WWE Superstars Results: 4/1/10 - Legends' Influence on today's WWE stars

The People's Champ, MVP?
MVP and Kofi Kingston vs. Zack Ryder and Carlito w/Michael Tarver

Coming out of an explosive week from WrestleMania, MVP and Kofi Kingston, who participated in this year's Money in the Bank, teamed up to take on Zack Ryder and Carlito. Either MVP or Kofi Kingston would have done well with the momentum of being Mr. MitB, but that honor has been given to Jack Swagger, who attempted to use it on John Cena before he got the upper hand. MVP, despite recent raves of him trying to relieve the glory days of '07, has gone over with the fans and is a true candidate to become the next face of the company. Kofi, on the other hand, is exciting to watch but his lack of mic skills and loss of identity hurts him for the running. If Kofi is not Jamaican, then why does he continue to act the same way?

At the start of the match, Michael Tarver, Carlito's NXT Rookie, seemed to have a few choice words with MVP as they started trading shoves on the outside. Tarver, who is mainly there to be an observer, may have been trying to make a name for himself after the poor ranking he received on NXT, 7th out of 8 places.

As for the other team, Zack Ryder is peeved for getting squashed by MVP as he missed out on being a part of the Money in the Bank Ladder match. And for the lack of Rosa Mendes' support as she failed to accompany him at the start of his entrance. However, Rosa being in a hot tub with the stars of The Hot Tub Time Machine on RAW may have escalated into a fight between the two. In regards to his partner for the match, Carlito has had his share of girlfriends that always went south, the last being Playboy Model and former WWE Diva, Torrie Wilson.

Aside from the incident with Tarver and MVP, the match mainly focused on MVP's eminent rise of super stardom. MVP has similar traits to The Rock from his charisma to rallying the crowds for the Ballin' Elbow Drop, much like people cheered for The People's Elbow. MVP started his career with "MVP Sucks!" much like The Rock had "Die Rocky, Die!" Though sad that MVP did not win Money in the Bank, it has yet to be used in an honest way, and when MVP becomes World Champion it will be done the right way.

The match ended with Kofi Kingston connecting with the Trouble in Paradise Kick to Carlito, after MVP knocked out Zack Ryder with the Drive-By Kick.

Yoshi Tatsu eliminating former ECW rivals
Yoshi Tatsu vs. William Regal w/Skip Sheffield

Yoshi Tatsu had his own WrestleMania moment this past Sunday by winning a 26 Over-the-top Battle Royal prior to WrestleMania going on the air. He won the Battle Royal by last eliminating former ECW rival Zack Ryder. In this match, Zack Ryder took on another former ECW rival, the 2008 King of the Ring winner, William Regal. Alongside Regal was his NXT rookie, Skip Sheffield, who he could not be more disappointed in after ranking in 6th place.

Despite an impressive Regal Stretch, the match ended with Yoshi Tatsu striking with two Roundhouse Kicks to the back and head of William Regal for the three count.

According to Michael Cole, Yoshi Tatsu got to talk to 2010 WWE Hall of Famer Antonio Inoki, the founder of New Japan Pro Wrestling, a two-time WWWF/WWF World Martial Arts Heavyweight Champion, and a one-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion. After meeting one of his heroes, Tatsu went on to win the Battle Royal at WrestleMania. Inoki possibly provided Tatus with some inspirational stories and advice on succeeding in the business.

The Hart Dynasty - The Team to Watch
The Hart Dynasty vs. The Dudebusters

Who in the blue hell are Caylen Croft and Trent Barreta? Prior to the demise of the ECW, Croft and Barreta were two new superstars added into an unofficial third superstar initiative to offset the loss of Sheamus leaving for RAW. Going through several changes from circus music, to video gamers, it appears they have settled on "The Dudebusters." Really? Is that the best that Croft and Barreta can come up with? Instead of being drafted over to SmackDown following the end of ECW, Croft and Barreta should have been sent back to FCW or have competed on NXT because they clearly need more training.

In the most impressive switch, the Hart Dynasty are now bonafide fan favorites. How did this occur? Just last week on WWE Superstars, Tyson Kidd fought in an impeccable main-event against Rey Mysterio. However, it did not start there seeing as a little boy shouted out "Tyson, you suck!" during mid-match. The Hart Dynasty were left out of this year's WrestleMania as they failed to win a Triple-Threat Qualifying match to contend for ShoMiz's Unified Tag Team Titles. But the surprise came when The Hart Dynasty, along with other members of the Hart family, were named lumberjacks for Bret's No Hold's Barred Match against Mr. McMahon. The Hart Dynasty helped out a troubled Bret Hart on how to conduct more punishment to the Chairman of WWE. Then on RAW, Bret Hart issued a challenge to ShoMiz to take on The Hart Dynasty in a non-title match. Even though it was won via a count-out, The Hart Dynasty have certainly turn heads and the mind-set of the WWE Universe. Many believed that Bret Hart would be spending most of his stint managing the Hart Dynasty, but Bret only needed to endorse them once in a major way to put them on the map.

The match was a fantastic display on why the Hart Dynasty are the team to watch. While Croft and Barreta were impressive in cutting off the ring, the quickness of Tyson Kidd offset that of a potential double team effort. The final graduate of the infamous Hart Dungeon, Tyson Kidd has proven in his mat work why he is the best in-ring technician that the WWE has. The son of "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, David Hart Smith is a brawler much like his father. His shoulder tackles along with his impressive array of suplexes really provides an interesting fortitude for the Hart Dynasty. Trent Barreta was unable to bring down Smith with a flying neckbreaker because Smith managed to tag in Tyson Kidd to perform The Hart Attack. The match ended in a submission victory after Tyson Kidd slapped on the Sharp Shooter to Trent Barreta, while David Hart Smith kept Caylen Croft from breaking the hold with a big boot to the face.

NXT Results: 3/30/10 - Charisma over Wrestling?

The American Dragon is #1

In WWE NXT's 6th week of competition, NXT host Matt Striker finally revealed the purpose of NXT. The winner of the NXT competition will not only become the next breakout star, but the winner will receive a title opportunity against the champion of their choice at a pay-per-view event. Now the reason that Matt Striker informed the WWE Universe is because the pros had casted their first official vote weighing in on Win/Loss record; Strength of opponent; Work Ethic; and the "It" factor. These are the results of the 1st Pros Poll:

8th Darren Young
7th Michael Tarver
6th Skip Sheffield
5th David Otunga
4th Heath Slater
3rd Justin Gabriel
2nd Wade Barrett
1st Daniel Bryan

In six weeks another poll will be conducted, and this time if a rookie is ranked last they will be eliminated from competition. And each week after that a rookie will continue to be eliminated until there are only four remaining. Unsure what the final four will be doing, but we will find out as NXT marches on.

Darren Young, who's dead last on the Pros' Poll, has had a tough time trying to make an impact due to the lack direction from his mentor, C.M. Punk. Daniel Bryan, despite his 0-5 loss record, is #1 on the Pros' Poll obviously due to his tremendous work ethic and strength of opponents, including matches against World Champion Chris Jericho and former World Champion The Great Khali. However, The American Dragon noted Michael Cole for his disparaging remarks on his 10-year indy wrestling career; and mocked a certain "A-lister" for his lack of wrestling ability, despite having "charisma." In the realm of the WWE, charisma tends to be more important than wrestling ability (just look at John Cena and Batista). A feud between David Otunga and Daniel Bryan could be the defining feud between the art of pro-wrassling and sports entertainment.

The Majestic Eagle is the Best in the World, thanks to Jericho!
Pros SmackDown vs RAW 8-Man Tag Team Match

Advertised for the 6th installment of NXT was a SmackDown vs. RAW Pros 8-Man tag team match, followed by an 8 Rookie Battle Royal where the winner will host the following Monday Night RAW.

Representing RAW were Christian, William Regal, Carlito, and The Miz, and representing SmackDown were R-Truth, C.M. Punk, Matt Hardy, and Wade Barrett? After Chris Jericho successfully defended his World Title against Edge at WrestleMania, Edge speared Jericho off of the announce table and into the time keeper's barricade. Chris Jericho, despite still being the World Heavyweight Champion, was unable to compete and allotted his NXT Rookie, Wade Barrett, his spot in the match. Chris Jericho revealed later on as he commented alongside Michael Cole and Josh Matthews that it was part of his strategy to allow Barret to gain experience and momentum within the NXT competition.

Chris Jericho did a phenomenal job commentating, as he was unbiased towards everyone in the ring, paying each of them their dues. The WWE Universe loves Matt Hardy because of his drive to rise to the top of the WWE; R-Truth's quickness and agility with various drop and flying kicks makes him entertaining to watch, including the fact that he tried bumping off everyone on the RAW side (friend or foe) in order to avoid a possible pin-cover break; despite the talks of S.E.S., C.M. Punk is a great wrestler seeing as Jericho and him have has battles in the past; William Regal showed mutual respect towards his countrymen, Wade Barret, but refused to fight him, which he did not respect him fully enough to compete against him; The Miz has done alright for himself in obtaining various championships, but his wrestling experience is less than his NXT rookie Daniel Bryan; and as for Carlito, he maintained good offense by wearing down R-Truth and Matt Hardy.

The ending moments of the match came about when Wade Barret broke Christian's cover over C.M. Punk which broke into a melee of finishers and high risk maneuvers from the other pros. Wade Barrett then tagged himself in, which, prompted by the distraction from Chris Jericho, was able to toss Christian with his modified fireman's carry slam. If there was any doubt that Wade Barrett could become the next breakout star, he pinned Christian within this all Pros tag team match. Chris Jericho is the best in the world at what he does, whether its wrestling, commentating, or mentoring the next WWE Superstar.

The A-Lister to Host Monday Night RAW
8-Rookie Battle Royal: Winner hosts Monday Night RAW

The 8-Rookie Battle Royal determined a quick winner within David Otunga, but the methods of these NXT Rookies were, well, rookie mistakes. Due to amazing victory just moments ago, the other 7 Rookies first eliminated Wade Barrett. Michael Tarver was soon eliminated during commercial break; and soon there after, Skip Sheffield tried charging through Darren Young, but was instead tossed over the ropes. Young attempted a high aerial maneuver but was knocked off and eliminated by Daniel Bryan. Heath Slater charged and knocked over and eliminated Daniel Bryan, while also eliminating himself.

The match came down to Justin Gabriel and David Otunga. Aside from NXT, Justin Gabriel has been training and receiving instruction by both Matt and Jeff Hardy. The Hardys are very fond of Justin and believe that he will become the next break out star. However, Justin Gabriel's disadvantage came down to his size and wrestling style. Instead of strategizing how to knock over Otunga from the top rope, Gabriel found it best to execute the 450 Splash. Then he attempted to pick up the dead weight of Otunga and roll him over the top rope. If Justin wants to know how to win a Battle Royal, especially at his size and strength, he should look at tapes of Shawn Michaels and how he did it. David Otunga overpowered Justin Gabriel and won the match. So this Monday Night, David Otunga hosts Monday Night RAW.

WWE Superstars Results: 3/11/10 - Superstars to Push

Dolph Ziggler vs. Shelton Benjamin

In the second encounter between Dolph Ziggler and Shelton Benjamin, Ziggler's sleeper hold rendered Shelton Benjamin unconscious. After a failed Zig zag appeared to forshadow another loss, Ziggler lached on the devastating sleeper and body scissors to drag Benjamin to the canvas. Matt Striker has always stated that Ziggler has executed the sleeper to perfection, now Ziggler can back it up.

How to build Dolph Ziggler?: If Dolph Ziggler is suppose to resemble Curt Henning, should he not talk more? When he first started out, you couldn't get Ziggler to shut his cake hole, but recently, Ziggler has become the silent jobber. It is not too big of a deal for Ziggler to have failed in his Intercontinental Title hunt, but he still has to remain relevent to TV. If he doesn't have a feud, then find someone. Polish off those mic skills, create viginettes, and improve on the mat work.

Mike Knox vs. Goldust

Goldust, after signing with SmackDown after the demise of ECW, has become exclusive to WWE Superstars. After a loss to Chris Jericho last week, Goldust pulled an impressive victory over Mike Knox with The Final Cut. What is more impressive is that the veteran is getting the push rather than the young guy.

How to build Mike Knox?: Obviously, Mike Knox has become the new Snitsky, but why should he? Aside from his impressive beard, Mike Knox is a magnificant giant who can throw his 300-pound frame in devestating cross bodies. If Mike Knox should lose a match, let it be from doling out so much pain and punishment that he fails to adhear to the referee's 5-count. Otherwise, what is the point?

Santino Marella vs. Zack Ryder

Santino Marella, sporting a clean shaven face, finally struck his Cobra maneuver. However, thanks to the distraction by Rosa Mendes, Zack Ryder managed to connect with the Rough Ryder followed immediately by the Zack Attack. Michael Cole and King doing a bad job remembering Ryder's moves, but no need to fear, because I still remember them.

How to build Santino Marella?: Despite his two I-C reigns and attempting to break the record for longest reign, Santino Marella is merely an entertainer. During the match, there was a sense of an underline tension between Santino and Zack. Marella did not look at all happy contesting against the Long Islander. There is also the possibility that Santino is tired of jobbing to just about everyone, especially with the ease that Santino executes those Steamboat arm drags, and cheerleader splits to evade lariats. Underneath that thick accent of Santino lies a warrior, and it is time that the WWE Universe gets to witness that. Allow him to become the Milan Miracle once again.

Chavo Guerrero and Carlito w/Michael Tarver vs. MVP and Christian w/Heath Slater

In one of the better main events to come across WWE Superstars in a long time, former ECW Champion, Christian teamed with former US Champion, MVP to take on former ECW Champion Chavo Guerrero and former US Champion, Carlito. This was the tag team of the former champions, but notice how neither is a former World Champion. Yet, that can all change at WrestleMania because Christian and MVP are in the Money in the Bank Ladder match, where the winner will get a guarenteed World Title shot at any point in time, up to one year.

Both teams were impressive, especially the powerhouse of Christian and MVP, who are clear fan favorites. Eventhough MVP is one of the odds on favorites to win this year's MitB, Christian's seniority trumped MVP in this match, as he locked in the Killswitch against Chavo Guerrero.

How to build Chavo and Carlito?: The two have paired up more than once on WWE Superstars, mainly as a formality of random tag team matches. But WWE may not be aware of what they are doing? The pairing of Chavo and Carlito is exactly the dynamic Spanish duo that the WWE fans crave since the passing of Eddie Guerrero. Chavo's Mexican heritage, along with Carlito's Puerto Rican heritage, can provide some great comical insight to the diverse Spanish culture.

NXT Results: 3/9/10 - Week 3, Just Beginning

Daniel Bryan's Mizerable Losing Streak
David Otunga and R-Truth vs. Daniel Bryan and The Miz

After suffering his first loss at the hands of Darren Young, David Otunga has lost faith in his mentor (R-Truth) without taking the time to realize that C.M. Punk was the cause of the upset. Yet, this week, the two worked as a cohesive unit as they capitalized on the ever growing split between Miz and Daniel Bryan.

As for those two, Miz had a pet talk with Daniel Bryan on his 0-2 losing streak. He also noted that if Bryan was pinned in this tag team match, that he would see to it personally that his dreams of being a superstar would be over.

Daniel Bryan was on the verge of submitting Otunga with a fierce heel hook, but Miz tagged himself in and ultimately lost the match. So in turn, did Miz let Daniel Bryan down? And how much does it say for one half of the Unified Tag Team Champions to lose this match?

The One Man Rock Band is no Bad Apple
Heath Slater w/Christian vs. Carlito w/Michael Tarver

Last week, Heath Slater was spit in the face by Carlito. And Carlito made it known that Slater should be thanking him for getting spit at. Doesn't make much sense at first because who wants to be spit at? But if Heath did not get spit at then he would never have had the chance to prove himself against a Pro.

Heath unleashed some massive right hands at the start of the match, and kept with great offense. But Carlito took Heath to his limits, almost having fun with the rookie. Then Carlito's overconfidence got the better of him as he dictated his maneuvers, but failed to estimate the unpredictability of Heath Slater who managed to get the roll up and the victory.

Heath Slater, if you follow closely, has toned down his excitement ten fold, and has become more focused in the ring. Christian is doing a fine job with his rookie.

In NXT, Size doesn't Matter, But it Helps
Justin Gabriel w/Matt Hardy vs. Wade Barret w/Chris Jericho

Wade Barrett, a personal favorite to win the NXT competition, is rolling with great momentum after defeating fan favorite, Daniel Bryan, last week. This week, he went one on one with Justin Gabriel.

Justin Gabriel pinned William Regal in his debut match along with his sensei, Matt Hardy. With an impressive 450 splash, Matt Hardy is confident that Justin will make it far in NXT. But his match against Wade Barrett was nothing short of luck.

Justin may have the speed of a crusierweight, but Barrett has the size and strength to overpower even the fastest of opponents. With a devastating backbreaker from the top rope and innovative bow and arrow stretches, Barrett is well on his way to becoming the next break out star. However, with an upset from Justin Gabriel who connected with the 450 splash, the momentum has shifted over as Justin is 2-0.

Yet, within defeat one can still come smelling as fresh as an English rose as Chris Jericho slapped the Liontammer on Justin Gabriel and raising his rookie's hand in dominance.

NXT Results: 2/23/10 - Week 1, Daniel Bryan Learns the Hard Way

Daniel Bryan's Personality Test: Fail

Welcome to the premiere post of WWE's newest concept NXT. Let's get underway with what exactly is NXT? NXT is a new concept where WWE plucks out eight rookies from FCW and pair them off with eight WWE pros from SmackDown and RAW. The show kicked off with The Miz introducing his Rookie, Daniel Bryan, an "Internet darling" and famous in the "minor leagues." Daniel's first task: enter the arena along to Miz's entrance theme, introduce himself, and come up with a catchphrase.

According to The Miz, the WWE Universe may not be aware of Bryan's lack of personality. Daniel explained how he wrestled for ten years and he finally has a shot in the WWE. His catchphrase was two words: I'm sorry, sorry that The Miz is his mentor and not William Regal. Daniel Bryan would then come up with another catchphrase directed towards The Miz, "You either tap, or you snap." The Miz then slapped some personality into Bryan, and rightfully so.

In an interview with the host of NXT, Matt Striker, Daniel expressed his dislike for The Miz and claimed that he would make it into the WWE without his help. Sure, Miz came from a reality show before coming to the WWE, but The Miz evolved in the 4+ years he has been here. Miz is after all a current-multi title holding champion, and he always anticipates the unexpected. The main event tonight: Daniel Bryan versus The World Heavyweight Champion, Chris Jericho.

Official Theme song of NXT: "Wild and Young" by AmericanBang

Despite the loss, Carlito is a winner

The inaugural NXT match was a tag team competition set for one-fall; Christian and Heath Slater versus Carlito and Michael Tarver. WWE showed a video package for both Heath and Tarver to explain a little of where they come from. Heath Slater describes himself as a rock band without any instruments; however, he looks like a guy suffering from H.A.D.D.. Heath is unique with his Sunkist hair, flailing of the arms stretch out, and his tongue hanging loose. His dream is to become a WWE superstar, and he looks to make it on NXT.

Michael Tarver is known as Mr. 1.9 seconds, because that's how fast he can knock someone out. He should shorten that to Mr. 1.9, because it's obvious that his quick striking abilities attests from his training in mix-martial arts. Which, if any Rookie looks as if they belong in UFC, it would be Michael Tarver.

There was a difference in style between Christian and Carlito's mentoring, even though Christian's team won the match, Carlito had the better method. Michael Tarver is by far the stronger of the two, so Carlito allowed Tarver to wrestle most of the match in order to build endurance. Christian noticed that Heath was lagging and called for the tag, in which he finished with a Killswitch to Tarver. Carlito lucked out by having an amazing rookie of such stature, but the failure lied in Carlito's poor tag team abilities. As for Heath Slater, the man jumps around like a jackass and should learn the rule: less is more.

David Otunga is overrated; Darren Young needs a prayer

David Otunga's video package was longer than the Rookie vs. Rookie match up between Otunga and Darren Young. Otunga claims to have the personality of The Rock, the cerebral text tile of Triple-H, and the power of John Cena. He has a famous fiance, Jennifer Hudson. He graduated from Harvard Law School, and has been to the white house twice this year. As far as Otunga's celebrity status is concerned, I don't give a damn if the man knows famous people, it is what you do inside that ring which will determine if you are as good as you say.

C.M. Punk has stated that he mentors only Luke Gallows and Serena, and if Darren Young wants to be mentored, then he will have to pledge to lead a straightedge life. Darren Young, obviously the polar opposite of C.M. Punk, is known as a party animal - which would most likely include one of the three things that the Straightedge Society is against. By the end of it all, I see Darren shaving off that ridiculously spiky hair of his.

Without any guidance from C.M. Punk, Young fell prey to the "A-lister" Otunga. In a match that lasted no more than a sip of coffee, Otunga did not resemble The Rock, or Triple-H, nor John Cena; he resembled a carbon copy of Ezekiel Jackson with a poorly executed Ura-nage. Just because he's met the president doesn't mean squat when it comes to the WWE.

NXT Main-Event outshines RAW program

In the main-event, the World Heavyweight Champion went one on one with Daniel Bryan. As we have seen earlier, Daniel Bryan has no charisma or mic skills, and he is shortest man in the entire NXT roster. But a more pressing matter is the total lack of respect that he has for his mentor, The Miz. Daniel feels that he is owed something with his 10-year wrestling career, performing in the indie circuit. It's all good that you elevated your wrestling ability for a decade, but he hasn't been inside the WWE long enough to become accepted by the WWE Universe and WWE locker room.

Daniel Bryan did have an impressive outing with the World's Champion, Chris Jericho. Interesting set up since Chris Jericho is the Best in the World at what he does, while Daniel claims he is the Best Wrestler in the World. Chris Jericho is on a far higher scale than Bryan, and there is a difference between a pro and a rookie. Daniel Bryan focused all his outrage against The Miz towards Chris Jericho, and it was seen when Daniel slapped Jericho in the face and started executing drop kicks and running kicks to the chest.

Daniel, however, went a bit off course when he made a running dive through the ropes, only to be flipped kidney-first against the announce table. If you wanted to know the difference between and a a pro and a rookie, there you have it. But instead of cutting your loses, Daniel Bryan seemed to feed off of that pain and managed to lock Jericho in the center of the ring with a heel hook. Jericho's agony was etched on his face as he scrambled towards the bottom rope; Daniel hoping to make it known that he is the Submission specialist and you only have two choices, you tap or you snap. But it was Daniel Bryan who would tap out to Chris Jericho's liontamer. And if losing your first high-profile match wasn't bad enough, than Miz added insult to injury as he started beating down his rookie for lack of respect.

Despite the loss, Daniel Bryan and Chris Jericho delivered big on the premiere episode of NXT, outshining the entire RAW line-up.

Next week: Matt Hardy and Justin Gabriel come to NXT

RAW Results: 2/22/10 - WrestleMania Taking Shape

Evan Bourne's victory overshadowed by Legacy's downfall

Just this past Thursday on WWE Superstars, Evan Bourne prevailed by pinning Chavo Guerrero in tag team action; then on RAW, Evan Bourne defied the odds by pinning Cody Rhodes of Legacy in a six-man tag match. Yet, what should have been a great moment for the "Highlight Reel" Evan Bourne, became overshadowed by chants of RKO.

The downfall of Legacy may have finally occurred after Randy Orton turned on his brethren, Cody Rhodes, with a rope hung DDT. Orton then abandoned the match and was followed by Ted DiBiase Jr., demanding an explanation; which he responded with an RKO. Earlier on, DiBiase and Rhodes were talking about "a plan," most likely a scheme to turn on Orton; but as the leader of Legacy, Orton is always 10 steps ahead.

Divas' Champion Applicant: no wrestling experience required

Apparently the Divas' Title means that no wrestling ability is required, as the championship match between Maryse and Gail Kim was an embarrassment to women's wrestling. Gail Kim, an actual women's wrestler, delivered on every offensive maneuver within that match, while Maryse simply threw Gail to the ropes and set up for the French-Kiss. How can the WWE award it's championship title to a person who cannot wrestle? Wait... that's right. This is the same company that awarded it's WWE Title to Batista, and at one point, awarded the World Heavyweight Title to The Great Khali. Sadly, Gail Kim sold her soul for a WWE endorsed paycheck to job to models.

After having the Divas' Title match postponed, thanks to Vickie Guerrero, the final round of the Divas' Championship Tournament was decided on RAW. For weeks leading up to this match, Maryse had been trying to draw a mutual respect between the two, but Gail Kim fired back - in French - telling Maryse that she understood every mean thing she disguised in French, and was not fooling anybody. This confrontation, this past Sunday, lead to Gail Kim loosing an impromptu tag team match - turned Handicap - when Maryse was unwilling to tag in.

Maryse was awarded the vacant Divas' title, made so by Melina who tore her ACL back in January, and became the first-ever two-time Divas' Champion.

New RAW Superstar Christian qualifies for Money in the Bank

Two weeks ago, then-ECW Champion Christian, acting as a future free agent, had an amazing encounter with then-WWE Champion Sheamus; and this week it was confirmed, after winning a Money in the Bank qualifying match against Carlito, that Christian has signed on with the RAW brand. A year ago, people thought that Christian's return did not have quite an impact because of his emergence on ECW, those days of extreme are over because Christian is on the A-brand of wrestling shows.

WWE had recently announced on wwe.com that on July 18, a pay-per-view entitled Money in the Bank would air. This news led to many wrestling fans wondering whether or not there would be a Money in the Bank Ladder Match at this year's WrestleMania. Money in the Bank has been a central part of WrestleMania since it's concept at WrestleMania 21, witnessing Edge as it's inaugural Mr. Money in the Bank winner. Luckily, WWE has recently scrapped the MitB pay-per-view concept, along with the rest of the pay-per-view summer lineup after WrestleMania.

Having competed in the 2005 and 2009 Money in the Bank ladder matches, Christian is an excellent star competitor leading into WrestleMania.

The Miz dominates MVP in every way

At Elimination Chamber, The Miz successfully defended his United States Title against MVP in yet another impromptu title defense; and would yet again, along with The Big Show, successfully defend the Unified Tag Team Titles against MVP and Mark Henry on RAW. The Miz, who will be mentoring Daniel Bryan on NXT, has not only been successful at capturing and defending the titles, but undertaking every challenge, scheduled or not.

The constant title defenses against MVP has grown wearisome, as WWE is forcing The Miz to defend all his titles against one man. There are a sea of mid-card opponents that would benefit from title matches against The Miz. And when will ShoMiz be making their way down to SmackDown to defend their titles against the likes of: The Hart Dynasty, Straightedge Society, Cryme Tyme, Croft and Barreta, and Hardy and Khali?

WWE Superstars Results: 2/18/10 - Bourne to Win

Evan Bourne: The Silent Highlight Reel

The veterans Chavo Guerrero and Carlito teamed up against the rookies Evan Bourne and Primo.

Throughout the match, the animosity between the two brothers were eminent, with each trying to get the upper hand on the other. Primo attempted to connect with a missal drop kick from off the top rope but was knocked down by Carlito without the referee's knowledge. Primo would certainly then inflict some much needed punishment with an array of kicks and Carlito's finisher The Backstabber.

Chavo Guerrero, who executed an impressive match, has been underutilized in the WWE for years. In this match, Chavo grounded Evan Bourne with a double wrist-clutch, followed by repeated knee stomps to the chest. As far as I can recall, I have never seen Chavo perform this move. But one person who has utilized this maneuver throughout his career is "The American Dragon" Bryan Danielson, or as he will be referred to by his NXT name, Daniel Bryan. Chavo has wrestled against Daniel in dark matches on RAW, so perhaps he has learned a thing or two from the young rookie. Chavo, especially with the Gory Bomb, has never looked more alive in the WWE ring.

There are very few instances when Michael Cole says something worthwhile, but his nickname for Evan Bourne may be on those lists of rarities; "The Highlight Reel" Evan Bourne. I know what you are possibly thinking, wasn't Jeff Hardy considered that, especially when appearing on every highlight reel involving ladders?

Evan Bourne needs a new gimmick if he wishes to survive the WWE, and if he were to take the initiative to wow the audience members, or be charismatic enough to call out his maneuvers, then he would have an interesting gimmick. Jeff Hardy was so successful with the fans because he had no problem accepting high risk-no reward type matches, and would proclaim to the WWE Universe of his dare-devil goals. Evan Bourne would really benefit by improving on his mic skills and hyping up the crowds. Because as of right now, Evan Bourne is a silent highlight reel, he needs to add some high-octane explosions to get the crowd going. And after pinning Chavo Guerrero with a Shooting Star Press, his future could sky rocket, if he just heeds my advice.

Gail Kim and Katie Lea: Solid Match-up

Usually when the RAW Divas hit the ring, I hit the fast forward button; but this match up between Gail Kim and Katie Lea proved of some interest to me.

Gail Kim, obviously a hell of a competitor, has been a cry for concern to the wrestling fans who watched Gail establish herself as a corner stone of the TNA Knockout division. During her first stint in the WWE, Gail Kim feuded with the likes of Trish Stratus, Lita, Jazz, Ivory, and Molly Holly, during a time when women's wrestling meant something. TNA was another feather in her cap, as she elevated even higher to make women's wrestling more enjoyable to watch than TNA's X-Division. But her recent move to the WWE in March of 2009 has not payed off, as she has been forced to compete in tag team matches and is always overlooked in a title match. Even the instant of Mickie James-Gail Kim title match turned into a flop, as Gail botched a maneuver, and Mickie further made matters worse by etching her dislike on her long face.

More recently, Gail Kim, the finalist competing for the vacant Divas' Title this Sunday, has been building momentum these past couple of weeks by defeating WWE's underutilized female wrestlers in Jillian Hall and Katie Lea.

Her match with Katie Lea proved to be a concrete physical match in which these two women avoided the pretty handstands or awkward grapple holds. Katie Lea showing the WWE Universe that she is more than a valet to her "brother" Paul, threw Gail shoulder first into the ring post. She then went to work by Irish-whipping Gail Kim shoulder-first into the turnbuckle, and following up with a side slam backbreaker. Katie Lea was able to avoid Gail's first finisher, but "Ate Defeat" with a second inverted stomp facebreaker.

Maryse, the other finalist for the vacant Divas' Title, hasn't wrestled in quite some time. But she has demonstrated to have respect for her opponent, and wishes to deliver an honest match at this Sunday's Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. The question is, will Maryse become a 2-time Divas' title holder, or will Gail Kim become the third woman to capture both WWE's women's titles?

Rey Mysterio: Illogical Victory

Rey Mysterio has always been the underdog in the WWE, but what if his credibility as a wrestler is becoming a little too hard to conceive? No doubt, Rey Mysterio reached the pinnacle of his Cinderella story at WrestleMania 22, when he captured the World Heavyweight Title in a Triple Threat Match, by pinning a young Randy Orton. Obviously now, Randy Orton has evolved into a super heel and a mulit-time World Champion, so Mysterio pinning Orton would no longer be considered normal, it'd be an upset.

Lately, Mysterio has forfeited his Intercontinental rematch clause, and has set his sights on the World's Title. He defeated Batista in a Cage Match for the right to challenge Undertaker at the Royal Rumble, and almost defeated the Deadman. Mysterio's credibility in those matches were solid, because Mysterio didn't have to pin Batista, only escape a cage; and as for Taker, Mysterio provided consistent offense and attacked the weak spots but he still lost.

Mysterio starts to lose credibility when he supposedly can overpower a 300-pound-plus giant in Mike Knox. Mike Knox of course has an impressive record of the most losses in the WWE, along with the longest beard, but he should not have lost to Mysterio. I understand that Mysterio has the star power, but if you get struck with a 300-pound cross body, logically you should not be able to kick out.

Last week on SmackDown, Mysterio was able to weasel a victory out of C.M. Punk by countering the GTS, but he received ample punishment from the Straightedge Society. That is the true story behind the mask, no one feels that he should have won the World Title four years ago, nor do they feel that he has a shot at defeating The Undertaker. The point of a match against Mike Knox is to showcase Mysterio's resiliency to punishment, and what he offers to the Elimination Chamber. This Sunday, Rey Mysterio doesn't necessarily have to pin Taker to capture the World Title, he just has to eliminate the last man - with the hope that the last man is not The Undertaker.

WWE Superstars Results: 2/4/10

Wasted Potential: Carlito and Evan Bourne

The following match saw Carlito against Evan Bourne.

At the Royal Rumble, Evan drew No. 2 and fought in a stalemate against entry No. 1 Dolph Ziggler. Evan had 90 seconds before the next participant to join the fray to toss Ziggler over the rope, but instead C.M. Punk eliminated both.

As for Carlito, he was equally as impressive, lasting 4:34 enough time to back stab half the participants in the ring. And who better to toss you out than Shawn Michaels?

The match on Superstars was questionable because Carlito and Bourne have been jobbing for various superstars for most of their careers. Carlito has zero drive, while Evan is happy just having his own WWE T-Shirt.

Suggestion: Either get Carlito back together with his brother, or revive the feud he should have had, and let it lead to outspoken matches, tag team matches, mix-gender matches, any series of matches will do. Have them go on Carlito's Cabana and tear the house down. There is so much potential, and they are letting it go to waste.

RAW Diva Update: Kelly-Kelly in Limelight

The opening match pitted Kelly-Kelly and Eve Torres against Jillian Hall and Katie Lea.

Lately, WWE has been favoring their youngest diva, Kelly-Kelly, as she's appeared on WWE Superstars for several weeks besting Jillian Hall. Whether teaming with Gail Kim or Eve Torres, the focus is centered on Kelly-Kelly.

Side tracking a bit, in other RAW Divas news: Maryse mentioned to Gail Kim, her opponent for the vacant Divas' Title, of how she detests the childish feud Michelle McCool has been having with Mickie James, and she does not want their match to escalate by those means. "Let's behave like women." Was Maryse being sincere to suggest that, or does she have an ulterior motive? The jury will have to agree when I say "motive!"

Now back to this divas match: Jillian Hall didn't try to sing, and Katie Lea seems lost without Paul. Honestly, if they are not going to be used to their potential, then why bother?

Kelly-Kelly and Eve Torres picked up the wins.

SmackDown Midcard Update: What to do

The main event was The Hart Dynasty and I-C Champion Drew McIntyre versus Matt Hardy, The Great Khali, and John Morrison.

Oh, how far Matt Hardy has fallen. Matt Hardy entered the Royal Rumble, executed two moves and was immediately tossed out by Kane. The past couple of weeks, he's had to forge a team with the Great Khali. Either WWE really wants nothing to do with another Hardy, or they have officially run out of things for him to do.

As for John Morrison and Drew McIntyre, the feud ended in favor of Drew McIntyre last week during a no-DQ I-C Title Match. The reason WWE paired Morrison against McIntyre in this six-man tag match is for familiarity purposes. What WWE needs is another contender for the I-C title, to keep things fresh.

Hart Dynasty needs to continue dominating a slew of singles matches, seeing as how they can't make a career out of defeating Cryme Tyme. Just recently, H.D. has been feuding with Khali and Hardy, which explains why they are in the match.

As for the match, Matt Hardy struck D.H. Smith with the Twist of Fate and, instead of going for the pin, Matt tagged in Khali. The Punjabi Playboy picked Smith up and executed the Punjabi Plunge for the win.

With the final scene of Matt and John waving their arms in the air, in a crazy attempt to make Khali look cool. Not really working guys.

WWE Superstars Results: 1/14/10

RAW Tag Team Match. The opening match was a Mix-Gendered Tag Team Match set for one fall, the participants: Primo and Gail Kim versus Chavo Guerrero and Jillian Hall. The rules are simple, the men fight the men and the women fight the women. If a man tags in a woman, than the other woman is forced into the match to take on the woman... same rules applies for the men. Primo and Chavo started off the match and then entered the women. Gail Kim, who is a former Women's Champion, is looking to become the new Divas' Champion as she has advanced into the semi-finals of the tournament. The new Divas' Champion will be determined sometime after the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. Jillian Hall, the world's shortest reigning Divas' Champion, was no match for Gail Kim's quick offense, but when she tagged back in Chavo... things got interesting. As Primo was reeling on the mat, Chavo started to taunt Gail Kim, grapping her wrists and pulling her close. Gail used the opportunity to lock in the Eat Defeat maneuver, which is an inverted stomp facebreaker. Primo then rolled up Chavo for the pinfall victory. This mixed tag team was decent, because it gave a young Primo a chance to shine, and Chavo and Jillian to act on their goofy gimmicks.

Masters vs. Carlito. The following RAW match pit the other brother Colon, Carlito, against Chris Masters. For those who have not been watching RAW, Chris Master's entrance theme has changed from "The Masterpiece" to "Overdrive" by Jim Johnston. It's a steady rock beat, which I could see suited better with someone else, but what are you going to do? Carlito, prior to the match, chewed his apple, and spit in the face of Chris Masters. I don't know how smart that was, seeing as Masters decimated Carlito for the act. Chris Masters was more on point for this match, and did NOT waste valuable time with his pectoral dance. Carlito miscalculated a move, which lead to his eventual demise in the unforgiving Master Lock. Chris Masters finally chalks up a victory, and yes... Eve is still by his side.

SmackDown Tag Team Match. SmackDown did not want to let RAW have all the tag team action, so it was Team Delusional Gangstas versus Team Beards. Why have I given them these particular names? Well... Team D.G. has a former southerner resident of North Carolina, Jesse has ditched the tights for some jeans, some bling, and the only corn he deals with is corn rose. As for Jimmy Wang Yang, he's initially an Asian who believes he's a redneck cowboy. Even the great J.B.L. was offended by this persona, but I think we should all be upset over the fact that he wants to referred to as the Asian Redneck Gangsta.... talk about a personality disorder. Honestly, WWE has no idea what they are doing with these two superstars. As for Team Beards, Mike Knox, who won Beard of the Year in WWE Magazine, has a freakishly long beard that he shampoos everyday to keep it clean. And as for his partner, Charlie Haas, once a part of the World's Greatest Tag Team, has fallen off the reservation for some time now. It was said that he wanted to be released from his contract, so what did WWE do? Gave him a raise instead, as long as you stay with the company and I guess grow a beard while you are at it. At first, I thought Daivari had returned to the WWE, but it was just Charlie Haas with a beard. The match saw a better showing of athletic ability from both J and Yang, as their high flying and technical offense is impressive but deeply goes underrated. These two men managed to knock out Knox out of the ring, allowing Wang Yang to strike with the moonsault, that even The Fallen Angel Daniels would be impressed, as he got the winning pinfall over Charlie Haas.

Byron Saxon, Lame. This past Tuesday, Ezekiel Jackson was named the #1 contender for Christian's ECW Title after eliminating Kane to win the ECW Homecoming Showdown. Now, to learn from his mentor/master William Regal, Ezekiel will pin point the weaknesses of Christian. But enough about that, what really stood out of this match was the lackluster commentating of ECW's Bryon Saxton and Josh Matthews. Saxton was the new kid of the block, taking a first crack at commentating for prime-time television, but he has grown stale. Saxton was stale since the first day he walked into the land of the not-so-extreme, but he recently started adopting a heel-gimmick personality while commentating. It's usually how it goes, the commentator roots for the faces, and the color commentators hype up the heels. Yet, Josh and Bryon have no personality, it's like watching two politically correct voices trying to argue in a polite manner. It's hard to believe that Saxton wrestled over on FCW, unless I told you so, well I did. When William Regal was down flat on the canvas as Christian went for a high-risk maneuver, Saxton called it being dazed, while Matthews called it as being laid flat out. Saxton tries to hard to root for the bad guys, but in this PG world of ECW sequel, it's best not to get the kids confused. Honestly, "Just look at him" doesn't quite cut it when explaining why Ezekiel would win the ECW Title. Which, speaking of Jackson, he was ejected from the arena after doing his best Mad Dog impression. Talk about guys that have too much testosterone, Jackson was grunting and growling at Christian. I'm glad the ref pulled him out of the match, he looked as if he were going to bite Christian. Not too long after Jackson made an exit that Christian took control of the match as he avoided the Knee Trembler and Regal Stretch to finally lock in the Killswitch. The question isn't whether or not Christian will retain his title, but how will William Regal react as to his follower capturing a title that he himself could not?

I'm really not too impressed with these 1-hour segments, which is really a compilation of dark matches, tapped just to fill more WWE-TV time. It allows for the mid-carders to actually shine, but how about a new concept? Inter-brand matches? Imagine a C.M. Punk vs. Christian, or a Jack Swagger vs. Zack Ryder? So that's it for this edition of WWE Superstars, have a good night people.

WWE Superstars Results: 12/31/09

Last Call for Alicia Fox. Since becoming the Divas' Champion in October, Melina has taken on all comers. Actually, Melina has only defended her title twice... against Jillian Hall as to her rematch clause... and against Alicia Fox at Madison Square Garden. Once again she would take on Alicia Fox in a non-title match. And unlike the Women's Champion, Michelle McCool, Melina does not sit at ringside with funny shirts, but, instead, participates in every possible divas' match on RAW. Alicia Fox, who has not been seen in quite some time, took on Melina in one-on-one action. The former wedding planner attempted an inverted double underhook to contort the spine of Melina, but Melina's flexible back bent her body in ways that should not be humanly possible. With that said, Alicia actually walked away from the match... feeling that she gave it her all, yet Melina brought her back in order to execute The Last Call. The competition is really weak over on RAW, while SmackDown has all the diva star-power.

Vance Archer, Future Champion? ECW's contribution to WWE Superstars was a squash match between "The Gold Standard" Shelton Benjamin and Vance Archer. Since the TLC pay-per-view, Shelton Benjamin has not seen ring action, yet his return match was not for the faint of heart. Vance Archer got slapped hard in the face after placing Shelton in the tree of whoa (wrapping the opponent upside down from the top turnbuckle). With that empathic statement imprinted on the side of the face, Vance Archer started mercilessly kicking the abdominal region of Benjamin well past the 5-count. And if that were not enough, Vance connected with the Bull's Eye as his empathic statement to the Gold Standard. Now, this match played off the same way as when Shelton faced off against Sheamus, who also failed to adhere to the 5-count, and that man is the current WWE Champion. Will Vance Archer follow suit and climb the mountain as well?

What to do with Charlie Haas? Aside from 2008, and short stints in 2009, Charlie Haas has, for the majority of the time, been off WWE television; leaving most to speculate that he had been released. Indeed, Charlie Haas did request to be released from his contract, but WWE gave him a raise instead after it was presupposed that Kurt Angle had plans for Haas over on TNA. So, after months of being off screen, Charlie Haas teamed up with Mike Knox in a losing effort against Cryme Tyme. On last week's episode of SmackDown, Cryme Tyme took on a team of local wrestlers, for what reason we will not know; but it appears that WWE took an interest from WWEStrikesBack blog post, since they teamed two superstars mentioned here last week. However, after much fortitude against the likes of Shad Gaspard, Haas fell to the Shout Out of JTG. If WWE really wants to make an interesting team - unite Vance Archer and Haas. Or, they can do the sensible thing, which is to bring Haas over to ECW to be established as a top heel. And what would be better than for the once World's Greatest Tag Team to feud?

Carlito Not Forgotten. The main event was provided by RAW with Chris Masters and MVP taking on Jack Swagger and Carlito. Carlito, really? MVP, no doubt finally severing ties with Mark Henry; not so much that there were bad words exchanged but a mutual understanding of branching off. Mark Henry is doing his own thing on RAW, while MVP has become a regular on WWE Superstars. Jack Swagger, a phenomenal wrestler, uses his height and strength to overpower his opponents, just last week he gave the former WWE Champion, John Cena a run for his money. Both MVP and Jack Swagger are primed for the main event scene, they just need that one match that will catapult them to super-stardom. Chris Masters is beyond shadow of doubt excelling as a fan favorite with his dancing pecks. But are the pecks being over done? Chris Masters is also sporting a new entrance theme, which sounds like any other rock theme, but it doesn't fit "The Masterpiece" as did the theme prior. And if pecks and a new theme were not enough, he also has the lovely Eve Torres by his side. Then comes Carlito... In 2004, Carlito in his first match defeated John Cena for the United States Title. So how can someone who defeated Cena in his first night have such a horrible wrestling career? Ric Flair believes it was due to lack of passion. But at the start of his career, Carlito won both the US and I-C Titles in little over a year, and contested for Cena's WWE Title at New Years Revolution in an Elimination Chamber match, but since then WWE has failed to continue pushing his character. The best possible thing to do with Carlito is to reunite him with his brother, and actually work on their gimmick as Caribbean Cool Brothers. As for the match, Chris Masters flex, or made-dance, his pecks as setting up for the Master Lock on Carlito, but the distraction of MVP knocking Swagger over the ropes prompted Carlito to strike Masters with the backstabber for the 3-count. Carlito, only with Chavo Guerrero, has vowed to make the most of the new year, but will he be able to keep that promise as RAW goes head to head with TNA this Monday Night.

The Seventh Annual Tribute to the Troops 2009

First Match: Rey Mysterio & Mark Henry vs. CM Punk & Carlito. This was a random tag match with a blend of SmackDown vs. RAW superstars, and as we learn from later matches that seemed to be the theme. How was CM Punk suppose to win with a partner like Carlito, who hasn't won a match since....? I challenge the reader to find out when. The referee was really lenient throughout, especially when all competitors were in the ring at the same time. After executing a double 619 to Punk and Carlito, both Mark Henry and Mysterio executed their finishing moves. The ref granted Mysterio the pinfall, seeing as he and Punk were the legal man in the ring.

Champion vs. Champion Match: John Morrison vs. The Miz. Obviously this special was recorded earlier this month, because Drew McIntyre is the current Intercontinental champion, not Morrison. The troops had fun booing The Miz and cheering for Morrison, the fight been good and evil - or awesome and arrogance. Similar to their encounter at Bragging Rights, Morrison came up short, except this time, it was with the assist from the top ropes that Miz got the pinfall. Where was Teddy Long to restart the match? That's what I thought! He only restarts matches when it benefits him.

"Santa" Truth meets the Troops. Santa Clause, noticeably played by R-Truth, asked the troops "What's Up?" And it doesn't matter who Santa Clause is, whether its John Cena or JBL, the Divas will always play Santa's sexy helpers. The Bellas, Layla, Alicia Fox, and Kelly Kelly were the helpers this year, passing around WWE merch and stealing kisses from the brave soldiers who protect our freedom, here in the states.

WWE Championship Match: (C) John Cena vs. Chris Jericho. I hate it when they say, "Don't adjust your TV set - so and so is in fact here tonight." Well, when this special was recorded, John Cena was the WWE Champion, and Chris Jericho was still one-half of the Unified Tag Team Champions. No, Chris Jericho, as a member of the SmackDown brand, could not officially contend for RAW's WWE Title; but because this is for the troops - we can make an exception. Chris Jericho did not amount much of an offense against Cena, he pretty much let him do his set moves to break the walls. John Cena won with the Attitude Adjustment and retained the WWE Championship. No title has ever changed at a Tribute to the Troops special, because this is not for the WWE Universe, this was for the Armed Forces.

Final Assessment: The whole night was rather laxed, with no sense of urgency from either superstar. The night wasn't meat to keep with storyline, instead it was meant to entertain the troops, not us.

Storylines Gone Bad: Carlito and Primo

Carlito and Primo joined together to win the WWE Tag Team belts on their first night, and went on to Wrestlemania to become the Unified Tag Team Champions... What the hell happened?

After losing the belts to Jericho and Edge, and failing to recapture the gold, they just started feuding with one another. Then the feud was dropped, and now Primo remains of television to job, while Carlito remains off.

Just like Ric Flair said, Carlito has no passion for the business. WWE tries to push him, but it always gets dropped due to his lack of enthusiasm and motivation. Writers were even thinking of making him a top face over on ECW, but he just didn't feel like contributing to any story ideas. And after 2 months of being off television, no one has bothered to remember him.

WWE shouldve continued to develop and create storylines for the brothers Colon, because they have a good wholesome dynamic. Maybe then Carlito would still be relevant and his brother wouldn't be jobbing. Heck, Carlito can even do Ladder matches! We could have seen a massive tag team ladder match at the TLC pay-per-view, just like the old days!

Build up for United States and Diva's Titles Fall Flat

For weeks the United States Championship was given new life, but fell tragically short in one evening.

The Miz returned and declared he would defeat Kofi Kingston for the title - and he would prove this through victories.

After last week's Superstars, Jack Swagger also declared his quest to become the new United States Champion - making us believe that the US Title holds more importance than the ECW Championship.

Last week, Carlito stormed into the GM's office and demanded from Mayweather a rematch. Who would've seen that Carlito's rematch would turn into a Fatal Four-way?

RAW's host was Dusty Rhodes, once a part of the NWA where the US Title was once considered a World Heavyweight Title, and it was only fitting that the United States Title would be defended on the night that the American Dream was in charge.

It was a classic Fatal Four-way, with 3 people who have been gunning to reignite their careers. But there was no animosity between any of them.

Kofi is not even feuding with any of them, which makes the match pointless.

It was nice to see all their finishers executed seconds a part from each other, but other that that, with Kofi retaining in his 2nd Fatal Four-Way, it left much to be desired.

That's the problem with Kofi, he has no mic experience, and he has never feuded with anyone, making his matches random.

The second title defense of the night was for the Diva's Championship - no, it wasn't a Fatal Four-Way... but it was unfair.

For the past two weeks, I've mentioned the botched Diva's Title match between James and Kim, and how James was jobbed last week to Alicia Fox. But things started to look up for Mickie James, especially seeing as it was her birthday.

Six of the RAW Divas contested in a Six Diva Battle Royal to determine who would face Mickie James in a Diva's Title Match.

The contestants were as follows: Gail Kim, Kelly Kelly, Rosa Mendes, Alicia Fox, Jillian Hall, and Beth Phoenix.

Gail Kim was impressive - almost being tossed over the ropes, but able to leverage herself in order to eliminate Hall with a head scissors.

However, as impressive as that maneuver was - Beth Phoenix eliminated Kim with a kick to the midsection; thus, making The Glamazon the #1 Contender for the Diva's Title - and 3rd in line to go in the record books of having had held both Women's Titles.

Like I mention earlier, it wasn't fair. Mickie James was at a 100% while Phoenix contested in a match. Sure, she is the Glamazon - but facing off against 5 other women is not an easy task.

Mentioned by Cole and King, Beth wants to get back in the title picture, she wants to be the Glamazon again. Her year with Santino was a dark year in her past that hindered her from being the best - but now with Marella out of the picture, she can return to dominating the Diva's locker room.

Now, Mickie and Beth have a great rivalry dating back in 2008 with the Women's Title. James even defended the Women's title against Phoenix and Melina in a Triple Threat Match, which if you pay attention to women's wrestling, it does not occur that often. But tonight, there was no build up to it - it was selected at random.

James attempted some quick pinning combinations - because the longer you stay in the ring with the Glamazon, the more it goes in her favor.

Yet, Phoenix with a hellacious baseball slide to Mickie against the post, and a shoulder breaker against the knee, it shows her determination to once again be champion.

Beth's downfall was not capitalizing on the impact caused by the boot to the face. Instead, she decides to Irish-whip James to the ropes; which allowed Mickie to pick up momentum and counter Beth with an over the neck DDT.

The match was amazing, but once again - there was no build up to the match. As talented as these two divas are, there should be a personal feud. How come we never see a video collage escalating the feud? We always see it for the World Title matches, why not for the Women?

Presitge Restored to the United States Title; The Miz's New Attitude

While on Smackdown, the United States Title was rarely defended, this explains why there were such long title reigns on the part of MVP, Matt Hardy, and Shelton Benjamin.

Yet, with its move over to WWE’s franchise brand – RAW – things were looking up for the United States Title.

Ever since Kofi Kingston won the strap from MVP on Monday Night RAW, the United States Title has been defended time and time again; sometimes one-on-one and other times in crazy stipulations – Fatal Four-Way and Six Pack Challenge.

Yet, crazy stipulations don’t generate credibility for a championship. It appears as a stepping stone for the next prize. That’s why I side more with one-on-one competition.

On WWE Superstars, United States Champion Kofi Kingston teamed up with Divas’ Champion Mickie James in a Mixed-Gendered Tag Team Match against Carlito and Rosa Mendes.

Unlike SummerSlam 2008, Kofi and Mickie’s titles were not on the line – but a pinfall on either champion can open up doors to a future title shot.

Which is exactly what happened when Kofi was pinned after a fatal Backstabber by Carlito; the pinfall granted the Southpaw from San Juan a Title shot last Monday Night on RAW.

The match was issued by RAW’s Guest Host, Freddy Prince Jr., in attempts to bring SummerSlam to the RAW audience, a little early.

Rosa Mendes once again came out to support Carlito, possibly his new arm candy. If you notice, Mendes is now showing off her flat stomach, probably happy that she shed the weight before getting the axe. Yet, it was funny when she got into the ring along with Carlito (She’s there for ringside support, not to join the match) – He looked at her and politely told her to get out.

The match was a Caribbean Clash of Cool vs. Boom! Carlito has shown more aggression in the ring and his fro dangles low – like an Emo-Caribbean Cool. Many times, Carlito was almost disqualified for not adhering to the ref’s 5-count, but it took the Trouble in Paradise Kick to ensure victory on The Jamaican Superstar, proving that he is a fighting champion and accepts any challenge.

Yet, this match wasn’t the end of the United States Title picture, but the beginning. The following match was not a #1 Contenders match, but it was proving a statement of who is championship material.

The match was Evan “Air” Bourne against the return of The Miz. Two weeks ago, Miz was banned from RAW indefinitely under the stipulation set by Jeremy Piven if he lost to Cena, which he did.

Rumors went around that he would be reassigned to a new brand – possibly start a feud with John Morrison over on Smackdown, or even pursue other projects in Hollywood. But the rumors were silenced last week as the Calgary Kid won the Contract on the Pole match against the returning and now released Eugene. The Calgary Kid was revealed to be none other than – THE MIZ!

The Miz stated before his match against Bourne that he has a new attitude, new look, but the same mouth. The Miz has traded his shorts for a pair of Ying and Yang trunks. I for one love the new look, it shows that he is serious about his wrestling technique – especially since locking Bourne in an Inverted Double Underhook Boston Crab.

Bourne put up a good fight, but Miz anticipated every high flying maneuver and secured the victory with a new finisher – The Skull Crushing Finale (Full Nelson Facebuster)

The Miz stated at the end of his match that this is the first step on his road to the United States Championship. If Miz were to defeat Kofi Kingston, this would mark his first single’s title.

A good part of the first hour of RAW was devoted to the United States Title: A successful title defense; and the promise of a pursuit for the title – Thus, restoring prestige back to the Title.

Time Foretold Randy's Next Challenge; "The Masterpiece" Returns

Much controversy surrounds the Triple Threat Match at Night of Champions: Who was Randy Orton tapping out to? Why didn’t the referee ring the bell to Orton submitting? Shouldn’t Orton have been disqualified for the interference of Legacy?

These answers have and will remain buried through the passing of the pay-per-view. The WWE Universe must now look forward to SummerSlam.

To determine Randy Orton’s opponent for SummerSlam, RAW’s Guest Host, Shaquille O’Neal issued a “Beat the Clock” Challenge.

The five challengers chosen to compete in the tournament were Mark Henry, MVP, Triple H, Jack Swagger, and John Cena.

Mary Henry started the tournament against Carlito. One would assume that this would be a quick 1-2-3, but Carlito kept his distance from the World’s Strongest Man. Yet, speed wasn’t enough to avoid Mark Henry’s World’s Strongest Slam – setting the time to beat 6:49.

The next runner up was MVP. He may not have walked out Night of Champions the United States Champion, but this challenge was an opportunity for a shot at the WWE Title. However, after two years, “The Masterpiece” Chris Masters has returned to the WWE, and set to be MVP’s “Clock Challenge” opponent. MVP’s chances of winning were slim since, Masters’ physical appearance resembles that of a Greek god, and his modified full nelson, The Master Lock, is almost unbreakable. Yet, after several attempts to avoid this deadly lock, Masters managed to lock it in - outside of the ring: causing a double count out.

- Since MVP was counted out, he would not advance in the challenge.

The time to beat still remained 6:49, but with Triple H battling Cody Rhodes, it was almost a guarantee that Triple H would advance – key word, ‘almost.’

Prior to the match backstage, Rhodes and DiBiase jumped Triple H from behind and attacked his leg. With this in mind, Rhodes applied the Figure-Four leg lock but Triple H would not submit. As all the momentum shifted over to the Cerebral Assassin, DiBiase climbed the side of the ring – distracting the Game long enough for time to expire. Time would eventually run out as Triple H went for the cover after the Pedigree. Rhodes and DiBiase stopped Triple H from advancing but at a price. Next week, Triple H has issued a handicapped match: Triple H vs. Rhodes and DiBiase – because sometimes you come across a guy, you never should have messed with.

Not really sure what Orton was thinking, because if they stop anyone else from advancing, he would be facing Mark Henry at SummerSlam for the WWE Title – Henry pinned Orton on his first night on RAW, what would stop him from doing it again?

Jack Swagger, exuding the cockiness of a young Orton, was certain that he would advance because he’s bigger, faster, stronger, and younger than the WWE Champion. His opponent was the high flying Evan Bourne – showcasing a new entrance theme and his new WWE Official T-Shirt [Buy Now]. The WWE Creative team is unsure what to do with Bourne – but pinning Jack Swagger within the time to beat seems like a good start. It may not be certain how Bourne will be used, but after pinning the former ECW Champion – things could only go up for Evan “Air” Bourne.

The final Beat the Clock match was John Cena vs. The Miz. Honestly, why not just give Cena the win? Why sit through five matches when it was obvious that The Miz would lose to Cena yet again? The Miz not only failed to run the clock out, but he submitted to the STF. So come SummerSlam, it will be John Cena facing Randy Orton for the WWE Title. Let’s hope that this is not a repeat of No Way Out ’08 – For those who don’t remember, Orton struck the referee to retain the title through disqualification. It was also considered a great waste of Cena’s Royal Rumble winnings.

Kofi Kingston Ja-Makin-Me Feel Sorry for You

For weeks Kofi Kingston has been feuding with the Big Show – so obviously I assumed that this would be the United States Title match this Sunday.

It was announced by Michael Cole and Jerry “The King” Lawler that Kofi will defend his title in a 6-Pack Challenge Match.

Kofi has not had an easy title reign because as soon as he won the title from MVP, he had to defend it in a Fatal Four-way at Extreme Rules. And now a 6-Pack Challenge at Night of Champions where he doesn’t have to be pinned to lose the title.

From the contestants in the match two seem primed for the United States Title: The Miz and Jack Swagger.

The Miz has been trying to impress the Diva’s Champion since coming to RAW, and a title win would certainly make him a winner in her eyes. Also, this would be Miz’s first single’s title – making him a serious competitor in the WWE.

However, there’s the former ECW Champion Jack Swagger. He is conditioned, ruthless, and a two-time All American. Now, what’s more American than the United States Title? One fell swoop from his Gut-Wrench Powerbomb would automatically make him a Champion.

But let’s not count out Kofi Kingston – he did win the Intercontinental Title against Chris Jericho at last year’s Night of Champions. Then again… the Big Show will be competing – and as we saw at the end of RAW’s six man tag team match – he overpowers all of them.

My favorite to win the United States Title: “The All American-American” Jack Swagger.

Why?: Swagger said that he wanted to make an impact; and what better way than winning the United States Title?