Edge’s chances of remaining World Heavyweight Champion looked slim to none has he had to face Dolph Ziggler yet again with Vickie Guererro as the referee. In an earlier interview with Todd Grisham, Edge even admitted that he had no idea how he could retain the World title.
But Edge was defending the title in Green Bay, and one member of another group of champions would have his own say in the match.
As expected, Vickie once again declared Edge’s Spear illegal, then frequently admonished Edge for anything else that was borderline illegal while ignoring anything Ziggler did and trying for a fast count whenever Ziggler made a cover. When Edge finally managed a cover of his own after a DDT, Vickie counted twice and then put Ziggler’s leg on the rope. Then, after the two men knocked each other down with cross-bodies, Vickie but bounced off him and injured her ankle. With Vickie being tended to outside the ring and unable to call the rest of the match, Edge managed to hit Ziggler with the Spear twice before another guest referee came out and counted the fall. The new referee: Green Bay Packers player Clay Mathews.
Alberto Del Rio, meanwhile, said he loved how the six people who will be in the Elimination Chamber on Feb. 20 will beat themselves up before he faces the champion at WrestleMania. He said that while he loves that, his cars and his home country of Mexico, he loves destiny the most and that destiny loves him.
“Aaron Rodgers may have won the Super Bowl, but unlike him, I don’t need to pretend that I’m a World Heavyweight Champion,” Del Rio said, referencing how the Packers’ quarterback was seen with a replica championship belt in his postgame celebration. “I don’t need to pretend, because that’s my destiny.”
That was all Kofi Kinston wanted to hear, coming out and saying how he still remembered Del Rio attacking him wth a Singapore stick last week.
“Right now it’s just you and me,” he fired back, “and this is your destiny.”
With that, Kofi pulled out another stick and rushed into the ring. He did hesitate when Del Rio began to cower in the ring, but he eventually attacked and chased Del Rio away and then trashed his Valentine’s set. Immediately after, the ring was cleared and a match was made between the two.
Del Rio came out hot with several upper punches and kicks and then started wearing him down with multiple holds. Kingston then ducked a flying kick that sent Del Rio out of the ring and finally got going with numerous flying shots once Alberto was back in the ring. This led to his “boom boom” double leg drop and flying cross-body of the top corner, but Del Rio kicked out from the cover. Kofi then hit a modified DDT, but Del Rio grabbed the rope. After Del Rio dodged “Trouble in Paradise” and lured Kingston out of the ring, he slammed Kofi’s arm against the steps. That was all he needed for the armbreaker, though Kingston tried to grab the rope before tapping out.
Layla may have been successful with Michelle McCool, but she has yet to se much recent success as a singles Diva, andit showed again against Divas Champion Eve.
At the start, it looked like Layla was reluctant to get in the ring until Eve threw her in, but then Layla immediately went after her with several hair-pull slams and smashing her face on the ropes. Eve finally got on track when she fought out of Layla’s headlock and delivered a drop kick and standing moonsault. When she went for the moonsault from the top corner, Michelle jumped onto the apron and allowed Layla to trip her up off the ropes. But Layla countered Layla’s cover into her own for the win.
Drew McIntyre didn’t seem focused against Chris Masters, but he still managed to grab a victory out of nowhere.
McIntyre’s first act was to grab a microphone and blame Edge for Kelly Kelly getting fired, dedicating this match to Kelly. Masters took advantage with some quick shots and a near-fall rollup, then kept going with a big power slam that McIntyre still kicked out of. McIntyre then ducked Master’s leap off the top corner and countered a second rollup into a DDT for the win.
Vladimir Kozlov may be one of the Tag Team Champions, but Justin Gabriel once again had the backing of the Corre.
Kozlov slammed Gabriel into the corner multiple times at the start of their match before Gabriel finally brought him to his feet with several kicks. Kozlov fought back with a few headbutts, but Heath Slater tripped him from the outside when Ezekiel Jackson distracted the referee. That got Slater a Cobra strike from Kozlov’s partner Santino Marella. Gabriel hit Marella with a sliding kick, but that was all Kozlov needed to deliver a big boot. Gabriel, however, got his knees up to block Kozlov’s elbow drop and then went up top for the 450 splash for the pin.
After the match, Wade Barrett and Jackson both assaulted Marella and Kozlov.
Barrett declared that the Corre’s “master plan to revolutionize SmackDown” was underway and that Rey Mysterio was the next part as he got set to face Mysterio.
Barrett started by tripping up Mysterio and whipping him into the corners. Mysterio countered by luring Barrett into the corner and hitting a baseball slide. Barrett tripped Mysterio again as he was on the turnbuckle, then fought back a 619 attempt with a kick to Mysterio’s gut, only to have Mysterio grab the ropes and send Barrett flying out of the ring. Barrett then slammed Mysterio into the wall and then began wearing him down in the ring, but Rey turned things around when he pushed Barrett off the top rope and followed with multiple air assaults. Finally he had Barrett set up for the 619, but first had to kick away Justin Gabriel with a baseball slide. That allowed Barrett to recover and deliver the big boot and then the Wasteland slam for the win.
It looked like the rest of the Corre would perform another gang assault on Mysterio, but The Big Show came out, choke slammed Barrett and head butted both Slater and Gabriel. Jackson attacked him from behind, however, and that allowed them to gang up on the giant before Jackson actually suplexed him.
But Barrett won’t have Jackson or the rest of the Corre when he steps into the Elimination Chamber. And Edge, it seems, will still have the title when that day comes – thanks to one World Champion looking out for another.
