Rhodes, who has held the title since his Extreme Rules victory over former WWE Superstar Big Show, was cocky right up to the moment the bell rang on his unexpected title defense. When his entrance music played, Rhodes made a final statement before taking on Christian, saying he is a better man than his opponent.

Christian was unfazed, however, and his sights were set squarely on Rhodes and his Intercontinental Title.

The younger Rhodes got off to a fast start against Christian, whose stamina was called into question after his long layoff and a hard-fought Battle Royal victory earlier in the night. Rhodes was relentless, slamming his opponent into the steel stairs at ringside and then hammering away at the former champion.

But the wily veteran was able to mount a comeback and buy himself some recovery time by taking advantage of any opening Cody gave him. When Rhodes focused more on taunting his downed opponent than finishing him off, Christian was able to hit the Killswitch from out of nowhere and cover Rhodes for a shocking victory.

The match capped off an incredible night for Captain Charisma, whose ring return culminated in Intercontinental Championship gold for the fourth time in his career.

The winner of the melee, which was announced by Executive Administrator Eve in an effort to end a running dispute between Rhodes and Santino about the prestige of their respective championships, would be granted a Title Match later in the night to challenge for his choice of either the Intercontinental or the U.S. Championship.

If the announcement of the Battle Royal itself and the promise of an unexpected title match weren’t exciting enough, the sound of Christian’s entrance music sent shockwaves through the WWE Universe members in attendance.

Christian had not appeared in WWE since the March 16 episode of SmackDown, where he delivered a special edition of “The Peep Show.” Before that, Christian was taken out by WWE Champion CM Punk on Raw SuperShow just days before Captain Charisma was to take part in the six-man tag match as a member of Team Johnny at WrestleMania XXVIII. That match against Punk ended in a no contest and Christian re-aggravated a prior neck injury thanks to an overlong Anaconda Vise by the champion.

Christian’s arrival sent the WWE Universe into a frenzy, and also left Rhodes and Santino clearly shaken as the two champions exchanged a worried glance at ringside when Captain Charisma made his entrance. When the bell rang, the ring was literally overflowing with Superstars as Drew McIntyre, Ezekiel Jackson, William Regal, The Usos and others all battled for a title opportunity.

As always with over-the-top rope matches, alliances were formed and broken in record time. Titus O’Neil and Darren Young were able to tag team The Great Khali, dumping the giant over the ropes and bringing a sigh of relief to the lips of Rhodes.

Competing in his first official match since Nov. 11, 2011, Christian demonstrated the absence of any “ring rust” as he tangled with and ultimately eliminated William Regal.

When The Miz eliminated Alex Riley, it was left to The Awesome One, Tyson Kidd, Otunga and Christian to duke it out. Kidd was impressive but was dumped over the top by Otunga as he and Miz battled on the apron.

Christian was then immediately double teamed by Miz and Otunga. Yet, despite months of inactivity, Captain Charisma fought his way out of trouble to eliminate Otunga. Miz and Christian were left to determine who would get a title chance later in the night, but it was the returning Christian who found an opening when The Awesome One spilled out onto the apron. A driving shoulder knocked Miz to ringside and catapulted Captain Charisma to victory.

As he departed the ring, Christian gestured to Santino, perhaps eyeing the Milan Miracle’s U.S. Championship for later in the night.

#2. Christian
Captain Charisma was cut down in the height of his main-event run last year by a pair of ill-timed injuries, and his glorious return was cut short when WWE Champion CM Punk Anaconda Vise’d him back to the injured list just before WrestleMania. A.W. could be Christian’s ace in the hole and help usher him back into the championship running. Besides, if A.W. is really as good as he says he is, “one more match” shouldn’t be that tall of an order.

#1. Edge & Christian
Lifelong best friends, Edge and Christian went from school hallways in Toronto to quite literally climbing the ladder of success in WWE. The pairing undeniably “reeked of awesomeness” – their tongue-in-cheek “five-second poses” and proclamations that “sodas rule” were just earnest enough to earn simultaneous adoration and eye-rolls from the WWE Universe.

With their patented Con-Chair-To, Edge and Christian won seven World Tag Team Championships, the first in a Ladder Match against The Hardys at WrestleMania 2000. They defeated both The Hardys and Dudley Boyz in the first-ever TLC Match at SummerSlam, and were victorious in a rematch at WrestleMania X-Seven – hailed by many as the greatest tag team match in WWE history. The longstanding animosity between the three duos consistently resulted in Edge and Christian supremacy, and solidified the team as not just fun and games, but a bona fide force to be reckoned with.

Edge and Christian were the arrogant jerks you loved to hate, especially as they revolutionized tag team wrestling for generations to come

MIAMI – WWE Superstars and Divas made a very special stop on The Road to WrestleMania Wednesday afternoon, visiting Holtz Children’s Hospital in Miami to brighten the day of the kids.

The WWE contingent, which included Rey Mysterio, R-Truth, Kofi Kingston, The Great Khali, Christian, The Bella Twins, Maxine and AJ, spent a few hours with the children. “There’s a lot of our fans that can’t make it out to WrestleMania, so we bring it to them,” R-Truth said.

The Superstars may not have been prepared for intense interviews, but some of the kids came armed with microphones and their best questions. “They had a whole list made, they knew everybody and had questions for everybody,” Christian explained. “They were well-prepared.”

Mysterio, donning a dazzling white and red mask, was touched at the hospital’s treatment of Spanish speaking-familes. “I met families from Guatemala and Costa Rica. There are a lot of Hispanic speaking people here being taken care of. It’s good to see that the hospital opens their heart for anyone,” he said.

One child in particular touched Mysterio’s heart. “He was very quiet, but very alert. You could tell right away that he was very happy to see me, despite not much expression on his face,” he explained. “I remembered that I had a mask in my back pack. I signed and gave it to him with a toy Rumbler. As I was signing the mask, you could see that he was very happy, despite not being able to say much. It was really cool.”

Many of the girl patients at the hospital took to the Divas. One in particular made an impression on AJ. “I fell in love with Angela, who was the cutest little girl who had gorgeous eyelashes,” she said. Another patient named Tatiana, was enamored by The Bellas, asking where they got their clothes.

The kids at Holtz also got a huge surprise, as Edge, who will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on Saturday, joined his former colleagues during the visit. “I came straight from the airport and hopefully put some smiles on faces,” he said.

For Edge, who grew up idolizing WWE Superstars, visits like this are one of the ways he can give back to the WWE Universe. “WWE Superstars are like superheroes, comic book characters come to life,” he said. “If [Superstars] visited me, my head would have exploded.”

In addition to the visit putting smiles on the faces of the children, WWE has designated the hospital as the recipient of all proceeds from Thursday’s WrestleMania Premiere Party, as well as the WrestleMania Art Auction, taking place on eBay now.

Thursday’s visit was one of WWE’s many charitable efforts in the Miami area during WrestleMania Week. Superstars and Divas will be visiting hospitals and meeting with children through the Make A Wish Foundation, among other events.

The Holtz Children’s Hospital, located at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center is one of the largest in the southeastern United States and is among the top in the country, according toU.S News and World Report. For more information, follow the hospital on Twitter and Facebook.

Gallery Links
- WWE.com Exclusives – WWE Superstars Visit Holtz Children’s Hospital
- Miscellaneous – Facebook – WWE
- Miscellaneous – Facebook – Holtz Children’s Hospital

Christian re-aggravated a prior neck injury during his match against Punk, who locked Christian in the Anaconda Vise twice and refused to let go of the hold after WWE officials tried to intervene.

In Captain Charisma’s place, Interim Raw GM John Laurinaitis announced on Twitter that he has selected Drew McIntyre to be a member of Team Johnny at WrestleMania.

The Straight Edge Superstar had become enraged following another surprise verbal attack from Chris Jericho via satellite. Prior to the contest, Jericho appeared on the TitanTron and made personal remarks about Punk’s birth, noting that it occurred before his parents’ wedding date.

Christian, competing in his first match since Nov. 11, 2011, originally injured his neck when Big Show gave him a massive chokeslam on the Nov. 4 edition of SmackDown.

Although Christian claimed to also have experienced ankle pain following the onslaught, doctors later confirmed he did not re-aggravate the ankle sprain he suffered last year while on tour in Europe.

Check back with WWE.com for more updates on Christian’s condition.

Related Links
- WWE.com Exclusive: Christian Gets Checked Out By Doctors After His Attack From CM Punk

I personally want to take the time to wish Christian well in his prolonged recovery, all the best! We hope to see you back and better than ever real soon!

#06: Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio from Extreme Rules
Alberto Del Rio claimed it was his destiny to obtain the vacant World Heavyweight Championship at Extreme Rules. For Christian, it was simply a way to honor his friend Edge, whose injuries in defending the title forced him into early retirement. In May, The Mexican Aristocrat and Captain Charisma met in a Ladder Match with the coveted Championship hanging above their heads. Throughout much of the bout, Del Rio seemed to have his opponent on the ropes after threading Christian’s arm through the ladder and applying the Cross Armbreaker. But the arrival of Edge offered just enough of a distraction to turn the tide. With his opponent preoccupied, Captain Charisma toppled The Essence of Excellence out of the ring and climbed rung by rung to take the title as his best friend watched with tears in his eyes. It was almost like destiny.

#03: World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton vs. Christian from Over the Limit
When two established Superstars meet with a title on the line, WWE fans can expect fireworks. They would not be disappointed at Over the Limit in May. In a gripping match for the World Heavyweight Championship, Randy Orton and Christian continued their rivalry to dueling cheers of “Let’s go Orton/Let’s go Christian.” Desperate to get his title back, Captain Charisma came out strong, but WWE’s Apex Predator battled back with a DDT and a powerslam. Finally, The Viper was able to counter Christian’s Killswitch attempt with an RKO, sealing the win and sending his opponent into a downward spiral from which he still hasn’t recovered.

For Sheamus, it was a chance to catch up with an old relative. The Celtic Warrior revealed his family ties with Beaker, assistant to Dr. Bunsen Honeydew. “There’s always one black sheep in the family, and that’s him,” he said. The Great White saved his ginger-haired cousin from Christian, who destroyed a special Muppet Labs potion Bunsen cooked up for Santino Marella.

It turns out Christian wasn’t thrilled with the Muppets invading the locker room. “Beaker ran into me like he owned the place. They walked around like they owned the whole show,” Captain Charisma growled.

He felt Beaker didn’t give him the respect that a former two-time World Heavyweight Champion deserves. “I was a little upset that he didn’t acknowledge the fact that I deserve one more chance to become the World Heavyweight Champion. That proves my theory that Muppets don’t have souls.”

read the full article at WWE.com

With the DVD stirring up some serious debate in the locker room, WWE.com cornered 15 competitors, including John Cena, Christian and CM Punk, and asked the inflammatory question: “Shawn or Bret — whose side are you on?” What we heard in response was controversial, surprising and always entertaining — just like the rivalry between HBK and The Hit Man.

Who was your childhood hero?

Bret “Hit Man” Hart made his WWE debut on Aug. 24, 1984 in a tag match alongside The Dynamite Kid. Four years later, on July 7, 1988, Shawn Michaels set foot in a WWE ring for the first time. In the decade that followed, their paths crossed in tag bouts, WrestleMania main events and one life-changing night in Montreal, Quebec in November of 1997. Along the way, they inspired an entire generation of young hopefuls to step through the ropes and pursue the impossible dream of becoming a WWE Champion.

CHRISTIAN: I followed Bret Hart’s career ever since Calgary Stampede Wrestling, so I really enjoyed watching him grow as a performer and move on to the Intercontinental Championship and then, of course, the WWE Championship. I always admired his style. He was just no-nonsense — a pure wrestler. That’s what he wanted to be known as, and the people loved him because of that.

Who made the right decision in Montreal?

The rivalry between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels raged for nearly a decade both in and out of the ring, but it came to be defined by a single date: November 9, 1997. That night, HBK and The Hit Man clashed for Hart’s WWE Championship at the Survivor Series in Montreal, in a bout that changed the course of WWE. Knowing that Hart was planning to leave for WCW, Mr. McMahon came to ringside during the bout and forced the official to call for the bell when Michaels had The Hit Man locked in the Sharpshooter, thus stripping Hart of the title. The incident changed not only the three men involved, but the very direction of WWE as The Chairman became a loathed villain and standards of taste dipped to new lows in the absence of the heroic Hart.

CHRISTIAN: I was there. Edge had a developmental contract with the company at the time. I went with him to the show and we got to be flies on the wall. We saw a lot of hoopla going on in the locker room. We were a little bit confused, so we just tried to stay out of the way until an official came up and said, “It’s probably better if you guys left.” We just got out of there and we didn’t even realize until the next day what had happened, so it was kind of crazy.

You can read this article in full over at WWE.com.

On the Sept. 9 edition of SmackDown, Sheamus emerged to ridicule Christian’s continued insistence that he deserves another title opportunity, calling him a “mangy dog” and ordering him out of the ring. When the angry Superstar returned to exact revenge during his Irish foe’s match, Sheamus nearly took him out with the Celtic Cross.

One week later, Christian & Wade Barrett lost a tag team match to Sheamus & Justin Gabriel. Although it was Gabriel who got the pin on Barrett, “The Great White” invited his fuming adversary back into the ring to finish things between them. Christian, a former two-time World Heavyweight Champion, would lose major ground in the eyes of those picking the No. 1 contender to the World Heavyweight Title by not rising to the challenge.

Two days later at Night of Champions, Sheamus interrupted yet another plea for “one more match,” blasting his complaining prey with an earth-shattering Brogue Kick. Although this may have made things beautiful in Buffalo for the WWE Universe, it continued to lower Christian’s appearance as a serious challenger for the World Title.

His descent was only hastened one day later on Raw SuperShow, when Sheamus’ Four-Man Tag Team reigned supreme over the team that included his irate adversary.

When Christian did finally get “one more match” against the newly-crowned World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry – a Lumberjack Match on the Sept. 23 edition of SmackDown – the first Irish-born WWE Champion was there to halt his escape one more time.

This led the outmatched challenger not only to get pinned by the enraged champion, but also suffer the devastating power of The World’s Strongest Slam.

It’s futile to assume that Christian’s constant rants for “one more match” have ended with his loss to Henry. However, before he goes down that road yet again, he might want to address the red-haired roadblock that continues to thwart his golden journey.