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Party Crasher

2008-04-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

The night before Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama faced off in the Pennsylvania Democratic primary to determine their party’s presidential nominee, the two faced off in the squared circle on Raw only to have Umaga crash the party. “Whatcha gonna do when Hill-a-Mania brings real change to Washington and runs wild all over YOU?” asked Sen. Clinton,
accompanied by her husband, former President Bill Clinton.As Sen. Obama entered the ring, he asked the masses if they could, “smell what Barack is cooking?”Once the bell rang, Sen. Clinton immediately went on the offensive, even lifting Sen. Obama and slamming him to the canvas. Then, just as Obama seemed to be on the attack, former President Clinton yanked his leg from outside the ring. As the two continued to battle for their party’s nomination, a spoiler candidate interrupted the match: The Samoan Bulldozer.As WWE presented its version of the Dems, Umaga proved that he’s no fan of politics as he plowed through each of the candidates, leaving them motionless on the mat. With his landslide beatdown, don’t be surprised if the next bumper sticker you see reads, “Umaga ’08!”

All three Backlash Main Events were represented in a power-driven Eight-Man Tag Team Match pitting Triple H, John Cena and The Brothers of Destruction (World Heavyweight Champion Undertaker and ECW Champion Kane) against Randy Orton, JBL, Edge and Chavo Guerrero. With all the pent up anger ready to burst, fireworks seemed inevitable. The ECW Champion had hoisted Guerrero for a chokeslam when, without warning, Edge darted between the ropes and speared the Big Red Machine for the victory. At that point, the fuse was lit. Orton and JBL teamed up to lay out both Triple H and Cena. But before the two could rejoice, however, Undertaker showed his dominance just days before his title defense against Edge by seizing both Orton and JBL by the neck and leveling the pair with a chokeslam to remain the only man standing.

The war of words between Shawn Michaels and Batista continues to rage in the lead up to their match at Backlash. This week, tensions escalated as they exchanged more heated words regarding HBK retiring Ric Flair at WrestleMania. Batista told HBK that he would end their feud in the ring at Backlash. For his part, Michaels claimed that he will stop at nothing to defeat The Animal. Before parting, the two shook hands with Batista offering up one of his intimidating glares. Those hands will be used to different effect this Sunday as two of WWE’s biggest names look to end their personal issues inside the ring.

In a possible sneak peek at the World Tag Team Title Match, Carlito battled one-half of the tag team champions, Hardcore Holly. With their respective partners — Santino Marella and Cody Rhodes — waiting ringside, Carlito and Holly clashed until the Caribbean Bad Apple hit the Backstabber for the three-count. Afterward, the Italian Stallion mouthed off to Rhodes until the young gun smacked him with the microphone and demanded respect. The International Superstars have momentum on their side, but will it be enough?

Not only did William Regal leverage his power as Raw General Manager to insert himself into the King of the Ring Tournament, the below-the-belt Brit also emerged sporting the crown. The Englishman won all three of his King of the Ring Matches by submission, forcing Hornswoggle, Finlay and CM Punk to tap out.

Anarchy in the U.K.

2008-04-19T12:17:00.000-07:00

With Backlash just nine nights away, SmackDown traveled to the U.K. to the delight of a sold-out O2 Arena packed with more than 17,000 of our fans. Talk about getting your money’s worth. Our fans experienced a clash of the titans as The World’s Largest Athlete, Big Show , collided with the World’s Strongest Man, Mark Henry . Then, just when you thought the ring couldn’t hold much more humanity, The Great Khali entered the fray to lift Big Show clear off the canvas and deliver a stunning Khali Bomb. The two titans are set to clash again at Backlash in what is certain to be an epic battle.

With Matt Hardy looking on as a guest commentator, United States Champion MVP Montel Vontavious Porter pinned Tommy Dreamer after a vicious kick to the skull. Although Dreamer would have liked to make a better showing for his first-ever appearance on SmackDown, he had the misfortune of going up against a focused Matt Hardy – who has his sights set on arch-rival MVP and the U.S. Championship at Backlash.

Coming off last week’s loss to Finlay – which Matt Striker called an embarrassment – the former teacher was again schooled by some father and son shenanigans. To start his match against Striker, Hornswoggle playfully juggled tennis balls, which he then threw at the self-proclaimed smartest WWE Superstar. The hijinks continued as Finlay handed his son an array of water guns hidden under the ring, which Hornswoggle used to soak Striker. Finally, Finlay intervened in the action, knocking Striker out cold with his shillelagh. With Striker down, Hornswoggle went in for the Tadpole Splash and the victory.

With burly bodyguard Bam Neely keeping close watch at ringside, Chavo Guerrero got the pinfall over Jamie Noble after delivering a Frog Splash. Following Chavo’s victory, Neely – a former border patrol agent – maliciously slammed the vulnerable Noble to the mat. With the ECW Championship on the line against Kane at Backlash, what more will the bodyguard be willing to do for the Mexican Warrior?

For the second week in a row, the domineering force that is 300-pound Vladimir Kozlov put away his opponent with a reverse DDT. This week it was London local Leroy Kincaid who was added to Kozlov’s list of victims. With such a raw display of power, will anyone be able to stop this Russian juggernaut?

Since Batista and Shawn Michaels have been at serious odds over HBK ending Ric Flair’s career, Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho’s Highlight Reel has served as the stage for the Backlash opponents to take out their emotions. Unfortunately for the champion host, he has been at the business end of the aggression. On Raw, HBK delivered some hard-hitting Sweet Chin Music, knocking Y2J out cold. Then, on SmackDown, The Animal slammed the Backlash guest referee to the canvas with a vicious Batista Bomb. Later in the night, The Animal was looking to carry his fury forward in a match against World Heavyweight Champion Undertaker. Seated at ringside keeping close watch on the battle were Edge and his Rated-R Entourage. As the war moved outside the ring, both The Phenom and Batista were counted out, but this action didn’t stop their evening. All hell then broke loose, including Undertaker ripping Edge out of the front row and tossing him into the ring. Next, Chavo and Bam Neely came running into the ring, but their fate wasn’t a good one. In the end, The Animal and The Phenom were the only ones standing, while Edge slithered away. A furious SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero then ordered a title rematch next week on SmackDown, with the winner facing Edge at Backlash.

Brothers unite

2008-04-17T10:42:00.000-07:00

Brotherhood was the theme in the Land of the Extreme on Tuesday night in the United Kingdom, as Superstars relied on teamwork to lead their way to success.In the eight-man battle, CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, Jimmy Wang Yang and Shannon Moore took on Deuce, Domino, Shelton Benjamin and Elijah Burke. Yang & Moore were anxious to redeem their second straight loss to WWE Tag Team Champions John Morrison & The Miz on SmackDown. On the other side, Deuce & Domino looked to recover from their losses in solo action against the Jamaican Superstar. After a high-flying contest, Kingston racked up his second pinfall on Deuce, giving the rest of his team a victory against their cocky opponents.
Plenty of heated rivalries boiled over during the Eight-Man Tag Team Match, but the hottest part of the night was undoubtedly the Diva Dance Off. Kelly Kelly, Eve, Layla, Maryse and Lena Yada each had 30 seconds to show off their best moves for our fans. After their performances, Tazz measured the response of the London audience, which clearly chose Kelly Kelly as their favorite Diva for the night.
Tommy Dreamer entered the squared circle after the Diva contest, set to battle Mike Knox - but he didn’t stay for very long. ECW General Manager Armando Estrada announced that our fans don’t want to see the ECW Original in action; they want to see Colin Delaney. Dreamer left the job to the hopeful Superstar, who quickly fell victim to the much larger Knox.
Tuesday night rounded out with a Match of Champions as ECW Champion Kane & World Heavyweight Champion Undertaker clashed with the WWE Tag Team Champions. The battle was hard fought, but the Brothers of Destruction proved to be too much.

Peace, Kozlov and The Deadman’s way

2008-04-12T03:33:00.000-07:00

“Come Backlash, I’m gonna knock your teeth down your throat.” Those were Shawn Michaels’ ominous words to pay-per-view opponent, Batista, on Friday Night SmackDown.Ever since he ended Ric Flair’s career at WrestleMania XXIV, HBK hasn’t heard the end of it from Batista. First, The Animal confronted the Showstopper last Friday on SmackDown, calling his actions selfish and wrong. Things escalated even further between the two on Chris Jericho's Highlight Reel on Monday Night Raw. On SmackDown, the two Backlash opponents exchanged more hostile words in a Face-to-Face confrontation in the ring. Things almost became physical when HBK went in for Sweet Chin Music, but Batista backed away before HBK could connect. The Animal then went for a Batista Bomb, but HBK was able to avoid his grasp. Regarding their encounter at Backlash, WWE commentator Michael Cole predicted: “I believe we’re going to witness one of the most emotional and personal matches ever.”

If you tuned into SmackDown a little late, you might have wondered what a container of Ganges River water, a bottle of Indian Scotch, a live chicken and a goat were doing in the ring. They were all part of a Punjabi Peace Offering from The Great Khali to Big Show meant to quell the brewing tensions between the two 7-footers. “I can’t describe how I feel, but I can show you,” Big Show said about the offering – as he proceeded to knock out the The Punjab Giant with one punch.

Last Friday on SmackDown, powerful Russian Superstar Vladimir Kozlov burst onto the scene with a commanding victory over Matt Bentley. Tonight, Kozlov repeated his raw display of power, adding Matt Logan to his list of victims.

Since Matt Hardy played spoiler in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania XXIV, United States Champion Montel Vontavious Porter has been firmly in his sights. Last week on SmackDown, the two clashed in a vicious battle, with Hardy earning a victory in their non-title bout. This week, Hardy faced SmackDown big man Chuck Palumbo. With MVP looking on as a guest commentator, Hardy used his signature Twist of Fate to finish Palumbo. While on commentary, the cocky MVP challenged Hardy to a rematch next week in London. When will these two clash again?

The Irish duo of Finlay and the returning Hornswoggle were up to their old tricks on SmackDown. First, Hornswoggle fooled his father’s opponent, Matt Striker, by tossing a bucket of “fake” confetti water toward him. With Striker’s guard down, Finlay was able to douse him with a real bucket of water. Later, Hornswoggle whacked Striker in the back with an inflatable Shillelagh. With Striker distracted by the pint-size prankster once again, Finlay seized the opportunity to knock the intellectual Superstar out cold with a real Shillelagh. After the academic pinfall, Hornswoggle celebrated his dad’s win by delivering a Tadpole Splash from the top rope onto Striker.

World Heavyweight Champion Undertaker has taken on some of WWE’s biggest, baddest and most bizarre Superstars over the years. But even The Deadman was unsure of what he would encounter when he went up against the corn-fed colossus, Festus, who has never been pinned on SmackDown. Festus proved to be no country bumpkin, giving Undertaker a run for his money. But with referee Charles Robinson knocked out from a collision with Festus, the colossus fell victim to Undertaker’s deadly, breath-robbing submission hold. With Festus nearly unconscious, referee Jimmy Korderas ran into the ring to call the bout, giving Undertaker the win.

Contract War

2008-04-09T12:47:00.000-07:00

For weeks now, Colin Delaney has faced a multitude of obstacles in his quest to earn a coveted WWE contract. Last week on ECW, it was none other than The Largest Athlete in The World, Big Show, who put a quick and crushing end to his contract dream. Tonight, the young upstart was matched up against possibly his only ally in WWE – Tommy Dreamer. Despite their friendship, things weren’t going to be easy for Delaney. As ordered by ECW General Manager Armando Estrada, if Dreamer lost the match he would be fired. So, the veteran did what he had to do and took care of business against Delaney. Better luck next time, kid.
Ever since ascending the ladder at WrestleMania XXIV, Mr. Money in the Bank CM Punk has enjoyed life at the top. Last week he partnered with ECW Champion Kane to defeat Chavo Guerrero & Shelton Benjamin in tag action. Tonight, Punk defeated WWE Tag Team Champion The Miz. Early in the match, Miz’s tag team partner John Morrison tried to get involved – but before the Shaman of Sexy could pull any shenanigans, ECW referee Scott Armstrong ordered him to leave ringside. Even with that distraction, Punk was able to make The Miz Go to Sleep. What’s next for the Straightedge Superstar who wields the ability to challenge for a championship match at any time?
Kofi Kingston, who sits at No. 22 in the WWE.com POWER 25, was also in action against Domino. A few weeks ago, it was Domino’s partner, Deuce, who experienced trouble in paradise – or the other side of the tracks in his eyes – at the hands of the Jamaican Superstar. Tonight, Kofi completed the sweep to keep his ECW unbeaten streak alive.
Coming off his second straight THQ Superstar Challenge victory at WrestleMania XXIV, Elijah Burke continued his winning ways by making quick work of ECW Original Nunzio by quickly finishing him off with a vicious clothesline. With his winning ways back on track, what’s the next big thing for the ECW Superstar?
Before the ink could dry on the Backlash contract signed by ECW Champion Kane, his challenger, Chavo Guerrero, had other plans before putting pen to paper. First, he introduced a mysterious large man who will be watching Chavo’s back at Backlash. With Kane distracted by the unknown individual, Curt Hawkins, Zack Ryder & Guerrero launched a surprise attack on the champion. The mystery man then felled Kane with his own title, and to add further insult helped Hawkins & Ryder hold the Big Red Monster prone on the contract table. Chavo took advantage of the vulnerable champion by leaping from the top rope onto Kane, smashing him through the table with a frog splash. As the champion lay amongst the debris, Chavo sealed their rematch at Backlash with his signature.

For honor or ego?

2008-04-08T08:57:00.000-07:00

After an emotional Raw last week which saw a farewell to Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels and Batista were guests on Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho’s Highlight Reel on Raw, just days after the two Superstars had a volatile exchange on SmackDown. Both HBK and The Animal once again stood by their respective arguments in regards to Ric Flair’s retirement – courtesy of Michaels – but the issue between the two has boiled over and will officially explode at Backlash.
Live on pay-per-view on April 27, Batista and Shawn Michaels will go one-on-one, with The Animal looking for retribution after HBK ended his mentor’s career at WrestleMania XXIV. But as Michaels told our fans and Batista on the Highlight Reel, “I did what anyone would have done, even you Batista.” When Michaels pressed Batista to do something about his anger over the “Nature Boy’s” retirement, The Animal responded, “I already did.”
What will happen when these two Superstars collide at Backlash? Will Batista gain the measure of revenge he seeks against Michaels? Or will HBK show The Animal the same fire he displayed when he put an end to Ric Flair’s illustrious 36-year career? For HBK, WrestleMania was “the hardest night of his career.” Will it be much harder for Michaels at Backlash against Batista?

As things heat up between those former champions, the Raw tag team division is sweltering with both the champions and the hungry challengers to the gold.After suffering embarrassment last week in defeat to ex-girlfriend Maria, Santino Marella re-formed his partnership with Carlito on Raw to take on World Tag Team Champions, Cody Rhodes & Hardcore Holly. Making a strong statement of their own, Carlito & Santino defeated the champions in a non-title match when Marella pinned Cody Rhodes.
Paul London & Brian Kendrick have been on a roll of their own as of late, piling up the victories while aiming to once again reach the top of the tag division. On Raw, the duo defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch using their high-flying style of offense when Kendrick pulled a pin out of nowhere on Murdoch. After the loss, Cade showed his growing frustration in the ring, glaring at his longtime partner, Murdoch.
Lastly, following their tag team win last week, Cryme Tyme was on Raw again, this time for their WrestleMania clearance sale. “If you desire it, we’ll acquire it,” is the new motto of JTG & Shad, and the duo lived up to that motto … kind of.

Umaga competed for the first time since his loss to Batista at WrestleMania XXIV, and the Samoan Bulldozer returned to Raw more destructive than ever. Showing the intensity that has made him one of the most feared competitors in WWE, Umaga tore Val Venis apart in the ring before destroying him with the Samoan Spike.

WWE Champion Randy Orton began the night believing he would go one-on-one with JBL at Backlash, but the tide quickly turned on the Legend Killer. Raw General Manager William Regal put Triple H into a Handicap Match against Orton & JBL, and when The Game won, he made the Backlash match a Triple Threat for the title. Not to be outdone, John Cena also pleaded his case to Regal, who gave the former WWE Champion the same Handicap Match ultimatum. After Orton’s intended interference failed, Cena pulled out the win, thus, the championship match at Backlash is now a Fatal Four Way starring former WWE Champions.

Mixed Emotions

2008-04-06T12:58:00.000-07:00

Saying goodbye to wrestling legend Ric Flair has not been easy for our fans and WWE Superstars alike. On Friday Night SmackDown, Shawn Michaels tried to explain what it feels like to have ended the career of his boyhood idol, "Naitch," at WrestleMania XXIV. But while struggling to express his mixed emotions, HBK was confronted in the ring by Batista, who claimed HBK’s actions on The Grandest Stage of Them All were both selfish and wrong.
Matt Hardy shocked everyone at WrestleMania XXIV by emerging from the crowd to go after United States Champion Montel Vontavious Porter during the Money in the Bank Ladder Match. The returning Superstar quickly put an end to MVP’s chances for the coveted championship contract with a wicked Twist of Fate. On Friday Night SmackDown, the two clashed in a vicious and malicious battle, featuring kicks, punches and headbutts. Once again, though, it was the Twist of Fate that did in MVP, as Hardy used the devastating maneuver to claim victory in their non-title match.
One cool rideIn the SmackDown Diva Competition, Michelle McCool defeated fellow finalist Cherry to win the slick, new custom Beverly Hills Chopper. On hand to present McCool with her new ride were Beverly Hills Chopper owner, Johnny Fratto and son, Johnny, Jr. But the first few moments of McCool’s reign as top Diva quickly brought out the critics. First, it was Victoria who came into the arena to brawl with McCool. Then out of nowhere, a mysterious blonde Diva viciously attacked McCool. Despite Cherry’s efforts the help McCool, the blonde brutally slammed McCool into the ring post.
Gigantic showdownIn tag action, a swinging neck breaker from WWE Tag Team Champion John Morrison to Shannon Moore allowed the Shaman of Sexy & The Miz to get the win over Moore & Jimmy Wang Yang. But, before the opponents could clear the ring, The Great Khali came in to clear house. First it was The Miz & Morrison who felt the 7-footer’s wrath. Next, Khali pressed Yang high overhead and tossed him to the arena floor before finishing up his path of destruction by chokeslamming Moore. But, before the dust could clear, Big Show came into the arena to confront Khali. “Monday night you got in my face , tonight I’m in yours,” Show bellowed. It looked like the two titans would clash, but Khali once again chose to save it for another day, leaving the ring.
Since debuting on SmackDown last fall, Festus has been manhandling opponents and taking care of business. In the 24-man Battle Royal at WrestleMania XXIV, he was a force to be reckoned with. In perhaps his strongest showing yet, the corn-fed colossus absolutely destroyed Zack Ryder on SmackDown. Using brute force, Festus tossed the Rated-R entourage member around the ring and got the easy pinfall.

Russian bruiser Vladimir Kozlov burst onto the SmackDown scene by crushing Matt Bentley in a dominating show of force. From the start, Kozlov launched a vicious offense that Bentley could not counter, resulting in a commanding win.
Things didn’t go very well at WrestleMania XXIV for Chavo Guerrero and Edge, who both left Orlando as ex-champions. Edge lost his World Heavyweight Championship to Undertaker, while Chavo lost the ECW Championship to Undertaker’s brother, Kane. “I have never been so ticked off in my life,” the Rated-R Superstar said at the opening of SmackDown about losing his title. Chavo was equally disappointed in his ‘Mania showing.
But, it didn’t take long for SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero to step in and lay down plans try to bring the titles back to “the family.” On SmackDown, the GM announced the blockbuster card for Backlash on pay-per-view on April 27. Chavo will face Kane in an ECW Championship rematch, and Edge will challenge The Phenom to try to regain the World Heavyweight Championship.
Continuing down her vindictive path, the GM ordered Kane and Undertaker to face each other that night on SmackDown. If either brother declined to face the other, he would be stripped of his respective championship. With such high stakes, the match went on as ordered. However, before a victor could be decided, Edge, Chavo, Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder stepped in to attack the brothers. In the end, though, the Brothers of Destruction lived up to their name as they turned the tables on Chavo and Edge with chokeslams, capped off with double Tombstone Piledrivers. Ouch!

WrestleMania XXIV hangover

2008-04-02T06:40:00.000-07:00

While some WWE Superstars, such as CM Punk and Kane, have been basking in the glow of what transpired on Sunday night in Orlando, Fla., many were experiencing the effects of a WrestleMania XXIV hangover, especially Chavo Guerrero. The self-proclaimed “Mexican Warrior” lost his ECW gold to the Big Red Machine, and it seems he won’t rest until he earns it back.
Meanwhile, Stevie Richards’ recent stroke of misfortune continued. The ECW Original was one of 23 Superstars who lost the Battle Royal to eventual ECW Champion Kane at WrestleMania. Then on ECW, the rivalry between Mike Knox and Richards came to a head when they met in one-on-one action for the first time.
For the last few weeks, these two ECW Superstars have been attacking each other in locker room. When they met in tag action last week, Knox & Layla were victorious over Richards & Kelly Kelly. Knox’s winning streak continued this week when he picked up a solo victory over the ECW Original. Where will their rivalry lead next?
In other ECW action, April Fools’ Day paid a visit to the Land of the Extreme when General Manager Armando Estrada said he was ready to offer Colin Delaney a contract to be a WWE Superstar. Too bad for Delaney it was April 1, and instead of a contract, Estrada presented Delaney with a giant challenge: Big Show.
Delaney would earn his coveted contract if he could beat the 7-footer, but the youngster didn’t stand a chance. In mere minutes, Big Show picked up an easy victory, then offered a warning to The Great Khali, who confronted The World’s Largest Athlete the night before on Raw.
Finally, a retribution-seeking Guerrero teamed up with a vengeful Shelton Benjamin in tag team action against Kane & CM Punk. The new ECW Champion and Mr. Money in the Bank proved why they were victorious on Sunday at WrestleMania, picking up the win on ECW.

Y2J Gets Past Punk For Payback

2008-04-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

CM Punk is learning that being “Mr. Money in the Bank” has its privileges. But one of its biggest drawbacks is that other Superstars want to use you as a stepping stone and test of their mettle.
On Raw, the newest Money in the Bank winner went head-to-head with one of his opponents from the night before – Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho. And Y2J was out to prove that Punk’s victory over him and five other Superstars was a fluke.
During the fast-paced match, Y2J countered Punk’s Go To Sleep, then pulled the Straightedge Superstar in close and hit the Codebreaker to score the pinfall.
Jericho got the redemption he wanted, but Punk had the satisfaction that he took the Intercontinental Champion to the limit – proving when the time comes to cash in the Money in the Bank briefcase, he’ll be a threat to any champions’ gold.

With the WWE Championship shining on his shoulder, Randy Orton crowed about defeating both Triple H and John Cena at WrestleMania, declaring his reign as champion the “Age of Orton.” But John “Bradshaw” Layfield had other ideas, telling the third-generation Superstar he deserved a title match as a reward for proving that he was the toughest Superstar on Raw in his Belfast Brawl victory 24 hours earlier.
As Orton yelled at the departing self-made millionaire, Matt Hardy slipped into the ring and attacked the champion from behind. The man who Orton punted in the head months ago, lengthening his recovery from a ruptured appendix, wanted revenge on the Legend Killer. Hardy later demanded a match with Orton – a request granted by General Manager William Regal.
Hardy had Orton on the ropes, hitting the Twist of Fate on the WWE Champion on the floor. But instead of leaving Orton outside the ring and winning by countout, Hardy rolled him back into the ring, where the cunning champion used his last ounce of strength to shock Hardy with an RKO and cover him for the pinfall victory.
As Orton caught his breath in the locker room, JBL approached the champion, picked up the WWE Title for a long look, and dropped it back in the champ’s lap – another reminder that the millionaire was gunning for Raw’s top Superstar and his gold.

Maria begged her former boyfriend, Santino Marella, to call off their Anything Goes Match on Raw. But her former beau refused, saying he thought Divas belonged in the kitchen, not in the ring. Bad idea, buddy!
A cadre of Divas – Ashley, Victoria, Mickie James, Jillian, Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly and Melina – all attacked Santino during the match, aiding Maria. They slammed him to the mat and held him down, allowing Maria to crush Marella’s “grapefruits” with a booming head butt. She rolled up the wounded Italian for an easy 1-2-3 as the Divas celebrated her victory.

Sporting a bruised jaw from Floyd “Money” Mayweather’s loaded punch at WrestleMania, the Big Show said that he was ready to go back to his old championship ways, dominating the WWE as the Largest Athlete in the World.
But the Great Khali begged to differ. The Punjabi Giant interrupted Big Show, and got in the giant’s face. Khali yelled at Show in his Punjab dialect, but when the 441-pounder threatened to escalate the confrontation by raising his fists, Khali chose to save it for another day.

Even the best of friends have disagreements. Paul London and Brian Kendrick seem to have patched up their recent problems, just in time to topple the World Tag Team Champions, Cody Rhodes & Hardcore Holly, on Raw.
In the non-title match, Kendrick was able to roll up a distracted Rhodes and bridge over for the winning pinfall. The two quick-as-a-hiccup high flyers celebrated after the match, as they served notice to the tag-team ranks that the former World and WWE Tag Team Champions are mended, and on the rise.

While one tag team patched up their differences, another popular team of Superstars returned to Raw, challenging the former World Tag Team Champions.
JTG & Shad – Cryme Tyme – entered the Amway Arena to an electric welcome for their matchup with Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch, who saw their hats sold in an impromptu ringside auction the last time they met. The boys from Brooklyn capitalized on a Murdoch mistake, allowing JTG to roll him up for a surprising pinfall victory.

One night after “Nature Boy” Ric Flair’s career came to an end at the Citrus Bowl, all of the WWE Superstars and notable friends and opponents from Flair’s illustrious career honored the 2008 Hall of Fame inductee.
The night ended with Shawn Michaels embracing the "Nature Boy," as HBK finally came to terms with his historic win over his good friend, and the burden he carries as the man who ended Flair’s career.