WWE Week In Review: April 18, 2010- April 24, 2010

Welcome to the one-hundred third 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 Alumni every week. I have also added a section that lists where WWE will be hosting their weekly shows.

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Steel Cage Match Announced for WWE Extreme Rules: The next level in the intensely personal rivalry between Edge & Chris Jericho will take place at WWE Extreme Rules as it has been announced that, at Extreme Rules, Edge will go one-on-one with Chris Jericho in a Steel Cage Match! After Chris Jericho tried to end the career of Edge by re-injuring the Achilles tendon of “The Rated-R Superstar” on SmackDown, Edge will, no doubt, be looking for revenge inside the confines of a steel cage. Who will emerge from the unforgiving steel structure at WWE Extreme Rules?

The 882nd edition of WWE Monday Night RAW came to you, live, from the Izod Center in East Rutherford, NJ. Six nights before WWE Extreme Rules, the stars of the new movie “MacGruber” would take the helms of RAW as Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, & Ryan Phillippe would serve as the Guest Co-Hosts of RAW. With the volcanic eruption in Europe keeping most of the RAW Superstars stuck in Dublin, Ireland, the Superstars of SmackDown would step in to fill the void as the blue brand talent will invade RAW! Also, for the first time since the night after he retired Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania, The Undertaker would make a special appearance on RAW!

Monday Night RAW (April 19, 2010)
Good Week For: Triple H (picked up the win for his team in the main event)
Bad Week For: Jack Swagger (had his open challenge accepted by The Undertaker)

Six nights before he goes one-on-one with “The Celtic Warrior” Sheamus in a Street Fight at WWE Extreme Rules, RAW kicks off with an appearance by “The Game” Triple H! Triple H starts by explaining the situation with the RAW Superstars being forced to stay in Europe due to the volcanic eruptions in Iceland and assures the fans that RAW will be a show of the highest quality! Triple H then turns his attention to Sheamus and says that Sheamus believes he is “bad”, but if Sheamus is “bad”, then he is “deadly”! Triple H is then interrupted by the arrival of CM Punk & The Straightedge Society! CM Punk states that he and the other SmackDown Superstars had the “intestinal fortitude” to make it back from Europe! Triple H then asks CM Punk why Serena & Luke Gallows had to shave their heads and he didn’t, which Punk responds by saying that he did not shave his head, because he is the “leader” and his hair stands for “purity” since no “foreign chemicals or substances” have ever touched his hair! Triple H then asks Punk if, by “foreign chemicals”, he means “shampoo” before saying that, if Punk gets drafted to RAW in next week’s WWE Draft, then Punk will not only be the “president of the Hair Club”, but he will be a “client” as a result of his match against Rey Mysterio at WWE Extreme Rules where he puts his hair on the line against Rey! Punk states that, after WWE Extreme Rules, Rey Mysterio will “fall in line” with The Straightedge Society! Punk then turns his attention back to Triple H and tells “The Game” that Triple H could do some “good” by changing his lifestyle to straightedge! Triple H responds by saying that he believes in “freedom” and says that he can do what he “chooses” to and says he can “choose” to deliver a beating to CM Punk! Punk responds by saying that he does not “want” to be there and says that he “honestly thought” that he would start RAW off by having Triple H join The Straightedge Society by being shaved bald before saying that he is not “asking”, but he is “telling” Triple H! CM Punk & Luke Gallows then assault Triple H and are about to shave the head of Triple H when Rey Mysterio makes the save! After sending Luke Gallows out of the ring, Triple H & Rey Mysterio manage to clip a tuft of CM Punk’s hair off before Luke Gallows comes back into the ring, allowing CM Punk to escape! Can Rey Mysterio finish the job this Sunday at WWE Extreme Rules by defeating CM Punk and forcing Punk to be shaved bald or will CM Punk emerge victorious and keep his hair intact?

With the majority of the RAW Superstars being stuck overseas, two SmackDown Superstars went one-on-one in the opening match of RAW as Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre squared off with Matt Hardy in a non-title bout! After knocking Matt off of the second turnbuckle, McIntyre was able to pick up the victory!

In a satellite message from Dublin, Ireland, WWE Champion John Cena assured everyone that he will be at WWE Extreme Rules and will successfully defend the WWE Title in a Last Man Standing Match against Batista at the event! Can John Cena successfully defend the WWE Title against Batista by being the Last Man Standing or will “The Animal” leave with the gold?

“The Moscow Mauler” Vladimir Kozlov makes an appearance on RAW and demands that Jerry “The King” Lawler read his “statement”! The statement reads that he is “protesting” the “unfair treatment” he has received by the RAW Guest Hosts and that he is an “elite athlete” that needs “elite competition”! Following his statement, Vladimir Kozlov is interrupted by the stars of the new movie MacGruber as MacGruber himself and Vicki St. Elmo come out! Vicki St. Elmo issues her own statement by announcing that the main event of RAW will see Chris Jericho team with The Straightedge Society to face the team of Edge, Triple H, & Rey Mysterio in a huge 6-Man Tag Match! After insulting Vladimir Kozlov and even Kozlov’s mother, Kozlov challenges MacGruber to a match that MacGruber reluctantly accepts! Will MacGruber be able to survive the wrath of Vladimir Kozlov?

Much like many of his fellow RAW Superstars, the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, Randy Orton, was also stuck in Dublin, Ireland. Orton delivered a short and stern message to World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger by saying that, whatever brand he ends up on in next week’s WWE Draft, he will be the World Heavyweight Champion! Can Randy Orton dethrone Jack Swagger when he challenges “The All-American Champion” in an Extreme Rules Match for the World Heavyweight Title this Sunday at WWE Extreme Rules or will Jack Swagger succeed in his first pay-per-view title defense?

After successfully defending his gold against both Edge & Chris Jericho in a Triple Threat Match on SmackDown and six nights before he defends the World Heavyweight Title against Randy Orton in an Extreme Rules Match at WWE Extreme Rules, World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger makes an appearance on RAW and, in an effort to send a message to his Extreme Rules opponent, issues an open challenge for anyone to face him one-on-one! The Superstar who answers the challenge was nowhere near what the World Heavyweight Champion expected as none other than “The Phenom” The Undertaker answers the challenge of “The All-American Champion”! In the end, it was The Undertaker spiking Swagger with the Tombstone Piledriver en route to picking up the win! Despite his loss to The Undertaker, can Jack Swagger rebound and defeat Randy Orton in an Extreme Rules Match this Sunday or will Randy Orton be leaving WWE Extreme Rules as the World Heavyweight Champion?

After insulting Vladimir Kozlov, Guest Host MacGruber found himself in a one-on-one match against “The Moscow Mauler” on RAW! Kozlov was set to put the finishing touches on MacGruber, but MacGruber’s co-star Ryan Phillippe comes out and reveals that he has enlisted the help of MacGruber’s half-brother, Khaluber for the Handicap Match! After being joined by his “great” seven-foot relative, MacGruber & Khaluber were able to win the match by count-out after Kozlov walked away from Khaluber!

Then it was time for the huge 6-Man Tag team main event as the team of Triple H, Edge, & Rey Mysterio would face Chris Jericho & The Straightedge Society! In the end, it was Triple H planting CM Punk with the Pedigree en route to picking up the win for himself, Rey Mysterio, & Edge! Could the same fate await Sheamus this Sunday when Triple H faces “The Celtic Warrior” in a Street Fight?

With the first NXT elimination just a few weeks away, the 9th edition of WWE NXT came to you from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. As the first NXT elimination rapidly approaches, the eight NXT Rookies would take part in another challenge as they try to keep themselves out of the number eight spot in the competition. Plus, in his biggest match to date, NXT Rookie Heath Slater will go one-on-one with former World Heavyweight Champion and WWE Pro, Chris Jericho!s

The show kicks off with NXT Host Matt Striker, who introduces the eight NXT Rookies as they prepare for their latest NXT challenge! This week’s challenge was a physical test of strength of balance called “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Rookies” where two NXT Rookies will stand on pedestals and battle with barbell-style sticks with cushions on both sides and whoever knocks their adversary off of the pedestal will be declared the winner! The first two Rookies to take part in the challenge was the number four Rookie, Heath Slater, and the number five Rookie, David “A-List” Otunga with Slater being able to knock Otunga off of the pedestal to advance! Next up were the two big men of the NXT competition as Wade Barrett and Skip Sheffield and, in a close battle, it was Skip Sheffield narrowly beating Wade Barrett! Next up was Daniel Bryan and Michael Tarver with Daniel Bryan winning after Michael Tarver willingly forfeited the contest! Then it was down to Justin Gabriel and Darren Young with Young knocking Gabriel off of his pedestal to be the final Rookie to advance to the semi-finals! With Heath Slater, Skip Sheffield, Daniel Bryan, and Darren Young in the semi-finals, who will win the “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Rookies” competition to get their own feature on WWE.com?

The number five NXT Rookie, David “A-List” Otunga, was in action on NXT as he went one-on-one with the number three NXT Rookie, Justin Gabriel! After his WWE Pro, R-Truth, refused to help his NXT Rookie David Otunga get the unfair advantage on a roll-up counter, Justin Gabriel was able to roll Otunga up to pick up the win! How will David Otunga respond to R-Truth’s refusal to lend the unfair assist?

Then it was time for the semi-finals of the “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Rookies” competition as Skip Sheffield was able to knock Heath Slater off of his pedestal to advance to the Finals! Next up was Daniel Bryan and Darren Young with Darren Young knocking Bryan off of his pedestal to advance to the finals of the competition!

After forfeiting the “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Rookies” competition, Michael Tarver made an appearance in the ring and issues an open challenge to any NXT Rookie or WWE Pro! The challenge was answered by Skip Sheffield and the match was set to begin, but CM Punk, Luke Gallows, Serena, & Darren Young come out! Punk states that Darren Young is also looking for “competition” before announcing that he is adding Darren Young to the match between Skip Sheffield and Michael Tarver to make it a Triple Threat Match! In the middle of the match, it looked like Darren Young was set to pick up the win as he ascended to the top rope, but Luke Gallows came out and knocked Darren Young off of the top rope and took Skip Sheffield out as well, which left the door open for Michael Tarver to pick up the win! However, Tarver wasted too much time and Darren Young was able to catch Tarver with a modified full-nelson slam en route to picking up the win! How will CM Punk respond to Luke Gallows trying to cost Darren Young the match?

In the finals of the “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Rookie” competition, it was Skip Sheffield, after a too-close-to-call competition, who won the rematch over Darren Young to win the “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Rookie” competition and earn an exclusive feature on WWE.com!

Then it was time for the WWE Pro Vs. NXT Rookie main event as NXT Rookie Heath Slater would compete in the biggest match of his young career as he went one-on-one with the former World Heavyweight Champion, Chris Jericho! In a monumental upset, it was the NXT Rookie, Heath Slater, who countered an attempt at the Walls of Jericho to roll-up the six-time World Champion and pick up the victory over Chris Jericho! After the shocking loss, an enraged Chris Jericho rampaged the ringside area by dismantling the announce table and the ring steps and shouting at the referee of the match! Defeating an elite Superstar like Chris Jericho will no doubt give a major boost to the rise of Heath Slater in the NXT competition. Is Heath Slater well on his way to unseating Daniel Bryan as the number one Rookie in NXT?

Strap Match Announced for WWE Extreme Rules: WWE.com announced on Wednesday that, at WWE Extreme Rules, former friends and tag team partners would settle the score as JTG would face Shad Gaspard in a Strap Match! When these friends turned bitter rivals are forced to be strapped together at the wrist, who will come out victorious in this personal war?

The 53rd edition of WWE Superstars came to you from the Izod Center in East Rutherford, NJ and from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. Just four days before the 2010 WWE Draft, WWE Superstars would feature an inter-promotional battle as John Morrison from SmackDown would go one-on-one with Carlito from RAW. Three nights before he faces former friend and tag team partner, JTG, in a Strap Match at WWE Extreme Rules, Shad Gaspard would be in action on WWE Superstars as he would go one-on-one with “The Bizarre One” Goldust. Also, the lightning-quick Yoshi Tatsu would go one-on-one with New England’s own Zack Ryder.

WWE Superstars (April 22, 2010)
Good Week For: John Morrison (picked up a hard-fought win over Carlito)
Bad Week For: Carlito (thanks, in part, to Michal Tarver, lost to John Morrison)

With a new look to accompany his new attitude, the show opens with Shad Gaspard who, with the leather strap he will be using this Sunday at WWE Extreme Rules when he faces JTG in a Strap Match, went one-on-one with “The Bizarre One” Goldust in the opening match of the night! In the end, it was Shad Gaspard hitting Thugnificent on Goldust en route to picking up the win! What will happen in three nights’ time when Shad Gaspard and JTG will go one-on-one in a Strap Match at WWE Extreme Rules?

Yoshi Tatsu was in action on WWE Superstars as went one-on-one with “The Long Island Loudmouth” Zack Ryder. In the end, it was Tatsu with an impressive spinning heel kick off of the top rope that allowed Tatsu to pick up the win! Where will Yoshi Tatsu end this Monday night when the 2010 WWE Draft takes place?

Then it was time for the inter-promotional main event as SmackDown’s John Morrison would go one-on-one with RAW’s Carlito, who was accompanied to the ring by his NXT Rookie, Michael Tarver! During the match, John Morrison looked like he was ready to put Carlito away, but Carlito managed to roll Morrison up. Unfortunately for Carlito, his NXT Rookie, Michael Tarver, thought that Carlito needed some assistance so Tarver got on the apron of the ring and distracted the referee. However, Tarver actually distracted the referee from seeing Carlito’s roll-up on John Morrison! After this missed opportunity, Morrison hit the Flying Chuck Kick on Carlito en route to picking up the win! How will Carlito respond to the constant mistakes made by Michael Tarver?

Seven Major WWE Releases: WWE.com announced on Thursday that World Wrestling Entertainment has come to terms on the release of five WWE Superstars and two WWE Divas as SmackDown Superstars Mike Knox (Mike Hettinga), Shelton Benjamin, Slam Master J (Terry Gordy, Jr.), Jimmy Wang Yang (James Yun), and Kung Fu Naki (Shoichi Funaki) have been released and RAW Diva Katie Lea Burchill (Katarina Waters) and SmackDown Diva Mickie James have all been released from their contracts with the WWE. While he did not win a championship during his time in the WWE, Mike Knox has competed in the WWE since 2006. Knox debuted on the now defunct ECW in 2006 and remained in ECW until late 2008 when he was moved to the RAW brand. Knox then remained on RAW until April of 2009 where he was drafted to SmackDown in the 2009 Supplemental Draft. Shelton Benjamin was with the WWE since 2002 where he was part of Team Angle, which would later become The World’s Greatest Tag Team, with Charlie Haas. With Haas, Benjamin won the WWE Tag Team Titles on two different occasions before he was drafted to RAW in 2004 where he made an immediate impact by picking up three victories over former World Champion Triple H before solidifying himself as a singles competitor by winning the Intercontinental Championship from Chris Jericho at Taboo Tuesday in 2004. Benjamin would have a total of three reigns as Intercontinental Champion. Benjamin remained on RAW until November 2007 when he debuted on the ECW brand, but his stint in ECW did not last long as Benjamin was drafted to SmackDown in the 2008 Supplemental Draft. After defeating Matt Hardy for the United States Championship at The Great American Bash in 2008, Benjamin would hold on to the title until March of 2009 where he lost the gold to MVP. In June of 2009, Benjamin found himself back on the ECW brand, where he challenged for the ECW Championship, as well as having a memorable feud with the then future WWE Champion, Sheamus. Shelton Benjamin had a show-stealing match for the ECW Championship at WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders, & Chairs where he faced champion Christian in a Ladder Match. After the end of ECW, Benjamin would move back to SmackDown and would compete in the super-sized ten-man Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania XXVI. Since the creation of the Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match in 2005, Benjamin competed in all but one of the matches. Mickie James debuted in the WWE in 2005 and would end up feuding with Trish Stratus, a feud that saw Mickie defeat Trish at WrestleMania 21 to win the Women’s Title! Mickie James would win the Women’s Title a total of five times, as well as winning the Divas Title! Of all these releases, Kung Fu Naki was the most tenured Superstar as Kung Fu Naki has been with the WWE since 1998 and, in that time, has held the WWE Hardcore and Cruiserweight Championships. Jimmy Wang Yang started his WWE career in 2003 and would come in and out of the WWE throughout the next several years before finally settling in the WWE as Jimmy Wang Yang. Slam Master J spent the majority of his WWE career as Jesse; the caretaker and tag team partner of Festus, a role he stayed in until meeting up with Cryme Tyme and becoming Slam Master J from “The ATL”. Katie Lea Burchill debuted in the WWE in 2008 as the sister of Paul Burchill; a role she remained in and, along with Paul, competed on ECW until the end of the brand and she joined RAW shortly after the ECW brand came to an end.

The 557th edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown came to you from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. Two nights before he defends the World Heavyweight Title against Randy Orton in an Extreme Rules Match at WWE Extreme Rules, World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger would go one-on-one with “The Friday Night Delight” John Morrison in a non-title match.

Friday Night SmackDown (April 23, 2010)
Good Week For: John Morrison (pinned the World Heavyweight Champion in the opening match)
Bad Week For: Matt Hardy (was brutally assaulted by Drew McIntyre)

Before he went one-on-one with John Morrison, World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger opens the show and says that he beat two future Hall of Famers last week in Edge & Chris Jericho and, on RAW, he “dominated” The Undertaker in a way that even Shawn Michaels could not do and says it is because he is the “greatest natural competitor in the WWE”! Swagger continues that he “looks” like a “champion” and hopes that he remains on SmackDown where his championship ability can “flourish”! Swagger states that he plans to “dominate” Randy Orton at WWE Extreme Rules and give everyone a “champion that can transcend generations” and says that he is not a “normal man”, but the “antidote” for the venom of “The Viper”! Swagger then vows to “cut off the head” of “The Viper” this Sunday!

After his bold words regarding his title defense against Randy Orton this Sunday at WWE Extreme Rules, World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger went one-on-one with John Morrison in a non-title match! In the end, it was John Morrison who was able to hit Starship Pain en route to pinning the World Heavyweight Champion and picking up the big win in a hard-fought match! Going into WWE Extreme Rules with a loss, can Jack Swagger rebound and defeat Randy Orton in an Extreme Rules Match this Sunday to retain the World Heavyweight Title or will Randy Orton dethrone the new champion?

After being laid out by Drew McIntyre the last few weeks, Matt Hardy would team with R-Truth as the duo would face Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre and the Superstar who put R-Truth out with the sleeper last week, Dolph Ziggler! During the match, after Matt Hardy was thrown to the outside, the heinous Drew McIntyre stomped Matt Hardy’s skull into the steel steps on the outside! Despite this horrendous attack, Matt Hardy tried to continue, but was in no condition to compete and, thus, the referee stopped the match to protect Matt from any further injury. After the match, R-Truth, along with an EMT and the referee attempted to help Matt out of the arena, but McIntyre struck again as the Intercontinental Champion rammed the back of Matt’s head into the steel steps before shouting to Matt that he never wants to see him again! What is the condition of Matt Hardy? Has Drew McIntyre ended Matt’s legendary career?

With a steel cage like the one he will face Edge in at WWE Extreme Rules surrounding the ring, Chris Jericho, along with his NXT Rookie Wade Barrett, made an appearance inside the unforgiving steel entrapment! Jericho starts by vowing to “end” the career of Edge at WWE Extreme Rules; meaning no more “heroic returns” and no more “Spear”! Jericho threatens that Edge has “no idea” what “lengths” he will go to in order to end Edge’s career and send Edge “home” where he “belongs”! Jericho vows that he will “draft” Edge to a hospital bed and that, after WWE Extreme Rules, the fans will no longer chant “Spear”, but will instead chant “goodbye Edge”! This brings out “The Rated-R Superstar” himself, Edge, who admits that Jericho did “injure” his ankle and he is pretty “banged up”, but vows that “nothing” will stop him from getting inside the cage at WWE Extreme Rules and “nothing” will stop him from getting into the cage then and there! Edge then enters the steel cage with Jericho & Barrett and tells Jericho that he knows how to “come back” from an injury because he has done it many times before, something that Jericho has not done! A deranged Edge then says that he has “nothing to lose” and says that, at WWE Extreme Rules, there is “nothing” to stop him from spearing him through the steel cage and there is “nothing” stopping him at that moment! Edge then hits Jericho and, after overcoming the two-on-one odds over Jericho and his NXT Rookie, Wade Barrett, Edge was set to Spear Jericho, but Jericho quickly escapes the cage and escapes the Spear! However, in Jericho’s haste to escape, he left his NXT Rookie, Wade Barrett, behind and Edge took his aggressions out on the Rookie by ramming Barrett’s face into the steel mesh before laying out Barrett with the Spear! Can Chris Jericho survive the Steel Cage Match against Edge this Sunday at WWE Extreme Rules when he is the one locked inside?

Two nights before his Strap Match at WWE Extreme Rules and with his Extreme Rules opposition, Shad Gaspard, on commentary at ringside, JTG was in action on SmackDown as he went one-on-one with Mike Knox. In the end, it was JTG hitting his patented neckbreaker on Knox en route to picking up the win! After the match, Shad Gaspard entered the ring and assaulted JTG with the leather strap before aggressively shouting at JTG that it is his “time”! What will happen this Sunday night when these two former friends and tag team partners are tied together by a leather strap in a Strap Match?

Before she was in action on SmackDown, it was announced that Michelle McCool will defend her Women’s Title against Beth Phoenix this Sunday at WWE Extreme Rules in the first ever “Extreme Makeover Match”! What is this match all about? Can Beth Phoenix dethrone Michelle McCool as the Women’s Champion?

The Divas were in action on SmackDown as Mickie James would team with “The Glamazon” Beth Phoenix to face Team Lay-Cool; Women’s Champion Michelle McCool & Layla! In the end, it was a vicious kick by Michelle McCool that allowed Layla to hit a modified neckbreaker on Mickie James and pick up the win for Team Lay-Cool! After the match, Team Lay-Cool assaulted “The Glamazon” by putting her through an ironing board and delivering a vicious kick to the head of Phoenix! With Phoenix down and out, Team Lay-Cool embarrassed Phoenix by rubbing makeup all over the face of Beth Phoenix! How will Beth Phoenix respond to this humiliation at WWE Extreme Rules?

Before his match on SmackDown, CM Punk stated that he will let his actions do the talking at WWE Extreme Rules and vows that his hair will remain on top of his head and it will remain “pure”! CM Punk then shows a barber chair set up at ringside and announces that “someone” will get their head shaved on SmackDown!

Then it was time for the tag team main event as, two nights before they go one-on-one with CM Punk’s hair on the line at WWE Extreme Rules, CM Punk & Rey Mysterio was in action on SmackDown as CM Punk and his “Straightedge Disciple” Luke Gallows would face the team of Rey Mysterio & “The Big Red Machine” Kane! In the end, it was CM Punk sitting down on a roll-up attempt by Rey Mysterio that allowed Punk to pick up the momentum-building win! After the match, Punk attacks Rey, but Rey counters and ends up sending Punk into the barber chair at ringside! Rey was set to shave Punk’s head before WWE Extreme Rules, but, luckily for CM Punk, Serena prevented the head-shaving and Punk was narrowly able to escape! Will CM Punk escape with his hair intact this Sunday or will Rey Mysterio beat Punk and ensure that Punk gets shaved bald?

Superstar of the Week: John Morrison

 

The second annual WWE Extreme Rules will come to you, live on pay-per-view, from the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, MD this Sunday night.

Back in February at WWE Elimination Chamber, John Cena had just survived a hellacious Elimination Chamber Match to regain the WWE Championship when WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon came out and informed the new champion that he must defend the WWE Title at that very moment against a fresh Batista. With John Cena thoroughly beaten down from the Elimination Chamber Match, Batista made quick work of Cena to take the WWE Title! This would lead to a showdown between the two at WrestleMania XXVI where, despite Batista claiming that Cena can not beat him, Cena not only beat “The Animal”, but forced Batista to tap out to his STF to regain the WWE Championship and, seemingly, earn his revenge! After calling Cena’s WrestleMania win a “fluke”, Batista would take the opportunity on a recent edition of RAW plant Cena with the Batista Bomb before announcing that he is invoking his rematch clause for the WWE Title at WWE Extreme Rules and the title will be contested in a Last Man Standing Match! Not one to walk away from a challenge, John Cena sent a strong message to “The Animal” by latching on his STF onto Batista and refusing to let go until Batista was completely unconscious from the submission maneuver! Now all focus turns to this Sunday at WWE Extreme Rules where John Cena will defend the WWE Championship against “The Animal” Batista in a Last Man Standing Match; a match where the only way to win is to dish enough damage out to your opponent to where the Superstar can not get to their feet by the referee’s count of ten and whoever wins the match will leave as the WWE Champion! Who will be the Last Man Standing this Sunday at WWE Extreme Rules? Will John Cena successfully put his rivalry with Batista to rest by retaining the WWE Title at WWE Extreme Rules or will Batista regain the WWE Title and prove that Cena’s WrestleMania win was indeed a “fluke”?

At WrestleMania XXVI, Jack Swagger survived nine other RAW & SmackDown Superstars in a super-sized Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match to win the Money-in-the-Bank briefcase; a briefcase that contained a contract for a title opportunity that can cashed in at any time for up to a year. On that same night, Chris Jericho successfully defended the World Heavyweight Championship against “The Rated-R Superstar” Edge, but after the match, Edge took his frustrations out on the World Heavyweight Champion by delivering a Spear to Jericho through the barricade on the outside! On SmackDown, just five nights after WrestleMania, a confrontation between Edge & Chris Jericho saw Edge lay the already injured World Heavyweight Champion with another Spear! With Chris Jericho in no condition to compete or even defend himself, Jack Swagger shocked the world by coming out and, after way-laying Edge from behind with the briefcase, announced that he was cashing in his Money-in-the-Bank title opportunity! Swagger then proceeded to snatch Jericho up and drop him with the Swagger Bomb en route to pinning Jericho and becoming the new World Heavyweight Champion! After a #1 Contender’s Match between Edge & Chris Jericho ended in a Double Count-Out, RAW Guest Host David Hasselhoff announced that Jack Swagger would defend the World Heavyweight Championship in an Extreme Rules Match against the Superstar that twice pinned the new champion on RAW, Randy Orton! Now, at WWE Extreme Rules, “The All-American Champion” Jack Swagger will make his first pay-per-view defense of the World Heavyweight Title against “The Viper” Randy Orton in an Extreme Rules Match; a match that can only end by pinfall or submission with no disqualifications or count-outs! In a match where anything goes and nothing is off limits, can Jack Swagger survive the ruthless environment against a ruthless competitor like Randy Orton or will Orton dethrone Swagger by winning the World Heavyweight Championship?

Back in June of last year, the team of Edge & Chris Jericho would win the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles, together, but, unfortunately for Edge, “The Rated-R Superstar” suffered an Achilles tendon injury; forcing Edge out of action for an undetermined amount of time and possibly ending Edge’s career! While Edge was on the shelf, Chris Jericho found a replacement for Edge in “The World’s Largest Athlete” Big Show and the duo known as JeriShow held the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles for several months, which earned JeriShow a Slammy Award for the 2009 Tag Team of the Year. In the acceptance speech for the Slammy Award, Jericho actually thanked Edge for getting injured and called his former partner “injury-prone”! A month after this speech, at the 2010 Royal Rumble, Edge shocked the world by making his return early in the 2010 Royal Rumble Match and eliminated Jericho en route to winning the 2010 Royal Rumble Match and earning a shot at either the WWE or World Heavyweight Title at WrestleMania! In February, at WWE Elimination Chamber, Chris Jericho took advantage of Shawn Michaels laying then World Heavyweight Champion The Undertaker out with Sweet Chin Music to become the new World Heavyweight Champion! The night after this title win, Edge made the announcement that he will challenge Jericho for the World Heavyweight Title at WrestleMania! At WrestleMania XXVI, Chris Jericho narrowly defeated Edge to retain the World Heavyweight Title, but after the match, Edge delivered a Spear to Jericho through the ringside barricade. Fast forward to five nights later, where Edge again laid an already injured Jericho out with the Spear, which led to Jack Swagger cashing in his Money-in-the-Bank contract to take the World Heavyweight Title from Chris Jericho! After losing the gold and failing to regain it in a Triple Threat Match, Jericho turned his attention to trying to end the career of Edge by re-injuring the Achilles tendon of “The Rated-R Superstar” by sandwiching the ankle of Edge between the steel steps and steel ring post! Following this heinous attack, the announcement was made that Edge and Chris Jericho will be locked inside the unforgiving steel as they would go to war in a Steel Cage Match at WWE Extreme Rules! In a match that can end by pinfall, submission, or escape from the cage, either by going over the top or through the door with both feet touching the floor on the outside, who will emerge from the steel the victor in this intense rivalry?

At WWE Elimination Chamber in February, Sheamus walked into the Elimination Chamber Match as the WWE Champion, but, thanks to Triple H eliminating him from the match, “The Celtic Warrior” was dethroned as champion! After WWE Elimination Chamber, Sheamus blamed Triple H for costing him the opportunity to defend the WWE Championship at his first WrestleMania and decided to assault Triple H and challenge “The Game” to a match at WrestleMania! After failing to defeat Triple H on “The Grandest Stage of Them All”, Sheamus brutally blasted Triple H from behind with a lead pipe on the night where Triple H was set to say goodbye to his best friend, Shawn Michaels! This led to Triple H dusting off the old trusty sledgehammer and narrowly missing getting a piece of “The Celtic Warrior”! Now, at WWE Extreme Rules, these two powerhouse Superstars will clash in a Street Fight; where anything goes and nothing is off limits, who will get the necessary pinfall or submission? Who will survive the brutal match?

Several weeks ago on SmackDown, Rey Mysterio brought his family to the show to celebrate his daughter’s birthday, but the happy occasion was interrupted by CM Punk and The Straightedge Society, who proceeded to humiliate Rey Mysterio in front of his family by challenging Rey, calling him a “coward”, and even slapping Rey in front of his wife and kids! After this encounter, Rey Mysterio agreed to a match at WrestleMania where, if CM Punk won, then Rey Mysterio would be forced to join The Straightedge Society! Rey was able to defeat “The Straightedge Savior” at WrestleMania and avoid joining The Straightedge Society, but CM Punk was not finished with his “crusade” to bring Mysterio to straightedge and challenged Rey to a rematch at WWE Extreme Rules, but this time, if CM Punk loses, he must shave his head! Will CM Punk defeat Rey Mysterio or will “The Straightedge Savior” walk away from WWE Extreme Rules without his hair?

Five nights after WrestleMania, Cryme Tyme faced the team of R-Truth & John Morrison and, after the quick loss, one of the most popular tag teams in the WWE came to end as Shad Gaspard shockingly attacked his Cryme Tyme partner, JTG, and laid out his supposed friend! Shad would follow that up with a second attack the next week, but JTG would fire back against his former friend and tag team partner. After turning on JTG, Shad Gaspard emphatically stated that there is no more Cryme Tyme and it is “Shad Gaspard’s time”! Now, at WWE Extreme Rules, these former partners and former friends will be strapped together as they go to war in a Strap Match; a match where the two competitors will be tied together, at the wrist, with a leather strap and to win, a Superstar must touch all four turnbuckles in succession, without interruption, to win the contest! Who will prevail in this barbaric contest between JTG & Shad Gaspard?

After weeks of being insulted and humiliated by Women’s Champion Michelle McCool, Layla, & SmackDown Consultant Vickie Guerrero, Beth Phoenix will finally get her shot at Michelle McCool and the Women’s Title when she challenges McCool for the gold at WWE Extreme Rules in the first ever Extreme Makeover Match! What are the rules of this match and can Beth Phoenix prevail to win the Women’s Championship or will Michelle McCool’s humiliation of “The Glamazon” continue?

The Rules of Extreme Rules

Last Man Standing Match
• Only Way To Win Is To Incapacitate Your Opponent To The Point Where They Can Not Answer a Referee’s Ten Count.
• No Pinfalls, No Submissions, No Disqualifications, & No Count-Outs

Extreme Rules Match
• No Disqualifications & No Count-Outs; Anything Goes
• Only Ways To Win Are By Pinfall or Submission
• Falls Count Anywhere In The Arena

Steel Cage Match
• Only Ways To Win Are By Pinfall, Submission, or Escaping The Cage
• Escaping The Cage Can Be Done By Climbing Over The Top Or Exiting Through The Door
• Both Feet Must Touch The Floor On The Outside To Win
• No Disqualifications & No Count-Outs

Street Fight
• No Disqualifications & No Count-Outs; Anything Goes
• Only Ways To Win Are by Pinfall or Submission
• Pinfall or Submission Must Occur In The Ring

Strap Match
• Two Competitors Are Strapped Together, By The Wrist, With A Leather Strap
• Only Way To Win Is To Touch All Four Turnbuckles In Succession
• No Pinfalls, No Submissions, No Disqualifications, & No Count-Outs

Alumni Profile of the Week
Name: The Ultimate Warrior
Born On: June 16, 1959 in Crawfordsville, IN
Age: 50
Debut: November 28, 1985
Retired: June 25, 2008
Trained By: Bill Anderson, Rick Bassman, & Red Bastien

Accomplishments
One-Time WWE Champion
Two-Time WWE Intercontinental Champion
One-Time WCWA Texas Heavyweight Champion
One-Time WCWA World Tag Team Champion (w/ Lance Von Erich)

In 1993, The Ultimate Warrior legally changed his real name from James Hellwig to “Warrior” in order to retain the right to use his ring name outside of the WWE.

Next Week’s WWE Television Schedule
Sunday, April 25: WWE Extreme Rules, LIVE from the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, MD
Monday, April 26: 3-Hour 2010 WWE Draft Special, LIVE from the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, VA
Tuesday, April 27: WWE NXT from the Giant Center in Hershey, PA
Thursday, April 29: WWE Superstars from Richmond, VA & Hershey, PA
Friday, April 30: The Giant Center in Hershey, PA Hosts SmackDown