For a brief moment at WWE Elimination Chamber, John Cena was the WWE Champion and as far as he was concerned, order was restored to the WWE Universe, but that was all ripped away from him when Mr. McMahon granted Batista a post-Chamber title match against the battle-worn Champ.

On Raw, in a match pitting Cena against Batista to decide which former champion – Cena or Sheamus – would challenge The Animal at WrestleMania, Cena thought that his fate was in his hands. Batista proved otherwise as he made the choice himself, purposely getting himself disqualified, awarding Cena the WWE Championship confrontation at WrestleMania – as well as a vicious post-match beating with a steel chair.

It’s no surprise the tension is as thick as it is between these two considering what has transpired in recent weeks, both seemingly taking opposite sides in the war waging between Mr. McMahon and WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart. The first shot fired could even be considered the most brutal. Weeks ago, when Raw went off the air, Batista crushed Cena with a vicious Batista Bomb onto the steel ring steps. Only now, it would seem, is The Animal’s motive for the unprovoked assault clear: A main event confrontation at WrestleMania.

Even before these incidents began to transpire, these men were no strangers to each other, though the circumstances were much different. At SummerSlam 2008, these men clashed,  with a much different Animal victorious against Cena, who was injured in battle. But then, there was mutual respect between the two – now it’s just blind hatred.

What will come of this colossal rematch on The Grandest Stage of Them All? Will Cena extract revenge while recapturing the WWE Championship? Or will The Animal tear into the former champion as he proclaims his dominance across the WWE landscape? The only way to find out will be by watching WrestleMania XXVI as it emanates from Phoenix, Ariz., on March 28, live on pay-per-view.

Wrestle Mania XXVI Wallpaper and Match card update

There was a time when Chris Jericho and Edge were close buds, inseparable tag team champions even. But that was before The Rated-R Superstar made the “mistake” of suffering a torn Achilles tendon last summer and spending seven months recuperating from surgery.

Rather than stand by his pal, Jericho turned on Edge before the last of his sutures were even out. The arrogant Superstar claimed that he, not his former partner, was responsible for all the successes they enjoyed. As one might imagine, The Rated-R Superstar seethed from his hospital bed and longed to pay back his fair-weather fiend.

Now, the wait is over. Edge will get his chance on The Grandest Stage of Them All when he challenges Jericho for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania.

For The Ultimate Opportunist, The Road to WrestleMania was paved last month at the Royal Rumble when he emerged as a surprise entrant and shocked the WWE Universe by outlasting 29 opponents after a painful rehabilitation. As a result of the win, he was able to choose for which World Championship he would compete.

For Edge’s opponent, however, the path would prove more twisting. The self-important Superstar collided inside the Elimination Chamber with five others, including then-World Heavyweight Champ The Undertaker. Just as it appeared The Deadman would block Jericho’s path to Phoenix, Shawn Michaels arrived to pay the toll, superkicking The Phenom, which allowed Jericho to win the title and a guaranteed match at WrestleMania.

The clash between these former friends promises to be a deeply personal affair. After all, no greater enemy can a person make than a wronged best friend.

Wrestle Mania XXVI Wallpaper and Match card update

The opportunity to compete for a World Championship is so significant to the Superstars of WWE that every year eight of the most fearless and talented competitors risk it all for this very goal in a Money in the Bank Ladder Match.

First contested at WrestleMania 21 in 2005, this dangerous, but rewarding contest pits eight Superstars against one another in a battle to climb a ladder and snatch a briefcase hanging precariously above the ring. Inside the case is a contract giving the winner an opportunity to face a World Champion at a time of their choosing throughout a 12-month period.

This unique ability to “cash in” a championship opportunity at any moment has given Money in the Bank winners a serious advantage over their opponents on many occasions. Edge, the first-ever “Mr. Money in the Bank,” cashed in his contract at New Year’s Revolution 2006, defeating WWE Champion John Cena immediately after the 12 Rounds star had just successfully defended his title in an Elimination Chamber Match. At Extreme Rules in 2009, CM Punk elected to face Jeff Hardy moments after The Charismatic Enigma defeated Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship in a grueling Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match.

Every Superstar who has cashed in a Money in the Bank contract has gone on to win a World Championship, including CM Punk, who won the contest at WrestleMania in 2008 and 2009. This amazing percentage for victory has proven that the risks of this perilous match are certainly worth the reward.

With his victory over Carlito on the Feb. 22 edition of Raw, new Raw Superstar Christian became the first man to qualify for this year’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match.

On the Feb. 26 edition of SmackDown, Dolph Ziggler, Kane and Shelton Benjamin all qualified to join Christian on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

On the Mar. 1 edition of Raw, Jack Swagger and MVP qualified for the bout.

Stay tuned to Raw and SmackDown to find out which other Superstars make the cut, and watch WrestleMania on Sunday, Mar. 28 to see who grabs the coveted briefcase.

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog at JRsBarBQ.com. Here’s what JR said about visiting at WWE RAW last night from Oklahoma City:

Being at RAW Last Night: “It was great seeing so many of my friends from the WWE world Monday at the Ford Center. It is always good to catch up with long time acquaintances and how they and their families are doing. If I was asked once, I was asked a 100 times, ‘When are you coming back?’ I don’t have the exact answer to that question but my standard and honest response remains the same and that is that my goal is and always has been to return to WWE at Wrestlemania 26. If all the necessary arrangements can be made from a business perspective then that goal will hopefully become a reality.”

Meeting With Bret Hart At RAW: “Bret Hart and I had a long conversation Monday of which I enjoyed immensely. Bret is one of the all time greats, a WWE HOF’er, and has battled thru amazing adversity in overcoming a serious stroke to get to where he is today. Bret, as we discussed, will never be ‘100%’ but his heart and spirit are strong and he will no doubt do all he physically and mentally can to provide the fans their monies worth at WM26 versus Mr. McMahon. I personally can’t wait to see this attraction. Bret and I even talked casually about doing some appearances together, perhaps even some Q&A’s.”

ST. LOUIS – Michelle McCool & Layla defeated Maryse & Gail Kim in an impromptu Divas Tag Team Match ordered at the last minute by SmackDown Official Consultant Vickie Guerrero, live from the “Gateway City.”

It had been a hard fought Divas Championship Tournament after Melina was forced to vacate the title due to injury. After many grueling and action-packed matches, Gail Kim and Maryse were set-up to square off for the coveted Divas Championship. The match was set for WWE Elimination Chamber and a heated, yet fairly civil, rivalry was about to reach its pinnacle.

However, the conclusion to the Divas Championship Tournament was simply not in the cards for WWE Elimination Chamber as SmackDown Official Consultant Vickie Guerrero changed the match at the very last second. Feeling that the SmackDown Divas were not properly represented in the night’s event, she postponed the Championship Match and set a tag team contest, Gail Kim & Maryse vs. SmackDown Divas Michelle McCool & Layla.

Vickie Guerrero cited Raw Divas’ comments against SmackDown’s sexy, smart and powerful women as a major factor in her decision to order the match change.

As the bout got underway, it became abundantly clear that Maryse had no interest in being Gail Kim’s partner and refused to tag into the contest. This allowed Michelle McCool and Layla to pick up a victory for SmackDown in what essentially became more of a handicap encounter.

Adding insult to injury, after the match, Maryse then hit Gail Kim with the French Kiss, leaving her eventual Divas Championship opponent laid out in the middle of the ring. While tensions further erupted between Gail Kim and Maryse, the night ended with a still vacated Divas Championship.

WWE PPV Elimination Chamber 2010 Results in detail – Batista the new Champ