WWE Week In Review: April 25, 2010- May 1, 2010

Welcome to the one-hundred fourth 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 television shows and monthly pay-per-views.

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. You can also find me on Facebook under the username of: CiSH.W101

The second annual WWE Extreme Rules came to you, live on pay-per-view, from the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, MD. In the “extreme” culmination of their intensely personal rivalry, John Cena would defend the WWE Championship against “The Animal” Batista in a Last Man Standing Match. In his first pay-per-view title defense, new World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger must defend his gold against “The Viper” Randy Orton in an Extreme Rules Match. In a personal rivalry that stretches back almost a full year, “The Rated-R Superstar” Edge would be looking for revenge for the recent attacks on his Achilles tendon injury as he faces his intense rival, Chris Jericho, in a Steel Cage Match. Triple H would be looking to teach Sheamus some respect as “The Game” would go one-on-one with “The Celtic Warrior” in a Street Fight. In a rematch from WrestleMania, “The Straightedge Savior” CM Punk would go one-on-one with Rey Mysterio, but this time, if CM Punk loses, he will also lose his hair. Former friends and former tag team partners would be looking to settle their personal and intense rivalry when JTG and Shad Gaspard square off in a Strap Match. After weeks of being insulted and embarrassed by Michelle McCool, Beth Phoenix would be looking for the ultimate revenge as she challenges McCool for the Women’s Championship in the first ever Extreme Makeover Match.

WWE Extreme Rules (April 25, 2010)
Good Night For: John Cena (successfully retained the WWE Title over a duct taped Batista)
Bad Night For: Triple H (was brutalized by Sheamus before, during, and after their match)

The show was set to kick off with the Street Fight showdown between Triple H and Sheamus, but “The Celtic Warrior” was determined to start the “extreme” early as, before Triple H could even make his entrance for the match, the cameras discovered that Sheamus had attacked Triple H in the backstage area as Sheamus pummeled “The Game”! Triple H was able to fire back, but referees were able to pull Triple H off of Sheamus and Sheamus took the opportunity to blast Triple H in the skull with the lead pipe; not once, but twice! What is the status of Triple H following the attack by Sheamus?

Then there was another unexpected surprise as the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions ShoMiz made an appearance! United States Champion The Miz states that the show did not start out as expected and says that the show should start with some “excitement” as they are the “most exciting, most entertaining, most captivating, the greatest tag team in WWE history”! Miz then says they should take Bret Hart’s “word for it” as, per their stipulation for the match between Miz & David Hart Smith two weeks ago, Bret will make the statement on the next night’s RAW that ShoMiz is the “greatest tag team in WWE history”! The Miz then “begs” for some “competition”, which brings out SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long, who announces that he has selected a team and, if this team can win a non-title match, then the team will earn a future shot at the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles! As it tends to do from time to time, The Miz’s mouth got him in trouble again as the confident Miz kept insulting and goading the GM, which led to Long announcing that ShoMiz will face three tag teams in a Tag Team Gauntlet Match! After Big Show put his hand over the mouth of The Miz to keep him from getting them in any deeper trouble, Long continued that whichever team defeats ShoMiz will earn their Unified WWE Tag Team Title match on the special 3-Hour WWE Draft edition of RAW!

First up in the three team Gauntlet Match for Unified WWE Tag Team Champions ShoMiz was the team they faced at WrestleMania, R-Truth & John Morrison! In the end, it was John Morrison applying a submission on Big Show, but he was using the ropes for leverage and, after failing to break after the referee’s five count was disqualified! After narrowly escaping R-Truth & John Morrison, ShoMiz then had to contend with The World’s Strongest Tag Team of MVP & Mark Henry! MVP was able to hit the Playmaker on The Miz in the match, but when he pinned Miz, Big Show came in from the outside with the vicious right hand of Big Show, which allowed ShoMiz to survive the second team! Led by Hall of Famer Bret “Hitman” Hart, The Hart Dynasty came out as the third team and made quick work of The Miz by hitting the Hart Attack maneuver en route to David Hart Smith pinning The Miz and earning The Hart Dynasty a shot at the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles on the 3-Hour Draft edition of RAW! On the same night where Bret Hart must declare that ShoMiz is the “greatest tag team in WWE history”, will The Hart Dynasty dethrone ShoMiz as the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles?

Backstage, Sheamus responds to his attack on Triple H by saying that if Triple H is too much of a “coward” to face him, then he should just “admit” it and announces that he is going to the ring to wait for Triple H and states that Triple H can “man up” and face him or he can “forfeit” and states that, in either case, he will be victorious! After the vicious assault by Sheamus, is Triple H in any shape to go forward with the Street Fight?

Then it would be time for CM Punk to fight for his hair as “The Straightedge Savior” would go one-on-one with Rey Mysterio in a WrestleMania rematch, but this time, if CM Punk loses, he will have his head shaved bald! After continuing to interfere on Punk’s behalf, the referee ejected Luke Gallows & Serena from ringside; leaving CM Punk to face Rey Mysterio alone! After hitting the 619 on CM Punk, Rey was set to defeat Punk, but a mystery man dressed in a hooded sweatshirt slides a steel chair into the ring which distracts the referee long enough for the stranger to pick Rey off of the apron and send Rey face first onto the floor on the outside of the ring with a modified powerbomb! CM Punk then brought Rey back into the ring and hit the GTS en route to picking up the win and keeping his hair intact! Who was this mystery man? Was this all a well-thought out plan by CM Punk and The Straightedge Society?

Then it was time for former friends and former tag team partners to settle their differences as JTG would be looking to gain revenge for the attack three weeks ago as he goes one-on-one with Shad Gaspard where they would be attached at the wrist by a leather strap in a Strap Match! In the end, it was JTG outsmarting Shad Gaspard and hitting the Box Cutter en route to touching the final corner and picking up the win over his former friend and former tag team partner!

Then it was time for Jack Swagger to make his first pay-per-view defense of the World Heavyweight Championship as “The All-American Champion” would put his gold on the line against “The Viper” Randy Orton in an Extreme Rules Match! In the end, it was Jack Swagger sending Randy Orton, spine-first, onto a steel chair and hitting the Swagger Bomb en route to successfully retaining the World Heavyweight Championship! After the match, Randy Orton got the last shot in as Orton planted Swagger with the RKO on the outside of the ring! Has Randy Orton signified that he is not done with Jack Swagger? What is next for the World Heavyweight Champion?

Following his earlier attack on Triple H, “The Celtic Warrior” Sheamus comes out and states that, if Triple H is not “man enough” to face him, then he wants the referee to raise his hand in victory! Going against the doctor’s advice not to compete, a weakened, but determined, Triple H makes his way to the ring for the Street Fight! With nerve damage in his neck preventing Triple H from using his left arm fully, “The Game” still went to war with Sheamus in a Street Fight! Triple H still managed to hold his own, but after four pump kicks in a row from Sheamus, it was all over for “The Game” as Sheamus picked up the win! After the match, EMT’s tried to get Triple H onto a backboard to stretcher Triple H out of the arena, but Triple H refused to be wheeled out of the arena! The EMT’s helped Triple H walk, but once they reached the stage, Sheamus re-emerged and delivered yet another pump kick to Triple H! After this vicious attack, the EMT’s loaded an unconscious Triple H onto the stretcher. What is the status of Triple H following the night of hell Sheamus put “The Game” through?

With a table of makeup, a mop and bucket, and an iron board at ringside and legal in the match, it was time for the first ever Extreme Makeover Match as Michelle McCool would defend the Women’s Title against “The Glamazon” Beth Phoenix! Through hairspray, makeup, buckets, and ironing boards, it was Beth Phoenix overcoming McCool and the help of Vickie Guerrero & Layla to hit the Glam Slam en route to winning the Women’s Championship for a third time! How will Michelle McCool, as well as Vickie Guerrero & Layla, respond to the Women’s Title changing hands?

Then it was time for “The Rated-R Superstar” Edge to go one-on-one with intense and personal rival Chris Jericho in a Steel Cage Match! After turning the tables on Chris Jericho by assaulting the ankle of Jericho, it was the Spear that led to Edge’s vindication as “The Rated-R Superstar” picks up the win inside the unforgiving steel structure!

Then it was time for the main event of WWE Extreme Rules as, in the culmination of their intense and personal rivalry, John Cena would defend the WWE Championship against “The Animal” Batista in a Last Man Standing Match! In an incredible war of a Last Man Standing Match that saw Batista put John Cena through a table and the ringside barricade, as well as Cena putting Batista through the announce table with the Attitude Adjustment and Batista firing back by putting Cena through a table a second time with a Spinebuster, it was after Cena failed to win the match after forcing Batista to pass out from Cena’s STF that Cena saw only one option in defeating “The Animal”; an option that will go down in history as the most unique ending to a Last Man Standing Match in WWE history as Cena actually wrapped Batista’s legs around the ring post and duct taped the ankles of Batista together! With Batista being unable to stand due to the duct tape restraint, it was John Cena who used his brains over his brawn to successfully retain the WWE Championship in a grueling and memorable match! What is next for WWE Champion John Cena and Batista? Is this the end of their intense rivalry?

The 883rd edition of WWE Monday Night RAW would host the 3-Hour 2010 WWE Draft as the annual WWE shakeup would come to you, live at a special start time of 8/7c, from the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, VA. One night after an unforgettable WWE Extreme Rules, the entire landscape of the WWE would be changed as the Superstars of both RAW & SmackDown would be present in the arena for the 2010 WWE Draft where every Superstar, Diva, and even announcers are eligible to be drafted; regardless of the titles they hold or the teams they are a part of! In addition to the 2010 WWE Draft, the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles would be up for grabs as ShoMiz would defend the gold against the team that beat them in the Tag Team Gauntlet Match at WWE Extreme Rules, The Hart Dynasty! On the same night that ShoMiz could very well lose the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles, Hall of Famer Bret “Hitman” Hart would make an appearance on RAW to fulfill his end of the deal made two weeks ago on RAW by publicly dubbing ShoMiz as “the greatest tag team in WWE history”!

3-Hour 2010 WWE Draft Special (April 26, 2010)
Good Week For: The Hart Dynasty (defeated ShoMiz to win the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles)
Bad Week For: Randy Orton (thanks to Edge, lost his shot at becoming the #1 Contender for the WWE Title)

Before ShoMiz defended their Unified WWE Tag Team Titles against The Hart Dynasty, United States Champion The Miz states that The Hart Dynasty got “handed” their victory at WWE Extreme Rules and states that they have “handed” everything! The Miz then states that Stu Hart taught The Hart Dynasty what he taught the Hart family; how to be “losers”! The Miz then demands that Bret Hart come to the ring to dub ShoMiz “the greatest tag team in WWE history”! Hall of Famer Bret “Hitman” Hart comes out and says he is a “man of his word” before proclaiming that ShoMiz is “the greatest tag team in WWE history”! Bret then continues by saying that The Mountie was “the greatest Intercontinental Champion in history” and that David Arquette was “the greatest World Champion in history”! Bret says that he can say “whatever” he wants to before calling Miz a “horse-faced idiot” and proclaims that ShoMiz will soon be calling The Hart Dynasty the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions!

The opening match of the night was the match for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship as ShoMiz would defend the gold against the team that defeated ShoMiz in a Tag Team Gauntlet Match at WWE Extreme Rules to earn the opportunity in The Hart Dynasty! After Bret Hart got involved to keep The Miz from utilizing the ropes to his illegal advantage, it was the beginning of the end for ShoMiz as The Hart Dynasty would hit the Hart Attack before Tyson Kidd locked The Miz in the Sharpshooter; forcing The Miz to tap out and earning The Hart Dynasty the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles! How will ShoMiz respond to losing the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles?

After losing the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles to The Hart Dynasty, the era of ShoMiz came to an abrupt halt as, during the commercial break that followed the title match, it was shown that Big Show left The Miz laying with his vicious Knockout Punch! With ShoMiz a thing of the past, what is next for the United States Champion and “The World’s Largest Athlete”?

Backstage, when questioned about his victory over Randy Orton at WWE Extreme Rules, still World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger stated that he “dominated” Randy Orton at WWE Extreme Rules and he is the “most educated” World Heavyweight Champion! Fresh off of his Steel Cage Match win over Chris Jericho, “The Rated-R Superstar” Edge confronts the World Heavyweight Champion and tells Swagger that he is next in line for the World Heavyweight Title and tells Swagger that “The All-American Champion” better hope he gets drafted to RAW!

One night after losing the Women’s Championship to Beth Phoenix in the first ever Extreme Makeover Match at WWE Extreme Rules, Michelle McCool was in action as she would team with her best friend, Layla, to take on the RAW team of the new Divas Champion, Eve Torres, and the Diva she took the gold from, Maryse with the winning team earning a Diva draft pick for their brand! It did not take long for the new Divas Champion and the former Divas Champion to clash as Eve Torres and Maryse brawled on the outside! After tagging herself into the match, Maryse and Eve Torres had another confrontation, which led to McCool hitting a big boot on Maryse en route to winning the match and earning a Diva draft pick for SmackDown! In the first draft pick of the night, Friday Night SmackDown picked up the exciting and talented Kelly Kelly for the blue brand! How will Kelly Kelly fare in this new environment?

After Kelly Kelly was drafted to SmackDown, another draft pick would be decided as, fresh off of keeping his hair by defeating Rey Mysterio, in controversial fashion, “The Straightedge Savior” would be looking to earn a draft pick for SmackDown as he went one-on-one with Evan Bourne from RAW! After the same mystery man from WWE Extreme Rules, as well as Luke Gallows & Serena, got involved, it was CM Punk hitting the GTS on Evan Bourne en route to winning the match and earning SmackDown the second straight draft pick! In terms of size, SmackDown picked up the “largest” draft pick possible as “The World’s Largest Athlete” Big Show will join the SmackDown roster! What is on the agenda of Big Show now that “The World’s Largest Athlete” has been drafted to Friday Night SmackDown?

After his brutal destruction of Triple H at WWE Extreme Rules, “The Celtic Warrior” Sheamus made an appearance on RAW and states that the “good news” is that Triple H will not get drafted to SmackDown, but the “bad news” is that Triple H will never wrestle again! Sheamus proclaims that Triple H’s career is over because of him and he is now moving on before stating that he wants the WWE Championship back! This brings out “The Viper” Randy Orton, who tells Sheamus that no one has “despised” Triple H more than him, but when it came to their match at WrestleMania last year, he faced Triple H like a “man” as he competed against him “face to face” and did not jump him from behind with a lead pipe! Orton tells Sheamus that, regardless of how, Sheamus got the “job done”, but says that Sheamus does not “deserve” a title shot! Sheamus responds by telling Randy Orton that he lost in his match for the World Heavyweight Title at WWE Extreme Rules, so he does not deserve a shot before threatening to sideline Orton like he did Triple H! Orton respond by threatening to RKO Sheamus and punt him in the skull! Sheamus tells Orton that he does not deal with “losers” and that he will be challenging John Cena for the WWE Championship and there is “nothing” that Orton can do about it! This brings out the WWE Champion himself, John Cena, who, after figuring out that there is no Guest Host of RAW for the night, revealed that he was told earlier that, as the WWE Champion, he was given the power to remedy the #1 Contender situation before announcing that Sheamus will go one-on-one with Randy Orton to determine the new #1 Contender for the WWE Championship! After this announcement, Sheamus tried to catch Orton with a pump kick and Orton dodged it before attempting the RKO to no avail! Sheamus then quickly exited the ring to avoid any further confrontation! Who will become the #1 Contender for the WWE Championship when these two go one-on-one for the opportunity?

With three Draft Picks on the line for the winning brand, a 10-Man Inter-branded Battle Royal took place on RAW as the SmackDown team of Rey Mysterio, R-Truth, Shad Gaspard, Kane, & Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre faced the RAW team of MVP, Mark Henry, Yoshi Tatsu, Santino Marella, & Ted DiBiase! In a surprising first elimination, Yoshi Tatsu managed to outmaneuver Drew McIntyre to eliminate the Intercontinental Champion! Shortly after this big elimination, Yoshi Tatsu found himself eliminated by Shad Gaspard! MVP was the next one eliminated as Rey Mysterio sent “The Ballin’ Superstar” packing! In a shocking move, Santino Marella was able to eliminate both R-Truth & Shad Gaspard! Following a 619 by Rey Mysterio, Kane was able to eliminate Mark Henry before Kane was low-bridged into elimination by Ted DiBiase, leaving Ted DiBiase & Santino Marella for RAW and Rey Mysterio for SmackDown! At the end of a back-and-forth war on the apron of the ring, it was Ted DiBiase finally eliminating Rey Mysterio to earn three Draft Picks for RAW! After the match, Santino Marella tried to celebrate with fellow survivor Ted DiBiase, but DiBiase responded by laying Santino out with Dream Street! Despite DiBiase not being in the celebratory mood, RAW certainly was as RAW earned three Draft Picks! The first Draft Pick for Monday Night RAW was none other than former Intercontinental Champion “The Guru of Greatness” John Morrison! The second Superstar to come over from SmackDown was none other than Morrison’s tag team partner, R-Truth! The third Draft Pick was an epic one as a former World Heavyweight Champion will be joining RAW as “The Rated-R Superstar” himself, Edge, joins Monday Nights! How will Edge’s shocking draft to RAW change the main event picture on both RAW & SmackDown?

Before his RAW Vs. SmackDown Draft Pick Match, Chris Jericho said that he did not “deserve” to be assaulted by Edge in the Steel Cage Match at WWE Extreme Rules and demands that Edge be “fined and suspended” for his attack! Jericho then states that he was thrown off his game in the Steel Cage Match by his loss to NXT Rookie Heath Slater and orders Slater to come to the ring and apologize to Chris Jericho for costing him the Steel Cage Match at WWE Extreme Rules! Heath Slater comes to the ring and says he is “sorry” that Jericho was unable to beat Edge and “sorry” that Jericho could not beat him on NXT last week and that Jericho will not beat his WWE Pro Christian! After Slater threw Jericho out of the ring, Christian from RAW went one-on-one with Chris Jericho from SmackDown with a Draft Pick on the line for the winning brand! In the end, it was Chris Jericho coming out of the clutches of defeat to hit the Codebreaker on Christian en route to picking up the win and earning a Draft Pick for SmackDown! After the match, Chris Jericho also got his revenge on Heath Slater by laying Slater out with the Codebreaker, as well! Then it was time for the Draft Pick to be announced as none other than former Intercontinental & United States Champion Kofi Kingston will be competing for SmackDown! Kofi wasted no time in making an impact as the newest SmackDown Superstar as he rushed to the ring and laid Chris Jericho out with Trouble in Paradise! How will Chris Jericho respond to Kofi Kingston’s attack?

In a rematch from this past Friday’s SmackDown, the World Heavyweight Champion from SmackDown, Jack Swagger, would go one-on-one with one of the newest additions to Monday Night RAW, “The Monday Night Delight” John Morrison with a Draft Pick on the line! In the end, “The All-American Champion” Jack Swagger was able to avenge his loss to John Morrison by defeating “The Monday Night Delight” following the Swagger Bomb to earn a Draft Pick for SmackDown and that Draft Pick will be none other than “Captain Charisma” Christian! What does Christian have planned for Friday Nights?

In the final RAW Vs. SmackDown Draft Pick Match, SmackDown Superstar Dolph Ziggler went one-on-one with RAW Superstar Hornswoggle! Hornswoggle was actually able to upset Dolph Ziggler by defeating Dolph via count-out! However, after the match, in an uncalled for attack, Dolph Ziggler locked in the sleeper hold on Hornswoggle! Despite the attack, the smallest RAW Superstar earned one of the biggest Draft Picks for RAW as Chris Jericho was drafted to RAW! With Edge & Chris Jericho both on RAW, will their intense rivalry continue on Monday Nights?

With all the Draft Picks decided, it was time for the main event of the evening as the new #1 Contender for the WWE Championship would be decided as “The Celtic Warrior” Sheamus would go one-on-one with “The Viper” Randy Orton or at least it was supposed to be the main event, but “The Animal” Batista had different plans as an irate Batista came out and declares that he is the #1 Contender and he should be the WWE Champion! Batista shouts that WWE Extreme Rules was a “joke” and that John Cena owes him a match and he is not leaving until he gets one! “The Celtic Warrior” Sheamus then comes and tells Batista that he lost and that Batista is just like Randy Orton; a “loser”! This brings out “The Viper” Randy Orton, who proposes that Batista face the winner of the match between him and Sheamus! Sheamus then jumps in and says that neither Orton nor Batista deserve the shot! This brings out WWE Champion John Cena, who simply announces that the #1 Contender’s Match is now a Triple Threat Match as “The Animal” Batista, “The Viper” Randy Orton, & “The Celtic Warrior” Sheamus would compete with the winner being named the #1 Contender for the WWE Title! In the end, Randy Orton hit the RKO on Sheamus, but as soon as Orton hit the RKO, Edge entered the ring and leveled Orton with the Spear, which allowed Batista to drape his arm over Randy Orton en route to becoming the #1 Contender for the WWE Title once again! What prompted Edge to lay Randy Orton out with the Spear and cost him a shot at the WWE Championship?

Results of the 2010 WWE Supplemental Draft: After eight Superstars found new homes on the 3-Hour 2010 WWE Draft edition of RAW, the Draft continued with the 2010 WWE Supplemental Draft, which started at 12/11c on WWE.com on Tuesday. From the start, RAW picked up a “great” draft pick from SmackDown as “The Punjabi Playboy” The Great Khali, along with his brother and translator, Ranjin Singh, is now a RAW Superstar. While The Great Khali & Ranjin Singh will join RAW, a third-generation Superstar joined SmackDown as Chavo Guerrero will compete exclusively for the blue brand. The son of a WWE Hall of Famer will be looking to pave his own way after the break up of Legacy as Cody Rhodes was drafted from RAW to SmackDown. One night after The Hart Dynasty won the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles, a piece of the trio that makes of The Hart Dynasty was drafted to RAW as Natalya joins the Divas of RAW. “The Masterpiece” will be making his presence known on Friday Nights as Chris Masters has been drafted to SmackDown. The last ECW Champion was drafted from SmackDown to RAW as “Big Zeke” himself, Ezekiel Jackson comes to Monday Night RAW. RAW will also become a little bit more “bizarre” as “The Bizarre One” Goldust is now a RAW Superstar. While SmackDown lost a dose of “bizarre” in losing Goldust, they gained a smaller dose in Hornswoggle. “The Long Island Loudmouth” Zack Ryder has to be feeling heartbroken as his lovely girlfriend, Rosa Mendes, has been drafted to SmackDown. While one couple was split up, a talented trio that though they were split up have reunited on Monday Nights as the new Unified WWE Tag Team Champions The Hart Dynasty join Natalya as Draftees to RAW. The longest reigning United States Champion in SmackDown history returns to the brand that made him as “The Ballin’ Superstar” MVP is back on Friday Nights.

The tenth edition of WWE NXT came to you from the Giant Center in Hershey, PA. With just two weeks to go before the first NXT elimination, the eight NXT Rookies would compete in another NXT challenge as the Rookies continue to try and curry favor with the WWE Pros. The NXT Rookies would also take part in tag team action as one of the newest SmackDown Superstars, Christian, would team with his Rookie, Heath Slater, to face one of the newest RAW Superstars, Chris Jericho, and his Rookie, Wade Barrett.

The show kicks off with another NXT challenge as the eight NXT Rookies would compete in the “Seal The Deal Challenge”, where the eight Rookies would go out amongst the fans to sell as much merchandise in sixty seconds as possible with the winner earning a match on next week’s NXT against a WWE Pro of their choosing! Skip Sheffield was the first NXT Rookie was the first up and he managed to sell four WWE program at $15 a piece! How will the other seven Rookies fare in the “Seal The Deal Challenge”?

The opening match of the night would see two of the Draftees from the 2010 WWE Draft compete in tag action as one of the newest SmackDown Superstars, Christian, would team with his NXT Rookie, Heath Slater, to face the team of one of the newest RAW Superstars, Chris Jericho, and his NXT Rookie, Wade Barrett! One week after the epic upset to Heath Slater, Chris Jericho was able to hit the Codebreaker on Slater en route to picking up the victory for himself and Wade Barrett!

The next NXT Rookie to take part in the “Seal The Deal Challenge” was Daniel Bryan, who decided to throw out all the WWE Programs for free; meaning that he did not make any money!

Justin Gabriel was the next NXT Rookie to take part in the “Seal The Deal Challenge” was Justin Gabriel, who took an impressive lead in the challenge by selling an astonishing twenty-two Programs!

The number seven NXT Rookie was in action on WWE NXT as he went one-on-one with the number eight NXT Rookie Darren Young, who came to the ring with Luke Gallows & Serena in tow! With some surprising help from Luke Gallows & Serena, Darren Young was able to hit his unique full nelson suplex finisher en route to picking up the win over Michael Tarver!

The next NXT Rookie to compete in the “Seal The Deal Challenge” was David “A-List” Otunga, who stated that “celebrities don’t do manual labor” before convincing a few audience members to help him sell his WWE Programs, who helped David Otunga take the lead in the challenge!

The next NXT Rookie was Heath Slater, who took a slower approach to the selling and did not beat David Otunga and neither did Darren Young! The next NXT Rookie to compete in the “Seal The Deal Challenge”, who states that he just lost a match and that WWE should “sell” him, because he is “the product” before walking out and refusing to compete in the challenge, as did Wade Barrett, who opted to pocket the money and leave!

The winner of the “Seal The Deal Challenge” was David “A-List” Otunga revealed that the WWE Pro he wants to face on next week’s NXT is none other than his own WWE Pro, R-Truth, before saying that it is about time that the “student beat the teacher”! Can David Otunga upset his WWE Pro, R-Truth, next week or will R-Truth teach his NXT Rookie some respect?

One night after losing the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles and being knocked out by his former partner “The World’s Largest Athlete” Big Show, United States Champion The Miz was set to compete in the main event against NXT Rookie Skip Sheffield, but said that Big Show “sucker punched” him on RAW and, given the condition of his jaw, he will be unable to compete and is placing his NXT Rookie Daniel Bryan in his place! After a vicious jawbreaker maneuver, Skip Sheffield was able to make relatively quick work of Daniel Bryan to pick up the first win in his Rookie career! With the first NXT elimination just a couple of weeks away, who will be sent home from the NXT competition?

The 54th edition of WWE Superstars came to you from the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, VA and from the Giant Center in Hershey, PA. In their first match since winning the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles on RAW, the newly drafted Unified WWE Tag Team Champions The Hart Dynasty would face The Dudebusters in a non-title match. Also on WWE Superstars, Zack Ryder would go one-on-one with Primo and, in Divas action, former Women’s Champion Gail Kim would go one-on-one with “The Sour Songstress” Jillian.

WWE Superstars (April 29, 2010)
Good Week For: The Hart Dynasty (continued their banner week by defeating The Dudebusters)
Bad Week For: Primo (thanks to the assist by Rosa Mendes, was defeated by Zack Ryder)

The opening match of the night saw the WWE Divas in action as former Women’s Champion Gail Kim went one-on-one with “The Sour Songstress” Jillian. In the end, it was Gail hitting the Eat Defeat en route to picking up the win over Jillian!

“The Long Island Loudmouth” Zack Ryder was in action on WWE Superstars as he went one-on-one with the high-flying Primo. In the end, with a little assist by Rosa Mendes, it was Zack Ryder hitting the Zack Attack en route to picking up the win over Primo! How will Zack Ryder & Rosa Mendes fare now that Rosa has been drafted to SmackDown while Ryder remains on RAW?

Then it was time for the main event as, for the first time since winning the gold, the new Unified WWE Tag Team Champion The Hart Dynasty were in action on WWE Superstars as they faced The Dudebusters; Caylen Croft & Trent Barreta in a non-title bout! In the end, it was The Hart Dynasty hitting the legendary Hart Attack maneuver on Caylen Croft en route to The Hart Dynasty picking up the win over The Dudebusters! What other teams will The Hart Dynasty have to contend with now that they are on top of the tag team mountain as the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions?

WWE Hall of Famer Released From Contract: WWE.com announced on Friday that World Wrestling Entertainment has come to terms on the release of WWE Hall of Famer Tony Atlas! In his Hall of Fame career, Tony Atlas (real name- Anthony White) became the first African-American tag team champions with Rocky Johnson and most recently, Tony Atlas served as the sidekick for Abraham Washington on ECW. Tony Atlas was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006.

The 558th edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown came to you from the Giant Center in Hershey, PA. SmackDown would feature the newest SmackDown Superstars taking on the outgoing RAW Superstars as new SmackDown Superstar Kofi Kingston will get his opportunity to make an immediate impact on Friday Nights as he goes one-on-one with the newly drafted Chris Jericho! For the first time since WrestleMania, new SmackDown Superstar Cody Rhodes would be in action against new RAW Superstar “The Monday Night Delight” John Morrison!

Friday Night SmackDown (April 30, 2010)
Good Week For: Big Show (knocked out Edge, Chris Jericho, and World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger and was named #1 Contender)
Bad Week For: Chris Jericho (lost to Kofi Kingston and was knocked out by Big Show)

The show kicks off with the General Manager of SmackDown, Theodore Long, who stated that SmackDown got the “better” end of things before introducing one of the newest additions to the SmackDown roster, Kofi Kingston, who would go one-on-one with one of the newest RAW Superstars, Chris Jericho, who stated that the time has come for him to leave SmackDown and become the “face of RAW”! Jericho continues that the void of his absence will be felt on Friday Nights and urges the fans to “move on” and to “grow up”! Kofi interjects and tells Jericho to “shut up” and says he will shut Jericho up! In his first night as a SmackDown Superstar, Kofi Kingston made an immediate impact by hitting Trouble in Paradise en route to pinning Chris Jericho to pick up a huge win! What heights will Kofi Kingston reach now that the high-flyer is a SmackDown Superstar?

Backstage, Chris Jericho confronts an old ally and stated that the show will be “nothing” without him and asked the person if he is even listening to him! Jericho is then knocked out by the huge right hand of “The World’s Largest Athlete” and new SmackDown Superstar, Big Show! What kind of impact will Big Show have on Friday Nights?

After being drafted back to SmackDown in the 2010 WWE Supplemental Draft, Chavo Guerrero appeared on SmackDown and encouraged the WWE fans to welcome their “favorite” Superstar back to SmackDown! Chavo is then “met” by the welcoming party, Kane, as “The Big Red Machine” welcomes Chavo back with a thunderous chokeslam!

As the new additions to SmackDown continue to try and make their mark on Friday Nights, new SmackDown Superstar Cody Rhodes would compete in his first match since being punted by Randy Orton at WrestleMania as Rhodes would go one-on-one with one of the newest additions to RAW, “The Guru of Greatness” John Morrison! In the end, it was Cody Rhodes hitting Cross Rhodes en route to picking up a huge win over John Morrison! What does the future hold for the second-generation Superstar, Cody Rhodes?

After being drafted to RAW on Monday, “The Rated-R Superstar” Edge made a special appearance on SmackDown to deliver his farewell address to the SmackDown fans! Edge admits that he does not “want to go” to RAW because he has always felt like SmackDown was his and the fans have supported him throughout his “trials and tribulations” before telling the fans that, from the bottom of his heart, he “loves” them! Business certainly picked on SmackDown with the arrival of the legendary partner and rival of Edge as “Captain Charisma” Christian arrived on SmackDown! Edge starts by wishing his best friend “luck” on Friday Night SmackDown! Christian says that everyone remembers the “history” of Edge & Christian and that they have known each other since they were kids and that they have held the tag team titles seven times together and he knows Edge possibly more than Edge knows himself! Christian then states that he “knows” that what Edge just said was a “load of crap” and that he just “used” the fans to get what he wanted! Edge then says that he is a nine-time World Champion and that Christian is yet to win a single World Title! Christian responds by saying that, when he does win a World Title, it will be on his own and he will not “step on other people’s necks” to get there before calling Edge a “liar”! Edge then admits that it is all true and that he has manipulated the fans and that he “enjoyed every second of it”! Christian responds by saying that people have been asking when Edge & Christian would reunite and run with the tag gold, but that he has realized that Edge “used” him as well! Christian then states that he does not want to see “Edge & Christian” anymore, he would rather see “Edge Vs. Christian” right then and there! The former friends and tag team partners then look like they are ready to square off, but Edge tells Christian “no”, but as soon as Christian turns his back, Edge attacks Christian and hits “Captain Charisma” with a big boot before he was set to hit the Spear, but Christian countered and the two brawled before Christian set Edge up for the Killswitch, but Edge was able to escape Christian and the ring! Now that Edge has revealed his true intentions and is now gone from SmackDown on RAW, is this conflict between Edge & Christian over? What kind of impact will Christian make on Friday Night SmackDown?

Backstage, Edge finds himself coming face-to-face with an old rival in “The World’s Largest Athlete” Big Show, who says that it is a shame that the fans will not get to see the Edge Vs. Christian match and it is a shame that they will also not get to see an Edge Vs. Big Show match before Big Show leaves “The Rated-R Superstar” laying with the vicious Knockout Punch!

Five nights after dethroning Michelle McCool in the first ever Extreme Makeover Match at WWE Extreme Rules, new Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix was in action on SmackDown as “The Glamazon” would team with one of the newest SmackDown Divas, Kelly Kelly to face former Women’s Champion Michelle McCool & Layla! In the end, it was Kelly Kelly hitting the Kelly Killer on Layla en route to picking up the win! While she teamed with the champion successfully, does Kelly Kelly have her sights set on the Women’s Championship?

After putting Hornswoggle to sleep with the sleeper hold on RAW, “The Platinum Superstar” Dolph Ziggler made an appearance on SmackDown and stated that he did everyone a “favor” and that what he did on RAW the “proudest moment” of his career! Dolph then vowed that no one will ever see Hornswoggle again and stated that he put Hornswoggle to sleep and now Hornswoggle is in “leprechaun heaven”! Have we really seen the last of Hornswoggle?

Backstage, Matt Hardy discusses the assault by Drew McIntyre on last week’s SmackDown by stating that he has had a lot of injuries in his career, but “nothing” like what McIntyre has done to him! Matt then vows that he will come back, because he “always” comes back, but Matt’s interview was abruptly brought to an end as Drew McIntyre attacked Matt Hardy yet again before the diabolical Intercontinental Champion delivered a disturbing Future Shock DDT to Matt Hardy on the cold concrete floor! After yet another heinous attack by Drew McIntyre, will Matt Hardy ever be seen again?

Five nights after retaining his hair in a match against Rey Mysterio at WWE Extreme Rules, “The Straightedge Savior” CM Punk, along with his Straightedge Society of Luke Gallows & Serena, made an appearance on SmackDown. A proud CM Punk vows that the “sobering reality” is that he “single-handedly” defeated Rey Mysterio at WWE Extreme Rules, despite Luke Gallows & Serena being ejected from ringside! CM Punk is then interrupted by one of the newest SmackDown Superstars as “The Ballin’ Superstar” MVP comes out and tells CM Punk that he is about to make SmackDown “hot” again before attacking The Straightedge Society! After the numbers game became too much for MVP, Rey Mysterio came out and made the save as MVP & Mysterio sent The Straightedge Society packing!

As a result of the four Superstars physical confrontation, an impromptu tag match took place as the team of new SmackDown Superstar, “The Ballin’ Superstar” MVP, and Rey Mysterio took on CM Punk & Luke Gallows of The Straightedge Society! In the end, it was the 619 of Rey Mysterio that led to MVP hitting a modified STO en route to picking up the win for himself and Mysterio! However, after the match, the same mysterious hooded figure that helped CM Punk at WWE Extreme Rules appeared once again and laid out Mysterio with a modified neckbreaker! Who is this new ally of The Straightedge Society?

Five nights after successfully defending the World Heavyweight Championship in an Extreme Rules Match against Randy Orton at WWE Extreme Rules, World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger made an appearance on SmackDown and stated that when he was a kid, his father told him that he would one day be a World Champion! “The All-American Champion” continued to list his accomplishments from youth until the present day before proclaiming that his “crowning achievement” was winning the World Heavyweight Title and vows that he is going to be World Heavyweight Champion until he “retires”! SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long comes out states that what everyone wants to hear is the identity of the new #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Championship before revealing that the new #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title is none other than “The World’s Largest Athlete” Big Show! Show comes out and tells Swagger that there is one accomplishment that Swagger forgot to mention in his speech and that is “early retirement”! Big Show then proceeded to deliver the huge Knockout Punch to leave the World Heavyweight Champion laid out! In what is, no doubt, his “largest” test as the World Heavyweight Champion, can Jack Swagger survive Big Show or will “The World’s Largest Athlete” become known as World Heavyweight Champion?

Superstars of the Week: NEW Unified WWE Tag Team Champions The Hart Dynasty

Alumni Profile of the Week
Name: Goldberg
Born On: December 27, 1966 in Tulsa, OK
Age: 43
Debut: June 24, 1997
Retired: March 15, 2004
Resides: Bonsall, CA
Trained By: WCW Power Plant

Accomplishments
One Time WWE World Heavyweight Champion
One Time WCW World Heavyweight Champion
Two Time WCW United States Champion
One Time WCW Tag Team Champion (w/ Bret Hart)

Did You Know?
Goldberg holds the record for the longest undefeated streak in wrestling history with a record of 173-0.

Next Week’s WWE Television Schedule
Monday, May 3: RAW, LIVE from the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, FL
Tuesday, May 4: WWE NXT from the North Charleston Coliseum in North Charleston, SC
Thursday, May 6: WWE Superstars from Jacksonville, FL & North Charleston, SC
Friday, May 7: The North Charleston Coliseum in North Charleston, SC Hosts SmackDown