UWF Power 25
Monday, 8th of October, 2012 to Sunday, 14th of October, 2012
Who Drops Off
Derrick Bateman w/Johnny Curtis & Maxine
Unfortunately for the trio, their time on the Power 25 has come to an abrupt end. Although they provided us with an entertaining segment backstage, the real work needs to be done in the ring, and Bateman fell short in that respect on NXT this week, losing to Abyss and therefore being eliminated from the Gold Rush tournament at the Semi-Final stage. The three of them a regulars on NXT, so if they have positive week next week then they could bounce straight back on. Easier said than done in UWF.
Watch Out For...
Brock Lesnar w/Paul Heyman
After what we witnessed on NXT this past week, this Power 25 writer could be Lesnar's next victim for not putting him on the list. The thing with Lesnar is his vicious streak, and this past week it prevented him from making the cut. Lesnar at first defeated The Miz due to Miz being unable to fend for himself, but Lesnar's temper got the better of him and therefore the referee reversed his decision, declaring Miz the winner. Lesnar set his sights on the referee, only for Zack Ryder to appear to save the day, but soon that in itself was reversed through Lesnar smashing Ryder's head into the steel post as well as F-5ing him into it as well. If the result of Lesnar's match wasn't reversed, Lesnar would currently be sitting in the Power 25, but a loss is a loss and it keeps him just outside for another week.
Brooklyn Brawler
Who would ever have though that this man would come into the Power 25 calculations? I certainly didn't, but when you manage to win your debut match and already land yourself match at Halloween Havoc, you're probably doing something right. In any case, Smackdown was a night of luck and pain for Brawler, winning his match thanks to the Big Show but also being beaten up for The Animal, Batista, the very man Brawler pissed off earlier in the broadcast. Nonetheless a win is a win and Brawler finds himself already just outside the rankings. If he can somehow manage another victory, he could be on their very soon.
Raven w/Velvet Sky
He may have only debuted last week, but already Raven is making his presence known on the Smackdown landscape. The devious Raven, joined at the hip by the ever stunning Velvet Sky, appeared various times on Smackdown this past week - first he spoke backstage in chilling fashion, then in a match against the Brooklyn Brawler and Alberto Del Rio where he was never pinned, followed by appearing throughout the Television Championship match. Raven even went as far as saving his rival, Dean Ambrose, from an attack from Y.E.S, but the save only suggests Raven wants to finish the job himself at Halloween Havoc. Nonetheless, Raven has put Smackdown on notice, as well everybody on the Power 25 too.
Sting
A vengeful Sting made his first appearance son NXT since losing at Vengeance, and he did so in trademark fashion. Sting let his voice be heard in a creepy backstage segment, taking aim at UWF management as well as Rhino, not holding anything back. Sting states that he is in predator mode, going on to back up that claim at the end of the night by having the lights shut off, only to turn back on as the man himself stood above a downed Rhino and Extreme Champion, R-Truth. The twisted Sting went on to announce a match at Halloween Havoc between the three, and if NXT was anything to go by, the man is back! Could he make his way onto the Power 25 in the coming weeks though?
25. Christian (= 0)
UWF's resident Captain of Charisma, Christian, had a lot to say this past week on Raw, and he pulled out the Peep Show from the grave as the platform to do so. Christian began by reassuring his peeps, who remain hostile towards him, that his return is legit and that he's here to stay. Christian also spoke about how he's happy Teddy Long's gone, how he's already having doubts over the new Raw General Manager, D'Angelo Dinero, but also about how Steve Austin's record-breaking UWF Championship reign forced everyone to forget what happened to Christian at the Great American Bash. Austin was then brought out, and he had some choice words in response. Austin said he had a million better things to do than be on the Peep Show, as well as mentioning his days as champion were numbered the moment Dinero was given power, reminding everyone he was correct. Austin sought the reason why Christian attacked him at Clash of Champions instead of Chris Jericho, the man who injured Christian, to which Christian replied "It's because you deserved it". Christian went on to sum up why he felt Austin's entire reign as UWF Champion ran on bought time and that he'd be seeking his vengeance. Austin showed no remorse, bringing up World Championship matches in his UCW past where he was screwed out of a big victory, pinning it on everybody knowing how good he is. Austin finished by saying he wants nothing to do with Christian, only for Dinero to emerge and book a Hell in a Cell match between the two rivals at King of the Ring, therefore preventing any run-ins, distractions, interferences, etc. They were words Austin may or may not have wanted to hear, but it's exactly what Christian wanted to hear, and he'll enjoy knowing he remains on the Power 25... barely.
24. Bully Ray (NR)
Once again UWF's resident bully imposed his will on NXT, and this week it was in a match. Ray teamed up with the Extreme Champion, R-Truth, to take on the rampaging Rhino and Ray's recent rival, CM Punk. In what was arguably the moment of the show, and possibly the biggest moment in NXT's short history, Ray powerbombed Punk off the side of the stage and through a bunch of electrical equipment and into a pit, taking his rival completely out of the equation and allowing Truth to pin Rhino after Rhino missed hitting the Gore and ran into the turnbuckle post instead. As a result, Ray becomes the only man from last weeks "Watch Out For" list to make the Power 25, but I don't think just making the list will be enough for him. Ray will look to continue his domination in the coming weeks, meaning he could be much higher next week.
23. UWF NXT Champion, Randy Orton (-1)
The Legend Killer turned Viper reversed his complete no show from last week on this weeks NXT, choosing to make an appearance to speak about the reason for his absence. Orton shocked the world when he revealed that his arm was never broken to begin with and that his doctor's original diagnosis was just a "pull and sprain". Orton went on to say that he prides himself on outthinking his opponents, choosing to spread that his arm is broken and therefore fooling his Vengeance opponent, Robert Roode, and the NXT General Manager, JBL. To clear any remaining doubts the UWF Universe may have, Orton claimed he's back better than ever and that it doesn't matter who he defends his championship against at King of the Ring as his reign as champion is his destiny. He rounded that thought up with this - "And this destiny doesn’t end at King of the Ring. King of the Ring, it is only the beginning". The NXT Champion is back and ready to fight, but the appearance didn't prevent him from dropping a spot on the Power 25.
22. Dolph Ziggler (-4)
The Show Off, Dolph Ziggler, had a painful week last week yet still emerged victorious, but the same can't be said for this week on Smackdown. Unfortunately for Ziggler, he was defeated by Mr Money in the Bank, Bray Wyatt, after being forced to tap out to the Tazzmission. Also, just like last week, Ziggler was attacked after the match was over, this time in the form of Wyatt keeping the Tazzmission locked in until Rob Van Dam came down to make the save. Van Dam announced a match between he and Wyatt for Halloween Havoc, but the invitation was also extended to Ziggler to get himself involved for some pay back on Wyatt. It was an offer Ziggler took up, emerging later in the night to Zig-Zag Wyatt on the entrance ramp, who was looking to exact some revenge on a knocked out Van Dam. The match at Halloween Havoc is now a triple threat, but it didn't stop Ziggler from unfortunately sliding down the Power 25 rankings primarily because of his defeat to Wyatt.
21. Abyss w/Daffney (+3)
The sadistic Monster, Abyss, didn't have any words to say before his match on NXT this past week, but instead Daffney spoke on his behalf. She chose to do so backstage, where she began by completely abusing the Canadian crowd, which can all be summed up in one line - "People like you shouldn't be allowed to breath because you just waste oxygen". Daffney also went on to say that Abyss' opponent for the night, Derrick Bateman, isn't smart enough to not face Abyss and that he's going to receive the beating of a lifetime as Abyss moves on to win the Gold Rush tournament and the NXT Championship. Daffney has gotten that claim partly correct as Abyss would immediately go on to defeat Bateman after crushing him with a sickening Black Hole Slam, nearly breaking the ring in the process due to Abyss' sheer power and size. The other part of that claim is up for grabs as Abyss has progressed to the Gold Rush tournament final and is one step closer to becoming number one contender to the NXT Championship. Abyss has also progressed up the Power 25 rankings, which'll look to do once again next week.
20. Zack Ryder (-4)
This week's NXT was a night of pain for the Woo Woo Kid, although it started very promisingly. Ryder began his night with a clip of his YouTube show, where he spoke about how he did the unthinkable last week by defeating the ruthless Brock Lesnar. Ryder followed that up with a poll that he directed at his friends, and the topic was if Ryder would be successful in his match against McGillicutty later that night - they unanimously agreed he would be, although his father still prefers John Morrison over his own son. Before Ryder was scheduled to appear for his match, he came to the rescue of the referee that was being unjustfully attacked by Lesnar, with the two men trading blows that resulted in the MMA specialist punching Ryder over the top rope. Lesnar moved quickly, grabbing Ryder's head and smashing it off the ring post, followed by a swift F-5 into the same ring post. While in clear pain, Ryder's match immediately followed, and although he fought valiantly, Ryder ultimately lost after McGillicutty escaped Ryder's Powerbomb attempt and rolled him up with a handful of tights. Although eliminated from the Gold Rush tournament, Ryder moved on and appeared one final time later that night, this time in JBL's office. Ryder demanded a match against Lesnar at the King of the Ring pay-per-view, which he was given... No Holds Barred! Although not the best of nights for Ryder, he's proven he has a big heart and a massive pain threshold... but it wasn't enough to rpevent him from sliding down the Power 25 rankings.
19. Jeff Hardy (-4)
The Charismatic Enigma, Jeff Hardy, competed in Smackdown's main event this past week, but the result of the match wasn't in his favour. Hardy was priming himself to finish off his opponent, Rey Mysterio, only for his tag partner at Halloween Havoc, Edge, to show up and distract him. The two began to argue with each other long enough for Mysterio to make his way back to his feet and gather the upper hand. In doing so, Mysterio used Hardy to knock Edge off the ring apron, which came back to somewhat haunt Mysterio not too long later. Mysterio attempted to hit the 619 on Hardy, only to have his feet pulled out from underneath him by Edge, causing Hardy to be disqualified. Suddenly Cena throws his headset off and is ready to confront Edge, only for Cena to grab a microphone and demand that he and Mysterio face Edge and Hardy on next weeks Smackdown. In what was a great night for Hardy last week turned sour this one, meaning his slide down the Power 25 must reflect it.
18. Rey Mysterio (+3)
The #1 Contender to the World Heavyweight Championship, UWF's resident superhero, Rey Mysterio, began his night on Smackdown in a pre-taped segment. Mysterio spoke about how earning himself a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship is a dream, but also about how much the UWF Universe mean to him. Mysterio also went on to speak about his opponent for the championship at Halloween Havoc, John Cena, informing us of how excited he is to face Cena, how he respects Cena, and how he's a guy who represents the company with a lot of class. Not to get too caught up in it all, Mysterio went on to question Cena's motives, stating that the match will be used to see how true of a man Cena is, saying that "a smile does not always mean happiness or joy". When Mysterio's match came around later in the evening, he was pitted up against Jeff Hardy, a match which Mysterio won via disqualification. It looked as if Hardy was about to put Mysterio away, only for Hardy to get distracted by his tag partner at Halloween Havoc, Edge. Edge emerged and began to argue with Hardy long enough for Mysterio to make his way back to his feet and gather the upper hand. In doing so, Mysterio used Hardy to knock Edge off the ring apron, which came back to somewhat haunt Mysterio not too long later. Mysterio attempted to hit the 619 on Hardy, only to have his feet pulled out form underneath him by Edge, causing Hardy to be disqualified. Suddenly Cena throws his headset off and is ready to confront Edge, only for Cena to grab a microphone and demand that he and Mysterio face Edge and Hardy on next weeks Smackdown. Mysterio has managed to piece a victory together this week, and therefore rises up the Power 25.
17. Shawn Michaels (+3)
The Heartbreak Kid has shown a massive amount of fight for an aging legend, but he has proven that he has what it takes to continue to hang with the best no matter how old he may be. The only thing holding Shawn Michaels back recently has been a victory, but on Raw this past week he got ahold of one. Michaels defeated the Hardcore Champion, James Storm, in a King of the Ring Quarter-Final match after hitting his own superkick, known worldwide as Sweet Chin Music. It was a big victory in two ways for Michaels - one, he advances to the King of the Ring Semi-Finals, and two, he rises up the Power 25, making his spot secure when it looked as if he could've dropped off if he was defeated. All Michaels needs to do now is continue this form and rise up the Raw and Power 25 rankings even further, but he'll be encourage dby his progress this week.
16. Goldust (-3)
The ever intriguing Goldust took the time to speak backstage before his match on Raw this week, going on to say how he's surprised how he was given so much time to prove himself when it looked as if he was close to exiting the UWF family. Goldust gives credit to the "affectionless psychopath" he now calls his tag partner in Mankind, suggesting Mankind is the reason for solving his problem, providing us with this line - "I suppose two so called 'negatives' really do make a positive after all". Goldust also shares his surprise about being involved in the King of the Ring tournament after his loss to Curt Hawkins a month ago, as well as sharing his thoughts on his opponent, John Morrison, calling him handsome but also promising to shatter his dreams. The only dreams that were shattered on the night were Goldust's, who was defeated later in the night by Morrison through the use of the Moonlight Drive. In what was a successful week last week for The Golden One turned into a sour one this week, resulting in him dropping a few spots on the Power 25.
15. Big Show (+4)
The massive force of the Big Show was victorious on Smackdown this week, accounting for Rob Van Dam after the entire world heard Jeff Jarrett accept Show's challenge for a European Championship match. Still, there are no guarantees in UWF, and Show had to go out there and pick up the victory, doing so after a vicious WMD across Van Dam's jaw, knocking the high-flyer out. Show exited without the slightest remorse, and he emerged later in the night to take his remorselessness a step further. During a triple threat match that involved Jarrett's tag partner, Alberto Del Rio, Show emerged and cost Del Rio the victory, punching a steel chair into Del Rio's face and knocking him out cold. Show would then drag the Brooklyn Brawler on top of Del Rio, leaving the official no choice but to count the fall and declare Brawler the winner. This is a side of Show we're beginning to become accustommed to, but he was capable of adding a victory alongside his dominance this week, which sees him rise up the Power 25 rankings.
14. Michael McGillicutty (+3)
It was another night of positives for the son of Mr Perfect, who began his night in the backstage area, and much like at Vengeance, being discovered was against his wishes. A cameraman caught up with McGillicutty preparing for his match, eventually managing to convince him to speak before he competed. McGillicutty spoke about how he doesn't have any thoughts regarding his opponent, Zack Ryder, that he didn't already say to his face during the week, as well as repeating how he thinks Ryder's a hypocrite. McGillicutty also made note again of how he'd be winning the Gold Rush tournament, going on to become NXT Champion at King of the Ring and therefore becoming the name on everybody's lips like he said he would be. The cameraman got what he wanted, but so did McGillicutty, who immediately went on to defeat an ailing Ryder after escaping Ryder's Powerbomb attempt and rolling him up with a handful of tights. The state of his opponent and the manner of his victory won't matter to McGillicutty as he has progressed to the Gold Rush tournament final and is one step closer to becoming number one contender to the NXT Championship. McGillicutty has also risen a couple of spots on the Power 25 rankings, edging closer to the top ten.
13. Dean Ambrose (-2)
The twisted Dean Ambrose's performances the past few weeks reuslted in a shot at the Television Championship on Smackdown this week, and it was a match that could arguably be considered the best in UWF Smackdown history. Ambrose competed against the often vocal Damien Sandow, and although there were multiple distractions from ringside, Ambrose fought admirably, only to succumb to Sandow in the end. Ambrose was beaten badly and bloody wreck, but Y.E.S decided that that wasn't enough and that they wanted to prove a point. Ambrose was helpless as the group swarmed on him, only for Ambrose to receive assistance from a rival briefly turned ally in the form of Raven, who scared Y.E.S off through wielding a Singapore Cane. Ambrose cared little for the help, telling Raven he's going to have to kill him at Halloween Havoc to beat him, which Raven seemed fine with. Although Raven only saved Ambrose so he could finish the job himself at Halloween Havoc, nothing changes that Ambrose competed in one of the best matches of his career to date, and it was that performance that has only seen Ambrose drop two spots on the Power 25 even though he lost.
12. Mankind (+2)
Stringing together two successive victories would look to be the challenge for the twisted Mankind, but it's something he was able to accomplsih on Raw this week. Mankind was victorious in his King of the Ring Quarter-Final match against the debuting Undertaker, applying the Mandible Claw and forcing Undertaker to the ground. Undertaker was already powerless to prevent the move, but Mankind ensured Undertaker stayed down for good, sitting on the Undertaker's chest whilst the referee determined that Undertaker was no longer fit to continue after raising and dropping his arm three times with no response. With that victory, Mankind has booked himself a Semi-Final King of the Ring match, edging ever closer to becoming Raw's king, but also to the Power 25 top ten.
11. UWF Hardcore Champion, James Storm (-3)
The beer guzzling James Storm caught up backstage with his old pal Jeremy Borash before his King of the Ring Quarter-Final match on Raw this past week, and Borash's fear was evident due to Storm hitting the Last Call superkick on an unsuspecting Borash at Vengeance. Storm spoke to Borash about how his status in UWF has risen due to him becoming Hardcore Champion and how he's looking to extend his two week reign as Hardcore Champion by a further 400 days. Storm takes the time to speak about Shawn Michaels, saying that he's "goin' fo' da' win' no matter what", and looking to make his heart warm by wrestling the match of the night as opposed to ending it in a couple of seconds. It's a possibility that going for too much in such a high stakes match resulted in Storm's downfall later in the night, succumbing to a determined Michaels courtesy of his own superkick, known worldwide as Sweet Chin Music. Unfortunately for Storm, he's eliminated early from the King of the Ring tournament, but if his backstage appearance is anything to go by, his sights are already set on his first defence of the Hardcore Championship. Storm may be a dtermined individual, but that trait doesn't factor into the Power 25 rankings, meaning Storm slips out of the top ten.
10. Mr Money in the Bank, Bray Wyatt w/Eli Cottonwood (+2)
The cunning Money in the Bank briefcase holder, Bray Wyatt, kicked off Smackdown by stating that it makes him laugh everytime that he's made to "come out in front of the morally corrupted and the vessels of sin" and perform like a circus animal, as well as proclaiming he's a Prophet, a Messiah, and the Angel in the Dirt. Wyatt went on to speak about his opponent for the night, Dolph Ziggler, hoping that Ziggler shows off so that he can show that his passage to ultimate glory cannot be stopped by him or anybody else. Those words rang true when the ring bell rang to signify the conclusion of the match, as Wyatt forced Ziggler to tap out to the Tazzmission. Wyatt attempted to prove a point by keeping the move locked in after the match's conclusion, but out came Rob Van Dam, one half of the Justice League, to save the day by scaring Wyatt out of the ring. Van Dam then got hold of a microphone and announced a match between the two at Halloween Havoc, which didn't look to go down too well with Wyatt. He attempted to send a message to Van Dam, who'd just been knocked out and defeated by the Big Show, but as Wyatt made his way down the ramp, Ziggler appeared and Zig-Zagged Wyatt and accepted Van Dam's offer, making the match at Halloween Havoc a Triple Threat. Wyatt's night may not have ended in an ideal fashion, but his victory carries him into the Power 25 top ten.
9. UWF European Champion, Jeff Jarrett w/Alberto Del Rio, Karen Jarrett & Ricardo Rodriquez (-2)
The cunning Jeff Jarrett made an appearance backstage on Smackdown alongside Josh Matthews, where he was asked his thoughts on the Big Show, and didn't Jarrett have something to say. Jarrett was very direct with his response, labelling Show an "overgrown embarrassment" and informing Show that he should be ashamed of himself for picking on two guys who're a third of his size and aren't even wrestlers, which is a reference to Show attacking Ricardo Rodriquez and Josh Matthews the past few weeks. Jarrett went on to say if "he wants to bully a friend of mine, he can just pay the price", going on to accept Show's challenge for a European Championship match. His words may just have poked the bear a little too hard, because during Alberto Del Rio's match later in the night, Show emerged and punched the steel chair Del Rio was holding straight into his face, knocking the Mexican out. To add insult to injury, Show then grabbed the Brooklyn Brawler and dragged him on top of Del Rio, leaving the official no choice but to count Del Rio down and hand Brawler his debut victory. Jarrett wasn't scheduled to compete yet showed up anyway to accept Show's challenge, only to have it backfire on his partner, and unfortunately no match sees him drop two spots on the Power 25 this week.
8. Edge (+2)
The Rated-R Superstar began his night on Smackdown by speaking backstage with Todd Grisham, becoming the first UWF superstar to make mention of the illustrious Power 25 on live UWF television. Edge wasn't happy with his tenth spot and is looking to move up the list, but he also wasn't happy about Rey Mysterio receiving a title shot, making mention that he beat Mysterio two weeks ago. Edge also spoke about how his reign will continue over a guy who doesn't deserve the spotlight as he got beaten at Vengeance, beaten last week and that the same would happen tonight too. Edge was correct, immediately moving on to comfortably defeat Batista after reversing a Batista Bomb attempt into a Sunset Flip, using the tights as leverage to keep the big man down. This underhanded victory wasn't the end of Edge's night, as the Ultimate Opportunist emerged during the main event to assist his tag partner at Halloween Havoc, Jeff Hardy. Hardy was looking to put Mysterio away when Edge emerged, only for the two to begin to argue, allowing Mysterio enough time to get back to his feet and knock Edge off the ring apron, which came back to somewhat haunt Mysterio not too long later. Mysterio attempted to hit the 619 on Hardy, only to have his feet pulled out form underneath him by Edge, causing Hardy to be disqualified. Suddenly Cena throws his headset off and is ready to confront Edge, only for Cena to grab a microphone and demand that he and Mysterio face Edge and Hardy on next weeks Smackdown. Although the main event appearance didn't do too well, Edge's victory sees him climb the rankings, just like he wanted.
7. Kurt Angle (+2)
It was a routine week for UWF's only Olympic Gold Medallist, Kurt Angle. Involved in Raw's first King of the Ring Quarter-Final match, Angle soundly accounted for Kofi Kingston, forcing Kingston to tap out to the vicious Ankle Lock, booking himself the first Semi-Final spot for next week. The victory wasn't the only noteworthy moment of Angle's night though. Immediately after he has declared the victor, Angle continued with the Ankle Lock and was caught yelling “Tap out Sexy Boy!†at Kingston, clearly envisioning that Kingston was Angle's recent rival, Shawn Michaels. Although he's as intense as he has ever been and is also one step closer to becoming Raw's king, Angle hasn't forgotten what Michaels did to him last week, which can only pose problems for Angle's Semi-Final opponent but also for Michaels. Angle's victory and subsequent message sending has seen him rise up the Power 25 rankings and further solidify his spot in the top ten.
6. UWF Tag Team Champion, Daniel Bryan (-2)
One half of the UWF Tag Team Champions, Daniel Bryan, held the second edition of The Dragon's Lair on Smackdown this week, and his next guest was a Diva making her first appearance (and likely last) on UWF television - Lita. Bryan was very thorough with his interview, getting straight down to the point and asking Lita about Bryan's two Halloween Havoc opponents, Edge and Jeff Hardy, two men who Lita has had a history with. Bryan brought up Lita's time as a member of Team Extreme alongside The Hardy Boyz, before moving on to the affair Lita had with Edge. Bryan asked Lita why she felt "the need to crush Matt Hardy and side yourself with someone as despicable and vile as Edge", to which Lita refused to answer. The interview became heated when Bryan told Lita that what she did to Matt Hardy was pretty cold, pushing further and resulting in Bryan getting slapped across the face. As Lita attempted to exit the room, she was viciously struck with a steel pipe by a masked stranger, who began to strangle Lita until she passed out. Bryan quickly discovered who the masked stranger was, asking them "Am I Your Enlightened Savior?" to which the masked stranger revealed themselves as being AJ Lee, who answered the question "Yes.......Yes......YES! YES! YES!" as the two kissed. It looks as if Y.E.S have added yet another member to their ranks, but no match sees Bryan dop a few places on the Power 25.
5. UWF Champion, Cody Rhodes (-3)
Before Raw could be kicked off in it's usual fashion, through the commentary team that consists of Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler, Cody Rhodes decided he'd be the first face on the UWF Universe's television screens. Rhodes appeared on the titantron in the backstage area, where he spoke about how he's now the UWF Champion, yet everybody isn't talking about him. Instead, Rhodes claims the world is talking about many other topics, like MVP's comeback, the rivalry between Christian & Steve Austin, D'Angelo Dinero becoming the new General Manager, but more importantly the King of the Ring pay-per-view. Rhodes goes on to say that the letters UWF "don’t stand for Ultimate Wrestling Federation they simply mean Cody Rhodes", as well as how MVP will just be known as Rhodes' first title defence and nothing more. Rhodes ended in a twisted fashion we've come to expect, saying he look's forward to whatever he does next, although even he doesn't know what that could be. If Rhodes really does have no idea what could be next for him, as well as Raw as a whole, we could be in for a few more strange appearances from the deranged UWF Champion. World Champions aren't immune from dropping down the Power 25 rankings after featuring so prominently, meaning Rhodes does so due to having no match this week.
4. UWF World Heavyweight Champion, John Cena (-3)
It was an unusual night for the World Heavyweight Champion on Smackdown this week as he wasn't scheduled to compete in a match on the night, instead being placed on commentary alongside Jim Ross & Roddy Piper. Cena had some quick words to say backstage before he went out to do the job during the Jeff Hardy/Rey Mysterio match, stating how pleased he was to see that "not all of your opponents had to be self-conceited, douchebags". Cena views Mysterio as a worthy contender to his championship and hopes their match at Halloween Havoc steals the show. Cena also went on to warn Hardy not to try anything shifty, otherwise Cena will enter the fray to save Mysterio. It wasn't Hardy who pulled anything shifty, instead it was Edge, who emerged and began to argue with his tag partner long enough for Mysterio to make his way back to his feet and gather the upper hand. In doing so, Mysterio used Hardy to knock Edge off the ring apron, which came back to somewhat haunt Mysterio not too long later. Mysterio attempted to hit the 619 on Hardy, only to have his feet pulled out form underneath him by Edge, causing Hardy to be disqualified. Suddenly Cena throws his headset off and is ready to confront Edge, only for Cena to grab a microphone and demand that he and Mysterio face Edge and Hardy on next weeks Smackdown. Cena may have gotten what he wanted, but no match has seen him drop down the Power 25 rankings in the same fashion as fellow World Champion, Cody Rhodes.
3. UWF Extreme Champion, R-Truth w/Lil Jimmy (+3)
In his first match since retaining the Extreme Championship at Vengeance, R-Truth teamed with the intense Bully Ray to face CM Punk & Rhino in this weeks NXT main event. Truth's team was successful, but only after his partner produced the moment of the night - a Powerbomb to Punk off the side of the stage and into electrical equipment. The moment didn't distract Truth in the slightest, who went on to side step a charging Rhino attempting a Gore, and he capitalised on Rhino ramming into the turnbuckle post by rolling him up for the victory. Before Truth could even celebrate his victory, the lights in the arena suddenly went black, only to turn back on and show Truth's Vengeance opponent, Sting, standing above both Truth and Rhino. Sting had emerged to announce a Steel Cage match for the Extreme Championship at the King of the Ring pay-per-view between himself, Truth and Rhino. If Truth thought his first championship defence was tough, this sure to be a step above that, but yet another victory for Truth has seen him overtake two World Champions and make his way into the top three for this week.
2. UWF United States Champion, John Morrison (+3)
Prior to his King of the Ring Quarter-Final match on Raw, the Tuesday Night Delight, John Morrison, is once again set upon by Todd Grisham, and this time it creeps Morrison out. Morrison accuses Grisham of being a "Peeking Todd", an accusation that Grisham strongly denies. Morrison moves on quickly and answers Grisham's questions, stating that he's very confident in his ability and is in no trouble of losing his match as he simply cannot take a man who dresses up and wears a wig seriously. Morrison rules out being overconfident, followed by referring to himself as Jaws and labelling Goldust as the little kid paddling in the water that gets eaten by a shark. Morrison is heading to the pinnacle of the UWF, something nobody can do a damn thing about, which, as fate would suggest, included Goldust. True to his words, Morrison swiftly advanced to the Semi-Finals by defeating Goldust, but his victory came a little differently than usual. Morrison chose to win via the Moonlight Drive as opposed to the move that has rewarded him with much success recently, the Starship Pain. Nonetheless, Morrison has continued his undefeated streak, one that's the envy of the entire company, and one that doesn't look like ending anytime soon. That very undefeated streak has now seen him rise up to second on the Power 25 rankings, overtaking both World Champions on his way.
1. UWF Television & Tag Team Champion, Damien Sandow (+2)
In what has become a regular weekly feature on Smackdown broadcasts, the Television and Tag Team Champion, Damien Sandow, emerged from the back with a microphone in hand, proceeding to speak about having to defend his Television Championship against Dean Ambrose, who he referred to as "this individual" due to him choosing to forget Ambrose's name. Sandow went on to say, in no uncertain terms, that no matter how far you've sunk you can still be saved, and in Ambrose's case he would through him a lifesaver. Sandow also questioned the clothes Ambrose wears and his own loss from last week, before ensuring the unwashed masses that there is none who can surpass his ability to outmsart his opponents. In what was by far the match of the night and arguably the greatest match in UWF Smackdown history, Sandow managed to back up his words and defeat a courageous Ambrose to retain his Television Championship, regardless of any outside interactions from fellow Y.E.S members or any others who may have been involved. All that matters to Sandow is he was once again victorious and once again proven correct, but he wasn't quite done there. After becing delcared the victor, Sandow and his fellow Y.E.S members looked to "rid UWF of this disgusting filth", only for their plan to be foiled by Raven, who clearly wanted Ambrose to survive long enough for him to finish the job at Halloween Havoc. Either way, Sandow has continued his dominant streak as of late and has become the second man and second Smackdown superstar to reach the pinnacle of sports entertainment - #1 on the Power 25 rankings!
There you go guys! A day late mainly due to me being lazy in writing up the Smackdown parts, and there may be a few grmmatical mistakes here and there or something similar, but I had to rush a bit to get it up due to it being late here and me wanting it up before NXT. Anyway, enjoy!
