In the explosive sequel to 2009’s breakout pay-per-view, The Miz leads Raw’s squad into battle with Team SmackDown, captained by Big Show – no 7-foot stranger to these circumstances. Just one year ago, The World’s Largest Athlete orchestrated a betrayal of suitably immense proportions as a duplicitous Big Show turned on his Raw branded teammates to give the blue hued brand the inaugural WWE Bragging Rights victory.

Now, the Knucklehead star has a far more official role at the forefront of the Syfy franchise Superstars.
But even larger than SmackDown’s captain is the objective of Team Raw, as they collectively prepare to avenge their emphatic defeat from the previous year. Each member prevailing in a series of qualifying matches, Mr. Money in the Bank finds himself flanked by formidable allies including Sheamus, John Morrison, R-Truth, Santino Marella, newly christened Raw Superstar CM Punk and a returning Ezekiel Jackson.

Behind Big Show is a skilled and diverse Team SmackDown, including Rey Mysterio, Jack Swagger, Alberto Del Rio, Edge, Tyler Reks, and Kofi Kingston, who all won their respective qualifying matches on the Oct. 15 edition of SmackDown. For just the second time in history, a massive tag team brawl of 14 warriors will entitle only one brand to undisputed bragging rights. The encounter will be contested in an elimination style format, and will continue until all members of one team are taken out of the match.

On the Oct. 18 edition of Raw, just six days before WWE Bragging Rights, the blue brand scored a decisive victory over their red rivals in a SmackDown vs. Raw Battle Royal. While some might view that win on Raw’s home turf as a sign of things to come, it’s equally likely that the loss only strengthened Monday Night Raw’s resolve. Will The World’s Largest Athlete once again be the pivotal piece to Team SmackDown’s success? Or will The Miz add yet another feat to his heavily decorated year, including winning the United States Championship and Money in the Bank briefcase?

Stay tuned to Raw on USA Network and SmackDown on Syfy as the WWE Universe counts down to WWE Bragging Rights this Sunday – available only on pay-per-view.

Big Show has pledged to eradicate CM Punk from WWE and with good reason. Punk nearly broke the gigantic Superstar’s hand with the assistance of his Straight Edge Society. Though Big Show went on to overcome The S.E.S. at SummerSlam, The Second City Saint’s early departure from the match prevented the giant from finishing the job.

After Big Show ridiculed the Straight Edge way-of-life on Monday Night Raw’s 900th episode celebration, Luke Gallows was sent forth to destroy him. However, when the “Sin-free Soldier” tapped out to Big Show’s Colossal Clutch, Punk became unhinged and executed the GTS on his own war-torn disciple! Now, with the future of The S.E.S. uncertain, Punk could be in for an enormous problem.

Though “The minister of Straight Edge” is the smaller of the two Superstars, that doesn’t mean he should be taken lightly. Punk is a two-time Money in the Bank Ladder Match winner and a two-time World Heavyweight Champion. His cunning nature is only outdone by his plentiful arsenal of dangerous maneuvers – most notably the dreaded Anaconda Vise – which helped claim a victory over the legendary Undertaker.

Will Big Show throw The Straight Edge Savior into a crooked future of pain? Find out at Night of Champions, Sunday, Sept. 19, at 8/7 CT, only on pay-per-view.

At WWE Fatal 4-Way, World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger will attempt to defend his illustrious title against three former World Champions – CM Punk, Big Show and Undertaker – in an explosive Fatal 4-Way main event. And in a match where bedlam will rule, the four elite SmackDown Superstars will draw their advantage from four completely different sources.

At WWE’s innovative new pay-per-view, the odds will be stacked against Jack Swagger retaining his World Title before the bell even rings. According to the rules of a Fatal 4-Way Match, not only will all four Superstars be battling at the same time, but any one of them can pin any other Superstar to capture a championship victory.

Regardless of the odds, “The All-American American” has claimed that he is the “odds on favorite” in any competition he is involved in. Despite his rocky road since cashing in his WrestleMania Money in the Bank opportunity, the outspoken champion’s success at keeping his “greatest trophy” securely around his waist is unquestionable. His biggest advantage lays in his steadfast determination to hold on to the World Title at any cost. And against the awesome odds he will face at Fatal 4-Way, he will have to pull out every trick in the book.

After Swagger got himself disqualified in his Over the Limit World Championship Match with Big Show, The World’s Largest Athlete presents the textbook definition of an angry giant threat. His advantage in the Fatal 4-Way stems from his enormous size, which manifests itself in his most dangerous weapon, the knockout punch. The rage that drives the gigantic Superstar once the bell rings will make overcoming Big Show an extremely tall order.

CM Punk lost his hair at Over the Limit, and with it, the symbol of his Straight Edge “purity.” If he could once again become the Straight Edge World Heavyweight Champion, the freshly masked “savior” would provide himself with a new symbol to carry forth as the head of the S.E.S. Now that he has qualified for Fatal 4-Way by defeating Kane – the very Superstar that helped make it possible for Rey Mysterio to shave his head in the first place – The Second City Saint’s devotion to the Straight Edge lifestyle may be all the strength he needs to come out on top.

The strength that Undertaker wields in WWE is as dangerous as it is ominous. He is a true legend of the squared circle whose very name strikes fear in the hearts of any adversary he faces, before the battle even begins. After qualifying for Fatal 4-Way with a hard fought victory over The Ultimate Underdog Rey Mysterio, The Phenom looks to utilize the full force of his intimidation to bring his “holy grail” back home.

Who will emerge from WWE Fatal 4-Way with the World Heavyweight Championship? Find out June 20 at 8/7 CT, only on pay-per-view.

Then at Extreme Rules, Punk defeated The Master of the 619 to protect his hair. Now, at Over the Limit, one Superstar will be forced to make a drastic change.

If Mysterio loses, he must join The Straight Edge Society. And if Punk loses, Rey gets to shave his head! If you look deeper than the match stipulations, there may be some extra motivation for Mysterio to win.

Leading up to their WrestleMania match, Mysterio was forced to endure The Second City Saint’s taunting of his family.

And in recent weeks, Mysterio has been the victim of sneak attacks from a mysterious hooded person who has yet to be indentified. Clearly though, the individual has allegiances to The Straight Edge Society. Will this individual play a role at Over the Limit?

Regardless of who has more motivation to win, the bottom line is that someone’s future is going to change.

Will Rey find himself forced to stand side-by-side with Luke Gallows, Serena and CM Punk? Or, will Punk lose what he calls a symbol of his purity? Find out at Over the Limit, live Sunday, May 23, only on pay-per-view.

On The Grandest Stage of Them All, The Master of the 619 triumphed over his idealistic adversary, defending his family’s honor while preventing his forced induction into The Straight Edge Society.

Punk returned to SmackDown five days later, continuing his obsessive attempts to “save” the masked Superstar. Insisting that Mysterio’s conversion would serve as the ultimate example that Straight Edge can save anyone, Punk proclaimed that if he was granted a rematch, he would put the “toxin-free” symbol of his Straight Edge leadership – his hair – on the line.

Riding the momentum from his monumental victory over his would-be savior at The Show of Shows, Mysterio accepted Punk’s challenge one week later, vowing to take his hair and to put an end to The Straight Edge Society.

A huge thank you to Rockecy for sending me these captures. In case you guys haven’t already, pick up The Best Of SmackDown 10th Anniversary and you’ll find an interview with CM PUNK. Here are some captures from the interview.

In an explosive WrestleMania showdown, the biggest heart in WWE will risk every part of himself against the collective forces of everything he despises as Rey Mysterio takes on CM Punk. And if The Ultimate Underdog loses the extremely personal match, he must join The Straight Edge Society.

The paths of Mysterio and Punk have collided with catastrophic fallout in recent weeks. Punk, along with his faithful disciples Luke Gallows and Serena, assaulted Mysterio with brutal back-to-back attacks on SmackDown. Mysterio cost The Second City Saint two huge opportunities, pinning The Straight Edge Superstar at WWE Elimination Chamber and costing him his WrestleMania Money in the Bank Qualifying Match against Shelton Benjamin.

Punk “crossed the line” when The Master of the 619 brought his family to SmackDown to celebrate his daughter’s birthday. As the WWE Universe joyfully sang “Happy Birthday” to the elated 9-year-old, The Straight Edge Society crashed the party. Punk challenged Mysterio to a match right then and there, as well as one at WrestleMania. Though he taunted Mysterio and his family mercilessly, the masked Superstar refused to give an answer or to fight while his loved ones were in the ring. Later that night, Mysterio attacked Punk, igniting an all-out brawl that spilled into the crowd.

One week later, Mysterio accepted Punk’s WrestleMania challenge, demanding that the match be a Street Fight. The Straight Edge “Savior” declared that if Mysterio laid a hand on him before WrestleMania, he would call off their match. He also proclaimed that if Mysterio wanted a Street Fight Match at The Show of Shows, he would first have to beat Luke Gallows. However, if he didn’t and Mysterio went on to lose their match on The Grandest Stage of Them All, the masked Superstar would be forced to join The Straight Edge Society. With Punk and Serena’s help, Gallows triumphed over Mysterio, setting the circumstances of the volatile WrestleMania encounter in stone.