By Chris Newth, PWTorch contributor

Last week the focus of this column was firmly placed on the potent internal rivalry between Legacy leader Randy Orton and his rebellious protégé, Ted DiBiase. WWE enjoys planting seeds and then backing away temporarily. This week, very few hints were given to suggest the continuation of friction between these two, but it's obvious that the feud is inevitable, despite its current quiescence.

So what's to talk about? If you take a look at the Night of Champions lineup, not too much stands out. The Orton-Cena-Triple H match has largely been overshadowed rather than emphasized by the Raw guest hosts. However, Raw probably is benefiting from the one-time appearances by various celebrities, musicians, legends, and current superstars. The Million Dollar Man did a great job shining the spotlight on his son for a week, and Seth Green also played his role well within the bounds of what he was capable of accomplishing.

As for the other upcoming title matches, Mysterio-Ziggler just began, and although it has potential, they don't seem to have a clear direction yet. I just covered CM Punk vs. Jeff Hardy up to the Bash, so I'll refrain from further coverage there. Nothing particularly intriguing sticks out in the Dreamer-Christian ECW Title feud. We don't even know who Chris Jericho will be teaming with to defend the WWE Tag Team Championships against DiBiase and Rhodes; plus, Jericho vs. Legacy has not been a focal point on Raw lately. And the Maryse-Mickie feud, although certainly sound wrestling-wise, doesn't have the narrative backing it should. The announcers have been playing up the "rumor" that Maryse is afraid of Mickie, but beyond that, the feud doesn't stand out as anything more than a normal divas' rivalry.

Night of Champions will be an appealing PPV to many people simply because of the event's concept, but the individual storylines on which those title matches are based seem either unfocused or nondescript. Last week the most intriguing story WWE told was between Orton and DiBiase (a match not on PPV). This week, I think the most intriguing story WWE told was on Smackdown between Chris Jericho and Edge.

When it comes to injury storylines, WWE loves to think ahead and set up rivalries as superstars exit the picture so that upon their return they can immediately jump into a situation that has been simmering for months. This time, the Rated-R Superstar tore his Achilles tendon, requiring surgery and extensive time off. So what's the result? Chris Jericho chastises his former partner as the weak member of the team.

On Smackdown last night, Jim Ross and Todd Grisham interviewed Edge about his condition and his future in WWE. An unusually grounded Edge sat at home ruminating about his current dilemma. He seemed emotionally strong, but weak; he was shakily confident, but realistic. With noticeable effort in composing himself while answering questions, Edge publicly confronted the possibility of never wrestling again. That's when the crowd started to get behind him, heel or not.

As he continued, any hint of his heelish arrogance was shed in the wake of the distressing news. The audience became sympathetic, and WWE let him continue with the crowd on his side for a few minutes before having Jericho interrupt the segment. Any and all heat was then immediately transferred to the cocky tag team champion who derided Edge—referring to him as injury-prone and the weak part of their team.

Jericho had basically thrown Edge under the proverbial bus after it had just been established that he's suffering from a devastating injury that could prevent him from ever returning to the ring. WWE's handling of the entire segment proved effective. Jericho became a stronger heel for it, and Edge successfully turned into a babyface within minutes after being the brand's strongest heel for years.

Unfortunately, the Edge-Jericho feud, like the Orton-DiBiase one, will not be appearing at Night of Champions. The setup was really well-planned and well-executed, and you can expect a huge rivalry between these two longtime WWE superstars when Edge returns from injury. The storyline has now been established, Edge has converted to a babyface, and Jericho has garnered even more heat than he had just a week or two ago. WWE often makes a strong effort in these storyline investments; it's just a shame that the current feuds heading into Night of Champions aren't nearly as compelling.


Comments? Suggestions? Thoughts on the storyline? Feel free to email me at newthtorch@hotmail.com

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