At night’s end, he – along with his Nexus cohorts – emerged victorious in a 5-on-5 Tag Team Elimination Match against WWE Champion Sheamus, John Cena, Edge, Chris Jericho & Randy Orton. Almost immediately, Jericho and Edge ditched their team.

In the first match of the evening to help determine which Superstar will face Sheamus at Night of Champions, The Rated-R Superstar laid out a convincing case. Edge faced off against the dynamism of R-Truth. The two had traded heated words with one another in the run-up to SummerSlam, but in this exchange, it was Edge who would prevail.

Afterward, The Ultimate Opportunist reminded the WWE Champion that he is a nine-time champion, and bragged that until Sheamus defeats him, he hasn’t defeated anyone.

Sheamus would indeed defend his title against Barrett, the GM assured. However, he would also defend against four other Superstars in a Six Pack Challenge. Rounding out the field, the GM chose Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, Edge and John Cena. As each man stood wearily in the ring, the mistrust proved overwhelming and the six set out attacking one another, leaving only The Viper to stand tall after an emphatic RKO to Cena. The tension between the sextet assures that Night of Champions is also sure to be a night to remember.

The similarities are undeniable. Both Heath Slater and Edge boast long, flowing locks and a penchant for rockstar style, but that’s where the comparison ends. Prior to their match, Slater attempted to convince The Rated-R Superstar to throw the match. For Edge, the request was tantamount to asking him to listen to the Jonas Brothers.

Once in the ring, the two engaged in an athletic clash of wills. At one point, the action even spilled out of the ring. As the referee continued his count, it was Slater who finally managed to dart back into the squared circle to avoid the count-out while his opponent seethed on the outside in defeat before nailing Slater with a Spear.

Chris Jericho and Edge re-joined Team WWE after their Tag Team Match against John Cena & Bret “Hit Man” Hart erupted in chaos when special lumberjacks The Nexus brawled with their SummerSlam opponents.

After Team WWE cracked under the strains of infighting last week, Edge felt compelled to voice his frustration. He went rogue, belittling his SummerSlam team and challenging Wade Barrett to a singles match. Before the leader of The Nexus could respond, Edge’s SummerSlam teammate R-Truth tried to talk sense into him, emphasizing the need for unity. Raw’s anonymous General Manager interrupted Truth, however, and quickly granted The Rated-R Superstar’s request.
During the bout, Edge nearly scored a pinfall on Barrett, who immediately signaled for his Nexus comrades. Slinking toward the ring, the remaining Nexus members closed in on The Rated-R Superstar, who leaped a security barrier, scampered off into the crowd.
An inconsolable Edge confronted John Cena in the locker room area after The Nexus cornered him during his loss to Wade Barrett. During the war of words, The Ultimate Opportunist quit Team WWE, complaining to Cena that his teammates did not involve themselves in his match. This, after he had previously insisted that his teammates not involve themselves. Yeah, you read that correctly.

The fabric of the squad assembled to combat The Nexus continued to fray. After overhearing Edge complain about his inclusion in the group, The Great Khali challenged his potential teammate to a match. During the bout, The Nexus sauntered to the ring, prompting The Ultimate Opportunist to flee the squared circle. While Khali may have won by count-out, his situation looked precarious when The Nexus surrounded him. Rather than pummel The Punjabi Playboy, though, the group allowed him to go free.

Eleven years. That’s how long Edge and Chris Jericho have been trading blows and foiling one another’s championship quests. After losing to Randy Orton in a Triple Threat Match to determine the No. 1 contender to the WWE Title earlier in the night, the pair had had enough. They bickered back and forth, each asserting that The Nexus would ally with them against the other. To settle the dispute, The Nexus emerged, but instead of discussing partnerships, they attacked The Ultimate Opportunist.

Later in the evening, a flustered Cena hinted that he may be open to joining the group that had cost him everything. And while Nexus initially hinted that they may be open to a truce, Barrett insisted on more. He told Cena that, in order to further his career at WWE, he must join The Nexus.

Cena refused and left the ring seemingly despondent. His disposition changed, however, when he announced the formation of his own group, including Edge, John Morrison, R-Truth, The Great Khali, Chris Jericho and WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart, who hadn’t been seen since The Nexus had attacked him!

After each Superstar assembled on the entrance ramp, Cena informed Nexus that they should enjoy the next three weeks because at SummerSlam, The Nexus isn’t going to make history, “The Nexus is history!”