2015 WWE Elimination Chamber Results Coverage (Updated)

Welcome to 2015 WWE Elimination Chamber results coverage! The latest WWE pay-per-view arrives just two weeks after WWE Payback and is held at Corpus Christi, Texas. On the card are four championship matches, with two of them being contested inside the unforgiving steel structure known as the "Elimination Chamber." The Intercontinental Title was relinquished recently by title holder Daniel Bryan, leading to an Elimination Chamber match for the belt. Also, New Day's tag team titles are on the line in the structure in the first-ever tag team version of the match.

The WWE World Heavyweight Championship is on the line as champion Seth Rollins goes against challenger Dean Ambrose. Also on the card, United States Champion John Cena will take on NXT Champion Kevin Owens with neither of their titles on the line. The Divas Championship will be contested in a Triple Threat match featuring Naomi, Paige and current champion Nikki Bella. Also appearing will be Neville and Bo Dallas.

Click here to refresh for the latest updated results. Full results will be posted with match-by-match recaps below.

Latest Elimination Chamber Matches & Results:

Tag Team Title Elimination Chamber Match

PrimeTime Players were the first team introduced and were both locked together in a pod. Next out was Los Matadores with El Torito. Torito stood on top of the pod with Diego and Fernando locked in the pod. Cesaro and Kidd came out next along with Natalya. New Day arrived out and Cole noted all three members will be allowed to compete in the match per Kane. The Ascension and Lucha Dragons came out last and would face off to start.

At one point, Sin Cara hit a huge Swanton off one pod on top of one of The Ascension. Kalisto got caught up on top of New Day’s pod and then they yanked his leg through the mesh on top to crotch him. A countdown started and Cesaro & Kidd rushed into the match to start taking control. Kidd went for a Superplex on Kalisto from the pod but got shoved off. Cesaro jumped up there and hit a huge European uppercut, then moments later a Superplex. Kidd hit a springboard elbow drop for the near fall. Several minutes passed and Los Matadores were released. Kalisto managed to get up to the way top of the ceiling of the Chamber and dropped down on several guys at once. “This is Awesome” chant broke up by the fans moments later.

First elimination came as Torito dropped when hanging off the top of the chamber ceiling on Ascension but they caught him and threw him at one of Los Matadores. They hit Fall of Man on the other for the elimination. Moments later, they hit Fall of Man on Lucha Dragons for the second elimination. That left The Ascension and Kidd & Cesaro. PrimeTime Players and New Day were still in pods. PrimeTime Players were released from their pods next. Titus beat up one the Ascension against the Chamber wall. In the ring, D-Young hit his double knees to the gut move on one of Ascension for the pinfall. PTP started on Cesaro and Kidd with New Day still locked in their pod.

All three members of New Day were finally released and they immediately started attacking as many of the remaining two tag teams as they could. The two other teams teamed up and hit a triple suplex on New Day. Kidd and Cesaro grabbed Woods then shoved him into an empty pod and shut it closed. Cesaro hit the Swing move on Kofi. Darren Young stole a quick rollup pinfall on Cesaro right after the move to eliminate them. That left PrimeTime Players against New Day. Big E let Woods out of the pod he was in so they could gang up on PTP. They ganged up on Titus, shoving his head through the side wall cage mesh. D-Young managed to avoid a double team move and shoved Big E shoulder first into the corner ring post and pod.

The final elimination came as Titus leveled Big E. Woods jumped off the side ropes at him but Titus caught him. Big E clipped Titus’ leg and he dropped to one knee, still carrying Woods. Kofi delivered a kick to Titus’ head and he fell on the mat with Woods covering him. The other two members of New Day helped make the cover to retain their titles.

Winners: New Day won via pinfall over PrimeTime Players for the final elimination to retain their WWE Tag Team Championship.

The announce team covered the news that Rusev is out of the Elimination Chamber match and will have a mystery replacement in the Intercontinental Title match. They showed video of how he hurt his ankle on SmackDown against Ryback. Backstage, Lana visited Dolph Ziggler saying tonight isn't about Rusev or making him jealous, it's about Dolph. He said yes it is and maybe after tonight it will about he and Lana. She said she'd like that and wished him good luck as he walked off.

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Naomi vs. Paige vs. Nikki Bella (c) - WWE Divas Championship Triple Threat

Early on Naomi got control of things, pulling Nikki to the outside and tossing her against the commentators table. Paige tried to pull her into the ring but Naomi delivered a kick from the apron. Those two mixed it up in the ring for a bit with Nikki Bella on the outside. At one point, Nikki grabbed Paige up in the Rack Attack but Naomi hit the Rear View and tried for a pinfall on the champ but Paige pushed her off. Paige threw Naomi out of there and put the PTO on Nikki but Naomi rushed in to kick Paige. Naomi delivered a head scissors take down on Paige and went for the pin. Paige managed to kick out. Moments later, Nikki fought off Naomi and hit the Rack Attack for the win. Brie rushed down to celebrate with Nikki.

Winner: Nikki Bella won via pinfall over Naomi to retain the Divas Championship.

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Kevin Owens vs. John Cena

Cena got an early advantage with the big shoulder takedown from the ropes, causing Owens some frustration. The Cena chants started up for and against him, and moments later Owens gained control of things until Cena hit a running bulldog. Owens responded with a huge kick when Cena ducked down for a backdrop move. Owens started to dominate the pace and worked to wear Cena down with a chokehold as the fans rallied the US Champ to his feet. 

Later, Owens countered a Cena AA attempt with a DDT for a near fall. Owens got cocky and taunted the crowd giving Cena a chance at a quick pinfall from behind. Owens responded by blasting Cena back down with a clothesline. Owens hit several big moves for near falls including a running cannonball on Cena in the corner. Cena was able to recover and started his move set including the shoulder takedowns and a Five Knuckle Shuffle. Owens hit the Popup Powerbomb moments later and Cena barely kicked out of it.

Up on the turnbuckle, Cena went for a Superplex but Owens shoved him down. Seconds later, he tried for a huge reverse moonsault with Cena rolling away. Owens popped up hurting and Cena hit the AA. Owens kicked out at the last moment as both men were down on the mat for the reset. Owens got cocky again with Cena down and taunted with the You Can’t See Me hand. He went for Five Knuckle Shuffle and Cena tripped him up for an STF. Owens managed to get to the ropes. Cena tried to pull him back to center ring and Owens kicked him away. Moments later he hit Cena’s move the AA on Cena, but Cena got out at the last second.

Cena tried for an AA but Owens blocked it and hit a power bomb move on Cena for another near fall. Owens pounded the mat in frustration before getting back up. JBL said Owens has taken Cena to the limit in his first WWE match here. Cena was able to land a springboard stunner moments later for a near fall but showed frustration when the pin didn’t get to 3. Owens countered a huge superplex attempt by Cena with a spinning slam move off the ropes. He followed with a Swanton for another near fall. Moments later, as Cena rushed at him from the ropes, Owens hit a pop up power bomb for the winning pinfall, shocking plenty of fans in attendance.

Winner: Kevin Owens defeated John Cena via pinfall in a non-title match.

Neville vs. Bo Dallas

Neville made a late match comeback with several strikes on Dallas. He hit a Shooting Starpress for the near fall. Bo tried for his running Bo-Dog, but Neville shoved him and kicked him in the head. Bo fell to the mat in the perfect position for Neville to climb to the top rope and nail the Red Arrow for the pinfall victory.Winner: Neville defeated Bo Dallas via pinfall.

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Intercontinental Title Elimination Chamber Match

R-Truth vs. Ryback vs. Rusev* vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. King Barrett vs. Sheamus

Mark Henry was the replacement for Rusev. Barrett and Ziggler started things off for a while before Truth got entered. Barrett went over and opened the pod door and attacked Truth in the pod to get the early control. Ziggler was down on the mat as Barrett and Truth fought it out for a bit. Barrett grabbed Ziggler on the outside and smashed him into Henry’s pod, breaking the side wall, which allowed Henry into the match early. Moments later, the countdown started and Ryback was entered in the match with Sheamus still looking on from inside a pod.

Ryback hit a big move on King Barrett and then Truth hit the Lie Detector to put him down for the first pinfall. The four competitors all faced each other before starting to go at it, right before Sheamus’ countdown came and he was supposed to be released into the match. Somehow his pod door was stuck and two refs couldn’t get it open. Meanwhile, the match continued inside the ring. Ziggler, Truth and Ryback teamed up to hit several moves on Henry. Ryback went back on the deal and hit a Meathook Clothesline on Ziggler then picked up Truth for Shell Shocked to make the second elimination.

Ryback hit a long standing suplex on Ziggler then revved up the crowd with a Feed Me More chant. Ziggler responded with a big Superkick to put him down. Meanwhile, Sheamus managed to use his Celtic cross on a chain to open the lock on his pod door and finally get in the match. He beat up on Ziggler, Ryback and Henry who were all down already. Mark Henry fought back and hit a couple splashes on Sheamus, but he kicked out of the pin attempt then blasted him with a Brogue Kick for the third elimination. 

It was down to Sheamus, Ryback and Ziggler. Ziggler managed to avoid a big move from Sheamus and hit a DDT for a near fall. Moments later, Ryback popped up and went for a big powerbomb on Ziggler. Ziggler avoided it and super kicked down Ryback, but moments later Sheamus blasted Ziggler with a Brogue Kick to eliminate him. It was down to Sheamus vs. Ryback for the IC title. Outside the ring, Sheamus hit White Noise on the steel on Ryback. Later on, Ryback was able to grab Sheamus on the outside and slam him against the side of the Chamber and then threw him into the ring. He picked up Sheamus and hit Shell Shocked for the win. Cole said it’s Ryback’s first singles championship ever.

Daniel Bryan stepped into the ring with the Intercontinental Championship belt and got the crowd going with a Yes chant before handing it over. Ryback took the mic and told Bryan he’s an inspiration to all these people and him, so thank you. They raised each other’s arms up before Bryan left the ring and Ryback posed with the title.

Winner: Ryback pinned Sheamus to become new Intercontinental Champion.

Cole announced breaking news that John cent will take on Kevin Owens at the Money in the Bank PPV. Dolph Ziggler, Neville, Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, Kofi Kingston and Sheamus were announced as six of the participants in the Money in the Bank Ladder match.

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Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins (c) - WWE World Heavyweight Championship

Rollins was accompanied to the ring by J&J Security with Kane. At one point, Rollins was arguing with Joey Mercury on the side apron. Ambrose was able to rush into Rollins, causing him to bump Mercury off the apron down onto Noble on the outside floor. From there, he got a rollup pinfall on Rollins for a near fall. Rollins had a near fall of his own moments later. On the outside, Ambrose got distracted by J&J with Kane, which allowed Rollins to gain control again before bringing it back in the ring.

With the apprehend, Rollins taunted Ambrose in the corner saying “it was never about you” and telling him he was “never championship material.” Rollins hit a running clothesline splash on Ambrose in the corner and then headed back for another but Ambrose chased him and clotheslined him in the corner instead. Rollins came rushing back to try another on Ambrose, but Ambrose moved to the side and then DDT’d him for a near fall.

Moments later, Ambrose hit his Pendulum clothesline to level Rollins for a near fall. Next, he hit a huge elbow drop off the corner for a near fall. Lawyer asked JBL if Ambrose is going to take the title and JBL responded, “If he does I’ll eat my hat.” Another distraction came from J&J allowing Rollins to gain control. He knocked Ambrose out of the ring and hit a running dive to crash him into the commentators table. He went for a buckle bomb back in the ring but Ambrose was able to snap back from the ropes with a big clothesline. He took out J&J and Kane before going to the top rope and jumping out on them again.

A few moments later in the ring, Ambrose hit a high flying move and Rollins seemed to yank the ref in the way. Ambrose hit Rollins and the ref down, with the ref rolling out of the ring. In the match, Ambrose hit Dirty Deeds and had a pinfall but there was no official. A new referee came rushing down and slid into the ring to count the pinfall, giving Ambrose the victory and the title.

On the outside, the two referees had a conference with Rollins, J&J and Kane standing nearby. After the refs had talked it over, one went over to inform Lillian something. She got on the mic saying the winner of the match was Dean Ambrose, but it was by disqualification that means Seth Rollins is still champion.  Ambrose threw a fit in the ring as the two refs tried to calm him down. Rollins and his team rushed in the ring to start attacking Ambrose. However, moments later Roman Reigns’ music hit. Rollins and crew looked up towards the stands where Reigns usually enters from. Seth left the ring and held his belt up at the bottom of the ramp.

Suddenly, Roman Reigns had rushed down the ramp and hit a Superman Punch on Rollins. He picked up the title belt and got back in the ring where he Speared Kane down, then hit a double Superman Punch to knock J&J off the apron. Reigns made sure Ambrose had the title belt. Ambrose got on the mic saying he won the match so he’s taking the title because Seth doesn’t have any goons standing to do anything about it. Ambrose and Reigns went up into the stands where the fans celebrated as he left the arena with the belt.

Winner: Dean Ambrose won due to disqualification of Seth Rollins. Rollins is still WWE World Heavyweight Champion.

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* Rusev was injured on SmackDown and had to be replaced in the IC title Elimination Chamber match.

Thank you for choosing WWE Characters the Blog for your Elimination Chamber 2015 updated results! Full results are posted at the conclusion of the pay-per-view, or after 11 p.m. EST Sunday evening. Remember to check out WWE Raw on Monday night for more of the fallout and followup from this latest pay-per-view event!

Raw Results 05/18/15

Raw Results from Richmond, VA:

Stephanie McMahon and Triple H came to the ring to start the show, talking up how Seth Rollins proved he’s the top guy last night at Payback by beating multiple opponents to retain his title. They turned their attention to Daniel Bryan relinquishing the IC title, with Stephanie saying it’s the second time his body couldn’t hold up so he had to give over a title. They announced the IC title will be decided in an Elimination Chamber match in two weeks. Sheamus came out and suggested they hand the title over to him since he was mostly responsible for Bryan’s injury. Ryback came out to intervene, cutting off Stephanie at one point and challenging Sheamus to a fight. Steph and Triple H said they’ll both be in the IC title chamber match, but said they’ll leave the ring so they can fight it out now.

Sheamus defeated Ryback via pinfall. Ryback was favoring his ribs still that Bray Wyatt injured last night. At one point he had Sheamus up for Shell Shocked but Sheamus hit the injured ribs until Ryback dropped him. After raking Ryback’s eye, Sheamus waited for the ref to pull Ryback away and then hit him with the Brogue Kick while he was distracted.

They had a backstage segment with Triple H and Steph praising Kane for his work last night. Kane said it seemed Rollins is growing up. Rollins came in with J&J and champagne glasses to celebrate the victory. Ambrose came in and reminded Rollins they are 1-1 against each other in matches. Ambrose said he’d give Rollins a rematch at the next pay-per-view if he puts the title on the line. Rollins suggested Ambrose should be at the back of the line. Kane backed up Rollins, who left the scene. Ambrose asked Kane what Paul Bearer and his brother would think of Kane these days. Kane took exception to it and booked Ambrose in a match against Bray Wyatt.

Renee Young interviewed Neville in the ring about his match against Barrett and his debut on Raw the night after WrestleMania. Bo Dallas interrupted and tried to attack Neville’s hurt knee a bit, but Neville hit a kick on him to knock him out of the ring.

King Barrett defeated Neville via pinfall. Neville’s hurt knee from last night seemed to affect his moves in this match, with a missed suplex and springboard move due to his leg buckling. Barrett hit the Bull Hammer for the win. Post-match, Dallas attacked Neville and got the upperhand, eventually attacking the knee and smashing Neville’s knee several times against the ring post.

Rusev came out by himself to tell the crowd there’s no Lana with him tonight because she needs to learn her place. He suggested that he didn’t quit last night and that Lana quit because she is weak. Rusev called out Cena to come out right now so they could restart the match. Lana came out instead of Cena, and Rusev chastised her for last night’s situation in the Payback match. She said that she quit for him because she cares about him and she "did it for us." She said he was screaming “I quit” in Bulgarian so she quit for him. Rusev got irritated and told her she makes him weak. He told Lana to get out of there and go back where she came from. Lana left the ring and walked backstage. JBL said he agrees with Rusev.

Bray Wyatt defeated Dean Ambrose via pinfall. J&J Security came out at one point to get involved, distracting Ambrose on the top rope. Mercury distracted the ref as Noble shoved him off the top rope. Wyatt hit Sister Abigail for the win.

Tyson Kidd & Cesaro defeated Big E & Kofi Kingston due to disqualification or no contest in the tag team title match. Late in the match, the heels tossed Cesaro to the outside, then they kept attacking Kidd in the corner, causing the ref to call the match. Afterwords, multiple tag teams came out to get involved including Lucha Dragons, The Ascension, Los Matadores and Prime Time Players.

John Cena came out to hype the United States Championship after pointing to several members of the military in the crowd. He said the title is for all of them and has more meaning than ever before. Cena brought up his open challenge and out came NXT Champion Kevin Owens. Owens said he’d introduce himself but Cena already knows who he is and for all the people that don’t know who he is, they’re just a waste of time. Owens talked about how when Sami Zayn came out to challenge Cena he was injured, and it was because of Owens. He said he’s going to finish what he started on the NXT Live special. Cena told Owens it was a fine speech but he has a lot to learn. He said nobody there is a waste of time as there would be no Owens, Raw or WWE without the fans.

Cena said he had some veteran advice for Owens and said he doesn’t seem to have the same passion in his eyes that Zayn did when he looked at him. Cena said if Owens wants part of the open challenge to come get some, but Owens said he’s already got his prize, the NXT title. He said he and Cena will fight some day, but on his terms. Owens ended up kicking Cena and then powerbombing him, to leave him laying on the mat. He picked up both titles, but then dropped the US Title and stepped on it.

They announced the full list of competitors for the IC Title match at Elimination Chamber: Sheamus, King Barrett, R-Truth, Ryback and Rusev, with the final competitor to be announced later on Raw.

Dolph Ziggler defeated Stardust via pinfall. The match lasted just over a minute with Ziggler able to kick his way out of Stardust’s set up for the finisher. Ziggler hit a Zig Zag on him to get the win. Post-match, Cole got in the ring to ask Dolph how he’s feeling after last night’s head bump with Sheamus. Dolph joked that he’s fine and chicks love the scars. Cole informed Ziggler he’s the final competitor in the IC title match at Elimination Chamber. Ziggler said if he wins the title he’ll take on all comers. Lana came walking out and to the ring. The fans chanted “We want Lana,” and she smiled at them, then at Ziggler. She pulled in Dolph and kissed him. The fans chanted “one more time,” so Lana obliged the request. Rusev came storming down to the ring and yelled at Lana in Bulgarian. She slapped him and he got enraged. Ziggler made a save by hitting Zig Zag on Rusev and then left with Lana to go backstage.

Erick Rowan and Luke Harper defeated Fandango and Zack Ryder via pinfall. Harper hit a Superkick on Ryder late, and then Rowan slammed him for the pin.

The Bellas were walking backstage when Stephanie approached them. She acted sincere in saying she was wishing Brie’s husband the best as the superstars’ health is their top concern. She told Brie she arranged some counseling sessions to help her deal with it, so she wouldn’t need to go to the ring with Nikki tonight. Brie wasn’t happy by the orders, nor was Nikki.

Nikki Bella defeated Naomi via disqualification in a WWE Divas Title match. Late in the match, Nikki had control and went for the Rack Attack. Tamina got involved and super kicked Nikki, causing the DQ. Paige rushed out to clear the heels to save Nikki, but then ended up hitting the RamPaige DDT on her. Paige hoisted the divas title up and paraded around the ring with it.

Backstage, it was revealed that Kevin Owens will face John Cena at the Elimination Chamber PPV.

The final segment featured Triple H, Stephanie, Kane and J&J Security as they did their “Architect of a Dream” bit to honor champion Seth Rollins. Rollins and Kane had a bit of jawing, with Kane introducing a video package he created to show how great Rollins is. Kane also thanked Rollins for saving his job. Dean Ambrose came out to interrupt with Stephanie saying he has a lot of nerve. Ambrose demanded a title rematch at Elimination Chamber. He and Rollins ended up brawling to ringside with Ambrose getting the upperhand and taking out J&J. He put Rollins’ head on some cinder blocks and put his foot on Rollins’ head. Stephanie eventually screamed he could have his title match. Rollins got away, with Ambrose taking down J&J. Kane tried to subdue Ambrose, but ended up getting clotheslined down. Rollins was able to attack Ambrose from behind and hit The Pedigree on him to put him down as Raw closed.

SmackDown Results 03/05/15

SmackDown results from Washington, DC:

Opening segment had an exchange between the various competitors for the WrestleMania IC title ladder match. Ziggler came out wearing the belt, but was interrupted by Bad News Barrett. Luke Harper snuck up behind Ziggler to take the belt away and knock him out of the ring. Dean Ambrose came down to help Ziggler fight the heels. R-Truth snuck to the ring and was able to get away with the belt to go backstage, leaving everyone else clueless where the belt went. Backstage, he told Renee Young his plan was to hold onto the belt through WrestleMania. She told him that it would be hanging above the ring at the ladder match and Truth acted surprised.

Cesar and Tyson Kidd defeated Los Matadors in a non-title matchup via pinfall. Kidd and Cesaro hit a double team Swing into a neck breaker for Cesaro to get the win.

Backstage, Kane and Big Show bickered about Randy Orton. Both guys said they’re entering the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Show joked about Kane being Devil’s Favorite Demon or Men’s Warehouse spokesperson. Kane told Show he’ll know after he faces Ryback tonight.

Ryback defeated Kane via pinfall. Ryback shoved Kane into Big Show at one point, and Ryback followed the distraction with a Meathook Clothesline to win. Post-match, Kane got a microphone and told Ryback he’s got another match - against Big Show, next.

Big Show defeated Ryback via pinfall. Kane interfered in the match late and Ryback hit another Meathook Clothesline on him. Big Show was able to take advantage of the distraction to hit a KO punch on Ryback for the win.

Bray Wyatt cut a promo about how he has something he thinks Taker can relate to. He said he’ll unleash it’s spirit on Monday’s episode of Raw, because not even he can outrun his own fate.

AJ Lee defeated Brie Bella via submission. Paige and Nikki Bella were also ringside. Late in the match, all four divas got into a bit of a fight on the outside. AJ managed to toss Brie back inside and then put the Black Widow on her. Paige stopped Nikki from getting involved and Brie tapped out.

Renee Young interviewed Daniel Bryan backstage alluding to comments Dolph Ziggler made about him earlier with regards to the IC title match. Bryan said Ziggler might be right about it stealing the show at Mania. He said he’s interested to see who leaves the building tonight with the belt.

New Day defeated The Miz and Damien Mizdow via pinfall. Late in the match, Mizdow was in control of Kofi, but Miz tagged back into the match. The duo argued a bit and Big E took control, hitting Miz with a Big Ending DDT double team move for the win.

A promo from Roman Reigns discussed how Paul Heyman has made a living by running his mouth and lying. Reigns admitted he knows he’s gonna get hurt at Mania, but he’s going to use all he’s got and get back up. He vowed to cut Brock in half with a spear to win the WWE title.

Rusev defeated Jack Swagger via submission. During the match, Swagger gained control when he sent Rusev out of the ring. He went after him and tossed Rusev back in but as Swagger got in he ran into a huge kick. Rusev stomped on Swagger and put on The Accolade for the win.

Curtis Axel had a promo on the Titantron doing a Hulk Hogan impression. He said he’s coming after Rusev this Monday and then for the US Championship at WrestleMania. Axel ripped off his shirts and flexed for the promo.

Dolph Ziggler and Dean Ambrose defeated Bad News Barrett and Luke Harper via pinfall. The match lasted just under ten minutes. The win came when Ambrose took Barrett out of the ring and Ziggler was able to hit a superkick and then a Zig Zag on Harper for the win. Post-match, Barrett hit a Bull Hammer on Ziggler and went to get the IC belt from Truth. Ambrose dove out onto Barrett and Truth headed up the ramp. Luke Harper tried to confront him, but Truth avoided him and went up the ramp. Daniel Bryan’s music hit and he came onto the ramp so Truth handed him the belt. Bryan celebrated a bit until Stardust arrived out to attack him and took the title as his to finish out SmackDown.

Raw Results 04/14/14

Raw Results from Birmingham, AL: 

The show was a tribute to the late Ultimate Warrior who died last week at 54-years-old. Warrior appeared on Raw just last week, a day after he was at WrestleMania 30 and two days after he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. All of the wrestlers stood on the stage and a ten bell salute was given in Warrior’s honor. They played Warrior’s theme song and then led the fans in a “Warrior” chant in his memory.

Rob Van Dam defeated Alberto Del Rio via pinfall. RVD won after tripping up Del Rio late and then going off the top rope for the Five Star Frogsplash for the win. RVD advanced to the second round of the #1 contender for the Intercontinental Title tournament. He’ll face either Mark Henry or Cesaro.

Backstage, Triple H tried to get Batista and Orton on the same page with The Authority. HHH told them nobody can stop them when they’re united. Batista said he just wants to win the championship. Orton agreed with that and the two of them walked off. Steph told HHH she has an idea.

Ryback and Curtis Axel defeated Goldust and Cody Rhodes via pinfall. Late in the match, Rhodes got the Disaster Kick on Axel. Ryback was legal and Rhodes tried for the kick on him, but Ryback countered with a clothesline then pinned Rhodes.

Paige defeated Alicia Fox via submission in a non-title match. Alicia was in control of things early on. Paige made a comeback hitting some clotheslines followed by a dropkick. She ultimately put a leg lock onto Fox and hooked her arms, forcing Alicia to tap out. Cole said it was a “modified scorpion cross lock” when describing Paige’s submission move.

Randy Orton and Batista fought The Uso Brothers to a no-contest in a non-title match. Late in the contest, all four competitors brawled on the outside. The Shield ran out and attacked Orton and Batista. There was never any winner announced for the matchup.

Paul Heyman arrived out on stage to boast about being the advocate for “the conquerer of The Streak, Brock Lesnar.” He kept talking up his client’s accomplishment as still shots were shown of Lesnar defeating The Undertaker at WM30. Eventually, Heyman introduced his latest client, Cesaro, who came out on stage and walked to the ring with no entrance song.

Cesaro defeated Mark Henry via pinfall. Late in the match, Cesaro hit multiple European uppercuts in the corner. Henry started to make a comeback and hit a clothesline, but was still woozy from the beating Cesaro gave him earlier. He fell to one knee, and tried to stand up but seemed out of it. Later, Cesaro hit a flying uppercut and then his Neutralizer for the win. With the win, Cesaro moved onto the second round of the Intercontinental Title #1 contender’s tournament to face RVD.

Backstage, Stephanie and HHH talked to Brad Maddox, asking him to inform Shield they’d be in the main event. Maddox asked if they wanted him to tell them who there opponents are. HHH said no. Maddox walked off and Stephanie told HHH “I think he’s got it.”

Alexander Rusev defeated Xavier Woods via submission. The match lasted just 45 seconds and saw Rusev win with The Accolade hold. Post-match, R-Truth rushed into the ring to go after Rusev for keeping the hold on Woods a bit long. Lana told Rusev to take down Truth so he did with a big kick.

Sheamus defeated Jack Swagger via pinfall. The closing moments saw Swagger using an ankle lock but Sheamus busting out of it. Swagger hit a shoulder block which sent Sheamus to the floor, then followed him outside and tossed The Celtic Warrior back in. As Swagger charged back into the ring, Sheamus hit the Brogue Kick for the win. That puts Sheamus into the second round of the #1 contender for the Intercontinental Title tournament. He’ll face the winner of Bad News Barrett vs. Dolph Ziggler.

Damien Sandow came to the ring to deliver a promo about how he is the most deserving person in WWE no matter what the fans or other superstars think of him. Big Show came out to interrupt, but just stood in the corner of the ring while Sandow spoke. At one point, Sandow asked Show what he thought about what he said. Show didn’t respond. Sandow said he thought so and that nobody can say he doesn’t deserve this, because Show sees a future champion and greatness. Sandow poked Show’s chest a bit, which eventually prompted Show to hit a KO punch to lay out Sandow.

They announced that Big Show will face Jack Swagger on Main Event on WWE Network Tuesday night.

Bray Wyatt and The Family came out to the ring with Bray delivering a promo as Rowan and Harper were behind him in the ring. He talked about how he has never lied to the people, but “we all know who has” in reference to Cena. Wyatt said Cena made his career out of that and said “he is no man, he is beat.” He got down on his knees and told the kids he wouldn’t allow Cena to lie to them anymore. He said Sister Abigail will be his sword in this crusade. He said he just wanted to come out and play now. He taunted Cena, saying “How about it John, I know you’re back there.”

Cena came out on stage to respond to everything Wyatt said. He told him that Wyatt tried to bring the monster out of him but it didn’t work. He then made jokes about Sister Abigail, saying he looked her up on Myspace and found her. An image showed on the big screen of Wyatt wearing women’s clothes. He said he also found Bray’s mom. A photo was shown of Harper’s head on a woman’s body. Cena said he also found the Wyatt baby, and showed Rowan’s head on a baby’s body. Wyatt told Cena anytime there’s a serious threat Cena just makes jokes. Cena told Wyatt he can get serious, but when he does he beats Wyatt, like at WrestleMania. He eventually proposed that they meet again in a cage match at Extreme Rules. Wyatt liked the idea and concluded by singing a bit of “He’s got the whole world in his hands..”

Fandango & Layla defeated Santino & Emma via pinfall. Commentators brought up Fandango dumping Summer Rae on Twitter. A video showed Fandango delivering a message to her, “it’s not me, it’s you.” Layla was able to get the win in the mixed tag match by yanking Emma off the second rope to the mat and pinning her.

They showed Kane backstage getting scolded by Stephanie for letting his emotions get the best of him last week. She said she thought they hired a man with no moral code, then got in his face suggesting he’s a failure. She asked what happened to “The Devil’s favorite demon and the old Kane?” Kane got up from his chair, causing Steph to back away. He looked at her then turned to look at the Kane mask and hair inside a glass case. He took the case off and stroked the hair on the mask, then picked it up. He told her “I am going to eviscerate Daniel Bryan and send him to the depths of hell.”

Wade Barrett defeated Dolph Ziggler via pinfall. Late in this one, Dolph went for Zig Zag but Barrett grabbed the ropes to block it. Barrett hit a swinging slam move for a near fall, then went for a Bull Hammer elbow. Dolph avoided that and rolled up Barrett for the near fall. Moments later, Barrett connected on his finisher to win the match and move on to round two of the IC title contender’s tournament. He will face Sheamus next. Barrett said after his win to mark his words, since he will be the next IC champion.

The Shield fought Rusev, Ryback, Axel, 3MB, Titus O’Neil, Alberto Del Rio, Jack Swagger, Fandango and Bad News Barrett to a no contest in a handicap match. The match went just over three minutes, with Reigns spearing Ryback on the floor. All of the other heels went after Reigns, so the ref called for the bell. Post-match, Ambrose dove out of the ring onto a pile of heels and Rollins did the same. The Shield got back in the ring, and the heels followed, eventually overpowering Shield. All of a sudden, theme music played for Evolution. HHH, Orton and Batista all came out on stage. HHH took off his suit coat and tie, and the trio walked to the ring. He told the heels to clear out, so they did.

Evolution got in the ring and attacked Shield. Reigns fought back a bit, but Orton hit an RKO to put him down. Batista hit a Batista Bomb. The Evolution continued to beat up Shield in the ring before looking out at the crowd who booed a bit. Triple H said on the mic “Believe in Evolution,” before hitting a Pedigree on Reigns to close Raw. 

2013 WWE Hell in a Cell Live Online Match Announced

A 2013 WWE Hell in a Cell live online match was announced during Monday's episode of Raw on USA.  It will feature Curtis Axel defending his Intercontinental Championship against Big E Langston with the match free of charge and live streaming through various WWE sources.  It may also be available to watch on TV through the pay-per-view channel, but that is unconfirmed as of this update.

Curtis Axel has held the Intercontinental title for a reign of over 130 days as of the pay-per-view arrival.  He first won it back at Payback in June, winning a Triple Threat match against then champion Wade Barrett and The Miz.  Big E Langston has yet to hold the IC title or any of the current gold within the ranks of the WWE.

Fans can watch the WWE Hell in a Cell kickoff show live streaming online on Sunday starting at 7:30 p.m. EST.  To see this match, head over to the WWE's YouTube channel, Facebook page, or website.  Yahoo! may also be presenting the match live online and it may be featured on the pay-per-view TV channels.

The main pay-per-view starts at 8 p.m. EST with the event for order on satellite and cable TV as well as live feeds through WWE's website.

Main Event Results 04/17/13

Main Event results from Knoxville, TN:

Main Event opened up with an over-the-top battle royal with the winner getting to take on Wade Barrett for the Intercontinental Title.  Barrett's music hit to interrupt Cole and JBL as they were talking about the match.  As Barrett was insulting the competitors in the ring, Great Khali's music hit and he eventually came out to have a staredown with Barrett on stage.

Justin Gabriel won an over-the-top-rope battle royal to become #1 contender for the Intercontinental Title.  Great Khali, Alex Riley, Drew McIntyre, Santino Marella, Justin Gabriel, The Uso's, Primo, Epico, Yoshi Tatsu and Jinder Mahal were among the competitors in the match.  Yoshi was among the first superstars eliminated.  Khali eliminated Epico, then Jinder Mahal before raising his arms for a big yell.  At one point, all of the competitors tried to work together to push Khali over the top, but Khali fell to the apron and got back in.  Moments later, six men worked together to eliminate Khali with Barrett shown enjoying the moment backstage.

It came down to Justin Gabriel, Santino, Primo and Drew McIntyre.  Santino went wild and pulled out the Cobra to punch Primo out through the middle ropes so he wasn't eliminated.  Drew rushed over and tossed Santino out then beat up on Gabriel.  Drew threw him over the top but Gabriel held onto the top rope to skin the cat.  Drew rushed over and Gabriel head scissored him out of the ring.  Gabriel flipped back into the ring with Primo rushing at him, so Gabriel ducked and tossed Primo out to the floor to win it.

Matt Striker interviewed Gabriel in the ring.  Gabriel talked about how he used to be good friends with Barrett back in the day, then brought up Kofi Kingston winning the US title on Raw.  Gabriel vowed to win the IC title tonight too.

Cole talked about how there's a mess in the World Championship picture, then had highlight video shown from Raw involving Ziggler, Del Rio and Swagger.  Cole brought up that there will be a World Heavyweight Title triple threat match at Extreme Rules between Ziggler, Swagger and Del Rio.

After commercial break, they rolled part of CM Punk's in-ring speech from Raw talking about wanting that "next challenge."  He talked about taking on "The Streak" at WrestleMania, saying he pushed Undertaker to the limit.  Punk stopped talking then handed the mic to Paul Heyman before leaving.

Michael Cole read a statement from Paul Heyman suggesting fans shouldn't create rumors over Punk, and should maybe focus more on Triple H who has yet to respond to the challenge made for a match against Brock at Extreme Rules.  They showed Lesnar taking out 3MB in the ring on Raw.

Matt Striker talked to Wade Barrett backstage about his luck changing lately.   Barrett insulted Striker as a mediocre wrestler and interviewer.  Barrett said the "Barrett Barage" is going to take a turn for the better tonight, and it starts with Justin Gabriel.

Wade Barrett defeated Justin Gabriel via pinfall to retain the Intercontinental Title.  Barrett was in control as he clotheslined down Gabriel outside the ring right before a commercial break.  After break, they were back in the ring with Gabriel trying to start a comeback only to get kicked hard in the gut by Barrett.  Later in the match, Gabriel finally started to comeback, kicking Barrett in the head to leave him flat on his back.  Gabriel followed with a reverse springboard flip onto Barrett for a near fall.  Later, Barrett avoided Gabriel in the corner, but Gabriel jumped on the corner then delivered a mule kick to Barrett.  He prepared for the 450 Splash, but Barrett escaped the ring.  Gabriel went over to the apron with Barrett fighting him there before raking Gabriel in the eyes.  As Gabriel stumbled around, Barrett wound up for the Bullhammer Elbow and hit it to level Gabriel for the pin.

The show finished up with a look back at Ryback's pre-taped speech about why he attacked Cena on Raw last week.  They showed footage of Cena confronting Ryback in the ring, and Ryback leaving when Cena tried to get a fight.  The Shield came out from the crowd and went into the ring to beat up Cena, with Ryback just standing at the bottom of the ramp watching.  Shield Triple-powerbombed Cena down with Ryback heading up the stage to the back.

Raw Results 04/08/13

Raw Results from East Rutherford, NJ:

John Cena came out with the WWE Championship belt to start things off.  Cena talked about enjoying the moment now and his victory celebration despite the fans hating on him.  He joked about a "heel turn" then turned his heel a bit to get the crowd going.  During his speech, he was interrupted by Mark Henry, who told Cena trouble finds you when you ask for it.  Cena tried to book himself and Henry in a title match, but Booker T came out and told Cena he can't go doing that, since Rock gets the rematch.  Booker said Rock isn't there tonight due to injury.  Booker tells Henry he can have a title shot if he can defeat Cena in a match tonight.  Henry tells Cena he better bring his A game, but his jokes won't get him anything other than entered into the Hall of Pain.

Big E Langston defeated Daniel Bryan via pinfall.  Big E won using his Big Ending finisher to pin Bryan, with Kane, Dolph Ziggler, and AJ looking on from ringside.

Wade Barrett defeated The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship by pinfall.  Late in the match, Barrett went up on the corner ring area for a move, but Miz went up after him.  Barrett fought him off and sent Miz crashing down to the mat.  Miz stood up, using the ref to help get up, but Barrett was ready and took him down with the Bullhammer Elbow for the win.

Backstage, Sheamus came in to ask Vickie and Brad Maddox for a match against Big Show.  Vickie granted the match.

After commercial, Booker T was walking backstage when Randy Orton walked up and congratulated him on his Hall of Fame induction.  Orton asked for a favor, saying he wants Big Show tonight.  Booker said Show's already got a match against Sheamus from Vickie.  Orton said Booker can overrule Vickie since he's a real GM.  Booker agreed and set up the match.


Alberto Del Rio defeated Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter in a 2-on-1 Handicap match via submission.  Swagger worked on Del Rio's leg numerous times during the match, and used the Patriot Lock, with Del Rio able to escape it.  Late, Swagger put the move on twice, but Del Rio kicked out of it and put Swagger into the cross armbreaker.  Swagger soon tapped out to end things.

Dolph Ziggler defeated Alberto Del Rio via pinfall for the World Heavyweight Title.  After his win over Swagger, Del Rio was in the corner of the ring trying to recover from all the damage Swagger did on his leg.  Dolph Ziggler's music hit and he came to the ring with AJ and Big E to cash in his briefcase.  Late in their short match, Del Rio managed to put the cross armbreaker on Ziggler.  Ziggler grabbed Del Rio's hurt leg and used it to break the hold.  Moments later he hits Zig Zag and got the pinfall victory, becoming new World Champion.  Post-match, Ziggler celebrated in the ring hugging AJ and Big E Langston.

The Undertaker came out to the ring after a break to talk about how his match and 21st WrestleMania victory last night against CM Punk was a tribute to the late Paul Bearer.  As Taker continued to speak, The Shield's entrance theme song hit and they appeared up in the crowd.  The trio came down to surround the ring, but suddenly Kane's pyro went off, causing The Shield to jump off the apron.  Kane and Bryan rushed to the ring to stand with Taker in the ring.  Shield decides to exit back into the crowd.

Backstage, Josh Matthews spoke with the new champion Dolph Ziggler.  He said he's been good for too damn long, and even though it's the day after, this is his Wrestlemania moment.  He said he's going to shine the title up and show it off, because it's been too damn long.


Santino Marella, R-Truth and Zack Ryder defeated 3MB via pinfall.  Late in this one, Drew came in to face Ryder with Zack hitting a neckbreaker on him.  Santino came in and tried to hit The Cobra, but Drew grabbed his arm.  Santino broke free, then hit the Cobra on Slater to get the pinfall.

They showed Sheamus arguing backstage with Randy Orton.  Sheamus says he's got this, then walked off.

Sheamus came out to the ring and asked the fans who they want to see kick Big Show's ass tonight.  He calls out Vickie, but Orton arrives instead.  They end up having fans vote on Twitter for Big Show's opponent with #WWEOrton or #WWESheamus.  After a commercial break, Orton won with 77% of the vote.

Instead of putting that match on, Vickie came out with Booker T and announced it would be Sheamus vs Orton with the winner facing Big Show.

Sheamus vs. Orton resulted in the match not officially happening.  Big Show came down during their bout and got involved, throwing Sheamus outside the ring and then dismantling Orton.  He threw Orton over the announcers table and left him there with Lawler and officials checking on Orton before break.

Fandango defeated Kofi Kingston due to disqualification.  The crowd hummed Fandango's theme song as he was wrestling.  During the match, Chris Jericho arrived down to get involved.  He threw Fandango face first into the announce table and the steel steps.  Jericho kept beating him up outside the ring and then brought him back in for the Walls of Jericho.  Refs came in to finally get Jericho to break the hold.  Fandango got up, then Jericho hit him with a Codebreaker for more damage before leaving the ring.  After all the carnage, Fandango's dancer gave him a mic and he said his name again but barely.

They showed a recap of all John Cena's recent media appearances, just a day after his WrestleMania win.

Josh Matthews spoke to Paul Heyman backstage.  Heyman said Lesnar is ready for a fight tonight.  He said he doesn't let his client fight for free though.  He brought up Punk vs Undertaker, then said Punk will tell everyone how he feels on next week's Raw.

Tons of Funk defeated Team Rhodes Scholars and Bella Twins via pinfall.  Late in this one, The Bella Twins got taken out of the ring by Funkadactyls.  Clay and Sandow were legal, with Tensai coming in to help out.  He and Clay splashed against Sandow in the middle, then hit a double splash on the mat.  Brodus Clay took the pinfall for the win.

John Cena defeated Mark Henry via countout in a non-title match.  Late in the match, Henry got knocked down by Cena, so he rolled to the outside.  Cena went after him, with Henry gaining control and slamming Cena head first into the announce table.  Henry tore apart the commentators table then kept beating up Cena, sending him against the ringpost.  Cena made a comeback though and sent Henry into the ring post, then got into the ring to beat the 10 count.

Post-match, Henry got in the ring to punish Cena, dropping him with a World's Strongest Slam.  Henry posed with the WWE title, but then Ryback's music hit.  He comes to the ring and began going back and forth with Henry.  Ryback hit a huge spinebuster on Henry, sending him out of the ring.  The fans start a feed me more chant.

Ryback then turned his attention to Cena.  Ryback extended a hand to help Cena up.  Ryback shakes his hand, and then Cena goes in the corner to pose.  Ryback gets the fans to chant once again, then takes down Cena with the Meathook clothesline.  Ryback hit Shellshocked, then tells Cena "up yours," before posing with the WWE belt to close Raw.

WWE Main Event Results 10/17/12

WWE Main Event Results from Memphis, TN:

Michael Cole and JBL started off the show in the ring.  They immediately talked up the first-ever championship match in the history of the show.  They had footage from Monday's match conclusion between Miz and Kofi, where Kingston's Trouble in Paradise kick finished off The Miz and resulted in Miz needing medical help.

They showed a background video on Kofi Kingston, who talked about coming to America from Ghana and how he used to watch WWF Superstars all the time as a kid.  WWE Diva Layla and Chili from TLC talked about how much they enjoy watching Kofi now.

Josh Matthews interviewed Kofi backstage who talked about "the kick heard around the world," and how much feedback he's received on Twitter about it.  Kofi said Miz has brought out a side of him that hasn't been seen in some time.  He said Monday was to send Miz a message, and tonight it's about beating him to become the next Intercontinental Champion.

JBL started to talk about Kofi making a name for himself, but was soon interrupted by The Miz's theme music as he came down to the ring with his championship on his shoulder.  They showed a cut requiring six stitches above Miz's right eye.  Miz got on the mic talking about how most superstars or people would not be here after the kick Kofi landed, but he's here because he is "awesome."  He said for the first time in years the Intercontinental Championship mens something.  Miz introduced his own video package which showed him from his start as a reality star to Tough Enough to multiple titles in WWE.  After the video, Miz finished his promo by saying "Kofi Kingston, you want my title, come get it."

Kofi Kingston defeated The Miz via pinfall to become new Intercontinental Champion.  At one point in the match, Kofi tossed Miz out over the ropes to the floor, then tried for a baseball slide.  Miz avoided it and kicked Kofi, then whipped him towards the steel steps.  Kofi dove over them instead then got up, ran and jumped off the steps to punch down Miz.  Back in the ring, Kofi hit a crossbody off the corner for a pinfall, but Miz rolled through for a near fall.  Moments later, Kofi knocked Miz down to the mat and hit the Boom Boom leg drop.  He set up for Trouble in Paraidse, but Miz ducked and went for Skullcrushing Finale.  Kofi reversed and went for a pinfall, but Miz reversed that and had a near fall.

Later still, Kofi hit the SOS, but Miz managed to get his foot on the bottom rope to break before 3.  Miz tried to leave the match after getting his title belt from ringside, but Kofi jumped onto him from inside the ring over the ropes.  Miz got back in and hit a big DDT for another near fall.  The Miz managed to get a boot up at one point with Kofi charging at him in the corner.  Miz went for a pin and tried to put his legs on the corner ropes for leverage, but the ref saw it and stopped the count.  Miz started to argue with the ref over it and Kofi went for a sneak behind rollup.  Miz escaped it, but Kofi came back with a Trouble in Paradise kick to KO him for the win.  This marks Kofi's fourth IC title reign.

Matt Striker talked with Kofi after the match and Kingston said this title is not just about him but all the people in the arena too who support him.  He talked about how much the title means to him since it's been held by other greats like Shawn Michaels, Macho Man, and Ricky Steamboat.  Kofi did a special "boom boom boom" chant dedicated to Miz with the crowd to finish his speech.

When Main Event returned they showed an outside view of the arena, before reviewing highlights of Kofi's IC title win.

Josh Matthews went into the locker room to interview a dejected Miz.  Matthews asked how it feels that he's no longer Intercontinental Champion.  Miz said "the title is mine" and losing the title is like losing an organ.  Miz claimed he didn't lose the title, but it was stolen.  He called it a "miscarriage of justice" and a nightmare.  Miz said he wants his rematch, so he can reclaim what is his.

JBL and Cole started talking about a possible rematch, and how Kofi won fair and square.  Vickie Guerrero started screeching "Excuse Me" as they finished up, and then introduced Mr. Money in the Bank, the Show Off, Dolph Ziggler.

Late in the match, Ryder hit the huge Broski Boot, then pulled Ziggler from the corner into the ring for the pinfall.  Ziggler kicked out of the pinfall before 3.  Moments later, Ryder went for the Rough Ryder, but Ziggler went under and dropped Ryder face first on the corner turnbuckle.  As Ryder bounced face first off the corner, Ziggler followed up with the Zig Zag for the win.

Post-match, Vickie and Dolph cut a promo about how he will be the next World Heavyweight Champion.  Ziggler said he deserves better than the Long Island Loud Mouth.  He then issued an open challenge for any superstar to face him on next week's Main Event.  Ziggler waited a few moments and said "nobody? that's what I thought, whatevs."  He and Vickie prepared to leave but suddenly stopped in the ring when Ryback's music hit.  Ryback came out on the stage huffing and puffing, as Cole and JBL talked up the idea of the match for next Wednesday.

Survivor Series 2010 Predictions

That's right we've arrived at Survivor Series 2010! It seems that the year has flown by, because it's already time for Thanksgiving and with that the classic WWE Pay-Per-View. SS continues to endure all the other PPV name changes and is one of the Big 4, along with Summerslam, Wrestlemania and of course, January's Royal Rumble.

For this year's event, we all know the major stipulations facing John Cena as special guest referee in the Barrett vs Orton WWE Title match. If Barrett becomes champ, Cena is done with Nexus. If Orton wins, Cena is fired on the spot from WWE. In addition to that match, there's the World Title match between Edge and Kane, a traditional Survivor Series 5-on-5 elimination match from Smackdown, the Divas Championship, Intercontinental Championship and the grudge match between John Morrison and Sheamus. Let's get right to the Survivor Series 2010 predictions!

Natalya vs Team LayCool
Divas Championship 2-on-1 Handicap

If anyone can beat this team 2-on-1 it's Natalya (or Beth Phoenix who still isn't back). Judging from the finish we saw on Friday's episode of Smackdown, with LayCool getting the doubleteam kick to the face to beat Natalya in a tag contest, Natalya will win this one. It's her third try at the Divas title, and third time will be a charm. Besides that pink/silver/black belt scheme matches her outfit.

Prediction: Natalya overcomes the odds and wins the Divas Championship, via Sharpshooter.

---

John Morrison vs Sheamus

This won't be the only match in the feud, so that should make the prediction somewhat simple. They may be preparing Morrison for a push towards the WWE championship level with this feud though, so I'm expecting he'll come out on top in a series of matches. However, in this one Sheamus somehow gets that first victory to extend things, perhaps by some cheating so Morrison can challenge again and the Raw GM can back up his request.

Prediction: Sheamus bests Morrison in what should be the first of many matches.

---

Kaval vs Dolph Ziggler
Intercontinental Championship

This one will be going out on a limb as Kaval just won his first match since winning NXT. He had the grand celebration on Smackdown, then announced he'd be choosing to face Ziggler Sunday for the IC title, as he gets to do with his NXT Season 2 win. Kaval's got an impressive array of moves and can entertain crowds. Is he ready for a championship? Sure why not. Make it two in a row and give Kaval the title. There may even be some sort of ringside drama with Vickie and Kaitlyn of NXT Season 3 that helps Kaval win.

Prediction: Kaval wins the Intercontinental Championship by pinfall.

---

Team Mystero vs Team Del Rio
5-on-5 Elimination Match

This year's "Traditional SS Elimination match" is from Smackdown featuring guys they want on the PPV who aren't in title pictures right now. Not going to get too biased here, but getting a bit annoyed with how they use Big Show as a huge clown and Knucklehead promo on the various WWE shows. He's basically become the 500lb equivalent of Hornswoggle, and that makes his wins a bit annoying at times.

Back to the match at hand. On Friday's Smackdown Teddy Long had all ten guys in the ring for a good ol' Battle Royal, which Mystero and Show won. Is that a preview of who will be standing on Sunday? Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes had a recent riff, so I'm expecting those two to cancel each other out. Not expecting we'll see Chris Masters or Tyler Reks left either. How about Alberto Del Rio and Jack Swagger as the final two guys? It's basically one of those matches that's always up for grabs and depends on who they want to push. Del Rio needs that push if he's going to be featured in the major title picture on Smackdown.

Prediction: Team Del Rio wins, with Del Rio and Swagger remaining.

---

Edge vs. Kane
World Heavyweight Championship

This is a tricky one, as it's becoming more obvious they will probably be giving us that Kane versus Undertaker match at Wrestlemania 27. That's plenty of "resting in peace" time for Taker, but they will need to make his surprise return - probably at the Rumble, and he probably wins it to challenge Kane. That said, Edge has been playing enough mindgames to seriously enrage a Big Red Monster. Smashing a pizza on Bearer was a waste of a perfectly good pizza pie too! Kane will capture the win here, retain his title and Edge will challenge again next month and probably at the Rumble too, where Taker returns.

Prediction: Kane defeats Edge via pinfall to retain the World Heavyweight Title.

---

Wade Barrett vs Randy Orton

This one seems to be getting more obvious as the PPV approaches. Some had originally speculated that David Otunga may interfere, if he had been ex-communicated from Nexus. Otunga is still part of the faction, although he doesn't really like Barrett. He still could play a part. Still, I see Orton able to retain with Cena doing the right thing. He hesitates but ultimate gives Orton the 1-2-3 count. Or, Cena somehow gets knocked out in the fray, or RKO'd and another ref must make the decision for Orton. Still, I see Cena getting fired because it will allow them to bring him back via the Raw GM's orders to face Barrett at upcoming PPV's.

Prediction: Barrett loses, Orton retains, Cena fired.

WWE Characters the Blog will present updated results on Sunday night as the 2010 Survivor Series PPV goes from 8pm until 11pm. There will also be snippet results and updates over at twitter.com/wwedivasource during the event. Hope everyone enjoys the 2010 edition of WWE's Survivor Series!

WWE Night of Champions 2010 Predictions

WWE presents its Night of Champions Pay-Per-View on this Sunday, September 19th, 2010. The theme of this particular event, is that all of the titles in the WWE will be contested in addition to a few non-title matches. As of this posting, there is just one non-title match, but there's always potential for more when the PPV actually airs. Also as of this post, the WWE Tag Team Championships are not on the line, but will be as of the event. We've got some compelling matches including a No Holds Barred match and a Six Pack Challenge WWE title match. With that, let's get a quick look at WWE Characters the Blog Night of Champions 2010 predictions!

First up, a prediction for the tag titles, or what they should do with them. The Hart Dynasty should defend in a Triple Threat due to the match that went awry on Raw. So this match would feature Hart Dynasty defending against R-Truth/John Morrison and Cody Rhodes/Drew McIntyre. If that happens, or even if its just Drew/Cody, I think they will be the new tag champions.

There's also potential that Smackdown GM Theodore Long comes out and puts Alberto Del Rio into a one-on-one with Christian, just based on what we saw on Smackdown Friday. If that happens, Del Rio's the clear favorite as he's yet to lose and a loss would hurt him early on.

As for Big Show vs CM Punk, the Straight Edge seems to have disbanded, with Luke Gallows now on his own, and Punk left as the final solo member to face Big Show. On Smackdown we saw Show deliver a KO right hand punch to Punk, leaving him on the mat. The match could be Show's final moment in dismantling Punk's SES, or it could lead to a new push for Punk. He hasn't really been part of the title picture due to SES, with the exception of Fatal Fourway. Let's say Punk wins this one, either by some sort of cheating or a new person emerges to befriend Punk.

Now for the titles. First up, Dolph Ziggler will defend the Intercontinental Title against Kofi Kingston. The stipulations, no countout or DQ for Ziggler or he loses that title. Vickie is likely to be involved again, and we've seen some "Trouble in Paradise" for her and Dolph as of NXT. We didn't see Dolph on Smackdown, so it makes you wonder what will happen next. They could go several ways with the whole Vickie-Dolph and Kaitlyn love triangle, making for a unique story. Let's say Dolph wins this one somehow, seeing as he has both a sleeper submission and the Zig-Zag that he can use to finish Kofi.

In the Womens division, the Divas and Womens Championship will be historically unified at NOC. This will be a Lumberjill match, featuring one member of Team LayCool with the Womens Championship against Divas Champ Melina. On Smackdown, we saw Michelle rigged the "draw from a hat" so that she'd be the team member facing Melina. Layla was none too please and made it seem she won't be joining Michelle at ringside. With that in mind, let's assume that Team LayCool is on the verge of splitsville, Layla will cost Michelle the win, and Melina becomes first ever unified champion in the womens division.

The United States title will be on the line as The Miz will face his former NXT rookie Daniel Bryan. These two guys have never liked one another and now its time to put up or shutup. A win by Bryan is a big stepping stone for both he and The Miz. It clears the Miz of the title so he can soon cash in that MITB contract for a bigger prize, the WWE Title. If Bryan wins this one and the title, I'm expecting Wade Barrett wins as well, so WWE can claim two former NXT stars made it big already.

The World Championship currently rests around the evil waist of the Big Red Monster, Kane. He'll put it on the line against Big Brother, The Undertaker, in a No-Holds Barred contest. It could be the match of the night, or feature a lot of slow action. Best bet here is Kane finds a way to survive with the title to continue on for another PPV match. It seems this is the kind of feud that needs to end with a buried alive match.

Finally, there's the Six Pack Challenge. You can check out a breakdown of the Six Pack Challenge WWE match by Matt Clark of Gather.com. His pick, like mine is that Wade Barrett will win the match, since he is using his NXT prize here, basically cashing in for the title shot. He's got a five-man team to help him out which could come into play. Darren Young could also come into play and cost him the title. Let's say it comes down to Wade Barrett and Jericho, with Barrett schooling his former NXT mentor and taking the WWE Title for his first reign.

Feel free to leave your own WWE Night of Champions predictions below. As always, results will be updated here on the blog starting at 8PM EST Sunday up until 11PM EST when the PPV ends. Enjoy!

Smackdown Preview 05.14.10

With Over the Limit PPV matches on the horizon, each episode of Raw and Smackdown will get more intense. Tonight's Smackdown in particular will feature a battle between two of the scheduled competitors for an OTL match. Rey Mysterio and CM Punk will go one-on-one in the ring with no stipulations on the line yet. However, both superstars will look to gain momentum by winning this contest. Mysterio may also be watching his back, as in several past encounters with CM Punk, Rey has been attacked by a mysterious hooded figure. Will the mysterious SES member show up again tonight? Who will win as Mysterio and Punk battle nine days before OTL?

Also, last week's Smackdown had a volcanic eruption at the start of the show, as Drew McIntyre flew into a rage and repeatedly attacked Matt Hardy at ringside. GM Teddy Long warned McIntyre to stop, but the Intercontinental champ refused to listen. Due to his inability to follow the GM's orders, Drew was not only suspended, but then stripped of the IC title and fired on the spot. After Drew was escorted from the building, Teddy Long scheduled a tournament to determine the new IC champ. The winners of two matches would meet over the vacant championship. Tonight the Intercontinental title is decided as Kofi Kingston battles Christian. Which of these newly acquired Smackdown stars will become the new IC Champ?

And finally, as we head towards Over the Limit, Jack Swagger is looking for any edge he can gain over his future opponent, The Big Show. On their first in-ring meeting, Swagger got a KO punch from Big Show that left him face down. Last week, Swagger went one-on-one with Kane, with Big Show watching from the commentators' table. After the match, Kane attempted to chokeslam Swagger but was kicked down by the World Champion. However, Big Show was quickly up and knocked Swagger down, then chokeslammed him through the table. Swagger was left layed out once again. Will Jack Swagger be able to gain any momentum going into OTL, or is Big Show going to dominate?

Catch tonight's Smackdown at 8PM EST on MyNetwork TV!

Smackdown Preview 01.29.10

With the Royal Rumble just a few days away, the superstars of Smackdown will look to prepare themselves for this Sunday's huge Pay-Per-View. Scheduled to appear on the show are D-Generation X as they will look to defend their unified tag team championships against the team of Luke Gallows and his leader, CM Punk of the Straightedge Society. In week's past, Punk and Gallows have inducted WWE Universe members into their society, using a Straightedge pledge and a hair shaving as symbols of transformation. Tonight, Punk and Gallows will look to add the tag team titles to their society along with their faithful recruits. Will they be able to defeat DX and bring the titles to the Straightedge Society? Or will D-Generation X continue to reign supreme as tag team champions?

Also on tonight's show, Drew McIntyre will be defending his Intercontinental title in a No disqualification match against former champion, John Morrison. In week's past, these two have feuded with varying results in their encounters, mostly with McIntyre coming away with a cheap win to retain his title. With no DQ's in tonight's match anything is possible. Morrison now will seek to regain his Intercontinental title from the man he continues to mock. Meanwhile, McIntyre continues to claim he is the next generation of top WWE Superstar, and future Heavyweight champion. Will McIntyre be able to keep his title against Morrison, or will the former champion regain the gold?

And finally, Rey Mysterio continues to try to prove to himself and the WWE Universe that he does not fear the Deadman, The Undertaker. During last week's show, Mysterio called out the Phenom to look him in the eyes and let him know he wasn't intimidated. Undertaker said he admired the "little man's" bold words and bravery, but told him he will fall just like the rest have into the grave. Mysterio yelled out as the Undertaker made his way back up the ramp, but soon found himself victim of a sneak attack by The Animal Batista. It appears Batista is looking to send a message before the Rumble, just as Mysterio was trying to. Will these Superstars cross paths again on tonight's episode of Smackdown? Will the Undertaker make his presence felt?

Catch Smackdown tonight at 8PM EST on MyNetwork TV!

Umaga dead, Eddie Fatu dies at age 36

Former WWE wrestler Eddie Fatu, better known as "Umaga" the "Samoan Bulldozer", is reportedly dead at the young age of 36. Details are still unconfirmed but reports say that Fatu's wife found him in a chair in his Texas home with blood coming out of his nose. At that time he wasn't breathing and was unresponsive. Apparently, he had fallen asleep watching television on 12/3/09 and never woke up. It's believed he died due to a heart attack at this time. One report comes from pwnews.com, which discusses what little is known regarding the death. The internet has been buzzing as fans search for "Umaga dead" and "Eddie Fatu" with no official confirmation other than TNA/UFC star Bobby Lashley's Twitter posts so far (see below).

Reports say Fatu was placed on life support with friends and family being informed of his condition. He was taken off life support earlier Friday afternoon. Many WWE fans will remember Umaga as a multi-time Intercontinental champion who was on the Raw and Smackdown TV shows. He participated in a number of Pay-Per-View events and have famous feuds with Jeff Hardy, Triple H and John Cena. At Wrestlemania several years ago, Umaga was Vince McMahon's representative in a "Hair vs Hair match" against Donald Trump's representative, Bobby Lashley.

It was a Twitter post from current TNA star Lashley, Twitter name: @fightbobby that first alerted many fans and media to the potential passing of Umaga. Lashley's two most recent posts read:

# Please say a prayer for Umaga. http://bit.ly/7J5erQ
about 2 hours ago from Facebook

# Very sad day today. A good friend is gone. http://bit.ly/6c9idw
about 5 hours ago from Facebook

Umaga was released by WWE back in June 2009 after he violated the WWE Wellness Policy, then refused to attend rehab services. His last known wrestling work was with Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair's pro-wrestling tour in Australia.

RIP to Eddie "Umaga" Fatu, age 36, and deepest condolences to all family, friends and fans.

See Umaga's official Wikipedia entry here.

UPDATE: WWE has released the following statement: "WWE would like to express its deepest condolences to Mr Fatu's family, friends and fans on his tragic passing.

"Mr Fatu was under contract with WWE at various time periods and most recently performed under the name Umaga. Mr Fatu's contract was terminated on June 11, 2009."

An article at The Sun UK website has noted that Eddie Fatu's family has confirmed his death.

Umaga's Alumni Page at WWE.com

2009 Night of Champions PPV Results

Welcome to the 2009 Night of Champions Pay-Per-View results page at WWE Characters the Blog. Starting at 8 PM EST on Sunday July 26th, 2009, you'll find updated results as the Pay-Per-View happens. Each time a match has been decided you'll see the recap of how it went down, and who won. This year's PPV has every single belt in the WWE on the line. The WWE Divas will be in action as both the Womens and Divas Championship are at stake. Randy Orton will defend his WWE Title in a Triple Threat match against John Cena and Triple H. CM Punk will put his World Heavyweight Title on the line against Jeff Hardy in a match that's sure to be a highlight reel. And that's just three matches of the eight total, so the 2009 Night of Champions PPV results could produce many new champions!

See the full analysis of Night of Champions 2009 matches. You can also take a look at the 2009 Night of Champions predictions here.

You'll find the final results for 2009 Night of Champions listed in order below....

Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase vs. Chris Jericho & Mystery Partner
Unified Tag Team title match

After Chris Jericho arrived to the ring, video was shown of Edge after undergoing surgery, vowing to return to the ring again. Jericho began to denounce his former tag team partner Edge for leaving him high and dry to defend the belts. After disrespecting Edge for a few moments, Jericho then made the big announcement, his mystery partner is a man worthy of being a champion...The Big Show! Big Show arrived to the ring carrying both of the Unified Tag Team title belts, and immediately went to work in the ring taking out Rhodes, and then Dibiase when he tagged in.

Late in the match, Jericho went for the Walls of Jericho on Dibiase, but Dibiase countered trying for Dream Street. Jericho countered that and finally put Dibiase in Walls of Jericho. Cody Rhodes rushed in to break it up with a DDT on Jericho. Big Show tagged in after Dibiase dropkicked Jericho. Show tackled down Dibiase with a Spear, and Cody Rhodes dropkicked Show. As the ref became distracted by it all, Jericho hit a Codebreaker on Dibiase. Show then locked in his Camel Clutch style submission to make Dibiase tap out.

Winners: Big Show & Chris Jericho win via submission over Rhodes & Dibiase to retain the Unifited Tag team titles.

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Christian vs. Tommy Dreamer
ECW Title Match

In his hometown of Philly, the ECW original Tommy Dreamer looked to successfully defend his ECW Title. As the match was continuing, former champion Christian was put into a Texas Cloverleaf submission by Dreamer. Christian managed to block the hold, and the two men exchanged near pinfalls. Christian managed to kick Dreamer in the head and then hit a dropkick from the turnbuckle. Christian then was able to hit Killswitch for the 3 count to become new ECW Champion!

Winner: Christian wins via pinfall over Tommy Dreamer to become new ECW Champion.

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MVP vs. Carlito vs. Miz vs. Primo* vs. Jack Swagger vs. Kofi Kingston
6 Pack Challenge
United States Championship

*Primo Colon became a late replacement for Big Show, who did not participate after teaming with Chris Jericho in the earlier tag title match.

As the match was winding down, Carlito, Primo and Kofi traded pinfalls. Jack Swagger started to annihilate his opponents in the ring with MVP just getting back inside. MVP was able to hit the Playmaker on Jack Swagger. Just then, The Miz hit the Reality Check on MVP. Miz went for a pinfall but Carlito and Primo threw him out of the ring. Carlito and Primo went at it, and Carlito hit the Backstabber on Primo. Kofi Kingston then hit Trouble in Paradise on Carlito to score the winning pinfall, retaining his US Title.

Winner: Kofi Kingston wins the 6 Pack Challenge via pinfall over Carlito to retain the United States Title.

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Melina vs. Michelle McCool
WWE Womens Title Match

As Melina was preparing to do her traditional split maneuver before entering the ring, Michelle kicked her off the apron. The bell soon sounded with the match underway. The two battled it out in the ring with Melina taking Michelle down.

As the fight eventually went outside the ring, Melina and Michelle fought near the barricade. After a DDT by McCool she headed back into the ring. They went back outside again, with Melina jumping off the apron ont Michelle. Back in the ring, Melina was able to take McCool down to the mat and kneed her several times in the back. Melina continued to work on McCool as she stomped her midsection while Michelle was against the ropes. After a failed pinfall attempt by Melina, Michelle hit a belly-to-belly takedown on Melina. Melina was able to deliver a heel kick to Michelle, but Michelle countered it and stole the pinfall victory in surprise fashion.

Winner: Michelle McCool wins via pinfall over Melina to retain the WWE Womens Title.

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John Cena vs. Triple H vs. Randy Orton
WWE Title Triple Threat

Late in the WWE Title contest, John Cena had knocked Orton onto the mat and prepared for a Five Knuckle Shuffle. As Cena went back towards the ropes, HHH pulled the ropes down causing Cena to spill out of the ring. HHH locked in a Sharpshooter on Orton, who was in pain but refused to tap out. John Cena re-entered the ring and put half of his STF submission on Orton as well. Orton appeared to be tapping out but the ref didn't call for the bell.

Legacy soon hit the ring and attacked both Cena and Hunter. Cena went to use the Attitude Adjustment on Rhodes, with Orton rushing over to hit a surprise RKO. Orton took the winning pinfall from there to retain.

Winner: Randy Orton wins via pinfall over Triple H & John Cena to retain the WWE Title.

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Mickie James vs. Maryse
WWE Divas Championship

Late in this divas catfight, Maryse tossed Mickie James to the outside, then followed her out to slap her around. Maryse tried to use her spray can again, with Mickie kicking it out of her hands then grabbing it. Mickie toyed with the idea of spraying Maryse, until the ref took the spray can away. Back in the ring, Mickie went for a move off the corner with Maryse rolling out of the way, then trying for a pin. Mickie escaped the pin at 2, so Maryse applied a submission hold. Mickie escaped the submission then smashed Maryse face first into the mat. After a clothesline and neckbreaker, Mickie only scored a 2 count pinfall. She eventually countered a Maryse move to hit her DDT for the winning pinfall.

Winner: Mickie James wins via pinfall over Maryse to become the new Divas Champion.

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Dolph Ziggler vs. Rey Mysterio
Intercontinental Champion

Late in the match, the opportunistic Dolph Ziggler applied a full nelson onto the champion inside the ring. Rey was able to power out of the move, with Ziggler quickly re-applying the hold. The two wrestlers exchanged pinfall attempts. Eventually, Mysterio tripped Ziggler into the corner turnbuckle, causing him to hit face first. Mysterio got on the top rope to jump at Ziggler, with Ziggler dropkicking him from the air. Ziggler had a near pinfall. Rey set up Ziggler up on the corner and went up after him. Ziggler countered him and hit a gut buster. Ziggler could only score the 2 count. From there, Mysterio hit a 6:19 and then his finishing splash to win it.

Winner: Rey Mysterio wins via pinfall over Dolph Ziggler to retain the Intercontinental Title.

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Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk
World Heavyweight Title

Earlier in the night, CM Punk came out to the crowd with a mic in hand to talk about how they are failing due to the mistakes their parents made. In his match against Hardy, Punk made a few mistakes, including getting caught in several Twist of Fates and a Swanton Bomb.

Late in the match, Punk used high kicks on Jeff, but Jeff was able to hit him with Twist of Fate. Hardy went for a Swanton Bomb, but Punk put up his knees to block the move. After a failed pin, Punk went off the middle rope with Jeff countering him. Punk grabbed Jeff and hit GTS, but couldn't get a 3 count after trying several times. A frustrated Punk, grabbed his World Heavyweight title to retreat up the ramp. Jeff ran up and forced Punk to drop the belt, then brought him back to the ring. The referee eventually had to pull Jeff off Hardy in the corner. Hardy managed to hit Punk yet again with Twist of Fate, and then got to the top to connect on the Swanton Bomb. After a 3 count, Jeff Hardy is your new World Heavyweight Champion!

Winner: Jeff Hardy wins via pinfall over CM Punk to become the new World Heavyweight Champion.

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Thanks for visiting WWE Characters the Blog for your updated results from 2009 Night of Champions. Make sure to watch Monday Night Raw on Monday July 27th featuring special guest host Shaquille O'Neal!

Dolph Ziggler & John Morrison on the Rise

Dolph Ziggler seems to be on a meteoric rise since his arrival at WWE Smackdown. John Morrison also seems to be getting a push he deserves since arriving to the roster. It seems these two men brought over to WWE Smackdown via the draft are ready to really cash in for their share of the fame. Will these two superstars capture the glory of WWE Championship gold?

Morrison's had a fair share of WWE prizes including the tag titles, Intercontinental Title and ECW title. With his recent wins against the current World Heavyweight Champion, CM Punk, and an impending title match after Night of Champions, it looks like he may be inching closer towards that top tier championship. Morrison's got the look of a superstar athlete and has been known to do decent on the mic occasionally. He's got a look/style like a new age version of Shawn Michaels. In the past, he and Punk had memorable matches on ECW, however, they may bring even more out for the Smackdown show now. If Jeff Hardy doesn't win at Night of Champions, expect Morrison and Punk to start feuding over the WH Title. It's completely plausible to see Morrison as the next World Heavyweight Champion.

Then there's Dolph Ziggler who has gained some serious haters and heat, all in the process of leaping to the top tier of competition. More than likely he will win the Intercontinental title from Rey Mystero this Sunday at Night of Champions, and also partner up with Chris Jericho to really put Ziggler into the top of the WWE ranks. This guy's got a pretty good gig going and he's definitely one of the top heels in the biz right now along with Jericho and Orton. Sorry Edge, you'll be back soon enough.

For now, Morrison and Ziggler are both without titles, but you can't ignore that both superstars will have gold around their waist soon. Expect Ziggler to be the first, but Morrison is not far behind. Actually, Morrison's resume is ahead of Ziggler's, for now.

Feel free to leave your thoughts about these two superstars and how WWE is currently promoting them...

The Next Champions for WWE?

We're a month removed from Wrestlemania 25, and a week or so past Backlash which produced 3 new champions in Edge, Randy Orton and Christian. Now that each of the major rosters has its next major champion, let's look at what may happen next with the rest of the titles within the ranks of the WWE. Below are discussions of the Intercontinental, United States, Divas, Womens and Unified Tag Championships, as well as who may be the next superstars to win the titles.

Intercontinental Championship
Current Champ: Rey Mysterio
Likely Successor: Chris Jericho
Other Contenders: John Morrison, Dolph Ziggler, Umaga

Just based on the recent Fatal Fourway matchup, it looks like Jericho may enter a feud with Mysterio to once again capture the IC title. John Morrison is also a former IC title holder, as is Umaga who seemed to be squashing Jeff Hardy quite a bit when he had the belt. Dolph Ziggler would be a new look champion and establish this guy's credibility, but at the same time it would further make the belt look like anyone and everyone has won it. I'm excluding CM Punk and Jeff Hardy here since they seem to be amongst the major title contenders. Kane just seems to be out of luck when it comes to WWE gold.

United States Championship
Current Champ: MVP
Likely Successor: Matt Hardy
Other Contenders: Big Show, The Miz, The Brian Kendrick

Matt Hardy's latest heel gimmick involved him using his arm (in a cast) to smash down across the back of Goldust's neck, and then collect a pinfall victory. This came after Matt whined about his Backlash loss to Jeff in an I Quit match. It seems like maybe Matt and MVP will renew their old rivalry, this time with Matt on the heel side and MVP the face. Matt would find a way to cheat and regain the US title yet again. The other contenders could just as easily be seen wearing the belt as well, based on their recent transfer to Raw. If The Miz gets the big push he may get, the US title may be a nice addition to his resume.

WWE Divas Championship
Current Champ: Maryse
Likely Successor: Kelly Kelly
Other Contenders: Beth Phoenix, Mickie James

Unless WWE is planning a major comedic moment where Santina Marella wins the title from Maryse, Kelly Kelly seems deserving of a title. She had been showing major improvement in the ring for some time, and just recently has seemed to be taken out of the spotlight. It'd make for a great battle of the blond divas as well. Beth Phoenix and Rosa Mendes are bound to enter in a feud at some point, so one of them may turn face and become the fan favorite taking on Maryse. Mickie James is the veteran diva favorite, and I wouldn't count Candice Michelle out either.

WWE Womens Championship
Current Champ: Melina
Likely Successor: Michelle McCool
Other Contenders: Alicia Fox, Gail Kim?

There seems to be slim pickings on Smackdown for contenders, but maybe that makes Alicia Fox an even stronger possibility. The fact she seemed to be a face valet/wrestler on ECW, but then recently teamed with McCool on Smackdown makes her an interesting possibility. Michelle has always been the strongest of the divas on Smackdown, so she makes the most logical choice to defeat Melina. Alicia Fox has looked good in the ring in various contests, while Gail Kim's a true question mark with how she hasn't been pushed a lot since here return to WWE. There's also Maria to consider, while Eve and Layla are busy dancing rather than wrestling.

Unified Tag Team Championship
Current Champs: Carlito & Primo Colon
Likely Succesors: Rhodes & Dibiase
Other Contenders: The Brian Kendrick & The Miz?

This one seems to be the no brainer of the list and may be the first of these titles we see change over. It seems like everything will align for Legacy, with Orton in command of the WWE title, and his understudies, Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase taking over the tag team belts. Recently, Dibiase defeated Carlito in a singles match on Smackdown, showing that the title match is inevitable. This may even go down at Backlash and be the only title we see change hands. There's not many other tag teams to choose from on Raw, unless we see The Miz & Brian Kendrick team up, or some other tag team thrown together like a Batista-Cena combo again.

Feel free to share your thoughts, comments and opinions on the next champions for the titles mentioned above.

Poll: Best 2009 WWE Draft Move

We're now one week past the 2009 WWE Draft and almost a week past the supplemental draft which sent all sorts of wrestlers to new rosters in WWE. Notably, the WWE Champion Triple H was drafted to Raw, giving the show two major title holders, since John Cena has the World Heavyweight title on Raw as well. The WWE Womens Champion Melina moved to Smackdown, basically trading places as the Divas champion Maryse was drafted to Raw. United States Champion MVP and Intercontinental Title holder Rey Mysterio also swapped shows. Top heels Chris Jericho and Kane moved over to Smackdown giving that show even more star power. In the latest poll below you'll find many of these draft moves listed. Vote for which draft move you think was the best move in 2009!

Which of these 2009 WWE draft moves was best?
	Triple H to Raw
	Jericho to SD
	Mysterio to SD
	CM Punk to SD
	Matt Hardy to Raw
	MVP to Raw
	Melina to SD
	Maryse to Raw
	Kane to SD
	Other None of Above
pollcode.com free polls

WWE Encyclopedia & Wrestlemania 25 Business

According to a recent Houston Chronicle article, WWE's Wrestlemania 25 Pay-Per-View could translate to a big boost for the Houston economy. On Tuesday, Houston Mayor Bill White held a news conference which included WWE diva Melina and WWE superstar Rey Mysterio. Melina will be part of the "Miss Wrestlemania 25 Divas Battle Royal", while Rey Mysterio will attempt to defeat JBL for the Intercontinental Title. The story discusses how when a big event like Wrestlemania hits town it usually means big bucks. Last year's Wrestlemania 24 in Orlando did just that, so Houston government officials are hoping for the same. However, the current economy might not be the best for business. Joe Ortale, president and CEO of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, is optimistic about the event's financial impact.

According to Houston Chronicle: 

“It couldn’t come at a better time,” Ortale said. “The hotel industry has been in free fall” as the recession causes corporations to cut back on travel.

“If we don’t equal what it did for Orlando, we’ll come very close,” he said. Many people don’t realize that WrestleMania is on the scale of a Major League Baseball or NBA All-Star game, said John Saboor, WWE’s senior vice president of special events.

The main event Sunday at Reliant Stadium is expected to draw 70,000 fans.

John Keeling, senior vice president of PKF Consulting, a hotel consulting firm, doesn’t believe Houston’s economic benefit will be equal to Orlando’s.

Orlando is more of a tourist destination, he noted. Also, the U.S. is in a recession and attending WrestleMania is “really discretionary.”

Saboor disagreed, noting that many die-hard WWE fans make WrestleMania their one vacation of the year.

It was noted that when Wrestlemania came to Houston's Astrodome in 2001, it set an attendance record and brought an impact of $13 million additional dollars into the economy. The week of fun events is currently underway with things like Superstar appearances and the Fan Axxess tour which features all sorts of wrestling fun. Saturday will see the 2009 Hall of Fame ceremony which features Stone Cold Steve Austin among its latest inductees, while Sunday will be the 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania complete with a full card of exciting matches.

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In other WWE business news, the recently released WWE Encyclopedia debuted at #10 on the New York Times Bestseller list.

According to Fox Business News:

WWE Encyclopedia is the only official encyclopedia to chronicle WWE. In addition to its debut on The New York Times' Advice, How To and Miscellaneous bestseller list, it was also Number One on the Sports & Recreation Charts, according to Nielsen Bookscan week ending 3/22/09.

DK Publishing CEO Gary June commented, "When WWE came to us looking to publish a reference that stood up to the energy, visual impact, and drama of WWE's storied history, we knew we would have to produce a book that surpassed the available information online. DK's distinctive visual treatment was a perfect match, and the fan response is proving that."

The must have book features 900 or so profiles of WWE Superstars from many decades and is a great reference for the ultimate WWE fanatic.