May 16, 2010- May 22, 2010
Welcome to the one-hundred seventh 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. Also, you can find me on Facebook and on Twitter under the username, TheCiSH
The 886th edition of WWE Monday Night RAW came to you, live, from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Forty-one years after he was one of the first men to set foot on the moon, legendary astronaut Buzz Aldrin would serve as the Guest Host to an “out of this world” edition of RAW as the final RAW before WWE Over The Limit will air completely commercial-free! As a result to losing to Tyson Kidd on last week’s RAW, The Miz was forced to select a member of the Hart Family to defend the United States Title against and The Miz selected none other than WWE Hall of Famer Bret “The Hitman” Hart to defend the gold against on this week’s RAW in the home country of the legendary Hart Family! Six nights before he defends the WWE Championship, for the final time, against “The Animal” Batista in an “I Quit” Match at WWE Over The Limit, WWE Champion John Cena would go one-on-one with “The Celtic Warrior” Sheamus!
Monday Night RAW (May 17, 2010)
Good Week For: Bret Hart (with help from The Hart Dynasty & Natalya, was able to defeat The Miz to win the United States Title)
Bad Week For: Mark Henry (was, for the second straight week, brutally assaulted by Batista)
The special commercial-free edition of RAW kicks off with WWE Hall of Famer and Canadian hero Bret “The Hitman” Hart as Toronto offers a thunderous ovation for Canada’s own Bret Hart! Bret states that he can’t believe that The Miz had the “nerve” to challenge him to a United States Title match and that he told WWE Headquarters to “book” the match because he will be there! Bret then states that he will not compete on RAW because he feels that is not the way for him to “go out”! This brings out fellow Canadian and product of the legendary Hart Dungeon, Chris Jericho, who calls Bret a “shell” of what he used to be and he is now a “pathetic has-been”! Jericho then calls Bret the “ultimate hypocrite” and tells Bret that he did not return to the WWE for “closure”, he returned because he is an “ego-driven phony” and that Bret “deserved” to be “screwed” in Montreal! Bret responds by calling Jericho the “phony” because he remembers a young Jericho training in the Hart Dungeon where he had trouble learning a headlock and spent most of his time at the water fountain! Bret then tells Jericho to “look in the mirror”! Jericho says that Bret is appearing to make himself feel like he “matters”, but he doesn’t, because the only one that “matters” is Chris Jericho! Jericho continues that “nobody” wants him there anymore and states that Bret’s legacy relies on what he does on RAW and that Bret will be remembered for going back on his word and for being “scared” to wrestle The Miz! Chris Jericho then says that Bret and the Hart name mean “nothing” and that Bret’s father, Stu Hart, would be so “disappointed” in Bret! As Chris Jericho exits, Bret agrees to the match and Jericho responds by saying that Bret will get himself “intentionally disqualified” so that he could say he “tried”! Bret then succumbs to the goading of Jericho and agrees to have the match changed to a No Disqualification Match! Can Bret Hart possibly take the United States Championship away from The Miz or will the No Disqualification stipulation play in the favor of The Miz?
Six nights before they square off at WWE Over The Limit, Edge and Randy Orton would get to pick each other’s poison in a “Pick Your Poison” Match where Edge and Orton would get to select their Over The Limit’s opponent on RAW! Toronto’s own Edge was up first and it was revealed that Randy Orton selected none other than Edge’s former friend and tag team partner, Toronto’s own “Captain Charisma” Christian! After working over the shoulder of Christian throughout the intense back-and-forth match, it came down to Christian attempting to hit Edge with the Killswitch, the injured shoulder did not allow “Captain Charisma” to hit the move and Edge countered by sending Christian, shoulder-first into the steel ring post, which led to Edge hitting the Spear en route to winning the grueling match over Christian! Randy Orton then appears on the Tron and reveals that he does not know why Christian came out there for the match because that is not who he picked for Edge to face! With this statement, the familiar gong sounded that signified the arrival of The Undertaker! However, as soon as “The Phenom” entered the ring, Edge exited the ring as “The Ultimate Opportunist” opted to take a count-out loss to The Undertaker! However, Christian then came from behind and threw Edge back into the ring where The Undertaker laid Edge out with a thunderous chokeslam! After getting put through the wringer in a match against Christian and getting planted by Orton’s “poison”, The Undertaker, who will Edge select as Randy Orton’s “poison”?
Backstage, Divas Champion Eve Torres dumps baby powder on Maryse and slaps Maryse, which leads to the two Divas engaging in a backstage brawl that referees had to separate! How will Maryse respond to Eve Torres’ attack?
RAW Guest Host Buzz Aldrin makes a backstage appearance where he is greeted by SmackDown Consultant Vickie Guerrero, who tells Buzz that Buzz is in her office as she is the General Manager of RAW! Aldrin reminds Vickie that she resigned last week and reveals that the new General Manager of RAW will be announced on next week’s RAW before having Vickie escorted out of the arena! Who will replace Vickie Guerrero as the General Manager of RAW?
After being viciously assaulted with a steel chair and forced to submit by Batista last week, an injured Mark Henry was set to compete on RAW, but, during his entrance, Henry is blasted, from behind, with a two-by-four shot by Batista! “The Animal” then rams Henry’s shoulder into the steel ring post before sending Mark Henry into the steel ring steps! What is the status of Mark Henry following these back-to-back vicious attacks by Batista? What does Batista have in store for WWE Champion John Cena in their “I Quit” Match this Sunday at WWE Over The Limit?
Six nights before he would go one-on-one with R-Truth at WWE Over The Limit in a just announced match, “The Fortunate Son” Ted DiBiase was in action on RAW, but DiBiase entered with a legendary familiar face as he was accompanied by the original Virgil himself! With the original Virgil apparently on DiBiase’s payroll and at ringside, Ted DiBiase went one-on-one with Yoshi Tatsu! In the end, it was DiBiase hitting Dream Street en route to picking up the win! After the match, Ted DiBiase orders Virgil to get him a microphone as Ted DiBiase states that his search of a “new Virgil” has resulted in him enlisting the services of the “original Virgil” who would be at ringside for his match at WWE Over The Limit! Ted DiBiase then proclaims that if you can’t “buy it, then beat it”! Can Ted DiBiase “beat” R-Truth this Sunday at WWE Over The Limit? What role will Virgil play in the match?
Before he defends the United States Title against WWE Hall of Famer and Canadian hero Bret “The Hitman” Hart in a No Disqualification Match, The Miz states that he is not only going to “beat” Bret, he is going to “humiliate” Bret to the point that he “eradicates” his family name and “spit” on the Hart Family heritage! Miz continues by saying that Bret will be “screaming in pain” in front of his home country as he will force Bret to tap out to Bret’s very own Sharpshooter! The match begins, but The Miz exits the ring right away and reveals that he hired a couple of Superstars to “neutralize” any potential interference by The Hart Dynasty and those two Superstars were William Regal & Vladimir Kozlov! Regal & Kozlov make their way to ringside, where they are met by The Hart Dynasty as the two teams fight to the backstage area! With The Hart Dynasty busy with Regal & Kozlov, Chris Jericho enters the ring and Miz & Jericho stand off; prepared to attack “The Hitman”, but Natalya steps in by Bret’s side and slaps Jericho! Miz then gets a hold of Natalya, but Bret attacks Miz, which leads to Jericho attacking Bret! David Hart Smith then comes to the ring and takes Jericho out of the equation, but Miz gets Bret set for the Sharpshooter, but then Tyson Kidd jumps in and prevents Miz from locking in the move! The Hart Dynasty then delivers the Hart Attack to The Miz which leads to Bret Hart locking in the legendary Sharpshooter on The Miz en route to forcing Miz to tap out, meaning that Hall of Famer Bret Hart won the United States Title from The Miz! What will happen now that Bret Hart is the United States Champion?
After it was announced that Eve Torres will defend the Divas Title against Maryse at WWE Over The Limit, the Divas Champion was in action as she would team with The Bella Twins to take on Maryse and the apparent new co-Women’s Champions, Michelle McCool & Layla! In the end, it was Maryse planting one of The Bella Twins with the French Kiss DDT en route to picking up the win for her team! Can Maryse regain the Divas Title this Sunday or will Eve Torres retain at WWE Over The Limit?
After selecting The Undertaker as Edge’s “poison” earlier in the night, it was time for Randy Orton to compete in a “Pick Your Poison” Match and the Superstar that Edge selected was none other than the man that defeated Randy Orton at WWE Extreme Rules as Randy Orton would go one-on-one with World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger! Orton was set for victory over Swagger, but Edge entered the ring and Orton pummeled Edge, but Edge shoves Orton into Swagger and Orton strikes by laying Swagger out with the RKO, but Randy Orton then turns around right into the Spear by Edge! Can Edge spear Randy Orton and pick up the win this Sunday at WWE Over The Limit or will Randy Orton strike with the RKO and defeat Edge?
Legendary astronaut and Guest Host Buzz Aldrin then makes an appearance and proclaims that he “loves” Monday Night RAW before being interrupted by the arrival of “The Long Island Loudmouth” Zack Ryder & Alicia Fox as Ryder alleges that the legendary moon landing was staged! Buzz responds by showing some footage depicting Buzz punching a man who said the same thing to him! Buzz then introduces Ryder & Fox’s opponents, Evan Bourne and Toronto’s own Gail Kim! In the end, it was Evan Bourne & Gail Kim picking up the win and celebrating with Buzz Aldrin, who busts out the moon walk!
Then it was time for the main event as familiar adversaries would square off as WWE Champion John Cena would go one-on-one with “The Celtic Warrior” Sheamus in a non-title match! After John Cena sent Sheamus to the outside of the ring with the Attitude Adjustment, Batista entered the ring and ambushed John Cena before planting the WWE Champion with three spinebusters and locking Cena in his new and devastating submission maneuver! Will Batista be able to force John Cena to utter the words “I Quit” this Sunday at WWE Over The Limit to win the WWE Title or will John Cena force Batista to say “I Quit” and retain the gold?
The 13th edition of WWE NXT came to you from the Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. After the shocking trio of eliminations last week that saw “The Cornfed Meathead” Skip Sheffield, “The Pitbull Fighter” Michael Tarver, & “The American Dragon” Daniel Bryan all eliminated from the NXT competition, a third WWE Pros’ Poll will result in a fourth NXT Rookie being eliminated as Wade Barrett, David Otunga, Justin Gabriel, Darren Young, or Heath Slater will be sent home as the remaining four will come one step closer to achieving their dream of becoming a WWE Superstar!
WWE NXT (May 18, 2010)
Good Week For: Daniel Bryan (spoke openly and honestly to the crowd and revealed a new-found intensity by attacking Michael Cole)
Bad Week For: Darren Young (was eliminated from the NXT competition)
The show kicks off with NXT Host Matt Striker who, instead of bringing out the five NXT Rookies, brings out the six WWE Pros as Chris Jericho, Matt Hardy, Christian, CM Punk, William Regal, & The Miz come out and take a seat on the stage! When asked what he is looking for in the new WWE Superstar, The Miz says that the “it factor” is the ability to make WWE more “popular than it already is”! William Regal says he is looking for “adaptability” because he has made a career out of it and a WWE Superstar has to have in-ring skills, interview skills, and personality! CM Punk states that his “moral compass” dictates that he does not “need” to speak to the crowd because he has “lost his will” to be in front of the crowd! Ontario’s own Christian states that he is looking for someone who is going to “take” the NXT competition and is also looking for “it” and there is one Rookie that is still in the competition that he does not see that in, which William Regal butts in and says that he is still waiting to see Christian’s “it”! Matt Hardy then states that they are all looking for someone to be the “complete package”; being able to talk, compete, and have the “it factor”, as well as being able to survive in the locker room with the other competitors! Chris Jericho then states that he is looking for a competitor who wants to make him pay money to see and there is one Rookie he has not seen that from! How will the WWE Pros vote in the third WWE Pros’ Poll? Who will be the fourth NXT Rookie to be eliminated?
With the fourth NXT elimination looming, the six WWE Pros remained seated on the stage, the number five Rookie, “The South Beach Party Boy” Darren Young, without his WWE Pro CM Punk at ringside, went one-on-one with the number one Rookie, “The Bare Knuckle Brit” Wade Barrett, who had the support of his WWE Pro, Chris Jericho, at ringside! In the end, it was Barrett proving why he is the top ranked Rookie by picking up the win over Darren Young! With Darren Young already at the bottom of the list, how will this loss sway the decision of the WWE Pros? Could Darren Young be eliminated?
After their shocking eliminations last week, Daniel Bryan & Michael Tarver made a special appearance on NXT! Michael Tarver stated that, like the other Rookies, he was told that he would be “judged” by a WWE Pros’ Poll, but that he was eliminated WWE Management, who he calls “easily intimidated pencil pushers” who are “threatened” by someone like him, which is why they did not have the “decency or professionalism” to eliminate him “personally”! Tarver then says that he was “intriguing” and he gave NXT “fire power” and reveals that he knew what he was doing the entire time by refusing to participate in the weekly contests! Daniel Bryan then states that, when he came to NXT, he heard about the “politics” and the “nightmares” and how Vince McMahon likes the “big guys” and prefers their home-grown talent, regardless of how the talent “engage” the crowd! Bryan boldly proclaims that he was a “self-made man” and was not a product of the “WWE machine” and that the WWE need to pick the “best people for this job” and that he is the “best person for this job”! Bryan then says that he does not need to tell people how “good” he is and that WWE Pros like Chris Jericho & William Regal know how “good” he is and that he is “better” than The Miz! Miz responds by calling Bryan an “indie star” and proclaims that he is the first Superstar in the WWE to hold both the United States and Unified WWE Tag Team Titles and Bryan has done nothing in the WWE! Bryan then challenges Miz to come to the ring and “prove” how good he is”! NXT Host Matt Striker then steps in and reminds Daniel Bryan that he has been eliminated! Bryan then turns his attention to antagonist Michael Cole and says that Cole “refuses to acknowledge” how good he is and calls the commentator a “parrot” because he has Vince McMahon in his ear telling him to tell the people that he don’t have “it”! Bryan then gets in the face of Cole and proclaims that he has more “personality” in his “little finger” than Cole has in his “whole body”! Bryan then starts to shove Cole and calls Cole a “poor man’s replacement” for Hall of Famer Jim Ross before Bryan starts pummeling the commentator! Referees and Matt Striker quickly intervene and pull an impassioned Daniel Bryan off of Michael Cole! What will be the repercussions of Daniel Bryan’s bold statements and his attack on Michael Cole?
With the fourth NXT elimination rapidly approaching, the number three NXT Rookie, Justin Gabriel, who is accompanied by his WWE Pro, Matt Hardy, went one-on-one with the number four NXT Rookie, Heath Slater, who was accompanied by his WWE Pro, Christian! Shortly after the match began, Michael Cole, frustrated over his treatment at the hands of eliminated NXT Rookie Daniel Bryan, opted to leave the announce table and head backstage! Still, the match continued and, in the end, it was Justin Gabriel hitting the awe-inspiring 450 Splash en route to picking up the win over Heath Slater! How will Justin Gabriel’s win and Heath Slater’s loss weigh in with the WWE Pros’ Poll? Who will be eliminated from competition?
After being eliminated last week, Skip Sheffield commented on his elimination by saying that the WWE Pros viewed him as a “threat” and were “intimidated” by him! Skip then says that the Pros took out the “biggest, baddest threat” and “took him out first”!
Michael Cole then returns to the announce table and states that he is not going to let a “creep” like Daniel Bryan keep him from doing his job!
Then it was time for the third WWE Pros’ Poll to take place as a fourth NXT Rookie would be eliminated! The five NXT Rookies take their spots at ringside as six of the WWE Pros are seated at ringside! The third WWE Pros’ Poll revealed that Wade Barrett retained his number one spot and David Otunga retained his number two spot and Heath Slater moved up to number three! This meant that either Justin Gabriel or Darren Young would be eliminated from the NXT competition! The Pros’ Poll then reveals that Justin Gabriel secured the number four spot, meaning that Darren Young is eliminated from the NXT competition! Darren Young takes the mic and confronts the WWE Pros and says that he respects all of the WWE Pros and respects all of the fans before proclaiming that they have not seen the “last” of Darren Young! Only four NXT Rookies as Wade Barrett, David Otunga, Heath Slater, or Justin Gabriel will become the next breakout WWE Superstar! Who will survive the competition and who will join Darren Young, Michael Tarver, Skip Sheffield, & Daniel Bryan in being sent home?
The 57th edition of WWE Superstars came to you from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and from the Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Canada’s own “Captain Charisma” Christian would be in action as he goes one-on-one with “The Platinum Superstar” Dolph Ziggler! After losing to Dolph Ziggler last week, “The Masterpiece” Chris Masters would be looking to get back on the winning side as he faces off with Cody Rhodes. “The Bizarre One” Goldust would go one-on-one with the 2008 King of the Ring William Regal. “The Moscow Mauler” Vladimir Kozlov would be in action on WWE Superstars as he would face off with Santino Marella.
WWE Superstars (May 20, 2010)
Good Week For: Christian (picked up a hard-fought victory over Dolph Ziggler)
Bad Week For: Santino Marella (had his friendship request to Vladimir Kozlov denied and was also demolished by Kozlov)
Before he was set to go one-on-one with “The Moscow Mauler” Vladimir Kozlov, Santino Marella told Kozlov that he has seen the “change” him and that he “believes” that they can be “friends” and, together, they can “dominate” as a tag team! Santino then continues that they are both from overseas and if they can “change”, then everyone can “change”! Santino then states that he is going to set down the mic and the bell will ring and they can either fight or join forces as a team and it is time for Kozlov to “decide”! After Santino made the mistake of putting his hands on Kozlov, “The Moscow Mauler” quickly demolished Santino and left him laying with the Iron Curtain en route to picking up the win! Will Santino Marella continue to try and reform Vladimir Kozlov?
“The Bizarre One” Goldust was in action on WWE Superstars as he went one-on-one with the 2008 King of the Ring, William Regal. In the end, it was Goldust hitting the Final Cut on Regal en route to picking up the win!
One week after losing to Dolph Ziggler last week, “The Masterpiece” Chris Masters would be looking to get back on the winning side as he went one-on-one with the second-generation Superstar Cody Rhodes! In the end, it was Rhodes hitting Cross Rhodes en route to picking up the win!
Then it was time for the main event as Canada’s own “Captain Charisma” Christian would go one-on-one with “The Platinum Superstar” Dolph Ziggler! In the end, it was Christian hitting the Killswitch on Dolph Ziggler en route to picking up the impressive win!
RAW Superstar Released Due To Wellness Violation: WWE.com announced on Friday that World Wrestling Entertainment has come to terms on the release of RAW Superstar, Carlito (Carlos Colon, Jr.) due to a WWE Wellness Policy violation and subsequent refusal to attend a rehabilitation facility! During his time in the WWE, Carlito won the Intercontinental, United States, WWE Tag Team, & Unified WWE Tag Team Champion.
The 561st edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown came to you from the Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. One week after his shocking reinstatement via a letter by WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon, still Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre would be in action two nights before he defends the Intercontinental Title against Kofi Kingston at WWE Over The Limit as, per the orders of SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long, Drew McIntyre will go one-on-one with the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title, “The World’s Largest Athlete” Big Show just two nights before Big Show faces Jack Swagger for the World Heavyweight Championship at WWE Over The Limit! World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger would also be in action two nights before his big title defense as he would go one-on-one with Kofi Kingston!
Friday Night SmackDown (May 21, 2010)
Good Week For: Kofi Kingston (picked up a big win over World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger)
Bad Week For: CM Punk (was embarrassed, and later pinned, by Rey Mysterio)
Two nights before he puts his hair on the line against Rey Mysterio at WWE Over The Limit, SmackDown kicks off with CM Punk, along with his Straightedge Society, who have three individuals seated in the ring! “The Straightedge Disciple” Luke Gallows states that there was a time that he was like the people seated in the ring, “weak-minded, pathetic, and riddled with addiction” and proclaims that CM Punk saved him and can make the “impossible, possible”! Serena then states that everyone needs to “stand up” and show CM Punk the “respect he deserves”! Gallows continues that, in Canada, it is legal for teenagers to drink alcohol and that those who drink are “handicapping themselves”, but that will end for the three individuals seated in the ring as they will take the “pledge to extinguish the demons of weakness and addiction” and proclaims that CM Punk will do the same to Rey Mysterio at WWE Over The Limit! Serena then says that the three individuals in the ring represent the “decay and the worthlessness” of Canada, but that they are there to “heal” them, just like Punk will do to Mysterio at WWE Over The Limit and the “power of Straightedge” will be seen to “eternity” after WWE Over The Limit! CM Punk then takes the mic and asks the fans to stand up and feel the “power of Straightedge” flow through them and states that the “pledge” makes them “better” than everyone! CM Punk then has the three individuals recite the Straightedge Pledge of Allegiance and tells them that they need to show their “allegiance” through their “actions”! After agreeing to align with The Straightedge Society, the three individuals have their heads shaved bald by CM Punk, Serena, & Luke Gallows! The ritual is then interrupted by the arrival of CM Punk’s Over The Limit opponent, Rey Mysterio, who calls CM Punk’s induction ceremony is “ridiculous” and everyone will be “laughing” this Sunday when CM Punk is shaved bald! Will CM Punk be forced to shave his head at WWE Over The Limit or will Rey Mysterio be forced to join The Straightedge Society?
After having his ceremony interrupted, CM Punk, along with Luke Gallows & Serena, took their frustrations on the three newest devotees to the Straightedge lifestyle by assaulting the trio in a message to Rey Mysterio! Has Rey Mysterio lit a fire under CM Punk?
The self-proclaimed “co-Women’s Champions” Michelle McCool & Layla were in tag action on SmackDown as Team Lay-Cool faced the team of Kelly Kelly & Tiffany! In the end, it was Michelle McCool hitting the Faith Breaker on Tiffany en route to picking up the win for herself and Women’s Champion Layla! Who will be the first Diva to step up and challenge Layla for the Women’s Title?
“The Brooklyn Baller” JTG was in action on SmackDown as he went one-on-one with one-half of The Dude Busters, Caylen Croft. Despite interference by Trent Barreta, JTG was able to hit the Shout Out on Croft en route to picking up the win!
The new tag team of Curt Hawkins & Vance Archer was in action on SmackDown as they faced local competitors Brent Roberts & Jeremy Barner. In the end, it was Hawkins hitting a big elbow drop en route to picking up the win! After the match, Curt Hawkins states that they have twenty-two days left on their contracts to “make an impact” and proclaims that they are going to do it whether the fans “like it or not”! Can Curt Hawkins & Vance Archer make a big enough impact on SmackDown to remain a part of the roster?
Before he went one-on-one with Kofi Kingston, World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger said that, last week, Big Show disrespected him, Oklahoma, his family, and the World Heavyweight Championship, so he is going to “disrespect” Big Show this Sunday at WWE Over The Limit by defeating Big Show and retaining the World Heavyweight Title!
World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger was then in action on SmackDown as, two nights before he defends the gold against Big Show at WWE Over The Limit, “The All-American Champion” would go one-on-one with Kofi Kingston, two nights before Kofi challenges Drew McIntyre for the Intercontinental Title! After gaining control of the match, Jack Swagger is thrown off of his game by the arrival of Big Show as “The World’s Largest Athlete” distracts the World Heavyweight Champion long enough for Kofi Kingston to hit a high cross body on Swagger en route to picking up the win! How will Jack Swagger respond to Big Show’s interference?
SmackDown also featured the return of Christian’s Peep Show as Canada’s own “Captain Charisma” hosted the return of his talk show segment! Christian wastes no time in getting things started as he announces a guest that he has “never seen eye-to-eye with” before revealing that his guest is none other than Hornswoggle! Christian tells his guest that they are both there to make a “big impression” and that Hornswoggle is there to get into “trouble”! Christian then teaches Hornswoggle some Canadian “phrases” before The Peep Show is interrupted by SmackDown Consultant Vickie Guerrero & Chavo Guerrero as Vickie announces that she is “shutting down” The Peep Show! Vickie then calls Hornswoggle a “troll” and calls Canada “useless”, which Christian responds to by saying that he was about to teach Hornswoggle the words, “obesity” and “moose”! Vickie then threatens Christian by saying that Christian better leave the ring or she is going to provide “help” for Christian! As Chavo Guerrero enters the ring, Christian is blind-sided by Dolph Ziggler, who assaults Christian before laying “Captain Charisma” out with the Zig Zag with Chavo following that up with the Frog Splash! How will Christian respond to this attack set up by Vickie Guerrero?
Two nights before he puts his freedom on the line against CM Punk’s hair at WWE Over The Limit, Rey Mysterio would team with “The Ballin’ Superstar” MVP to face CM Punk and “The Straightedge Disciple” Luke Gallows! Despite interference from the masked ally of The Straightedge Society and Serena, Rey Mysterio was able to roll-up CM Punk to pick up the win for his team! Can Rey Mysterio defeat CM Punk at WWE Over The Limit and force Punk to shave his head or will CM Punk pick up the win and force Rey Mysterio to join The Straightedge Society?
Then it was time for the main event as, two nights before he challenges Jack Swagger for the World Heavyweight Championship at WWE Over The Limit, “The World’s Largest Athlete” Big Show was in action on SmackDown as he went one-on-one with the controversial Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre! After hitting the chokeslam on Drew McIntyre, Big Show was poised for victory, but Jack Swagger rushed in and attacked Big Show before commencing an assault on the devastating right hand of “The World’s Largest Athlete”! Swagger then went and got a steel chair to inflict more punishment on Big Show, but Show knocked the steel chair right out of the hands of Jack Swagger with a powerful right hand! What is the condition of Big Show’s right hand? Who will emerge from WWE Over The Limit this Sunday as World Heavyweight Champion?
Superstar of the Week: NEW United States Champion Bret Hart
The debut edition of WWE Over The Limit will come to you, live on pay-per-view, from the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, MI on May 23. Four championships would be defended at the event, as well as a grudge match and a match where either a Superstar’s hair or another Superstar’s freedom will be taken away!
In a rivalry that dates back to February and has roots that goes back to the two Superstars rise to main event status, the rivalry between WWE Champion John Cena and “The Animal” Batista will come to the ultimate end at WWE Over The Limit as John Cena will defend the WWE Title against Batista in an “I Quit” Match! After calling John Cena’s win at WrestleMania a “fluke” and Cena’s win in a Last Man Standing Match at WWE Extreme Rules where Cena duct-taped Batista’s feet together to win the match, there will be no debate after WWE Over The Limit as the only way to win the match is to make your opponent say the words “I Quit”! In one of the most brutal and barbaric matches in the WWE, who will emerge as the WWE Champion? Will John Cena finally be able to put his rivalry with Batista to rest or will “The Animal” force John Cena to do something Cena has never done before by saying “I Quit” en route to regaining the WWE Championship?
After he and The Miz lost the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles, Big Show knocked his now former tag team partner out with a vicious Knockout Punch before learning, later in the night, that he had been drafted to SmackDown as part of the 2010 WWE Draft! On his first night back on SmackDown, Big Show made an immediate impact by knocking out both Edge & Chris Jericho before being named the new #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title! After being introduced as the new #1 Contender, Big Show wasted no time in sending a strong message to World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger as he left “The All-American Champion” laying with a Knockout Punch! Ever since becoming the new #1 Contender, Big Show has had the number of Jack Swagger as “The World’s Largest Athlete” has chokeslammed the champion through the announce table and destroyed Swagger’s various trophies and awards! Now, at WWE Over The Limit, Jack Swagger will defend the World Heavyweight Championship against “The World’s Largest Athlete” Big Show! Can Jack Swagger find a way to defeat the mammoth Superstar and retain his World Heavyweight Title or will Big Show leave Jack Swagger laid out as a former champion?
As a part of the 2010 WWE Draft, RAW picked up a huge draft pick in “The Rated-R Superstar” Edge and on Edge’s first night back on RAW, he made an immediate impact by spearing Randy Orton en route to costing Orton the #1 Contender’s spot for the WWE Championship! Following this attack, Edge invited Randy Orton to be on The Cutting Edge, but the show ended with Orton hitting the RKO on Edge, as well as Guest Host Wayne Brady! The following week, “The Viper” struck again as, after hitting the RKO on Grammy Award winner, Meatloaf, earlier n the night, Randy Orton planted Edge with the RKO on the arena floor! Now, at WWE Over The Limit, these two accomplished former World Champions will collide in a one-on-one match! Which one of these Superstars will emerge victorious?
At WrestleMania, Rey Mysterio put his freedom on the line as he agreed to join The Straightedge Society if he was defeated by CM Punk, but Rey won on that night. Then, at WWE Extreme Rules, CM Punk put his hair on the line against Rey Mysterio with Punk managing to pick up the win in the end with some help from a mysterious ally of The Straightedge Society. At WWE Over The Limit, there two Superstars will collide again, this time, if CM Punk loses, then he will have his head shaved bald and if Rey Mysterio loses, he will be forced to join The Straightedge Society! With Luke Gallows, Serena, and this mystery man on the side of CM Punk, can Rey Mysterio overcome the odds and force CM Punk to don the shaved head that he forces his followers to have or will CM Punk bring the “crown jewel” into The Straightedge Society by forcing Rey Mysterio to join the group?
On the May 7 edition of SmackDown, Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre continued to assault an already injured Matt Hardy, which led to SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long suspending McIntyre, stripping him of the Intercontinental Title, and ultimately firing “The Chosen One”! With the Intercontinental Championship vacated, Theodore Long announced a four-man tournament with the winner being crowned the new Intercontinental Champion! After advancing to the Finals, Kofi Kingston and Christian waged absolute war on each other all in name of the prestigious Intercontinental Championship with Kofi Kingston winning the Intercontinental Title in the end, or so we thought! Immediately after the match, the fired Drew McIntyre made his way to the ring and gave a letter to SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long; a letter from WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon that stated that the Chairman was overruling Theodore Long’s decision to strip Drew McIntyre of the Intercontinental Title and was also reinstating McIntyre; meaning that McIntyre never lost the title! After being forced to relinquish the Intercontinental Title, Kofi Kingston will be looking for revenge as he challenges Drew McIntyre for the Intercontinental Championship at WWE Over The Limit! Can Kofi Kingston lay legitimate claim to the Intercontinental Title by defeating Drew McIntyre? What will Mr. McMahon have to say in the event that McIntyre does lose the gold?
After he and Big Show lost the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles on RAW, United States Champion The Miz was left laid out by Big Show with a Knockout Punch; a fate that Chris Jericho also suffered on Big Show’s first night back on SmackDown! After being knocked out by Big Show, Chris Jericho recruited The Miz as his tag team partner in his plan for revenge on Big Show; a plan that would see Miz & Jericho win the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles and, thus, be allowed to appear on compete on any brand! However, standing in the way of Jeri-Miz is the very capable Unified WWE Tag Team Champions The Hart Dynasty! After Chris Jericho defeated David Hart Smith on RAW, Jeri-Miz became the #1 Contenders for the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions! Now, at WWE Over The Limit, the new team of The Miz & Chris Jericho will challenge The Hart Dynasty for the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles! Can The Hart Dynasty retain the gold in their first title defense or will Jeri-Miz be crowned the new Unified WWE Tag Team Champions?
Upon his arrival to RAW via the 2010 WWE Draft, R-Truth was confronted by “The Fortunate Son” Ted DiBiase as DiBiase asked R-Truth to be his “personal assistant”, just like DiBiase’s father, “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, had with Virgil in the past! R-Truth refused DiBiase via a slap across the face and, ever since then, DiBiase has had his sights set on R-Truth. Ted DiBiase’s search for his own “Virgil” came to an end when he enlisted the services of the original Virgil! Now, at WWE Over The Limit, Ted DiBiase, with Virgil in his corner, will go one-on-one with R-Truth. Can R-Truth pick up the win over Ted DiBiase or will DiBiase pick up the win? What role will Virgil play in the match?
Ever since losing the Divas Title, Maryse has insulted and assaulted the new Divas Champion Eve Torres. Now, at WWE Over The Limit, Maryse is getting her rematch for the Divas Title as she will challenge Eve Torres for the gold! Will Maryse regain the Divas Title or will Eve Torres’ first title defense be a successful one?
Alumni Profile of the Week
Name: Shelton Benjamin
Born On: June 23, 1977 in Orangeburg, SC
Age: 32
Debut: November 2000
Trained By: OVW
WWE Run: December 26, 2002- April 22, 2010
Accomplishments
Three Time Intercontinental Champion
One Time United States Champion
Two Time WWE Tag Team Champion (w/ Charlie Haas)
Did You Know?
Before becoming a professional wrestler, Shelton Benjamin was an accomplished amateur wrestler in Orangeburg, South Carolina, where he was a two-time high school wrestling champion in 1993 and 1994.
Next Week’s WWE Television Schedule
Sunday, May 23: WWE Over The Limit, LIVE on pay-per-view from the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, MI
Monday, May 24: RAW, LIVE from the Lucas County Arena in Toledo, OH
Tuesday, May 25: WWE NXT from the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH
Thursday, May 27: WWE Superstars from Toledo, OH & Cleveland, OH
Friday, May 28: The Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH Hosts SmackDown