next year. WrestleMania would also see the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles defended as United States Champion The Miz & “The World’s Largest Athlete” Big Show would defend the titles against the exciting team of R-Truth & John Morrison. The Divas, and Vickie Guerrero, would also be represented on “The Grandest Stage of Them All” as the team of SmackDown Consultant Vickie Guerrero, Women’s Champion Michelle McCool, Divas Champion Maryse, Layla, & Alicia Fox would square off with the team of “The Glamazon” Beth Phoenix, former Women’s Champion Mickie James, Gail Kim, Kelly Kelly, & Eve Torres in a 10-Diva Tag Match.

 

The grand extravaganza known as WrestleMania XXVI kicked off with gold on the line as United States Champion The Miz & Big Show defended the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles against the dynamic team of R-Truth & John Morrison. In the end, it was the vicious right hand of Big Show that laid John Morrison out and allowed “The World’s Largest Athlete” to pick up the win for himself and The Miz to retain their titles on the grand stage of WrestleMania!

Up next was the Triple Threat Match that would see Randy Orton take on his former protégés, Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase as the former cohesive unit would collide against each other. While Legacy worked together early on, it did not take long for the team to implode as Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase inevitably went head-to-head! The dissention between Rhodes & DiBiase ultimately allowed Randy Orton to take advantage as Orton delivers a vicious punt to Cody Rhodes, followed by the RKO to Ted DiBiase en route to pinning DiBiase for the win! What is the condition of Cody Rhodes following the punt? Where do all three of these Superstars go from here?

Then it was time for the huge Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match where ten Superstars from RAW & SmackDown would utilize ladders any way they see fit to gain possession of the Money-in-the-Bank briefcase that houses a contract that guarantees the holder a shot at either the WWE or World Heavyweight Title at any time from the moment they win it until next year’s WrestleMania as Christian, Dolph Ziggler, Kane, Shelton Benjamin, Jack Swagger, MVP, Matt Hardy, Evan Bourne, Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre, & Kofi Kingston would all compete and do whatever it takes to get the briefcase and the title opportunity. At the end of a jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring match, it was “The All-American American” Jack Swagger who was left holding the Money-in-the-Bank briefcase ensuring the Oklahoma native a future title opportunity for either the WWE or World Heavyweight Championship! When will Jack Swagger cash in his Money-in-the-Bank title opportunity and which championship will Swagger opt to challenge for?

Next up was a one-on-one match between “The Game” Triple H and his confident and brutal opponent, “The Celtic Warrior” Sheamus. In the end, Triple H was able to emerge from the clutches of defeat to hit the Pedigree on Sheamus en route to picking up a hard-fought win on the grand stage of WrestleMania! What is next on the agenda of Triple H?

Then it was time for the highly-personal match between CM Punk & Rey Mysterio where, if Rey is unable to defeat CM Punk, the proud Mysterio will be forced to join The Straightedge Society. Despite interference from Luke Gallows & Serena, Rey Mysterio was able to defeat CM Punk and avoid joining The Straightedge Society!

Over twelve years after the infamous Montreal Screwjob led to his WWE departure, WWE Hall of Famer Bret “The Hitman” Hart would finally get his hands on the orchestrator of the incident, the WWE Chairman himself, Mr. McMahon in a No Holds Barred Match. Before the match, the Chairman states that “you get what you pay for” before revealing that there will be Lumberjacks surrounding the ring for their showdown and stating that “Bret screwed Bret”, “Vince screwed Bret”, and now the “Hart Family screwed Bret”! In jaw-dropping WrestleMania moment, the Chairman reveals that the Lumberjacks are members of the legendary Hart Family, including The Hart Dynasty, and the special referee will be Bruce Hart! When the match was ready to start, Bret revealed that there is nothing like a good “double cross” before stating that WrestleMania XXVI will always be remembered for the night that “Bret screwed Vince”! With that statement, Bret embraces Bruce Hart as a symbol of the unbreakable bond of the Hart family! With The Hart Dynasty at the head of the assault against the Chairman, the Hart family Lumberjacks get a piece of the evil Vince McMahon before feeding the Chairman back to Bret, who methodically pummels Vince with fists, kicks, steel chairs, tire irons, and everything in between! After a merciless assault with a steel chair, Bret Hart forced Vince McMahon into submission with the legendary Sharpshooter; finally earning the closure he has been seeking and forcing Vince to suffer for all his sins against Bret and the entire Hart family!

Then it was time for the World Heavyweight Championship to be put on the line as Chris Jericho would defend the gold against the winner of the 2010 Royal Rumble, Edge. Following an opportunistic shot with the World Heavyweight Title belt, Jericho was able to hit the Codebreaker on Edge en route to finally defeating “The Rated-R Superstar” in an incredibly hard-fought match to retain the World Heavyweight Title! After the match, an incensed Edge assaulted Chris Jericho before driving the World Heavyweight Champion through the barricade with a Spear on the outside! What is the status of Chris Jericho following this assault? What is next for Edge, as well as Chris Jericho?

The Divas, and Vickie Guerrero, were also represented at WrestleMania as SmackDown Consultant Vickie Guerrero, Women’s Champion Michelle McCool, Divas Champion Maryse, Layla, & Alicia Fox faced Beth Phoenix, Mickie James, Gail Kim, Kelly Kelly, & Eve Torres in a 10-Diva Tag Match. In the end, it was a very unique version of the Frog Splash by Vickie that led to Vickie pinning Kelly Kelly for the win!

Then it was time for the WWE Championship to be put up for grabs as “The Animal” Batista would defend the WWE Title against the Superstar that he stole the title from, John Cena, in the culmination of their intense feud. After Batista survived the Attitude Adjustment and John Cena survived the Batista Bomb, it was Cena’s STF that finally forced “The Animal” to submit to prove that he can defeat Batista and, more importantly, to regain the WWE Championship! How will Batista respond to losing the WWE Championship? Who will step up to challenge the new WWE Champion?

Then it was time for the epic main event as two of the biggest names in the history of WrestleMania would put it all on the line as The Undertaker would put his 17-0 undefeated WrestleMania streak on the line against the historic twenty-five year career of the incomparable Shawn Michaels in a match that can only end by pinfall or submission. In a match for the ages, both legendary competitors gave it absolutely everything they had and then some; including The Undertaker hitting the Tombstone Piledriver on the arena floor and Shawn Michaels putting The Undertaker through the announce table with a memorable moonsault. After all of the punishment he sustained throughout the match, Shawn Michaels was still able to kick out of the Tombstone Piledriver by The Undertaker! “The Phenom” started to symbolize the end for Shawn Michaels as he was set to deliver a second Tombstone to end the match, but The Undertaker stopped; realizing that he did not want to have to force Shawn Michaels into retirement. Undertaker pleaded with Michaels to stay down, but HBK was determined to stay defiant to the end as he gave Undertaker the symbol for “the end” before delivering a thunderous slap to The Undertaker that prompted Undertaker to spike Shawn Michaels with forceful Tombstone Piledriver that would ensure The Undertaker’s victory and the end of the unforgettable career of one of the greatest performers in the history of professional wrestling, Shawn Michaels. After the epic match, The Undertaker helped Shawn Michaels to his feet and the two combatants shook hands and embraced before The Undertaker left the ring to allow Shawn Michaels to shine in the spotlight one last time. In a career that spans twenty-five years, Shawn Michaels has done it all; from multiple reigns as WWE Champion to winning back-to-back Royal Rumble Matches to ending the career of the great “Nature Boy” Ric Flair. Shawn Michaels has even hit rock bottom lows in his career; like the infamous Montreal Screwjob incident or his back injury that doctors said he would never recover from. Throughout it all, Shawn Michaels has retained his popularity with fans the world over and, while his career has come to a close, no one will ever forget the contributions and the legendary career of the one and only Shawn Michaels.

One night after a historic and epic WrestleMania XXVI, the 879th edition of WWE Monday Night RAW came to you, live, from the U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix, AZ. One night after the historic twenty-five year career of the great Shawn Michaels came to an end, RAW would feature the WWE farewell of the legendary “Heartbreak Kid”! WrestleMania XXVI also saw the crowning of a new WWE Champion as John Cena was able to exercise his demons and force Batista to tap out to win his seventh WWE Title, as well as “The All-American American” Jack Swagger reaching new heights in his young career by winning the Money-in-the-Bank title opportunity! WrestleMania also saw Hall of Famer Bret “The Hitman” Hart finally get his revenge on the WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon as Bret orchestrated a “double cross” on the evil owner and enlisted the services of The Hart Dynasty and the legendary Hart Family to aid him in a No Holds Barred Match that saw Bret forcing the Chairman to tap out to the legendary Sharpshooter! WrestleMania also saw Triple H emerge triumphant over Sheamus, Randy Orton took advantage of the dissention between Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase by punting Rhodes and hitting DiBiase with the RKO en route to winning their Triple Threat Match, and The Miz & Big Show successfully defended their Unified WWE Tag Team Titles against R-Truth & John Morrison! WrestleMania was no doubt an epic event and RAW would feel the immediate fallout of the grand event. One night after the biggest show of the year, Rob Corddry & Clark Duke from the movie, “Hot Tub Time Machine”, would take the helms of RAW as the Guest Co-Hosts.

Monday Night RAW (March 29, 2010)
Good Week For: Randy Orton (laid out both Batista & Jack Swagger with the RKO in the main event)
Bad Week For: Triple H (had his farewell message to Shawn Michaels interrupted by a lead pipe-wielding Sheamus)

One night after losing the WWE Championship to John Cena at WrestleMania, RAW kicks off with the former WWE Champion Batista! Batista calls Cena’s win at WrestleMania a “fluke” and vows that no one will “remember” him losing the title a month from now! An incensed Batista states that he is entitled to a rematch for the title and emphatically proclaims that Cena can not beat him! This brings out the new WWE Champion himself, John Cena, who states that he did “beat” Batista at WrestleMania and reminds “The Animal” that he made him tap out! “The Champ” states that no one will “forget” WrestleMania and challenges Batista to use his rematch on RAW! Batista simply responds by saying “not tonight” before trying a failed cheap shot on Cena! The new WWE Champion then sends “The Animal” careening out of the ring! Cena is then blind-sided with a briefcase shot by the new “Mr. Money-in-the-Bank” Jack Swagger! Swagger then beats down “The Champ” with the briefcase before grabbing a microphone and ordering a referee to the ring because he is cashing in his title opportunity! After Cena fired back and attempted to lock in his STF on Swagger, “Mr. Money-in-the-Bank” quickly exits the ring and waves off the title match; meaning that Swagger is still in possession of the Money-in-the-Bank title opportunity! When will Jack Swagger cash in his title opportunity? When will Batista cash in his rematch for the WWE Title?

Two nights after he was inducted into the 2010 WWE Hall of Fame, “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase makes a special appearance on RAW as DiBiase leads “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Irwin R. Schyster, Sgt. Slaughter, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, Tony Garea, Nick Bockwinkel, Pat Patterson, Arn Anderson, & Jerry “The King” Lawler! The Legends surround the ring as the Guest Co-Hosts of RAW, Rob Corddry & Clark Duke come out and reveal that there will be a Legends Lumberjack Match featuring Legends from the 1980’s, in honor of their movie “Hot Tub Time Machine” where they travel back in time to the ‘80’s! The Guest Co-Hosts also announced that the main event of RAW will see the former WWE Champion, Batista, team with the new “Mr. Money-in-the-Bank” Jack Swagger to face new WWE Champion John Cena and a partner of Cena’s choice! With the Legends surrounding the ring, “Captain Charisma” Christian would go one-on-one with the son of “The Million Dollar Man”, Ted DiBiase! After a brawl between the WWE Legends distracts Ted DiBiase, Christian catches DiBiase with the Killswitch en route to picking up the win! After the match, “The Million Dollar Man” enters the ring and helps his son to his feet, but the younger DiBiase shoves his Hall of Fame father away before exiting the ring! What is the reason for Ted DiBiase’s behavior towards his father?

Following his victory over Sheamus at WrestleMania, Triple H made an appearance on RAW and stated that it is the “end of an era” and that he “never though it would end that way” for Shawn Michaels. An emotional Triple H continued that, a lot of the time, all they had was “each other” and they fought with, and sometimes against, each other. Triple H stated that he wanted to come out and says there is something that he has always wanted to say to Shawn Michaels that he has never said and that he wants to say it “in front of the whole world”. Before Triple H could say his emotional message to his longtime best friend, he was clocked, from behind, by a lead pipe-wielding Sheamus! How will Triple H respond to Sheamus’ vicious attack? What is the reason behind Sheamus’ attack?

RAW also featured a WrestleMania rematch as Divas Champion Maryse, Women’s Champion Michelle McCool, Layla, Alicia Fox, & SmackDown Consultant Vickie Guerrero faced Beth Phoenix, Mickie James, Gail Kim, Kelly Kelly, & Eve Torres in a 10-Diva Tag Match! The rematch was a short one as Eve Torres was able to quickly roll-up the Divas Champion, Maryse, to pick up the lightning-quick win for her team! After the match, a Divas brawl broke out in the ring with Phoenix, Mickie, Gail, Kelly Kelly, & Eve standing tall in the middle of the ring!

One night after he got his revenge via an assault twelve years in the making on the WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon in a No Holds Barred Match, Hall of Famer Bret “The Hitman” Hart makes an appearance on RAW! Bret starts by congratulating Shawn Michaels on a stellar career before stating that it was a “great feeling” to beat Vince McMahon at WrestleMania and that, not only did “Bret beat Vince”, but the “entire Hart family beat Vince”! Bret then thanks all his fans and wishes them all the best! Before Bret can make his exit from the ring, the Hall of Famer is interrupted by the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions The Miz & Big Show! The Miz calls Bret’s match at WrestleMania a “glorified 25-on-1 Handicap Match” before calling Bret a “thief” for “robbing” his time from him! Miz states that he is “sick of it” and states that he is the one that deserves to talk about himself! The Miz then says that he is 1-0 at WrestleMania; just seventeen wins away from matching The Undertaker’s undefeated WrestleMania streak! The Miz then calls Bret and the entire Hart family “overrated” and threatens Bret to leave the ring, which Bret responds to by telling Miz to “make” him! Big Show then gets in the face of “The Hitman”, which brings out Tyson Kidd, Natalya, & David Hart Smith; The Hart Dynasty! Faced with Bret & The Hart Dynasty, Big Show convinces The Miz to leave the ring! Bret then tells ShoMiz to come back into the ring and get “embarrassed” by The Hart Dynasty like Vince McMahon did at WrestleMania! The Miz then convinces Big Show to come back to the ring!

After preventing a physical showdown between Bret Hart & ShoMiz, The Hart Dynasty faced the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions in a non-title match! After pulling The Miz out of the clutches of the Sharpshooter by Tyson Kidd, Big Show leads The Miz away from the match as the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions opt to take a count-out loss to The Hart Dynasty! ShoMiz has avoided The Hart Dynasty this time around, but will these two teams meet again in the future?

Then it was time for the main event match of the evening as former WWE Champion Batista would team with the new “Mr. Money-in-the-Bank” Jack Swagger to face new WWE Champion John Cena and a partner of his choosing! Before the match, “The Champ “ reveals that his mystery partner is a man that Batista is very family with; “The Viper” Randy Orton! In the end, it was Randy Orton hitting the RKO on Batista and, then, Jack Swagger en route to pinning Swagger to pick up the win for himself and WWE Champion John Cena!

One night after losing to The Undertaker in an epic Streak Vs. Career Match at WrestleMania, the legendary “Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels career is over and “The Showstopper” would deliver his farewell to the WWE fans, but before Michaels can even speak, The Undertaker comes out and tips his signature hat to HBK! After The Undertaker’s show of respect, Michaels makes his farewell address to the WWE fans. HBK admits that, not coming into the homes of the WWE fans via their televisions every week is something he will have difficulty getting used to. An emotional Shawn Michaels then addresses Triple H and thanks him for being his friend when no one else would go near him and for never leaving his side over the years. Shawn Michaels then expresses his thanks to the WWE production crew, as well as Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, and the legendary announcer Jim Ross for making him look as good as he possibly could look! HBK then states that he understands people’s skepticism about “career ending matches”, but he assures the fans that he does not want to go back on his “word” to the fans or to The Undertaker! Michaels then thanks Bret Hart for giving him the opportunity to make up for the things he has done to “The Hitman”. Michaels then thanks Vince McMahon and states that there is “no way” that he can work for anyone else other than Vince after working for him for over twenty years! HBK then thanks Vince for not allowing him to make even bigger mistakes than he already made and for keeping him “on course” over the years! Michaels then turns his attention to the WWE fans as he thanks the fans for giving him the “honor and privilege” of allowing him the opportunity to compete in front of them in his career! Shawn Michaels then tells his wife and kids that “daddy is coming home” before making the final statement that “The Hearbreak Kid Shawn Michaels has left the building”. As the chorus of cheers and applause from the WWE fans ring throughout the U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix, Shawn Michaels exits the ring for the final time and is joined on the stage by his best friend, Triple H, as he places the signature DX glowsticks on the stage. Shawn Michaels then waves goodbye to the fans and walks backstage for the last time as the twenty-five year career of Shawn Michaels is brought to a close the only way it should be; with the upmost respect by everyone who respects the name of Shawn Michaels.

The sixth edition of WWE NXT came to you, live, from the Thomas & Mack Center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Las Vegas, NV. In the biggest NXT to date, the results of the WWE Pros Poll will be revealed as the standing of the eight NXT Rookies will be revealed. The WWE Pros will be using the criteria of: wins and losses, strength of opponent, work ethic, and the “it” factor to determine who they think is the best NXT Rookie.

WWE NXT (March 30, 2010)
Good Week For: David Otunga (won the Rookie Battle Royal to earn the right to serve as Guest Host of next week’s RAW)
Bad Week For: Darren Young (was revealed as the least popular Rookie among the WWE Pros)

The show kicks off with the Host of WWE NXT, Matt Striker, who brings out the eight NXT Rookies: Heath Slater, Darren Young, Michael Tarver, Justin Gabriel, Skip Sheffield, David Otunga, Daniel Bryan, & Wade Barrett! With all eight NXT Rookies in the ring, Striker reveals the standings of the eight Rookies as the NXT Rookie who is last in the standings is Darren Young, while Michael Tarver comes in at number seven, Skip Sheffield at number six, David Otunga at number five, Heath Slater at number four, Justin Gabriel at number three, Wade Barrett at number two, and the number one NXT Rookie in the opinions of the WWE Pros is Daniel Bryan! After learning that he is at the bottom of the standings, Darren Young states that everyone knows his “situation” and says he needs to “step it up” and that the fans will see what he is “all about” in a few weeks! The number one NXT Rookie Daniel Bryan then comments on his status by saying that his win/loss record probably isn’t the “best”, but that there are some potential Superstars who are married to someone “famous”, but they “can’t wrestle”; referring to fellow Rookie David Otunga’s marriage to award-winning singer and actress Jennifer Hudson! Otunga admits that he has the “least experience”, but states that he has the “it factor” and has more “charisma” than anyone else in the competition! NXT Host Matt Striker then makes the big announcement that, in another six weeks’ time, the WWE Pros will vote for the NXT Rookies again, but whoever is ranked last in the next Pros’ Poll will be eliminated from the competition! Striker also reveals that, in addition to receiving a spot on either RAW or SmackDown upon winning the competition, the sole Rookie who wins the entire competition will receive a championship match of their choosing at an upcoming pay-per-view! The announcements kept coming from the NXT Host as Striker also revealed that the main event of the evening would be an 8-Man Battle Royal featuring all eight of the NXT Rookies with the winner of the Battle Royal being named as the Guest Host of next week’s RAW! Which NXT Rookie will survive the Battle Royal and be placed in charge of next week’s RAW?

While the NXT Rookies would compete in an 8-Man Battle Royal in the main event, the eight WWE Pros would be in action in an 8-Man Tag Match as the RAW Pros would face the SmackDown Pros as Christian, Carlito, William Regal, and United States & Unified WWE Tag Team Champion The Miz would represent RAW against World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho, CM Punk, R-Truth, & Matt Hardy! However, before the match began, Chris Jericho put his NXT Rookie, Wade Barrett, in his place as Jericho joined Michael Cole & Josh Mathews and explained that he is not competing because he is recovering from the Spear that he received through the ringside barricade by Edge at WrestleMania two nights earlier! After a key distraction by World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho, Wade Barrett was able to put Christian down en route to pinning the Pro for the win! Can Wade Barrett have the best night of his NXT career by pinning Christian and winning the NXT Rookie Battle Royal in the same night?

Then it was time for the main event as Heath Slater, Darren Young, Michael Tarver, Skip Sheffield, David Otunga, Justin Gabriel, Wade Barrett, & Daniel Bryan would all compete in an 8-Man Battle Royal with the winner getting to serve as Guest Host of next week’s RAW! While he was able to pin Christian earlier in the night, Wade Barrett did not do as well in the Battle Royal as Barrett was the first Rookie eliminated! The second man eliminated was Skip Sheffield as Justin Gabriel & Darren Young worked together to eliminate the big man! After that, Daniel Bryan eliminated Darren Young and, shortly after that, Bryan also eliminated Michael Tarver before Heath Slater sacrificed himself to eliminate Daniel Bryan, as well as himself! It then came down to David Otunga & Justin Gabriel with Otunga being able to outmaneuver and eliminate Gabriel to win the Battle Royal and earn the opportunity to serve as Guest Host of next week’s RAW! What will David Otunga have planned for Monday Night RAW next week?

The 50th edition of WWE Superstars came to you from the U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix, AZ and from the Thomas & Mack Center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Las Vegas, NV. After defeating Unified WWE Tag Team Champions The Miz & Big Show via count-out on RAW, The Hart Dynasty would be in action on Superstars as they face “The Dudebusters”, Caylen Croft & Trent Barretta. Four nights after competing in the Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania, “The Ballin’ Superstar” MVP and Kofi Kingston would face the team of Carlito & Zack Ryder. After winning a huge 26-Man Pre-WrestleMania Battle Royal, Yoshi Tatsu would be in action on Superstars as he goes one-on-one with William Regal.

WWE Superstars (April 1, 2010)
Good Week For: The Hart Dynasty (defeated Caylen Croft & Trent Barretta in the main event)
Bad Week For: Trent Barretta (was forced to submit to the Sharpshooter by Tyson Kidd)

The show kicks off with the opening match of the night as, fresh off of their Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match four nights earlier at WrestleMania, MVP would team with Kofi Kingston to face the team of Carlito & Zack Ryder. As soon as the match began, Carlito’s NXT Rookie Michael Tarver took issue with MVP and it resulted in a short brawl before the match officially got underway! In the end, it was Kofi Kingston hitting Trouble In Paradise on Carlito en route to picking up the win for himself and MVP!

Four nights after winning a huge 26-Man Pre-WrestleMania Battle Royal, Yoshi Tatsu would go one-on-one with the 2008 King of the Ring William Regal. Following two straight kicks to the head, Tatsu was able to pin Regal en route to picking up the win!

Then it was time for the main event as, three nights after defeating Unified WWE Tag Team Champions The Miz & Big Show via count-out, The Hart Dynasty would be in action on Superstars as they square off with “The Dudebusters”, Caylen Croft & Trent Barretta. In the end, it was Tyson Kidd forcing Trent Barretta to tap out with the Sharpshooter to win the match for himself and David Hart Smith! What is next for the talented Hart Dynasty?

Five nights after an epic WrestleMania, the 554th edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown came to you from the Thomas & Mack Center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Las Vegas, NV. SmackDown would feature a special challenge for the NXT Rookies as Daniel Bryan, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Michael Tarver, Skip Sheffield, Wade Barrett, and the host of this Monday’s RAW, David Otunga would go against “The Big Red Machine” Kane in a 8-on-1 Handicap Match!

Friday Night SmackDown (April 2, 2010)
Good Week For: Jack Swagger (cashed in his Money-in-the-Bank title opportunity to win the World Heavyweight Title)
Bad Week For: Chris Jericho (lost the World Heavyweight Title to Jack Swagger and was laid out, twice, by the new champion)

Five nights after successfully defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Edge, but also getting speared through a barricade after the match, at WrestleMania, the show kicks off with the still World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho! Jericho stated that, he told the fans last week, that they, and Edge, are “defective” and he proved that at WrestleMania! Jericho proclaimed that he wrestled the “perfect” match against Edge and he beat Edge to retain the gold! Jericho then stated that, after the match, Edge tried to “permanently injure” him by spearing him through the barricade! Jericho stated that as he laid there as a “victim”, all he heard was the fans chanting “Spear”! Jericho says that, like Edge, the fans are “losers” and he is the champion because he is an “honest man” and he does what he says he is going to do! Jericho then says that he is not there to say that he “told them so” because “it is so”! This brings out “The Rated-R Superstar” Edge, who says that Jericho makes a “valid point”; that he and the fans have something in “common” in that they love to see Jericho get speared and they would love to see it again tonight because he wants his rematch for the World Heavyweight Title “right now”! Jericho responds by saying that Edge had his “chance” at WrestleMania and he “lost” and that Edge is a “loser” and nothing he “says or does” will change that! Jericho then tells Edge to “get out” of his ring, which Edge responds to by pummeling the World Heavyweight Champion and exposing the injured ribs of Jericho from WrestleMania! Edge then hits his Edgecution DDT before laying the champion out with the Spear! After exiting the ring, Edge is blasted from behind with the Money-in-the-Bank briefcase by it’s holder, Jack Swagger! The night then went from bad to worse for Chris Jericho as Swagger announced that he is cashing in his Money-in-the-Bank title opportunity! After a referee came out and barely got Jericho to his feet, the match started and Swagger snatched Jericho up and delivered the Swagger Bomb en route to pinning Jericho and successfully winning the World Heavyweight Championship! After Jack Swagger rocked SmackDown and the entire WWE by cashing in his Money-in-the-Bank title opportunity on Chris Jericho to take the World Heavyweight Title, how will Chris Jericho respond to the loss? How will the former #1 Contender Edge respond?

After failing to win the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania five nights earlier, R-Truth & John Morrison would be looking to rebound as the exciting duo would face Cryme Tyme. Truth & Morrison were able to make quick work of Shad and, with JTG not even getting to be legally involved in the match, Morrison was able to hit Starship Pain on the big man to pick up the win! The bigger story came after the match, however, as JTG helps his partner, Shad, to his feet and then, out of nowhere, Shad grabs JTG by the face before delivering a vicious big boot to the face of his partner! Shad would then blast JTG with a right hand before an unstable Shad delivers Thugnifence to his Cryme Tyme brethren!

Following his shocking attack on his partner, JTG, Shad explains his actions backstage by saying there is “no more Cryme Tyme” and it is his “time”! What does Shad mean by this and what does it being his “time” have to do with his assault on JTG?

Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre was set to be in non-title action against “The Heart And Soul of SmackDown” Matt Hardy, but before the match could begin, McIntyre attacked Matt with a big boot before throwing Matt, shoulder-first, into the ring post and, finally, the Intercontinental Champion laid Matt out with the Future Shock DDT! What is the reason for Drew McIntyre’s attack on Matt Hardy?

Backstage, new World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger confronts SmackDown Consultant Vickie Guerrero and is granted a “State of the Championship Address” later on SmackDown! Before exiting, the new champion plants a kiss on the check of the Consultant, who responds by saying that Swagger will make a “great champion”! What will the new World Heavyweight Champion have to say in his “State of the Championship Address”? Has Jack Swagger ensured his place on top of SmackDown by impressing the SmackDown Consultant Vickie Guerrero?

Five nights after taking part in the Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match, “The Platinum Superstar” Dolph Ziggler had an unenviable task on SmackDown as he would go one-on-one with The Great Khali! The determined Dolph Ziggler was shockingly able to defeat “The Punjabi Playboy” utilizing the classic sleeper hold! After the match, The Great Khali, through his interpreter and brother Ranjin Singh, announced that he has been doing some “soul searching” and has decided to head back to India to take some time off, but when he comes back, he will win the World Heavyweight Title! When will The Great Khali return to the WWE?

Five nights after losing to Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania, CM Punk and his Straightedge Society made an appearance on SmackDown. Luke Gallows takes the mic first and tells the fans to “open their ears and listen” before saying that Punk has “saved” him and they can “save” each and every one of them! Gallows continues that all his “impurities” have been “washed away” and that the time to make a “change” in their lives “for the better” is “right here and right now”! Serena then takes the microphone and tells the fans to “show some respect” and says that Punk is “perfect in every way”! Serena continues that Punk is a “healer” and is “not blinded by a world of sin and addiction”! Serena says that, if it wasn’t for CM Punk, her and Gallows would be like the fans! Serena then says that, when she looks at Punk, she sees an “angel”! Punk then finally speaks and says that, if there ever was a city that needs “saved”, it is Las Vegas! Punk then states that Vegas is a “lie” and that the inhabitants are all “liars”, just like Rey Mysterio! Punk said he was “supposed” to “save” Rey on the grand stage of WrestleMania before proclaiming that Rey “needs straightedge” and “needs CM Punk”! Punk then states that he will not “give up” before challenging Rey to a rematch! Punk says that he needs to put something on the line so that there is something in it for Rey before announcing that, if he loses to Rey in the rematch, he is willing to “sacrifice” his hair! Punk continues that he is willing to “sacrifice a piece of himself” to save Rey Mysterio! Will Rey accept the challenge of CM Punk?

The Divas were in action on SmackDown as the team of “The Glamazon” Beth Phoenix and former ECW General Manager Tiffany faced off with the Women’s Champion Michelle McCool & Layla. After hitting the Glam Slam on Layla, Beth Phoenix pinned the best friend of the Women’s Champion to pick up the win in tag team action!

Backstage, Chris Jericho confronts SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long and demands that Jack Swagger defeating him for the World Heavyweight Title be a decision that gets “reversed”! Long refuses the former champion and offers Jericho the chance to get his rematch on SmackDown, but Jericho refuses and says it is because he is still injured! Long responds by saying that, if Jericho does not want his rematch, then he has nothing to discuss with the former champion! Jericho then assures Long that Jack Swagger will “not get away” with the title win! What does Chris Jericho have planned for the new World Heavyweight Champion?

Five nights after taking part in the Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania, “The Big Red Machine” Kane makes an appearance on SmackDown and proclaims he is getting “bored” and when he gets “bored”, he becomes “frustrated” and a “frustrated monster is not healthy for anyone”! Kane says that he needs someone to take his “frustrations” out on and “the more the merrier”! Kane then announces that he is challenging the “entire NXT roster” to a match! Daniel Bryan, David Otunga, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Skip Sheffield, Darren Young, Michael Tarver, & Wade Barrett then come out to face “The Big Red Machine” in an 8-on-1 Elimination Handicap Match! Following a big boot by Kane, Wade Barrett was the first Rookie to be eliminated from the match! After tagging himself in, Heath Slater found himself on the wrong end of a chokeslam en route to being the second NXT Rookie to be eliminated! Following a huddle on the outside, the remaining NXT Rookies decide to attack Kane all at once, which results in a disqualification! Even Kane was not able to sustain the six-on-one numbers game as the Rookies were able to leave “The Big Red Machine” laid out! Kane quickly recovered and chased the Rookies out of the ring!

Then it was time for the “State of the Championship Address” as new World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger would make his first speech as champion! A stoic Swagger states that it will be the “first of many State of the Championship Address” before telling the crowd to give him “absolute silence” for his address! The new champion lists his accomplishments before proclaiming that the fans have found their “replacement for Shawn Michaels as the greatest wrestler of all time”! An unstable Chris Jericho interrupts the new champion and tells Swagger that he is the “champion” and tells Swagger that he “stole” the title and he wants it back! Jericho says that he “heals quickly” and he will be taking his World Heavyweight Title back! The catalyst for the title loss, Edge, then came out and tells Swagger to show the kind of champion that he is by defending the gold against him! Edge then challenges Swagger to face someone who is not injured and “not afraid” of him! Jericho says that Edge has “no right” to challenge for the title and Edge tells Jericho that he hit Jericho with the two Spears that led to Jericho losing the gold before telling Jericho to “shut his mouth”! This brings out SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long, who announces that, on next week’s SmackDown, Edge will go one-on-one with Chris Jericho with the winner becoming the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title! Then, following a brief distraction by Jack Swagger, Jericho hits the Codebreaker on Edge, but the injured ribs allow Swagger to take advantage to hit the Swagger Bomb on Jericho and then Edge! Who will get the first shot at Jack Swagger’s World Heavyweight Title when Edge goes one-on-one with Chris Jericho next week in a WrestleMania Rematch that will determine the #1 Contender for the gold?

Superstar of the Week: NEW World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger

 

 

Accomplishments
Chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment
One Time WWE Champion
One Time ECW Champion
1999 Royal Rumble Winner
Creator of WrestleMania

Did You Know?
Mr. McMahon is the first person from the wrestling world to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Next Week’s WWE Television Schedule
Monday, April 5: RAW, LIVE from the i wireless Center in Moline, IL
Tuesday, April 6: WWE NXT, LIVE from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, IL
Thursday, April 8: WWE Superstars from Moline, IL & Chicago, IL
Friday, April 9: The Allstate Arena in Chicago, IL (CM Punk’s Homestown) Hosts SmackDown

Back in 2008, the WWE Week In Review began with the week of May 4- May 10 and a lot has changed in the last two years. Back in May of 2008, Triple H was in his seventh reign as WWE Champion and the World Heavyweight Championship did not have a holder as then SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero had stripped The Undertaker of the gold on May 2 after making the ruling that The Undertaker’s Hell’s Gate submission maneuver was a chokehold and, therefore, was illegal. This would lead to a TLC Match at WWE Extreme Rules on June 1, where Edge would win the vacant World Heavyweight Title and would force The Undertaker out of the WWE.

Since the inception of the WWE Week In Review, there have been seven different WWE Champions; including the epic moment where Jeff Hardy finally won the “big one” by defeating Edge & Triple H in a Triple Threat Match at Armageddon in December of 2008 to win his first World Title and the unforgettable upset win that Sheamus got over John Cena in December of 2009 at WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders, & Chairs where “The Celtic Warrior” defeated Cena in a Tables Match to become the first Irish-born WWE Champion in WWE history. In the last one-hundred weeks, the World Heavyweight Championship has also had seven different title holders; including the first title reign of CM Punk who, on June 30, 2008, cashed in his Money-in-the-Bank title opportunity on a defeated Edge to claim his first World Heavyweight Title. This was a feat that CM Punk would repeat on June 7, 2009 where he would cash in his title opportunity on new World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy, who had just defeated Edge in a grueling Ladder Match to win the title. Jeff Hardy would regain the World Heavyweight Title at WWE Night of Champions on July 26, 2009, but CM Punk would rebound in a TLC Match at SummerSlam on August 23 where Punk would not only regain the World Heavyweight Title, but force Jeff Hardy out of the WWE with Jeff not being seen since then!

The last one-hundred weeks have their share of historic, shocking, and memorable moments; such as the WWE return of Bret “The Hitman” Hart! The last one-hundred weeks have also seen the debut of formidable new Superstars; like Sheamus, who debuted on June 30, 2009 on ECW and, just six months later, “The Celtic Warrior” was the WWE Champion. The last one-hundred weeks also saw the forming and destruction of Legacy, as well as the reunion of the legendary D-Generation X! The past one-hundred weeks also saw the emergence of “The All-American American” Jack Swagger, who debuted on September 9, 2008 and would go on to win the ECW Championship, not to mention winning the Money-in-the-Bank contract at WrestleMania XXVI and, just this past Friday night, cashing in the opportunity to take the World Heavyweight Title from Chris Jericho! To learn about all these moments and more, make sure to check out the archived history of the WWE Week In Review. Also, make sure to read the WWE Week In Review for all the latest results in the WWE world!