So tonights a big night for WWE as they host the viewers choice edition of Monday Night Raw during the next three hours. It would be not only one of the best nights of Raw, but also one of the best endings of a Raw episode in years. So lets get this started as tonight Chris is taking over the Raw Reviews.

Opening up the night is General Managers from both Raw and Smackdown! in the form of Bret Hart and Teddy Long. Of course the bantering of tonights historic evening is going on until the interruption of Randy Orton. Orton demands Edge one way or another and of course Edge obliges the fans by coming out and telling everyone that he is going to finish what he started. The “Hitman” and Teddy Long offer the choices of debate, sit up contest, or an one-arm match where Edge will have one of his arms tied behind his back. Didn’t Austin do that years ago? Great segment though as it really puts both superstars over as bad asses who aren’t going to back down from anyone. Even Edge isn’t playing the chicken-shit heel and is prepared to fight mono e mono. Of course the night has to continue and we have The Big Show come to the ring for his match against his former tag partner Chris Jericho where the fans are going to pick the stipulation of course from WWE.com. Hey at least there are smart phones out there now that can surf the web while you’re at an event. So we have the first match of the night:

Chris Jericho vs Big Show in a Bodyslam Challenge
The Big Show knows he’s gonna have fun with this so we have Big Show opening his arms in allowance to let Jericho try, but Jericho being the ass he is has to go and slap the Big Show. Head-butts and chest chops fly in retaliation from the Big Show but Jericho finds a way to reverse the situation in an attempt to body slam the Big Show. Hey so far both talents have found a way to make this match entertaining and that is what counts. The end of the match comes as Chris Jericho attempts a cross body press but the Big Show catches him and body slams him down winning the first end of the match. Of course not to disappoint the fans he makes Jericho tap to a modified camel clutch and then throws him over the top rope to show he could have beaten Jericho under any stipulation.

The Unified Tag Team Championships are on the line as the fans get to choose who the Hart Dynasty fight against, The Uso’s, The Dudebusters, or one of the worst tag teams of the decade The Great Khali & Hornswaggle. Why can Hornswaggle just be put into comedy skits and not actually have a role in any wrestling match?

This absolutely shows the stupidity of these viewers choice shows and clearly shows that most of these rigged votes because it makes no sense that a make shift team would win over a feud that has been building for the last two weeks. I’m gonna say that in some way the Uso’s are still going to make an impact tonight.

Unified Tag Team Championship match: The Hart Dynasty vs The Great Khali & Hornswaggle

Not the greatest way to start, but we have Tyson Kidd going up against Khali. I’m not sure why anyone would start that way though the quickness could have been the plan in order to chop the giant down to size. We have a tag from Khali to his pint-sized partner and of course the tadpole splash is attempted but after a miss and a slam we have Tyson Kidd pinning Hornswaggle for the win and retention.

Of course this isn’t the end and finally The Uso’s show up though after two weeks the Hart Dynasty get to show dominance and aren’t laid out for the first time. Short and sweet but it got the point across.

We get footage of the Undertaker’s memorial from Kane and really this is going to be an interesting storyline as who knows what we’re going to get from Kane as I’ve always felt that Kane can still be a force to reckon with if used correctly. This is possibly the best promo from Kane in the last five years, hell possibly 10.

Hey look at this, we finally are going to get the guest hosts out in the open as it’s going to be the A-Team movie cast. Epicness in it’s history making as a still contracted UFC fighter is making an appearance. Bradley Cooper comes out first and he schills the movie out to the fans of the WWE and really says nothing…fail.

Jerry Lawler earlier left the commentation booth and is found backstage wandering around but gets dragged in the back by Murdock and B.A. Rampage is on a WWE screen and the first job is to find King’s crown….. not that epic but still semi funny and of course the Guest Host whores.. I mean the Bella Twins have to earn their money some how by making it on screen.

Santino comes out to a semi decent pop as he’s going up against Kozlov as he’s tried to join the ranks with Vladimir and William Regal. This is going to be either an arm wrestling match, a dance off, or a match. Of course a Brian Gerwertz classic as this is going to be a dance-off.

Santino Morella vs Kozlov in a Dace Off
Santino’s strength shows in his promo ability but this is of course going to be a great waste of time, but hey for three hours you gotta give something entertaining. Santino does almost every bad stereotypical dance style in existence, but soon Kozlov is going to do something horrible. He speaks. Holy crap he’s doing the Robot and a decent Moonwalk, but of course he has to bring back horrible memories of Dude Love and Scotty 2 Hotty. God damn that was more awesome than it should have been, of course the ending dance moves and head butt are probably being YouTubed right now.

It’s going to be a Divas specialty match as we could have 6 on 6, a battle royal, or champion vs champion.

Diva Battle Royal
Do you really want me to do commentary for this? I didn’t think so and if you did… damn you. We basically have the Divas all fighting over and doing basic pushing and shoving. Tiffany is eliminated by the co-Womens champs… how do they both…nevermind. Kelly Kelly is gone next. Gail Kim is gone. Bella Twins next and we are down to the wire. Lay-Cool is eliminated but that leaves us with Eve vs Jillian Hall and Maryse. Eve is quickly dumped out and as Jillian tries to celebrate with Maryse, she gets whats coming as Maryse dumps her out. You can see Maryse being pushed against Eve very soon.

We get the announcement that Edge vs Orton is going to be the One-arm tied behind his back match. But we get Sheamus walking back stage but he gets confronted by Kane about Undertaker. Sheamus shrugs it off stating that if he did such a great thing he would have sung highly about it. Sheamus is going to face either Evan Bourne, Mark Henry, or Kane.

Sheamus vs Kane
This is something that I can actually say I’m looking forward to as I am a fan of two big guys who can tell a story in the ring. This is going to be a brawl and what else would you expect? Kane is dominating the match for the first few minutes until he tries to go for his top rope clothesline. Sheamus though gets huge top rope body slam on Kane for a two count. Second times must be a charm though as Kane is able to get his top rope clothesline the second time. Sheamus counters the chokeslam in a very decent fashion and almost hits his big boot but then gets thrown over the top rope. I, as well as other insiders have pretty high hopes for Sheamus and really see the potential that he brings despite some of the unwarranted hatred from a majority of the internet crowd. Sheamus loses via a count out but really this didn’t make him look weak but at the same time made this budding inter-brand feud seemingly interesting for future bookings. Not to say that the Undertaker’s disappearance is a mystery to those of us online, but hey it can definitely provide some entertainment especially for Kane.

We get to vote on Cena’s opponent also as we get to pick between Swagger, Rey Mysterio, or CM Punk. Intriguing to say the least as I can see all three of those men having a decent match with the champ. Wade Barrett gets his cameo interview for Raw, and as we reported on ProWrestlingPonderings.com Facebook page earlier that we can expect to see him on Raw with his mentor Chris Jericho. Of course this could just be good foreshadowing to what would happen.

We then get to see Ted DiBiase Jr. with Virgil, but we get the typical skit that we had to expect was coming. But hey seeing Virgil face to face with Rampage was well worth it. It of course turned out to be I.R.S., yes Irwin R. Scyhster who confiscated the crown. Why couldn’t Ted Sr. be in attendance?

U.S. Champion R. Truth & John Morrison vs. The Miz and Zack Ryder
The main story here is the building of The Miz vs R. Truth where in some odd fashion R. Truth seems to be getting the larger push than the usual suspect of John Morrison. Of course, as is reported on many sites, McMahon is high on R. Truth and it I can’t say that R. Truth doesn’t at least get a decent pop on house shows and during his TV appearances. The pairing of Zack and Miz is also pretty awesome, no pun intended, as the character parallels are obvious. This is a great tag of mid-card talent that showcased all of their skills. It’s exactly what WWE needs to build their mid card talents into upper-mid card superstars. Hell I wouldn’t mind seeing all four of these men in a Fatal Four Way at the PPV for the United States title. It’s a shame that Dolph Ziggler fell off the radar, though this rebuilding of the sleeper hold as a finisher is growing on me. Great back and forth match that ends with Miz and Zack Ryder getting the win over R. Truth and Morrison. Good match that held the crowd and didn’t make anyone look weak and allowed them to schill the NXT Season 2 which I still have yet to watch…grah I’m behind.

We see Edge and Bret Hart in the back and of course Kane has to accuse Bret… yes the lethal Bret Hart would have been able to take out ‘Taker… still a fun little skit that did touch some nerves obviously when Kane mentioned that the legacy of the Undertaker might challenge that of Bret’s.

Edge vs Randy Orton in an arm-tied-behind-back Match
The build to this was decent and it really does put over that Randy is going to have that “Stone Cold” aura where he still has heel tendencies but is going to be the people’s choice. Can WWE build a better tweener than Russo? I think so. Of course Edge had to find a way to get a no-contest but that just made the anticipation for when Orton has full use of his arm even more. On a side-bar note, has anyone else noticed that Orton hasn’t used wrist tape since he became a tweener? Had this been the end of Raw, it still would have been a so far entertaining show that really didn’t have a lot to suffer through.

For the first time we see the WWE Champion John Cena and we get another A-Team skit. Mean Gene, as Rampage tweeted, is a PIMP when it comes to the interview unlike Josh Matthews, who is just a scary stalker.

Drew McIntyre vs Matt Hardy
So we see this feud come to fruition on Raw which isn’t so bad seeing as how it wasn’t really going anywhere on Smackdown!. The returning Matt Hardy comes out to the ring to what sounded like one of the louder reactions of the night. This guy really needs to channel those Version 1 promo abilities as Matt Hardy hasn’t impressed me ever when he’s a face. But I do have some hopes for Drew as well as I have watched him in Irish Whip Wrestling, though the weak argument that Matt is on Raw now and thus isn’t suspended is just stupid. Does this mean he’s a Raw superstar? Or can Teddy Long actually un-suspend him? Whatever it is thank god Matt isn’t in those horrendous purple key tights. What was that crap? Decent match though despite it’s quickness as it did provide something to the feud as Matt legitimately acted like he was pissed at Drew instead of just going for the win and being satisfied with that. Did he just eat some of Drew’s hair? WTF moment of the week for me so far.

B.A. Boracas has been captured and it’s Ted Jr with I.R.S. and Virgil. Wow this is going to get dumb real fast. Dana probably is laughing his ass off though seeing as how it clearly shows the ridiculousness…entertainment part of the WWE. Smart move on WWE though to not capitolize on making it a UFC vs WWE issue. Roddy Piper on Raw though is always a good thing and no doubt this is going to blow up in Teddy’s face. Dusty Rhodes and Mean Gene to the rescue? Wow. Well it’s always fun to see the legends involved and this was meant to be a feel good moment. Spinebuster by Rampage Jackson! If this man wanted to be a wrestler, I’m damn sure he’d have money written all over him.

WWE Champion John Cena vs CM Punk
The leader of the Straight Edge Society CM Punk is once again going to face John Cena, let’s hope it turns out better than his past outings with the WWE Champion on Raw. This was a good match with some good sequences for both Punk and Cena. I’ll give credit where it’s due in that Cena may not be a technical marvel but what he does have he uses well and can definitely tell a story in the ring which for many wrestling fans can sometimes be deemed more important than how many suplex variations a talent knows. Punk deserves half the credit as well as he has proven throughout his career that he can have a good match with almost anyone, no matter what. Is it just me or did we actually see a faster paced style from John Cena and CM Punk tonight than what we’re used to seeing? Good back and forth action with Punk trying to wear down Cena’s strength while we saw more high impact moves from Cena. Both went for submissions, but it would be hard pressed to say that Cena didn’t do more damage per hit than Punk which is the way it should be. I just don’t understand when a heel does flashy crowd pleasing moves.. it just shouldn’t happen. That’s heel 101 as far as I’m concerned and you can tell that Punk knows how to work both heel and face very well… though Wade Battett and the rest of the NXT wrestlers came out to invade the show boat promotion of the WWE. All the season 1 NXT rookies, including everyone’s favorite Daniel Bryan, have come to invade the WWE! This is what we’ve been waiting for out of the WWE and this is definitely going to take them to the next level. This by far has been one of the best endings to not only Raw but a wrestling show period. I’m as excited for this as I was when the Age of the Fall first came out at Ring of Honor’s Man Up PPV. This is just a plain win for all the talents of WWE and everyone. It was great to see them actually seem renegade as they attacked everyone from Lawler, to the ref, to Striker, to even the ring announce crew. Justin RRrrrrrrRoberts just got decked…win. The WWE has officially been invaded and hopefully they will do more with this than they did that horrendous WCW Invasion..sorry I had to bring that up. I hope you all enjoyed this review and be sure you listen to the podcast that was posted on Monday following this episode.

Be sure to check out my Strikes & Bumps ROH Columns every Sunday as well and do leave me some feedback.

Raw kicks off with a recap of the Cutting Edge.  Edge and Orton fight and Edge gets an RKO for his troubles.  This match is officially signed for Over the Limits and the Viper makes his way to the ring to kick the live event off.  Randy is normally a man of few words, but he’s got something to say to Edge.  He knows the Rated R Superstar.  Edge sees Randy as a threat.  It only takes moments before Orton is interrupted, but it’s not what you think.  Grammy Award Winning artist Meat Loaf hits the ring to plug his new album.  Apparently, he’s got Randy’s new theme song.  Randy actually agrees to let Meat Loaf “hum a few bars” of this song.  But Loaf’s going to do better than that, we get to hear the whole song.  It’s a bit slow for Randy’s taste, but Loaf’s not done pandering to Randy and the fans, pimping his new album.  This is embarrassing for both the WWE and Meat Loaf.  Finally, all our misery is ended as Loaf gets RKOed and the Rated R Superstar is quick to come onto the stage.  Edge talks about Randy not liking celebrities.  He’s gone to WWE Corporate.  Edge announces that Guest Hosts will no longer have any authority on Raw.  But, Edge went even further and said Raw needs a permanent GM.  They agreed and EXCUSE ME.  Just when you thought it was safe to watch Monday Night Raw, Vickie Guerrero is Raw’s new General Manager.  What a great “Welcome to Raw” for my first review.  Vickie assures us she’s there to be professional.  The best way for that would be to put a muzzle on her face.  For attacking celebrities, Orton will be reprimanded.  He challenges her to come down and do it herself, but Edge says that ain’t happening.  Randy will take on Edge and a partner of his choosing tonight in a Handicap match.  Looks like the Viper has his work cut out for him and we’re doomed to hear the Queen of Screeching on Mondays.  God help us all.

After the break, Cole and Lawler confirm that Vickie is indeed our new GM and Chris Jericho is set for action.  Should he win this match, he and The Miz will have a shot at the Unified Tag Team Championship at Over the Limit.

Chris Jericho vs. David Hart Smith w/Natalya

Tyson Kidd is not at ringside because he’ll face The Miz later with United States Championship implications on the line.  No titles on the line tonight, but a chance at the Unified Tag Team Championships or the United States Championship hands in the balance.  Should Miz lose, he’ll have to defend next week in Toronto against a member of the Hart family.  Smith looks like he’s going to be dominant early on, but the veteran Jericho is quick to counter Smith and take complete control.  DH starts coming back, but it doesn’t last long.  Jericho stays on top until the bitter end.  Smith, again, looks to build momentum, but it stopped with a thumb to the eye and a Codebreaker for the win.

Rating:  **

Winner:  Christ Jericho

Jericho wins and puts Miz and himself in a match against the Hart Dynasty at Over the Limit.  Backstage we see Edge talking to Batista while Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler speculate on whether the Rated R Superstar is trying to recruit The Animal before going to commercial.

After the commercial they preview Smackdown where Mysterio & Punk will square off just 9 days before they meet at Over the Limit in a Hair vs. Rey Joining SES match.  After this brief preview, R-Truth escorts tonight’s Celebrity Guest Host Flavor Flav to the ring.  While Truth welcomes Flav to the ring, William Regal is lurking around the commentary table.  Flavor Flav pimps his new show and asks the fans to make some noise for him and R-Truth.  What’s up?  Shut up and get the match going.

R-Truth vs. William Regal

Flavor Flav leaves after his “sing-a-long” and Regal starts off going on the attack.  He fights back and quickly causes Regal to duck out of the ring.  Carlito & Primo hit the ring and take out R-Truth, making some noise on Raw.  As they head back to the stage, Ted DiBiase is waiting for them with envelopes, looks like they got paid off to take out R-Truth.

So far, my first night reviewing Monday Night Raw, this show is a rolling train wreck.  I’d ask if things could get worse, but asking that will only prompt them to do just that.  When we return, we see a highlight video of Eve winning the Diva’s title and Maryse training in the ring before the show.  The trainer wants the former Diva’s Champion to try harder and gets the taste slapped out of his mouth for his troubles.  Backstage, Josh Matthews asks if Randy is worried about who Edge will choose for a partner.  He’s not.  He wants Vickie to come to ringside for the match though.

Zack Ryder vs. Evan Bourne

Ryder is still out to try and impress the ladies since his break up with Rosa Mendes.  Gail Kim and Alicia Fox are at ringside for his match.  Ryder talks about tonight being his first win on Raw in the last night the WWE will originate from the Igloo.  We’ll see about that.  Evan Bourne is no push over, and Ryder didn’t do so well a week ago against Mark Henry.  Ryder starts off with a knee to Bourne’s chest.  He taunts the high-flyer while sending repeated knees, but Bourne connects with a head scissors and a kick to the head off of the ropes.  His momentum is short lived, though as Zack hits the Rough Ryder, slowing down the high-flying Evan Bourne.  Evan is able to connect with another boot to the head, flooring Ryder.  He starts climbing the turnbuckle to fly and Fox gets on the apron.  Gail Kim isn’t going to have that, she pulls the legs out from under Alicia Fox, allowing Evan to hit Air Bourne, his picture perfect Shooting Star Press, and this match is academic.

Rating:  **

Winner:  Evan Bourne

Bourne gets to leave the arena with the lovely Gail Kim and Ryder still has yet to receive his first coveted victory on Monday Nights.

Following the commercial, John Cena is out to finally reveal the stipulation to his WWE Championship defense at Over the Limits.  John’s had a week to think about the stipulation and in that time, he’s thought about Batista being right about how he won the Last Man Standing Match.  Cena is not a coward, and he’s going to prove it.  The match at Over the Limit will be the last time Batista and John Cena will face off.  If Cena loses, he will forfeit his Rematch Clause.  The match type at the PPV will be an I Quite match.  And now, Cena wants to thank Shamus for helping Cena in the decision, otherwise he would have rushed it and chosen something else.  Shamus comes out to the stage claiming he’ll leave Cena in no condition to beat Batista should he come all the way down to the ring.  He asks Cena if he really wants him to come down.  Cena’s ready to get it on and settle things.  Shamus starts walking down the ramp and Batista comes in from behind.  They work together to blindside the Champion and Batista sends him outside the ring, slamming him into the ring post before sending him back in to Shamus.  Shamus hits a massive kick and Batista comes in, looking for a Batista Bomb, but Mark Henry comes down to the ring and makes the save, sending The Animal to the ground.

Backstage, Vickie is texting away while Edge comes in and says he found a partner.  He and Vickie talk out some of their issues.  The Rated R Superstar convinces Guerrero to come to the ring with him, reminding her that if Randy tries something, she can fire him on the spot, and she can be there to see the look on his face.

Tyson Kidd vs. United States Champion The Miz

After a commercial, it’s time for the second big match involving the Unified Tag Team Champions and two former Unified Tag Team Champions.  Should Tyson Kidd defeat the Miz in this contest, Miz will be forced to defend his United States Championship next week in Toronto.  Early on, Miz is in total control early, but that doesn’t last long.  Kidd uses his impressive speed to roll up The Miz and get a very quick victory.

Rating:  ½

Winner:  Tyson Kidd

Turns out The Miz gets to decide who he defense his United States Championship against.  He’s not going to face any of the three members of the Hart Dynasty.  Instead, he’ll face Bret Hart for the United States Championship!  That should be interesting.

Matthews tracks down Batista backstage, who has a match with Mark Henry later on.  The Animal would rather comment on the fact that he’s going to make Cena scream “I Quit” and he’s planning on making an example of Henry after the commercial.

NXT Rookies vs. Raw Superstars

John Morrison, Yoshi Tatsu, Goldust, & Santino will take on all 8 NXT Rookies.  Goldust starts off with Wade Barrett.  They go back and forth before Justin Gabriel and Yoshi Tatsu are tagged in.  It’s not long before David Otunga tags himself in and really takes it to Tatsu.  He’s able to get a near fall on the Raw star.  Morrison comes in on fire, taking down Heath Slater.  Michael Tarver charges in illegally and gets tossed into another rookie and out of the ring.  Skip Shefield distracts Morrison while going for Starship Pain.  Slater gets his knees up.  He then makes the tag to Daniel Bryan who John Morrison seems to get the better of before tagging in Santino.  Bryan quickly rolls up Santino and gets his first win in the WWE with a roll up!!

Rating:  **

Winner:  NXT Rookies

With Bryan’s first victory, that made this train wreck of a show worth it for me!  Daniel Bryan gets his first victory in the WWE, at least televised, and it’s about time.  Now all that needs to happen is for Vickie to get a nice punt to the head and I can call this one a successful Raw.

If you missed the top of Smackdown last Friday, you get to see highlights of Drew McIntyre being first suspended, then stripped of his Intercontinental Championship, and finally fired by Teddy Long for his continued assaults on Matt Hardy.  A new Intercontinental Champion will be crowned on Friday as Christian takes on Kofi Kingston.  After that, the Bella Twins are backstage with Flavor Flav asking about his new show.  Vladimir Koslov and Santino come in.  Santino is still pandering to get a tag team together with Koslov, and Vlad simply refuses.  Regal comes in and tells Koslov not to listen to Santino and Flav thinks the Moscow Mauler should hear Santino out.  This leads into a free style rap session with William Regal.  Surprisingly, this wasn’t bad.  It got a chuckle out of me, anyway.  It did not, however impress Flavor Flav.

Batista vs. Mark Henry

Batista comes out to the ring and sits in a folding chair in the ring as Raw takes a commercial.  When we come back, not only do we find out the guest host for next week, Buzz Aldrin, but Henry assaults him with a chair in the pretaped preview.  Don’t worry, I’m sure it wasn’t him, he was in a space suit, but it killed the great vibe I had following Daniel Bryan’s first win.  Anyway, Henry comes to the ring and Batista unleashes on him, attacking with the chair and then locking in a cross-face/Rings of Saturn type submission hold until the World’s Strongest Man passes out.  No real match here, again.  Batista leaves to a chorus of boos before we get a recap of Randy Orton RKOing Meat Loaf off the top of the program.  The main event is next as Randy takes on not only Edge, but a partner of Edge’s choosing in a handicap match.

Randy Orton vs. Edge & Ted DiBiase w/Vicki Guerrero

No surprise here as DiBiase is the chosen partner of Edge and he starts the match off.  Randy looks to dominate early, but Edge tags himself in and puts a stop to that.  DiBiase and Edge seem to work well together, using frequent tags and dirty tactics behind the back of the referee.  Orton manages to fight his way out of a suplex attempt by Edge, but gets a boot to the face instead.  He looks to get some momentum, finally, when his former protégé gets tagged back in, but Ted follows him into the ropes and blind sides Randy with a clothesline.  Orton finally does get the advantage of DiBiase, flooring him and then sending Edge off the apron into the announce table.  Randy hits his “vintage” backbreaker and looks for the RKO.  DiBiase shoves him off and rolls out of the ring.  R-Truth comes down the ramp, forcing DiBiase to run back in.  He finally gets an RKO and Randy walks away with the win.

Rating:  **

Winner:  Randy Orton

After the match, Randy eyes the new General Manager of Raw, Vickie Guerrero.  Vickie screams for her ex-husband to wake up and tells Randy not to do it.  She’s warning him.  She tries to threaten Randy with being fired, but can’t get the words out of her mouth.  Vickie is pissing down her leg as Orton eyes her.  It forces her to resign as General Manager of Raw.  Edge gets up and tries to attack Orton, but he gets an RKO, too.  Vickie high tails it out of the arena as Orton glares down at his PPV opponent.

It’s safe to say that this Raw was pretty worthless.  The best part was seeing Daniel Bryan get his first official victory.  They furthered some storylines, which needed to be done, I guess.  We had a new GM for a night before she tucked her tail between her legs and ran from the Viper.  If this is how Raw is going to be every week, I may have to reconsider reviewing it.  At least I don’t have to stomach Vickie Guerrero as General Manager again.  Ugh, but I bet I’ll see her on Smackdown with Michelle & Layla.  EXCUSE ME?!!  Have a good night, folks!

So my WrestleMania predictions didn’t exactly go well – I did correctly call ShoMiz, Orton, Hart, Cena, and Undertaker winning, but those picks weren’t that hard to pull off. I should have called Jericho to retain, because my first gut feeling was that Y2J would get the duke against Edge but logic had to interfere. And maaaaaaaan, was I off on how Taker-Michaels would play out.

But I digress. Welcome back to another edition of NXT Generation, the one stop shop for all your NXT needs. This week, we’ll be getting the results of the first Pro’s Poll, where we’ll see just who is on the fast track to superstardom.

We open cold with a mini-recap of the first six weeks and a listing of the components of the Pro’s Poll (Record, Strength of Opponents, Work Ethic, and “It” Factor). Following the theme song, Matt Striker is in the ring. He calls tonight the most important in NXT’s history and says that the eight Rookies have done everything to impress both the Pros and the Universe.

The Rookies are introduced and brought out one by one. Michael Tarver has one of the best shirts ever: “Run NXT.” It’s awesome for both how it looks and because of the irony inherent in Tarver wearing it. The Rookies line up in the ring and we’re getting the Poll right now!

WWE Pro’s Poll #1
8. Darren Young
7. Michael Tarver
6. Skip Sheffield
5. David Otunga
4. Heath Slater
3. Justin Gabriel
2. Wade Barrett
1. Daniel Bryan

That’s right, kids…Bryan gets #1 despite being 0-5 and the undefeated Heath Slater is 4th. Shocking. Darren Young is asked for his comments and he says that he needs to step it up. Daniel Byran notes how his win-loss record is not the best and he mentions that Michael Cole isn’t high on him. Bryan says that guys who look like superstars and are married to famous people can’t wrestle, which leads to Dragon and Otunga facing off. Otunga compares Bryan to eating mashed potatoes, which Bryan says makes no sense. Bryan then makes fun of Otunga’s fashion sense.

Striker then announces the next Pro’s Poll is in six weeks, and that starts off the elimination process. He says the ultimate winner will get a title shot against a champion of their choosing. Striker also announces the main event: a battle royal with all eight rookies – the reward for the winner is the spot as Raw’s guest host next week, which is pretty good cross-promotion for Tuesday nights if you ask me.

Cole in incensed that Bryan is number one and says that if you go to WWE.com, you can vote on what the rankings should be.

Match #1: Eight-Man Tag: Raw Pros (The Miz, Christian, William Regal, and Carlito) v. 2. Wade Barrett and Smackdown Pros (CM Punk, R-Truth, and Matt Hardy)

Just as a note, starting this week, I’ll be noting each Rookie’s ranking when they’re involved in a match.

Team Smackdown is accompanied by Wade Barrett and the Straight Edge Society. Chris Jericho isn’t going to be competing as a result of injuries sustained from Edge, instead offering up commentary. Barrett is taking his place, and Cole notes that he thinks Barrett should have been number one.

R-Truth and Carlito start off. Truth slaps the apple out of Carlito’s mouth and sends him off the ropes. He tosses Carlito to the mat and works in an arm wrench. Truth quickly tags in Punk, who keeps up on the arm and hits a leg drop on it. Carlito works himself to his feet, but Punk keeps twisting away. Carlito eventually punches his way out of it and tags in Regal. Regal begins to beg for mercy and ask to switch Rookies, which leads to Punk tagging in Barrett. The Englishmen shake hands and Regal backs into the corner to tag in Christian.

Captain Charisma slaps Barrett, who responds by shooting Christian into the ropes. Christian ducks under his opponent and gets kicked to the gut and sent to the mat. Barrett hits a shoulder tackle on his opponent and then sends him into the corner. Christian takes the opportunity to elbow Barrett in the face and go for a rollup, which gets 2. Barrett gets up and tags in Hardy. Christian tags in The Miz, who begins laying into Matt. Hardy responds by beating Miz’s head in the turnbuckle and clotheslining him off the ropes. Hardy hits a corner clothesline and climbs up, going for punches. The two spill to the outside, and all of the combatants stand off on the outside around them as we go to commercial.

When we come back from commercial, Carlito has Hardy in a headlock. Matt works himself to his feet but gets pushed into the unfriendly corner. Carlito tags in The Miz and puts Hardy on the ground. Hardy gets to his feet due to Miz stalling and begins punching away. Miz rolls around and puts in a headlock, but Hardy drops out of it and tags in Truth. Truth hits a big clothesline and then picks up Miz and slams him on his face. Truth runs to the corner and hits Regal, backing away as Miz charges. Truth hits a big roundhouse kick and then takes out all of the Raw Pros. He puts Miz on his shoulder, who counters out and hits a beautiful neckbreaker. Miz goes for the cover, but Punk breaks it up. Miz tags in Regal, who begins laying into Truth. He stomps away and then goes for a cover but only gets 2.

Carlito is tagged back in and places his knee square in Carlito’s back. Truth counters out and starts punching. He bounces off the ropes, but Carlito catches him with a dropkick and cover for 2. Carlito drags Truth to the corner and tags in Christian. He throws Truth over his shoulder and begins cranking his opponent’s neck. Truth gets to his feet and slaps away. He then bounces off the ropes, only to get taken down for a cover attempt.

Regal is tagged in next and he begins kneeing Truth. He flips him over by the shoulders and gets 2. Regal tags in Miz who hits a suplex for 2. He taunts the Smackdown guys by putting Truth’s hand out. Miz hits a leg drop and then puts on a chinlock. Truth gets to his feet and punches away, but Miz throws him into the corner and hits the swinging corner clothesline. He climbs to the top and goes for a double axehandle, but Truth catches him with a dropkick. Truth crawls to his corner and gets the hot tag to Punk. Christian is in for Raw and Captain Charisma dominates early, getting a good elbow off the top. Punk kicks Christian and goes for the Go 2 Sleep, but Christian slips out and tries for the Killswitch. Punk slips out of that and goes for the corner bulldog, only for Christian to push him off. Punk charges and gets kicked in the head for his trouble. Christian goes to the top and hits a dropkick. He goes for the cover, but Barrett breaks it up. This causes it to break down, with Carlito tossing Barrett, Hardy hitting the Twist of Fate on Carlito, Regal taking out Hardy, Truth kicking Regal, tossing Miz, and leaping over the top himself. Barrett tags himself in but gets caught by Christian with an inverted DDT. The ref is distracted as Jericho grabs Christian. Barrett picks up Christian and hits his shoulder slam finisher to get the win.

Winners: Wade Barrett and the Smackdown Pros
Thoughts: A very good match that told an interesting story. The breakdown and Jericho interference was somewhat predictable, but it worked here. Barrett builds off of his #2 ranking to look incredibly strong here. I also liked the dynamic of the two brands competing, rather than faces vs. heels, which caused for some interesting, although brief in-ring pairings. Truth played the face-in-peril well here against the Raw guys and the Miz looked really good, but the story of the match was definitely the Rookie.
Rating: **3/4

We come back from the break with a musical recap of Shawn Michaels’ career and farewell on Raw last night. The farewell speech was one of the greatest things I have ever seen as a wrestling fan, and this video – while awesome – didn’t do it justice. After the video, Michael Cole thanks Shawn for being a friend. The commentators show the Pro’s Poll again, and Josh Mathews notes that no one cares what Cole thinks. Man, wouldn’t it be awesome if Daniel Bryan won the main event and got to share Raw with Cole? Heh…given my track record, I probably just jinxed that possibility.

Main Event: Match #2: Rookie Battle Royal, Winner is Next Week’s Raw Guest Host: 1. Daniel Bryan v. 2. Wade Barrett v. 3. Justin Gabriel v. 4. Heath Slater v. 5. David Otunga v. 6. Skip Sheffield v. 7. Michael Tarver v. 8. Darren Young

With all eight participants in the ring, everyone descends on Barrett; the other Rookies toss him within seconds and then break off into separate groups. That first elimination sends us straight to commercial.

Over the break, both Darren Young and Skip Sheffield were eliminated. Slater is being worked on when we get back, but he slips back into the ring. Daniel Bryan quickly eliminates Michael Tarver and then skins the cat to get back into the ring. This catches the attention of Heath Slater, who charges Dragon and sends them both flying. In very short order, we’re down to David Otunga and Justin Gabriel, and I see where this is going from a mile away.

Otunga and Gabriel lock up and then start exchanging punches. Otunga uses his fists to gain the upper hand and drives his shoulder into Gabriel in the corner. Gabriel kicks his way out and hits a forearm. Gabriel flips over Otunga and kicks him hard in the back of the head. Gabriel goes to the top and hits the 450, but that doesn’t help much in a battle royal. He stands around and wastes time after hitting the move and really gives Otunga a chance to catch his breath. He finally picks Otunga up and can’t get him over the rope; Otunga comes to and claws Gabriel’s eyes to free himself from the potential elimination. He quickly grabs Gabriel and tosses him.

Winner: David Otunga
Thoughts: I’m not really a fan of battle royals in general, especially when I have to do a write-up. Way too much is happening at once and it’s generally impossible to follow. It’s a blessing and a curse, however, when you get a battle royal such as this one. I really didn’t leave much out from the above summary, largely because this was a two-way match really quickly. However, that caused the match to suffer a little. I figured that this would finally be Daniel Bryan’s first win, but apparently it was not to be. Also, for a battle royal, the finish was incredibly anti-climactic. I realize Otunga is as green as grass, but they couldn’t have come up with something a little more interesting than Gabriel wasting a ton of time and then getting raked in the eyes?

And yeah, that whole finish somehow managed to lower my opinion of Otunga, which I didn’t think possible.
Rating: 3/4*

After the match, R-Truth comes to the ring to celebrate with his Rookie. Matt Striker comes to the ring and Otunga uses the opportunity to say “I told you so” and that he deserved to be #1. He’s happy to be next week’s guest host and says to expect the A-List stamp all over Raw and 427 green M&Ms in his dressing room to finish the show.

Overall Thoughts: Not a whole lot of wasted time this week and as a result a much better effort overall than last week (obviously). We didn’t see any repeated hype packages and instead got two solid matches from the competitors. While I disagree with some of the rankings in the Pro’s Poll (we all know I love Daniel Bryan, but I wouldn’t have started him off at #1), it works and it shows that even with his record, someone high up in the company is high on him. I have friends who insist that WWE was burying him, but this week sort of disproves that theory.

That’s going to do it for Week Six. Join me next week when I will no doubt have a lot to say about the “A-Lister” hosting the “A-Show” and making half the audience fall “A-Sleep.”

Before anyone asks, I figure that since NXT is supposed to be a competition, we’re eventually going to have to see someone get eliminated. As I’m writing this section before this week’s episode airs, I should mention that I’m not anticipating the first cut this week. I wouldn’t be surprised to see someone get the axe next week, though.

The eight competitors are paired according to where I think everyone stands at the moment.

Leaders of the Pack
Daniel Bryan (0-2): Even with an 0-2 record, this show is really Daniel Bryan and everyone else. He’s been the focus of the entire show for two weeks, and the simple fact of the matter is that everyone’s favorite American Dragon hung with Chris Jericho in the main event of the first show. That speaks volumes in my book.

Wade Barrett (1-0): Let’s see. Barrett is paired with the World Heavyweight Champion. I believe he’s the biggest of the Rookies. He’s a good talker. He’s also got a win over the guy listed above. Seriously, the man’s got a real shot of going all the way to Raw. Don’t be surprised if he and Bryan are in the final and he gets the win (even though I’ll pick Bryan until he gets eliminated).

On Solid Ground
Justin Gabriel (1-0): Gabriel impressed last week in his debut, showing off some decent high flying moves in a tag win with his Pro, Matt Hardy. The fact that Gabriel’s holding gold down in FCW leads me to believe that he’s got a pretty good shot of winning it all.

David Otunga (1-1): The non-kayfabe reason for Otunga’s position is his association with Jennifer Hudson, but the simple fact is that R-Truth’s rookie dominated in Week 1 and lost only through interference in Week 2. Of course, his first match was only 10 seconds long and somehow hideously bad, but that’s beside the point.

On the Bubble
Skip Sheffield (0-1): While not the best wrestler of the bunch, Sheffield proved himself to be wildly entertaining last week. I’m hoping to see some more of that each and every week. The fact that he was on Raw yesterday makes me think that Skip will be hanging around for a while. YEP YEP YEP.

Darren Young (1-1): Young hasn’t had much of a chance to shine or show his gimmick, but the pairing with Punk bodes well. He’s got a win under his belt over David Otunga. When he actually starts showing some personality, we’ll get more of a feel of where Young belongs.

Heath Slater (1-0): I’m sorry, but Slater does absolutely nothing for me. He failed to impress in Week 1 and has yet to show me anything about him that doesn’t scream “I’m a generic midcard face and dumb as a brick to boot!”

NXT to Leave
Michael Tarver (0-1): Tarver’s gimmick is that of a knockout artist, and in his first match, not only did he lose, he failed to even show that devastating knockout punch. It wouldn’t have been hard to showcase it even in losing – he could’ve accidentally knocked out tag team partner and Pro Carlito, costing them the match – but the fact that he didn’t do much of anything makes me think Tarver’s tenure is not long for this earth.

Slater and Tarver, you’re on notice. When Elimination #1 happens, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s one of them.

Enough space has been wasted, so it’s time for me to move on to the actual show!

Following highlights of last week, we open with R-Truth and David “A-List” Otunga heading down to the ring. Matt Striker is backstage and once again explains the voting process that the Pros will eventually go through.

Match #1: R-Truth and David Otunga v. The Miz and Daniel Bryan
R-Truth asks the crowd what’s up and The Miz and Daniel Bryan come down to ringside. Cole notes that Bryan is wrestling in his home state. It’s worth noting that Miz and R-Truth will be facing off against one another for the Unified Tag Team Titles.

The Miz grabs the microphone before the bell and points out Daniel Bryan’s record and the fact that he hasn’t proved anything to The Miz, the WWE Universe, and the Pros. If Bryan takes the fall, The Miz promises he will be thrown off NXT and will never become a WWE superstar.

Bryan and R-Truth start off by locking up and countering quick holds to gain dominance. R-Truth puts Bryan in a headlock and Bryan whips him into the ropes. R-Truth pushes him to the ground, and then bounces off another set of ropes. Bryan leapfrogs him but eats a clothesline. That gets a 2 count, and the two quickly get on their feet. Otunga gets tagged in and the two hit a shoulderblock that gets a quick kick out. Otunga tags R-Truth back in and Bryan starts connecting fists. R-Truth lays in a kick and another big clothesline before Bryan gets tossed to the outside. Miz is soon tossed, and Otunga and Truth work together, tossing Truth over the ropes into the duo as we head to commercial.

As we head back from the break, I should note that Cole mentioned on commentary that the WWE Universe also plays a part in voting, so I’m a little confused as to how this voting process is going to eventually work. We’ll see, I guess.

Bryan’s in control, locking in a number of submissions on Truth. He has a big stretch and then breaks it for a chinlock. Truth eventually powers out of it and goes for the ropes, only for Bryan to be ready with a charging knee. He tags in Miz, who puts Truth in a facelock. R-Truth puts him on the canvas and goes for the tag, but Miz blocks it by hodling Truth over the shoulder. Truth counters that into a rollup for 2. Miz lays some fists into Truth on the floor before the ref tells him to break it. He puts Truth on the middle rope and tries to choke him, getting a 4. He goes for a charging kick, only to be denied. Miz tries an ankle lock to block Truth from getting the tag, but he can’t get it locked in and Truth tags in Otunga.

Otunga quickly shows his power with big fists. Miz hits a kick and goes to the top, but gets hit with a powerslam. The pin attempt is broken up by Bryan, and Miz uses that to throw Otunga into the ropes, basically neck-first. Miz staggers into his corner and Bryan uses the opportunity to tag in and climb to the top, hitting a big double stomp. He pushes Otunga into a corner and begins kicking away. Bryan blocks a corner charge by bouncing off the ropes, dodging a powerslam attempt, and putting in a heel hook in the middle of the ring. Miz tags in while the heel hook is in, and that causes Pro and Rookie to go at it. Truth uses the distraction to hit a big kick on Miz and Otunga picks him up and slams him for 3.

Winners: R-Truth and David Otunga
Thoughts: The second best match NXT has had thus far (behind Bryan-Jericho…funny how one guy was in both of those matches). Bryan looked great, and though he didn’t get the win AGAIN, the storytelling was once again brilliant. Bryan had the win with the heel hook, only for The Miz to sabotage it. The crowd is clearly into everyone’s favorite American Dragon. Miz and Bryan’s dynamic is great and Otunga looked alright in his limited action – which is what he needs as he develops. R-Truth was definitely solid, more than carrying his still green partner.
Rating: **3/4

After the match, Miz is screaming at Bryan and tells him he’ll be out of NXT if he doesn’t go away. Bryan acts as if he’s going to slap him, but he walks off.

Heath Slater is shown backstage, talking about his run-in with Carlito last week. Slater says that Carlito needs to look out, because he’s looking for revenge. Their match is after the break.

Back from commercial, Matt Striker asks The Miz if he’s let Daniel Bryan down. As The Miz talks about being a champion, Bryan comes out and says that every partner The Miz has ever had carried him. The Miz says he’s the talented one, but Bryan says that if he’s talented, then why was the one who lost the match?

Background information on Justin Gabriel is highlighted, showing his FCW work and his British-Japanese hybrid wrestling style. Gabriel talks about his chances and how he’s come so far.

In the locker room area, Matt Hardy points out that Gabriel is the first NXT Rookie to beat a Pro and that he’s main eventing again this week against Wade Barrett. As they’re strategizing, Jericho and Barrett come into the locker room. Jericho tells Gabriel that he needs to be at the top of his game. Gabriel says he’s not intimidated, and Barrett says that he destroyed Bryan. Hardy says that Gabriel is better.

Match #2: Heath Slater (with Christian) v. Carlito (with Michael Tarver)

I’m telling you, Tarver’s in rough shape considering that he’s not wrestling again. Carlito says Slater should be honored because he spit in his face last week. Cole defends Carlito’s actions due to the notoriety that Slater achieved. Carlito goes to spit the apple again, and Slater immediately starts laying in fists. Carlito whips him into the ropes and hits an elbow. The two are separated as the bell has yet to ring, and we go to commercial.

Back from the break, Carlito’s got an arm lock on Slater in the middle of the ring. Slater powers up and pushes Carlito into a corner. ‘Lito kicks him and starts choking him. The two exchange pushes, and Slater throws Carlito to the outside. ‘Lito looks flustered and talks with Tarver quickly. Carlito kicks Slater in the gut and pushes him into a corner, again laying in a bunch of fists. He whips him into the other corner, and Slater dodges a charge. He lays in some fists and then kicks Carlito after getting whipped off the ropes. He can’t capitalize, though, as the One Man Rock Band gets rocked with a big boot. He goes for a cover, which gets 2. Carlito puts in a headlock and clubs at Slater’s back. ‘Lito tosses him to the outside, but Slater lands on the apron and leaps over ‘Lito and tries for a rollup, only to see it blocked. Carlito puts on an arm stretch, but Slater breaks it. He can’t gain any momentum as he’s pushed into a corner. Carlito goes for what looks like a bronco buster but misses. Slater then hits a big clothesline and nails a facebuster, which gets 2.

Slater charges at Carlito but eats a spinebuster. Carlito goes to the corner for his apple, but Christian has it. He tosses it at Tarver, and Carlito clearly is distracted by the thievery. He tries for a Backstabber, but Slater blocks it and goes for a rollup, only getting 2. Slater goes for a lariat but is pushed into the corner. Carlito goes for a rollup, but Slater rolls through and gets the 3.

Winner: Heath Slater
Thoughts: Not bad. Carlito did about as good as he’s capable of doing, and Slater worked hard. He did a lot to impress this match. I’m already regretting saying he does nothing for me. He still seems fairly generic, but it’s good to know that he can carry his own in a match.
Rating: **

We profile Darren Young, who notes how hard he’s worked. He talks about being ready to party and always having fun –he’s here to entertain the crowd, and he resolves to succeed.

Next, we’re backstage with Young and the Straight Edge Society. Punk points out that Young needed him to win. Young respects the Straight Edge lifestyle, but he wants to live his life the way he wants. Punk tells him that he needs to embrace Straight Edge to succeed. Before the commercial, we see clips of the Undertaker-Shawn Michaels feud.

Back from the commercial, we get coverage of the Batista-John Cena feud, which I really feel is the best built match for what seems like a very good WrestleMania XXVI up to this point. Even with Taker and Michaels, I’m sure this is main eventing and I’m actually okay with that.

Main Event: Match #3: Wade Barrett (with Chris Jericho) v. Justin Gabriel (with Matt Hardy)

Barrett starts off with a strong kick and punch and then whips Gabriel into the ropes, Gabriel nails a leg sweep and gets 2 on a pin cover. He goes for the top rope but Barrett catches him and throws him into the corner, laying in some hard fists. He stretches Gabriel in the ropes and uses the ropes for leverage to drop Gabriel to the ground. He gets a 2 count and then works on an arm stretch. Gabriel powers out by elbowing Barrett’s knee. The crowd chants “USA” despite neither competitor being American. Gabriel is whipped into the ropes and hits a roundhouse kick and a big windup elbow. That gets a 2 count.

Gabriel leaps from the apron to the ropes and is placed in a Fireman’s carry, but slips out before Barrett can capitalize. Gabriel rolls Barrett up for 2, and Barrett kicks him in the gut. Barrett hits Gabriel with a rope-assisted backbreaker, getting 2. Barrett hits 3 big slams and then hoists Gabriel on the top rope. Jericho screams about how methodically Barrett works as Gabriel pushes the big Brit off the top. Gabriel uses the moment to hit his 450 splash, and that’s all she wrote.

Post-match, Jericho charges into the ring and sends Hardy to the outside. Jericho hits the Codebreaker on Gabriel and he then locks in the Lionheart. Jericho and his protégé celebrate in the ring as we fade for the week.

Winner: Justin Gabriel
Thoughts: Barrett looked good in losing, showing off a pretty good power game. Gabriel showed off his versatility and his ability to take abuse fairly well; he also showed that he can win out of nowhere, meaning he’s got potential. As for the match itself, there was nothing technically wrong with it, but I must admit that it wasn’t that enthralling. All I know is that with time, both of these guys can become big deals.
Rating: **1/4

Overall Thoughts: Let’s see…all three matches were good, one of which bordered on very good. We had a lot of development in the Bryan-Miz relationship and Gabriel and Barrett show they have the goods. PLUS, Slater did a lot to improve his stock in my eyes AND there were no stupid moments this week a la last week’s closing. I’d argue that from an all-around perspective, Episode 3 was the strongest in NXT’s young history.

That’s going to be it for this week. For those who follow independent wrestling, I will be at Evolve 2 this Saturday, and I’m going to do my best to present either a write-up or appear on the podcast for the first time in ages to give my rundown. If I go with the podcast, I promise I will have a better microphone than in previous appearances. If you’re not into the independent scene, then you know where and when to look for the review of Episode 4 of NXT!

Todd Grisham and Matt Striker introduce the show and Grisham reminds us we are three weeks away from WrestleMania 26.  Tonight, Edge will take on The Big Show in the Main Event, and the 2010 Royal Rumble Winner is on his way down to the ring.  They show us highlights of Edge facing The Miz one week ago and hear the commentators tell us about Edge surviving 29 other Superstars to win the Rumble.  Personally, I feel this is misleading.  Edge was one of the last men in the ring at the Rumble and most of those 29 stars were already eliminated.  Yet, they make this claim year in and year out.  Only a few men can actually claim to have outlasted 29 men to win the Royal Rumble, those who started in the No. 1 and No. 2 spots.  Shawn Michaels, Rey Mysterio, Chris Benoit, and sadly Vince McMahon can claim this distinction.  I understand why the WWE talks about the Royal Rumble Winners this way, but, still, I personally find it misleading.  Anyway, I digress, there’s a show to review.

Edge talks about being concerned for his Mania opponent, Chris Jericho, because Chris has been saying the same things over and over for the last couple of weeks, yet Jericho continues to get Speared by Edge, emphasis on the word Speared.  Edge says the same thing will continue to happen, week after week, until WrestleMania.  Edge and the crowd start chanting “Spear, Spear, Spear” until one half of the Unified Tag Team Champions and Edge’s opponent for the night, The Big Show hits the arena.  Show is coming off another successful title defense on Monday, defeating DX.  He’s greeted by Edge who reminds us that Miz got speared last week and the Big Show is going to get speared. But Show responds that Edge isn’t the only reason he’s here because he finds out who ShoMiz’s opponents will be at WrestleMania.  Big Show talks about what he’s going to do when he gets his hands on Edge and Edge asked if he’s going to get eaten.  Well, Show says he eats pieces of crap like Edge for breakfast and Edge channels Happy Gilmore.  The Rated R Superstar gets in Show’s face and threatens a spear.  Show charges and the crafty Edge pulls the rope down, dumping Big Show out of the ring.

Backstage Teddy Long is in his office when Drew McIntyre comes in.  Vince McMahon has expunged McIntyre’s loss to Kane last week, so the Intercontinental Champion is still undefeated.  Drew is therefore entered into another Qualifying Match against Matt Hardy, which is next.  McIntyre offers Teddy a handshake as a thank you and Long simply walks away.

Money in the Bank Qualifier
Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre vs. Matt Hardy

The Intercontinental Champion is officially announced as “The Undefeated Drew McIntyre” so I guess thanks to the power of the Chairman, a loss no longer matters.  If a loss doesn’t matter, then you could further theorize that a match doesn’t matter.  And you could even then go on to say that if there is no need for matches, there is no need for the WWE.  But, World Wrestling Entertainment presses on, and so will I as Matt Hardy comes to the ring with Justin Gabriel, his NXT Rookie.  McIntyre looks to win this early, going on the offensive as soon as the bell rings.  The fans are chanting for some Mattitude, though, and it fires up Version 1.  They take their fight outside the ring where Hardy gets slammed chest first into the barricade.  Drew McIntyre rolls in the ring looking for a possible count out.  We get a commercial and come back to learn that Drew has been focusing on Hardy’s back as the fans continue to chant for the Hardy brother.  McIntyre hits a fantastic Northern Lights Suplex with a bridge, but can’t get the pinfall.  The Intercontinental Champion looks to be in clear control of the match, but Hardy fights him off in the corner and comes off the top with an elbow, following it up with a Twist of Faint attempt, but it’s reversed.  Drew turns it into a Future Shock DDT attempt, but that is countered.  Drew puts Hardy to the mat and bridges over, but Matt kicks out and reverses it into a roll up that nets Matt Hardy the win and a spot in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match.  He also gives Drew McIntyre his second loss in as many….wait…no…officially this is his first official loss.  Thank you Todd Grisham for saying “Drew McIntyre loses again for the first time.”  Drew, in frustration, throws the cover off the announce table while the fans tell him how they feel.  He gets in Strikers face telling him, and those who can hear Drew through Striker’s microphone, that he WILL be at Wrestlemania.

Rating:  **

Winner:  Matt Hardy (w/Justin Gabriel)

The Money in the Bank Ladder Mach now has Christian, Shelton Benjamin, Jack Swagger, Kane, Matt Hardy, Dolph Ziggler, and MVP.  One spot remains open for the chance to climb the ladder and get that contract for a guaranteed chance at a World Title.  Morrison is backstage with…someone…talking about his parkour a little bit.  That only makes me respect the man more, because parkour is tough.  I don’t know personally, but I’ve seen how tough it can be.  R-Truth comes in and they talk about losing their chances to be on WrestleMania and tonight is their last shot.  They look focused.  Truth has some ideas for tag team names and the two brainstorm with ideas like “Dis ‘n’ Dat,” “Black Magic and The White Shadow,” and “Rock ‘n’ Rap.”  They agree on “The Unified Tag Team Champions.”

We get a quick preview of Rey Mysterio vs. Luke Gallows before The Gold Standard Shelton Benjamin comes to the ring.  He’ll face off against fellow Money in the Bank Qualifyer, Dolph Ziggler.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Shelton Benjamin

The two men meet in the center of the ring with a headlock from Shelton.  The veteran will be competing in his 5^th Money in the Bank Ladder Match.  In the ring, Ziggler locks on a sleeper, but Shelton counters out with a jawbreaker, but the damage was enough for Dolph to get control of the match.  He works to keep Benjamin grounded and reduce his air supply.  The almost white-haired warrior is all over The Gold Standard, but Shelton twists to his feet following a monkey flip and connects with a kick to the back of Ziggler’s head.  The match then becomes much more even as both men go back and forth with an advantage.  Shelton avoids a Zig Zag and hits Paydirt leaving Dolph out on the mat.

Rating:  ** ½

Winner:  Shelton Benjamin

This was a good match between two of the better wrestlers in the WWE.  I hope that Benjamin gets pushed higher up on the card.  He deserves it.  He’s been around for a while and has the credentials and skills to be a contender.

We get a promo about Shawn Michaels “My Journey” the newest DVD focusing on Michaels, and backstage Rey is giving his daughter a Mattel action figure as Tiffany comes in to keep an eye on her while Rey Rey heads ringside for his match.  The Straight-Edge Society come out first, and our Savior, the Pastor of Purity CM Punk has a microphone.  He’s criticizing parents for letting their kids support Rey Mysterio.  Subconsciously, Punk says, the kids are just trying to fill the neglectful void their parents left.  He compares Rey to all the neglectful parents.  Punk calls everyone in attendance cowards, just like Mysterio.  Rey is not a superhero and he refuses to face Punk Man-to-Man.  Rey takes cheap shots and has stripped Punk of his chance to become a 3 time Money in the Bank winner.  Mysterio put his hands on Luke Gallows for no reason, and our Straight-Edge Savior tells Luke it wasn’t his fault and the Pastor wants his Detoxified Disciple to make Rey Mysterio pay and suffer.  Luke’s not just fighting for himself or CM Punk, but for an entire Society.

Luke Gallows (w/CM Punk & Serena) vs. Rey Mysterio

The fans pop wildly as the Ultimate Underdog makes his way down to the ring to face the Straight-Edge Soldier that is Luke Gallows.  He gives his shirt to one of the fans Punk had taunted and interacts with several others on his way to the ring.  Gallows comes out swinging, clearly overpowering Rey from the starting bell.  Rey puts on some speed and brings Gallows down with a head scissors, but Luke overpowers him again as we see CM Punk’s NXT Rookie, Darren Young watching on from backstage.  The fans want a 619, but Rey is in no position to do that or any more as Luke Gallows stomps him in the corner.  Gallows puts his head down and Rey kicks him in the face.  Luke charges in and Rey pulls the top rope down, sending his bigger opponent to the floor where Punk comes over and whispers instructions.  During a commercial break, Rey tried to mount some offence, but when the cameras return, Gallows is quickly back in control of the match.  Gallows sends Rey to the floor but does not want to win by count out, he wants to send a message to the Ultimate Underdog.  Rey, again, fights to come back but is met with a fall away slam by the big man before Luke locks in a bear hug.  Mysterio punches out of the hold, but is sent into the corner.  Gallows charges in and Rey leaps over, sending Gallows shoulder into the ring post and the masked wrestler quickens the pace, hitting a handful of springboards before Gallows overpowers him once more.  Rey manages to climb the ropes, but is met with a punch and Gallows follows it with a big splash, but Rey kicks out and locks in a submission that looks like Jimmy Jacobs End Time.  Gallows gets to the ropes and is left prone for a 619, but Serena comes onto the apron to prevent it.  Punk comes in the other side to distract Rey and Luke comes in for a powerbomb, but Rey shifts his weight and Gallows falls backwards with Mysterio on top of him for the win.

Rating:  ** ¾

Winner:  Rey Mysterio

Punk comes in the ring, but Rey slips out of the Straight-Edge Savior’s grasp, avoiding a GTS and escaping before more damage can be done.  Punk looks furious and this rivalry is only heading up.

Backstage Big Show is backstage with Chris Jericho.  Jericho is congratulating Show, but Show doesn’t think it’s sincere.  Jericho wants Show to chokeslam Edge for him and Show says he’s not doing anything for “One Way Jericho” any more.  It was always about Jericho, never about the team and Big Show is doing this for himself.

No. 1 Contenders Match for the Unified Tag Team Titles
John Morrison & R-Truth vs. Cryme Tyme (JTG & Shad Gaspard) vs. The Hart Dynasty (Tyson Kidd & David Hart Smith w/Natalia)

As Truth comes to the ring, we’re shown the confrontation between R-Truth and his NXT Rookie David Otunga from this last Tuesday.  A lot is on the line in this match as three dynamically different tag teams hope to go on to WrestleMania to face The Big Show and The Miz.  Morrison starts the match with Shad Gaspard and the big man takes control.  As they toss to another commercial, Shad tags out to JTG.  Cryme Tyme team up on John Morrison before DH Smith tags himself in and hits a series of suplexes to John Morrison.  The Friday Night Delight desperately needs a tag, but finds himself in Cryme Tyme’s corner and would rather bring his partner in.  As Tyson Kidd gets the tag, Morrison does roll over to R-Truth and The Truth comes in the ring.  Morrison gets up and sends Shad and Smith to the floor, leaving the two legal men, Tyson Kidd and R-Truth, to fight in the ring.  Truth hits the Lie Detector for the win and “Truth & Wisdom,” as Matt Striker deemed them, will go on to WrestleMania.

Rating:  ** ¾

Winners:  John Morrison & R-Truth

Both men celebrate in the ring and John Morrison seems to channel Booker T with a Spinnerooni of sorts, break dancing in celebration.  After a commercial, LayCool is backstage kissing Vickie Guerrero’s ass and thanking her for helping Michelle win the Women’s Championship last week.  They present Vickie with a “Simply Flawless” tank top and I hope to GOD Vickie doesn’t wear it in public.  Beth Phoenix walks into the scene and asks when she’ll get her shot at the Women’s Championship.  Guerrero scoffs at her and claims herself as the most dominant Diva on Smackdown (gross) and Phoenix isn’t going to get her shot any time soon.  Vickie warns the Glamazon not to cross her and tells her to ask Mickie James if she needs any proof.  The Main Event is up next.

The Big Show vs. Edge

Both times Edge has come to the ring tonight, announcer Tony Chimel has sounded like he’s either got a serious man crush or is going through a 2^nd puberty.  His voice has cracked both times he’s announced the arrival of the Rated R Superstar.  That’s not relevant to the match, of course, but I thought it was kind of funny, so I wanted to share.  The No. 1 Contender to Jericho’s World Heavyweight Championship starts off using speed to avoid The Big Show at first, but Show catches him and sends a couple of head butts to Edge, taking him to the match.  Edge rolls out of the ring and uses the ropes on Show, but the big man is barely fazed and comes back on the offensive.  He taunts the Rated R Superstar, asking if Edge has any more jokes as he steps down to the floor and picks Edge up off the apron.  Edge sends him into the ring post and starts to mount some offense, but Show overpowers him again.  The World’s Largest Athlete seems to enjoy torturing Edge and Striker points out that Jericho has to be backstage enjoying it as well.  Show puts Edge in a sleeper on the mat, but Edge breaks out of it with a jawbreaker, but again Show is on the attack, grounding Edge in the corner.  Show climbs to the second rope, but the Rated R Superstar avoids the splash and starts to build some momentum.  He hits a bull dog on Show, but only gets a 2 count as the big man pushes Edge off him with authority.  Show looks for a chokeslam, but Edge turns it into a DDT and looks for a spear as Show gets to his feet.  He hits the 500lb Big Show with the spear to win the match.

Rating:  ** ½

Winner:  Edge

The fans pop loudly for the spear and the win before Jericho tries to sneak in behind Edge and hit him with the title.  Edge ducks and turns around to connect with a “spear, spear, spear, spear, spear!!”  Edge stands victorious in the ring as Jericho’s weekly spear prescription is filled.  There are two more Smackdowns until WrestleMania, and Edge looks to spear Jericho on each of them as well as The Granddaddy of them All.  The show ends with a nice show of Jericho under the Tron holding up his title with Edge on the screen raising his hands high.

This wasn’t a terrible Smackdown, but nothing monumental either.  Things look to be heating up, though, as we “Edge” closer to professional wrestling’s Super Bowl, WrestleMania.

Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk

Booyaka Booyaka, the Ultimate Underdog, Rey Mysterio kicks off Smackdown as we head down the Road to Wrestlemania.  Rey defeated Dolph Ziggler last Friday to qualify for the Smackdown Elimination Chamber match and tonight he’ll take on fellow Chamber combatant, the Pastor of Purity, our Straight-Edge Savior, CM Punk.  Todd Grisham comments on Punk and Gallows being in a match for the Unified Tag Team Championships on Monday, which they did not win, as Punk and Rey are in each other’s faces.  Punk starts things off pushing Mysterio in the face a couple of times and then it’s fast paced offence right from the start.  Punk slows Rey down, using kicks and submissions to keep Mysterio grounded.  The pace speeds up again as Rey takes things to the floor a couple of times, but Mysterio needs to be cautious as Serena and Luke Gallows are luring at ringside.  Their distraction is enough to allow Punk to slam Rey back first on the barricade, who then falls to the floor amongst the fans.  The Ultimate Underdog struggles to mount some offence while our Saviro works on the back of the masked man, keeping him on the ground as much as possible.  Rey looks to hit the 619, but Gallows and Serena intervene, Serena distracting the ref while Gallows attacks Rey from behind.  Rey positions Punk for the 619 again, but Punk ducks.  The Pastor of Purity then has Rey set for the Go to Sleep, but Rey counters it into a roll up for the win.  And he then pays for his victory with a beating at the hands of the Straight-Edge Society.  Punk proclaims he can save Rey.  Gallows places Mysterio on his Savior’s shoulders and Rey has a “crucifixion” of sorts (thank you Striker and Grisham) as Punk puts him to sleep.

Rating:  ***

Winner:  Rey Mysterio

This was an incredible match between Mysterio and Punk.  These two can put on a show.  And after the fact, Punk and Co. attacking Rey furthers the Straight-Edge Society and adds more heat to them.

After the break, Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre is making his way to the ring.  We’re reminded that McIntyre is still undefeated in singles competition and was hand picked by Vince McMahon to be a champion.  Drew has a microphone and tells us he’s unstoppable.  He doesn’t care who his opponent is.  Drew may believe himself unstoppable, but not many can stand toe to toe with his opponent and live to tell the tale without a notch in the “L” column.  That man is Kane.  McIntyre says he has nothing to prove to Kane, though.  He tells the Big Red Machine he can have a match next week, but both the ref and Kane disagree with this.  The bell rings, Kane sends a kick to Drew, and this match is underway.

Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre vs. Kane

During the break, McIntyre sent Kane into the barricade to take control of the match.  Grisham informs us that according to a poll McIntyre took himself, he’s more popular in Scotland than Sean Connery.  They also talk about ECW and the superstars there becoming Free Agents after next week, but in the ring, Kane has taken over this match.  The Big Red Machine attempts a couple of chokeslams, but is blocked both times, so he clotheslines McIntyre out of the ring.  The two of them fight outside the ring while the ref administers the 10 count and this match is officially over.

Rating:  *

Result:  Double Count Out

After the bell, McIntyre and Kane continue fighting.  Drew rolls back outside the ring to grab the Intercontinental Championship, looking to use it on Kane, but Kane has other plans.  He drops Drew with a  chokeslam and symbolically lays the title across McIntyre before leaving the ring.

Backstage, Mickie James has another run in with Michelle McCool and Layla.  McCool is still at it, making fun of Mickie and her weight.  A big bowl of cottage cheese comes into play and Mickie ends up smacking it out of McCool’s hands and onto Vickie Guerrero.  James takes off for the ring and we go to commercial.

Mickie James vs. Layla

The “Simply Flawless” LayCool come to the ring and Layla is ready to face Mickie James in the ring.  Gee, I wonder if the inadvertent covering of Vickie Guerrero is going to come into play.  Oh, look, here she comes.  Right on cue!  EXCUSE ME!!  Vickie calls a stop to the match and informs us that the match is now a handicap match.  Mickie’s all over this, though, as she works to overcome the disadvantage of a handicap match between here and LayCool.  As good as Mickie is at overcoming the odds, it’s not enough here as Michelle McCool hits the Faith Breaker as the numbers game takes its toll on James and this match is over.

Rating:  **

Winners:  Michelle McCool and Layla

Dave Batista is menacing his way through the backstage area.  He’s requested some time to talk about his recent actions and that’ll be next.  When Smackdown comes back from commercial, we recap Batista’s actions on Raw a couple weeks ago, attacking Bret Hart at the behest of Mr. McMahon.  Following his attack on Hart, Batista would return to Batista Bomb John Cena on the steel steps after a brutal assault on the former WWE Champion.  Then, last Friday, Batista stepped out of the ring and allowed himself to get counted out in a match with CM Punk, effectively removing him from the Elimination Chamber match at the same named PPV.  Well, now it’s time for The Animal to step out and talk to Josh Matthews about his reasons for the actions of the past couple of weeks.  Matthews asks Batista about his actions and the Animal takes his time to respond.  The crowd starts chanting for Cena and Dave sits on the top turnbuckle for a few seconds before leaving the ring with microphone in hand.  All the while, the spotlight Batista has repeatedly requested is following him around the ring.  A fan wearing a Cena shirt gets in his face, motioning the “You Can’t See Me” much to the delight of the fans, and the Animal finally gets back in the ring.  He holds the microphone up to his mouth, then drops it and walks out again, this time heading up the ramp as the fans tell him what they think of him.  He yells out at them angrily asking if they really want an explanation and returns to the ring, grabbing the microphone and dropping it once more, then even kicks it away from himself and heads back up the ramp again, this time leaving the arena.

I don’t know what to make of this segment, honestly.  It really looked just like filler, and terrible filler at that as it did absolutely nothing but show Batista refusing to address anyone.  I guess that was the point.  It furthers Dave’s heel push without him really having to do anything.

Following a break, the Smackdown General Manager Teddy Long came out to address Batista and his refusal to both compete and explain himself.  Teddy signs a match between Edge and Batista on Smackdown, stating that since he doesn’t feel like talking tonight, then maybe he feels like competing.  But first, it’s time for some tag team action.

The Great Kahli and Matt Hardy vs. The Hart Dynasty

Matt is in the ring wishing everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day in advance and talks about Kahli always having a great Valentine’s Day, but Matt’s going to have the best one ever as he introduces his special Valentine, Maria.  Following Maria’s entrance, Tyson Kidd and DH Smith come down to the ring and this match is under way.  Smith looks like he’s going to start things off against Kahli, but DH quickly tags out to Kidd and the Punjabi Powerhouse pulls him into the ring.  Kahli tags in his partner Matt, and the Dynasty is ready to take control of the match.  A week ago, Hardy & Kahli teamed with Johh Morrison to face Drew McIntyre and the Hart Dynasty, Morrison, Kahli, and Hardy getting the win there.  Natalya gets involved outside the ring, but Maria will have none of it, pulling the legs out from under Matt.  Kidd gets a roll up on Hardy, but only a 2 count, Matt gets a roll up of his own and this one barely gets a 1, 2, 3 for the win.

Rating:  * 3/4

Winners:  Matt Hardy and The Great Kahli

I’m not sure why Hardy is teaming with Kahli.  I don’t understand the pairing and therefore am not going to really comment on it beyond this.  Hopefully, though, they will move on to push Matt a little more in the near future.  Following the match, we learn of the first inductee into the Hall of Fame’s class of 2010, “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase.  I don’t think I need to go into this video piece as it’s run on all three shows now.  We’ll find out the next Inductee on Monday.

After a break, we get the Raw Rebound and talk about Elimination Chamber.  Grisham and Striker thank Cypress Hill for the official theme song.  They talk about the two big title matches at the PPV, and then we see the aftermath of the Rey Mysterio/CM Punk match where Rey got attacked by the Straight-Edge Society, putting the Ultimate Underdog to sleep.  Now it’s time for two more Elimination Chamber combatants to square off as R-Truth will take on the Shaman of Sexy, John Morrison.

R-Truth vs. John Morrison

Truth comes to the ring before the break and when we return, instead of asking “What’s up?” this week he asks “Who dat?” in honor of  the Super Bowl Champions Saints.  Truth and Morrison shake hands before the bell and these two faces are ready to do battle.  Morrison starts the match with some high flying offense and Morrison twists his ankle, rendering him unable to continue and giving R-Truth the win.  Morrison would hurt himself coming off of a roll over Truth’s back, landing on his ankle wrong.  Truth would help John Morrison to the back.

Winner:  R-Truth (due to injury to John Morrison)

Still ahead, Jericho and Undertaker will face off in a No Disqualification match.  We see a quick preview for NXT, which begins in 2 weeks.  And when we return to the arena, the 2010 Royal Rumble Winner Edge is on his way down to the ring.  Edge talks about his possible opponents at Wrestlemania, previewing the Elimination Chamber matches.  His first great line is calling Punk the love child of Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake and Charles Manson.  Edge has the potential to face 12 different stars depending on who wins each Elimination Chamber match as well as his choice of the winner.  Edge talks about possibly facing The Undertaker, who is still undefeated (and getting huge pops for it) at WrestleMania.  Edge then talks about his match next week against Batista, but before he can get too far into this, he’s interrupted by The Best in the World at what he does, Chris Jericho.  Jericho and Edge have a long history in the ring and Y2J is out to talk about Edge not mentioning him as a possible WrestleMania opponent.  Jericho calls himself a bad luck charm for Edge.  Chris was there when Edge was injured, but Chris doesn’t get injured, he just wins championships and carries the company on his back.  He advises Edge to choose the Raw champion and stay away from Jericho, who will walk out of the Elimination Chamber with the World Heavyweight Championship (that’s Jericho’s guarantee and my prediction, by the way).  Bad things will happen if Edge keeps getting in Jericho’s face and Jericho predicts a victory over the Undertaker tonight in the Main Event.  Cue those bells!!  Taker comes out in response to Jericho’s claim at a pending victory.  The Dead Man walks slowly and methodically to the ring, as usual, and Edge clears out in preparation for this contest, joining Grisham and Striker on commentary.

Undertaker vs. Chris Jericho
No Disqualification

Edge talks about what it takes to win in the Elimination Chamber, an accomplishment he has under his belt, and Edge tells us it’s the hardest night of the career among other things.  Edge also talks about what it’s like to face The Undertaker.  The two of them have been involved in pretty much every match conceivable.  Striker asks the question on everyone’s mind, will Edge challenge Taker should he win at Elimination Chamber and Edge refuses to divulge the information.  In the match, Jericho and Taker are going back and forth, fighting outside the ring off the bat.  When Undertaker and Jericho come back in the ring, Taker looks for Old School, but Jericho hits the ropes, forcing The Dead Man onto the top turnbuckle and following up with a Superplex.  Jericho stays toe to toe with Taker and Edge comments that only an elite few can accomplish that.  But the momentum swings back in the Taker’s favor with Snake Eyes and a big boot.  The Dead Man raises an arm, looking for a chokeslam but Jericho rolls out of the ring and onto the commentator’s table.  Edge calmly tells him to get back in the ring as Taker follows Y2J outside.  He hurls Jericho over the announce table towards Edge and the two men stare each other down.  Undertaker rolls Jericho back in the ring and takes Edge down with a big boot.  Jericho fights his way back and exposes a turnbuckle, but it backfires and Y2J gets sent into it instead.  Taker hits the Last Ride on Jericho and edge rolls into the ring, Spearing the Dead Man in response to the big boot before walking out of the arena.  Taker sites up and picks up Chris Jericho, who then hits the Codebreaker and gets the win over the Undertaker, picking up momentum as we’re now just over a week away from Elimination Chamber.

Rating:  ** 3/4

Winner:  Chris Jericho

Not a bad match overall.  It furthered a couple possible storylines between Edge and either Jericho or the Undertaker.  I will reiterate my prediction that Chris Jericho will win the Elimination Chamber match and go on to face Edge at WrestleMania.  But before we get there, Edge will make his big return to singles competition on Smackdown as next week he’ll face off with The Animal Batista.

But starting off the show tonight is someone with a bone to pick with the returning Edge, the man who claims to be the best in the world at what he does, as well as the face of Smackdown, Chris Jericho.  Edge’s return to the WWE as the #29 entrant in the Rumble prompted Jericho’s departure from the match itself and he has something to say to begin this week’s show.  Jericho talks about meticulously constructing his return to the World Heavyweight Championship, but in ten seconds, Edge (whose return was “unannounced”) ruined those plans.  He rants about how everyone is talking about Edge, but he’s a con artist.  Chris talks of how Edge walked out on him last year, leaving Jericho to defend the Unified Tag Team Championships by himself (um, hello, did he not bring in the Big Show?).  Teddy Long informed Jericho (sometime before the show presumably) that he has to qualify for the Elimination Chamber, and Chris is prompt to call Long out to the ring.  When Teddy doesn’t show, Jericho storms back to his office only to be met by (brace yourself, here comes a shocker) Edge!  Edge informs Jericho that he’s the reason Edge worked so hard to get back to the WWE.  Chris tells Edge he’ll regret ever coming back, but Edge says it’s Jericho who will regret it.  In celebration of his return, Edge will bring back The Cutting Edge with his guest the World Heavyweight Champion Undertaker.

Smackdown emanated from Memphis, TN and we see Elvis’s home briefly.  Then the Smackdown announcers do a very brief preview of the Raw Elimination Chamber match before Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre comes down to the ring to qualify for the Smackdown Elimination Chamber match against his rival John Morrison and The Big Red Machine Kane.

Elimination Chamber Qualifier
Drew McIntire vs. John Morrison vs. Kane

Facing a veteran of the Elimination Chamber match like Kane has to be intimidating to these two men, and the rivals go after each other to start the match.  Kane quickly breaks it up, but Morrison and McIntyre double team the big Monster before going after each other once more.  Following a break, Morrison is out on the floor with Kane and McIntyre fighting inside the ring.  Kane has McIntyre on the mat, but Morrison comes in to save the match.  This one fall to a finish match is your typical triple threat match where during most occasions; one of the competitors is briefly out of the action as the other two do battle.  The odd man out comes in to save the match and continue.  I personally am not the biggest fan of one fall to a finish triple threat (and fatal four way) matches in general, but I won’t go into that here.  Back to the match at hand, McIntyre brings in the Intercontinental Championship belt and hits Kane in the stomach before connecting with a DDT on the monster.  Morrison breaks up the pin fall, climbs the ropes and connects with Starship Pain on Kane (I guess it’s Rhyme Time) for the victory and earns the first spot in the Elimination Chamber match.

Rating:  ***

Winner:  John Morrison

As I said, I’m not the biggest fan of triple threats, but as they go, this was a pretty solid match up. Morrison and McIntyre have both torn it up of late and this is no different.  Kane has been in some solid matches with Dolph Ziggler over the last month and this match was a great effort for him as well.  A couple interesting side notes:  since Morrison pinned Kane and not Drew McIntyre, this leaves his undefeated streak intact; and (this more my personal opinion) putting Morrison into the Elimination Chamber match basically promotes him up to the World Heavyweight Championship competition, which is where he deserves to be, as he’s grown quite a bit since both his days as part of MNM and his partnership with The Miz.  Whether John stays in main event competition following Elimination Chamber remains to be seen, but I personally believe he’s ready for the opportunity.

Following the next match we see the exclusive footage from after Raw went off the air, but first, it’s time for another qualifying match.

Elimination Chamber Qualifier
R-Truth vs. Mike Knox

What’s up?  R-Truth is taking on the behemoth Mike Knox.  The fans are clearly behind Truth here, but it’s Knox who is dominant off the bat. As Truth pulls the ropes down on Knox and leaps over onto the Bearded Behemoth (that one’s my own, but Matt Striker can feel free to use it), Todd Grisham and Striker speculate as to the damage Mike Knox could do in the ring.  But R-Truth comes to life as both men quickly come back in the ring.  Truth hits a big missile drop kick and follows it up by bounding off the ropes to hit a spinning elbow that catches Knox on the nose according to Matt Striker and it’s enough to keep the big man down for the three count.

Rating:  ½

Winner:  R-Truth

Ok, I’m a bit bewildered here.  R-Truth earned a spot in the Smackdown Elimination Chamber at the same named PPV, but this match was very short and really rubbed me the wrong way.  Nothing against R-Truth.  While I’m not his biggest fan, he does have some in ring skills.  What leaves me scratching my head is the fact that a spinning elbow to the face from someone the size of Truth on someone the size of Mike Knox just doesn’t seem realistic enough to be a match winner.  Knox is a monster of a man and it seems to me like it would (and has in the past) take a lot more to bring the big man down.  I’m just sayin’.

After a look at what’s been happening between Bret Hart and Vince McMahon, we get a look at the brutal footage of John Cena and Batista after Raw went off the air Monday night.  Cena came out to help Bret, Batista returned to the ring and assaulted Cena, throwing him into a ring post, the steel steps, over the announce table, and hitting him in the face with the steps before bringing them and Cena into the ring to drop the Dr. of Thuganomics onto the steps with a Batista Bomb (payback for John Cena eliminating the Animal at the Royal Rumble).  Looks like Cena vs. Batista will be the big brand war match at Mania this year.  Backstage, Punk is discussing Batista with Serena and Luke.  Punk wants to make sure he’s protected from The Animal because without the Pastor of Purity, the Straight-Edge Society wouldn’t exist.  When we return from commercial, it’s time for the next qualifier match.

Elimination Chamber Qualifier
Batista vs. CM Punk

It’s Heel vs. Heel in this match and it’s hard to tell who has more heat between Punk and Batista.  Neither man is a stranger to the World Heavyweight Championship.  Batista stands in the corner eyeing Punk before stepping out of the ring.  Batista looks like he wants nothing to do with Punk or his Straight-Edge Society.  Punk insists the ref issues the mandatory 10 count while The Animal walks halfway up the ramp.  Batista turns around and looks on as the count reaches 10 and he is counted out, sacrificing his opportunity at the World Heavyweight Championship in the Elimination Chamber.

Winner:  CM Punk

I can’t really give this match a rating.  I don’t think it Failed, but it really doesn’t deserve a rating since there was really not a match.  Obviously The Animal Batista has something beyond the World Heavyweight Championship on his mine and I reiterate that we will more than likely see John Cena vs. Batista at WrestleMania XXIV.

As we come back, Matt Hardy is backstage congratulation Maria for her appearance in Celebrity Apprentice and Maria, in turn, wishes him luck in his qualifying match.

Elimination Chamber Qualifier
Matt Hardy vs. Chris Jericho

Hardy’s entrance to the ring is followed by another commercial and when we come back, Jericho is already in the ring awaiting the bell.  Earlier Jericho was upset about having to qualify for the match.  Chris is familiar with the Chamber, having been in five before, but will he make it 6?  He’s got a tough competition with Matt Hardy.  Hardy, the man who will never die, is always a question mark in the ring as he has an adaptive style and he comes full bore on Jericho.  They battle outside the ring and Hardy gets thrown into the steps.  Could we have another count out victory in a qualifier match?  Not quite.  Matt just barely beats the 10 count and the match continues.  Smart wrestling from Jericho, who uses Hardy’s time out of the ring to conserve as much energy as possible.  Matt Striker compares the Elimination Chamber to a Steel Cage, Hell in a Cell and a War Games match all rolled into one, an interesting and accurate comparison, in my opinion.  In the ring, Hardy and Jericho are pretty evenly matched, but the Lionsault can’t put Matt away and in turn, the Side Effect can’t finish off Chris.  Jericho attempts to lock in the Walls of Jericho, but Hardy counters it into a roll up.  Jericho blocks a Twist of Fate using the ropes, hits the Codebreaker and covers Hardy for the win.

Rating:  **

Winner:  Chris Jericho

A pretty good match between these two superstars.  With Jericho in the Elimination Chamber, I will make this prediction:  Look for Jericho to win the Elimination Chamber match to set up Edge vs. Jericho for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXIV.

Up next, the new Woman’s Champion, Mickie James is out to talk about her victory over Michelle McCool at the Royal Rumble.  James talks about “what goes around comes around” and starts to say that she’ll take on any comers when she’s interrupted by Beth Phoenix’s music.  We photos from Beth’s participation in the Royal Rumble Match and Phoenix is happy James got her moment in the sun, but Beth plans on taking the championship.  EXCUSE ME!!!!  Ugh, just when you thought it was safe to watch Smackdown, Vickie Guerrero comes out and says that a match between Beth Phoenix and Mickie James isn’t happening.  As the official consultant for Smackdown, Vickie is making a tag match right now between Mickie and Beth and McCool and Layla.

Beth Phoenix & Mickie James vs. Layla and Michelle McCool

Guerrero called McCool the real No. 1 Contender to Mickie James’s Woman’s Championship and McCool starts the match with Beth Phoenix.  And the former Woman’s Champion is all over Phoenix, working on her leg to keep the big woman down.  Layla is cheering to come into the match, but Beth sends her off the apron with an elbow.  Phoenix comes back against McCool and makes a tag to Mickie.  Beth knocks both Mickie and Michelle down before leaving the ring.  McCool gets a tag to Layla, who goes to pin the downed James and the Woman’s Champion counters into a roll up for the victory.

Rating:  Fail

Winners:  Beth Phoenix and Mickie James

Ok, WWE, you’ve had a couple of weeks now to try and impress me with your so-called Woman’s Division and you’ve fallen flat.  The match at the Royal Rumble Failed as did this one in my opinion.  I know these women can wrestle, I’ve seen it.  So, why not let them showcase their skills?  After seeing a Shimmer DVD, the WWE just falls flat.  For that sake, I hope Serena Deebs never gets into the hunt for the Woman’s Championship, especially if they won’t let her showcase her in-ring skills.

In hopes of bringing things back up, it’s time for World Up with Cryme Tyme.  The world of the day is King.  King:  Supreme, above the rest, without equal, loved and respected by all peeps and peers.  Shad is glad the word is King in Memphis Tennessee and the two talk about BB King, the King of Blues, and of course, The King, Elvis Presley.  And you can’t talk about Kings in Memphis without talking about Jerry “The King” Lawler.  And Word Up ends with Cryme Tyme saying Lawler is taking them to see Puppies.  With the PG Initiative at the WWE, does this mean they’re going to the pet store?

Elimination Chamber Qualifier
Rey Mysterio vs. Dolph Ziggler

Well, Rey Mysterio lost his title opportunity at the Royal Rumble, but he gets another chance against Dolph Ziggler.  This is the final Qualification Match to set the state for Smackdown’s Elimination Chamber.  Ziggler is all over the masked man as he tries to hold Rey to the mat.  The Ultimate Underdog uses his speed and luchadore background to fight out of the possible pinning predicament.  Rey does not look like he’s in peak condition following his match against Taker and Ziggler has the masked wrestler scouted from their match last year for the Intercontinental Championship.  Overall, though, the match is pretty even, both taking their turns with the advantage.  Rey tries several times to quicken the pace and Ziggler shows excellent prowess with several counters to springboards and fast paced moves by the Ultimate Underdog.  Ziggler looks for a belly to back suplex or some variant, but Mysterio counters into a roll up for the win.  Dolph looks for some revenge, but gets a 619 for his troubles.

Rating:  **

Winner:  Rey Mysterio

Well, the Road to WrestleMania stops in the Elimination Chamber.  And now both Raw and Smackdown’s Main Events for the PPV are set.  For Smackdown, the World Heavyweight Champion Undertaker will be inside the monstrous structure with Chris Jericho, CM Punk, John Morrison, R-Truth, and Rey Mysterio.  As I predicted earlier, I see Chris Jericho walking out of the Elimination Chamber with another World Championship around is waist to add more heat to his budding rivalry with the returning Edge.

After seven months on the shelf with a ruptured Achilles tendon, Edge comes back to the Smackdown ring for The Cutting Edge to close out this edition of the Friday night program.  He starts off the program telling us he’s glad to be back home and how he defied the odds by coming back months earlier than doctors predicted.  Now he’s headed to WrestleMania where he’ll either get to face The Undertaker (for the time being) or Sheamus depending on which title he decides to go after.  Last Monday, Sheamus got in the face of Edge who got speared out of his boots for his troubles.  Before the Rated R Superstar can continue, however, Chris Jericho comes down to the ring to make trouble.  Chris gets in Edge’s face once more, saying that he didn’t deserve to win the Royal Rumble.  Edge threw Jericho over the top rope, however, which proved that Jericho didn’t deserve to win.  Chris claims to be the Face of Smackdown once more, but Edge countered that with his return, he is now the Face of Smackdown.  Edge is sick of hearing Jericho claiming to be the best in the world at what he does.  He intends to make Jericho eat his words.  The Straight-Edge Society is next to come out and interrupt the party.  Punk gets a chorus of ‘You Suck” but he reminds us that he does not, because he’s better than everybody.  But the big picture is not about Chris Jericho and Edge, it’s not about the Elimination Chamber, it’s about The Undertaker.  Out of the three of them, Punk claims to have a bigger, more glamorous spotlight against the Undertaker, being the first superstar in WWE history to make Taker tap out.  He’s also the first to challenge the WWE Universe to live “One Nation, Under Punk, Indivisible with Integrity and Sobriety for all.”  This is further proof that he’s better than everyone because he’s Straight-Edge.  He proclaims that he will become for first four time Straight-Edge Champion.  Then, the bell tolls, the lights go out and when the return, Taker is in the ring.  He fights off Punk and Edge fights off Jericho.  Taker and Edge stare each other down with the Rated R Superstar motioning to his waist to signify where the World Heavyweight Championship will go following WrestleMania XXIV.  That’s it for Smackdown this week.  The table is set for Elimination Chamber and the next couple of weeks should be exciting as the tension flares up between Chris Jericho and Edge.