— As noted earlier, the initial idea for tonight’s John Cena vs. Batista bout was that it would be Batista’s final match with the company, at least for the time being. While nobody has said anything different, a number of his colleagues doubt he will depart his lucrative job for long. Instead of holding a “Loser Leaves Town” match, tonight’s match was stipulated as an “I Quit” duel to leave the door open in case he decides to stay with the company.
— Internally, both Ted DiBiase and Drew McIntyre are seen as “chosen ones,” so their respective matches tonight have great importance. Furthermore, both Kofi Kingston and R-Truth have a lot riding on their respective matches as well, so it’s imperative they put on good performances.
— Current plans call for Jack Swagger to hold World Heavyweight Championship through at least SummerSlam, so do not expect him to lose tonight. That said, WWE has committed itself to rebuilding Big Show as a main event threat, so the idea of Show getting pinned cleanly also does not appear likely.
— Both Edge and Randy are expected to take part in the main event for next month’s Fatal 4 Way pay-per-view, so neither wrestler will be booked to come across as vastly superior in their match tonight.
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