20 competitors who consistently bring the heat

 

What does the first weekend of summer mean to you? Does it involve cheerful chants of “No more pencils, no more books” as the school year draws to a close? Will it mark the beginning to the barbecues (with J.R.’s BBQ sauce, of course), beach visits and backyard shenanigans that fill the coming months with happy memories?
Of course, WWE Superstars are adept at making the “fun in the sun” sentiments of summertime last year-round. That’s because the talented competitors always turn up the heat, intensity and passion as they strive for success in the squared circle. It’s as if the sun never sets on the WWE Universe, since they can usually feel the temperature rising whenever championship gold is on the line or a rivalry is renewed.
With summer now in full swing, WWE.com celebrates accordingly by paying tribute to 20 fiery personalities who consistently brought the heat to the ring.

 

Zack Ryder won The Great American Bash 20-Man Battle Royal

With WWE’s top talent, including WWE Champion CM Punk, Big Show, John Cena, Kane, Cody Rhodes, Intercontinental Champion Christian, Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler and The Mexican Aristocrat himself, it had the potential to be the greatest Battle Royal of all time from the opening bell. Among such an elite group of competitors, even gigantic athletes like Brodus Clay and The Great Khali were destined to be eliminated in the blink of an eye.
In the final moments, after Kane eliminated both Big Show and Ziggler with an explosive boot, he turned his wrath on his final opponent, Zack Ryder. After escaping the chokeslam, however, the heroic Long Island Iced-Z suddenly dropped the top rope, sending his monstrous adversary sailing to the ringside floor to shock the WWE Universe to its very core.
As a result of his earth-shattering triumph, Zack Ryder will run SmackDown next week as the latest Interim General Manager! (

Cody Rhodes def. Intercontinental Champion Christian to qualify for Money in the Bank

Last week, Cody Rhodes lodged an official protest – claiming that when he and David Otunga lost the World Heavyweight Championship Contract Money in the Bank Qualifying Tag Team Match, he was not the one pinned.
On SuperSmackDown LIVE, Rhodes confronted Teddy Long, just as the temporary head of SmackDown was trying to deal with the Sheamus situation. After the second-generation Superstar revealed that the WWE Board of Directors had given him another qualifying opportunity and demanded action, Teddy informed him that the Board had given him the right to pick the opponent. He determined that Cody would face someone who’s already qualified for Money in the Bank – Intercontinental Champion Christian.
With the championship contract in question hanging high about the ring, the long-standing rivals engaged in another fierce showdown. And after escaping Captain Charisma’s Killswitch in the final moments, the determined Rhodes hit the Cross Rhodes for the victory – earning his chance at the World Heavyweight Title Contract at Money in the Bank.

The Great Khali & Divas Champion Layla def. Antonio Cesaro & Aksana in a Mixed Tag Team Match

In a match of retribution made by this week’s Interim General Manager Teddy Long, his ex-girlfriend Aksana and her beau Antonio Cesaro were forced to take on Divas Champion Layla and The Great Khali. Despite the spark that clearly existed between the controversial couple, it was their formidable foes that would bring the fireworks in the end.
After Khali threw Cesaro from the ring with giant force, the English-born champion overcame Aksana with the devastating Lay-out neckbreaker.
Following the action, The Punjabi Playboy and his lovely tag team partner celebrated with a dance.

Teddy Long hosted The Great American Bash Barbecue

 

With a very unhappy Eve volunteering to keep things tidy, this week’s Interim General Manager of Raw and SmackDown Theodore Long welcomed the WWE Universe, the Superstars and Divas to SuperSmackDown LIVE: The Great American Bash with a special barbecue celebration. When Santino Marella – whose Cobra was dressed up as Uncle Sam – couldn’t light the grill, The Big Red Monster Kane raised and lowered his arms to set the party ablaze.
Later during the barbecue, after Zack Ryder and the rest of the party goers booed Heath Slater away for his horrible singing, Long Island Iced-Z cued in Brodus Clay and The Funkadactyls. This prompted an all-out Funkasaurus dance party.

Alberto Del Rio viciously slammed World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus with the hood of his car

 

 

turning up his nose at America, Alberto Del Rio promised that he will win the World Heavyweight Title from Sheamus at Money in the Bank and beat him so badly that he would send him back to Ireland like a little girl.
The Mexican Aristocrat then began to torment the Corpus Christi, Texas, crowd, insisting that they were no different than Sheamus – confronting several audience members and demanding to see their “papers.”
When he tried to get one of them kicked out for not producing them, The Celtic Warrior came to the rescue – attacking his No. 1 contender and igniting a fierce brawl that spread all the way to Del Rio’s car. Thanks to a disturbance by Ricardo Rodriguez, Del Rio gained the upper hand and proceeded to slam the hood of his ride down upon The Great White over and over again.

cena vs"Yes!"

danyl brain  has something to say, but it doesn't look like John Cena wants to hear it. What's going on here between the submission specialist and the Cenation leader?
Head down to the comments section and give us your witty and hilarious captions for this photo from the July 2, 2012 edition of Raw SuperShow.

john Cena & WWE Champion CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan & Chris Jericho ended in a No Contest

Raw SuperShow ended in as explosive a fashion as it began when WWE Champion CM Punk & John Cena clashed with Daniel Bryan & Chris Jericho, but it was AJ who brought the show to its ominous close.
Punk and Bryan were the first to mix it up in the ring, dazzling the WWE Universe once again with their technical expertise. But The Second City Saint proved more than willing to concede the offense to Cena, who just a year ago was Punk’s fiercest rival in WWE, allowing the Cenation leader to deliver a few of his signature maneuvers to force Bryan out of the match. Jericho put in some dynamic offense of his own, notching a two count against Cena and attempting to put him away with a sleeper hold while he struggled to tag in Punk. The contest ultimately came down, once again, to Punk and Bryan. Despite a furious back-and-forth that saw Punk ensnare Bryan in the Anaconda Vise and plant the “Yes!” man with a top-rope suplex, it was AJ who had the final word in this main event.
While Punk and Bryan battled it out in the ring, The Geek Goddess prowled around, eventually producing a table and erecting it for a purpose known only to her. Eventually, she climbed up to the top of the turnbuckle, seemingly contemplating leaping until Bryan attempted to dissuade her from the arena floor. Punk did the same, climbing up alongside AJ and trying to calm her down before disaster struck: The Geek Goddess planted a kiss on The Second City Saint’s lips before shoving him off the turnbuckle and into Bryan, and as both competitors crashed through the pine, AJ screamed "YES!" to end the show.

Tyson Kidd def. Tensai, who later attacked him in the locker room

 

 

tyson Kidd pulled off his second upset in as many weeks when the underdog fan favorite defeated the mighty Tensai in a one-on-one match on Raw SuperShow.
Tensai and Kidd, both of whom just won their way into the World Heavyweight Championship Contract Money in the Bank Ladder Match, looked as though they were set to have a ferocious contest, but the match never got far enough. Kidd used the big man’s momentum against him in the opening minutes of the match and rolled Tensai up to secure a quick win over the expatriate Superstar. 
As Kidd made his way back to the locker room, however, Tensai made a statement of his own, taking out his frustrations on his servant, Sakamoto, who was helpless against the towering Superstar’s attacks. Tensai followed up by ambushing Kidd in the locker room as he was delivering a post-match interview, slamming Kidd against the lockers and leaving him prone in the backstage area.

 

Big Show def. Kane in a No Disqualification Match

All bets were off when longtime rivals Kane and Big Show clashed in a No Disqualification Match that was made following Big Show’s attack on the WWE Championship Contract Money in the Bank Ladder Match competitors earlier in the night.
The two behemoths’ thunderous attacks literally shook the ring as The Devil’s Favorite Demon and The World’s Largest Athlete traded crippling chops early on, until Show battered Kane with a running shoulder that sent The Big Red Monster tumbling to the outside. A brief brawl came threateningly close to the announce table, but the giant was able to roll Kane back, carrying a steel chair into the ring for good measure.
That chair proved to be Kane’s undoing, as Big Show steamrolled The Big Red Monster after he attempted to use the steel against the giant, spearing the chair straight into Kane’s chest. A thunderous chokeslam onto the prone chair was all it took to put The Devil’s Favorite Demon down for the count.

World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus & AJ def. Dolph Ziggler & Vickie Guerrero

 

 

After experiencing some friction on SmackDown last week, Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero’s partnership fell into further friction after they unsuccessfully challenged World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus and AJ in a Mixed Tag Match.
It was the “Queen Diva” Guerrero herself who instigated the action, shoving AJ (clad in CM Punk-inspired wrist tape) before the action could begin. The Showoff put in a strong effort against his No Way Out opponent Sheamus, mounting a calculated offense and attempting to weaken The Great White’s arm with an intricate series of technical holds. But the thunderous attacks of The Celtic Warrior left Ziggler battered in the ring, forcing him to tag in Vickie before he fell victim to the Brogue Kick.
It was AJ who scored the win for her team, felling Vickie with a Shining Wizard to the Queen Diva’s head and notching the 1-2-3, before snatching the microphone out of Justin Roberts’ hands and screaming “YES!” as she skipped away. However, her joy was cut short when she ran into CM Punk backstage and found The Second City Saint had entirely missed her match due to a personal phone call.

 

Paul Heyman revealed Brock Lesnar would respond to Triple H’s challenge at Raw’s 1,000th episode

Brock Lesnar’s legal representative, Paul Heyman, made a satellite address to the WWE Universe concerning The Game’s SummerSlam challenge against the former UFC champion, but would not be revealing it that night. The “momentous” decision, Heyman said, would be revealed by Lesnar himself in three weeks on Raw’s 1,000th episode. 
Heyman, picking up where he left off two weeks earlier, continued his brazen mockery of The King of Kings. The ECW founder declared that Triple H only challenged Lesnar to give Lesnar the opportunity to end his career and give him a convenient excuse to retire from in-ring activity and take up a corporate position full-time. Heyman deviously claimed the match would be “a mercy killing” before signing off, laughing quietly to himself.

Alberto Del Rio attacked Sin Cara before their match could begin

 

After months of dismay stymied his quest for the World Heavyweight Title, Alberto Del Rio finally got his wish on Raw SuperShow when he was named No. 1 contender by the WWE Board of Directors. Interim Raw General Manager Teddy Long, however, claimed that Del Rio “hadn’t earned anything,” and decreed that The Essence of Excellence would have to prove his mettle against a mystery opponent.
The “Teddy Long Surprise” turned out to be Sin Cara, but the international icon never even had a chance to get going . The Mexican Aristocrat floored Sin Cara with a swift kick to the head before the masked man could finish his entrance. He then forcibly tossed the lucha legend and continued his beatdown near the announcer’s table. Del Rio mercilessly locked Sin Cara in the Cross Armbreaker before finally releasing him in an attack Michael Cole referred to as a “message.”

 

Intercontinental Champion Christian, U.S. Champion Santino Marella, and Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth def. The Prime Time Players, Cody Rhodes, and David Otunga

eight of WWE’s most thrilling competitors mixed it up in an Eight-Man Tag Team Match when Intercontinental Champion Christian, U.S. Champion Santino Marella and Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth took on an all-star opposition of The Prime Time Players, Cody Rhodes and David Otunga. 
The action was fast and furious from the get-go, as Kofi and Truth collided with their No. 1 contenders early on. Truth’s erratic offense and Kofi’s high-flying attacks quickly sent The Players outside the ropes and led to a tense square-off between the eight competitors. The Prime Time Players proved their mettle in the match, with Titus mounting in some strong offense against Kingston while the team’s manager, A.W., stood with a headset at ringside.
It was U.S. Champion Santino who proved to be something of a difference-maker after he and Otunga were tagged in. His flurry of attacks against the Harvard Law graduate provoked A.W. and The Prime Time Players to vacate the match and retreat to the locker room area. Rhodes was the next to leave ringside, and with a quick assist from Brodus Clay, the arrogant Otunga was left to the mercy of The Cobra as Santino notched the win.
The icing on the cake was yet to come, though, as Christian planted Otunga with the Killswitch and Clay executed his flattening splash to send a dazed Otunga back to the locker room.