It was also notable for the WWE debut of Kharma, formerly known as Awesome Kong in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.

[9] Edge was originally scheduled to defend his World Heavyweight Championship against Alberto Del Rio in a ladder match.

However, Edge retired on the April 11, 2011 episode of Raw due to a cervical spinal stenosis stemming from his neck injury.

Later, Edge's best friend, Christian, won a 20-man battle royal to face Del Rio in the ladder match for the title.

Cena and Truth became the last two men remaining, but were attacked by The Miz and his protégé Alex Riley, resulting in a double disqualification.

Afterwards, the anonymous Raw general manager announced that The Miz would defend his title against Cena and Truth at Extreme Rules, with the match later scheduled to be contested in a steel cage.

Also, tension grew since they failed to get back the WWE Divas Championship several times and lost a six-person tag-team match at WrestleMania XXVII against Trish Stratus, John Morrison, and Snooki from Jersey Shore.

SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long added a match between Sheamus and Kofi Kingston for the WWE United States Championship.

Also a Lumberjack match pitting the WWE Tag Team Champions, Big Show and Kane, against Wade Barrett and Ezekiel Jackson was added.

At approximately ten minutes into the match, Punk executed a GTS on Orton, who barely managed to stand.

The match was moved back into the ring where Punk performed a scoop slam to Orton on top of a chair.

Back in the ring, Punk ascended to the top rope only to be caught by Orton, who repeatedly hit him with a kendo stick.

Kingston put Sheamus through a table with a Boom Drop off the top rope, winning his second United States Championship and returning the title back to Raw.

Ross used a leather strap to deliver a low blow to Swagger, but was then pinned with a schoolboy by Cole for the win.

The vacant World Heavyweight Championship was contested between Christian and Alberto Del Rio in a ladder match.

Christian took advantage of this and knocked Del Rio off the ladder onto Brodus Clay and Ricardo Rodriguez at ringside.

Next, Kane and Big Show defended the WWE Tag Team Championship against Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett and Ezekiel Jackson in a lumberjack match.

Morrison then tried a variation of the Flying Chuck using the cage wall instead of the ropes, aiming for Cena, but hit The Miz instead.

Morrison executed a standing moonsault side slam on Cena, but was powerbombed into the steel cage wall by The Miz.

The match ended as Cena executed an Attitude Adjustment on The Miz from the top rope for the pinfall victory, winning his eighth WWE Championship.

In his review for The Sun, Rob McNichol reported that the event was "a stunning return to form by WWE."

The Smackdown main event Ladder Match between Alberto Del Rio and Christian for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship was given praise, "The crowd's genuine elation and the celebration with his [Edge] former partner and best friend made it a very special moment.

"The high-risk moves and Starship Pain of the top of the cage proves why Morrison is a future star in WWE."

[11] Cena's announcement was replayed the next evening on WWE Raw in Miami, where Lilian Garcia performed the national anthem in the beginning of the show.

Dwayne Johnson also addressed the issue prior to his birthday celebration and led the crowd in a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.

On the May 9 episode of Raw, The Miz defeated Rey Mysterio and Alberto Del Rio to earn another shot at the WWE Championship.