A Night of Contracts

By: Erin Semple

June 13, 2008

FRESNO, Calif. – Feeling underappreciated, Montel Vontavious Porter declared to General Manager Vickie Guerrero that his talents are not being used to their full potential on SmackDown. The Ballin’ Superstar demanded that his contract be re-negotiated. Just one problem – the contract was drawn up by former General Manager Theodore Long, not Guerrero.

Therefore, with upcoming nuptials and Night of Champions on her mind, Guerrero made a deal with MVP. She requested that he “take care” of CM Punk, a Superstar that continues to be a thorn in the side of the World Heavyweight Champion, Edge. Punk even approached the Rated-R Superstar in the locker room area and warned him that he may cash in his Money in the Bank opportunity at Edge and Guerrero’s July 11 wedding.

After a battle in the ring with Punk, MVP pulled off a turnbuckle, prompting the referee to turn his back to the action. During the distraction, MVP grabbed Punk’s briefcase in hopes of using it against Mr. Money in the Bank, but the Straightedge Superstar managed to knock MVP to the mat, causing the referee to catch him red-handed and allowing the Franchise Playa to win by disqualification.

Small tactics

WWE Tag Team Champion John Morrison pinned Finlay on SmackDown, just as his partner, The Miz, got his hands on the Irishman’s son, Hornswoggle. The tension continues to mount between the champs and Finlay & Hornswoggle, but who will get the upper hand next?

Seeing stars

Mark Henry wants to be the No. 1 contender for the ECW Title after Night of Champions. The World’s Strongest Man continued to enforce that he will not be overlooked, as he crushed Tommy Dreamer to send another message to Big Show.

Striving for gold

With General Manager Vickie Guerrero closely scouting the SmackDown and ECW Divas to see who will face Natalya for the newly-created Divas Championship, Cherry and Maryse stepped into the ring once again. As their extremely personal rivalry heats up, Cherry once again surprised Maryse by pulling out a win on SmackDown. Will Cherry’s victory catch the GM's eye?

Bewildered yet strong

Chavo Guerrero caught United States Champion Matt Hardy off-guard when he announced their United States Championship Match for Night of Champions. However, the surprised Hardy didn’t let the announcement phase him; rather, in a match between him and Chuck Palumbo, he prevailed over the Revved-up Superstar with a Twist of Fate. Can Hardy carry that same success with him when he faces Chavo at Night of Champions, or will the Guerrero bloodline translate to victory for the self-proclaimed “Mexican Warrior”?

Dueling duos

Jesse & Festus defeated Deuce & Domino on Friday night, and the mounting frustration between the two exploded when Domino attacked his partner. Will this be the end of the partnership between the boys from the Other Side of the Tracks or can they settle their differences?

In the driver’s seat

General Manager Vickie Guerrero is wheeling and dealing to keep her man on the top. The dedicated bride-to-be started the night off with Batista’s contract signing for Night of Champions. But of course, she added an outlandish amendment: The Animal must defeat The Great Khali or be banished from WWE. Batista overcame the challenge and unleashed his fury on Khali, bringing him one step closer to Edge and the gold.

Matches

Morrison def. Finlay

Mark Henry def. Tommy Dreamer

Cherry def. Maryse

MVP def. CM Punk

U.S. Champion Matt Hardy def. Chuck Palumbo

Jesse & Festus def. Deuce & Domino

Batista def. The Great Khali