WWE The Bash

The Bash (2009) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment's (WWE) SmackDown brand, which took place on July 12, 2009 at the Prudential Centre in Newark, New Jersey. This was the sixty-second pay-per-view and the fourth event in the Great American Bash/The Bash chronology to be held in WWEbrand.

Eight matches were featured on the event's card, with the main event being a Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship, between champion John Cena, Edge and Randy Orton. Other matches on the undercard included: Kurt Angle vs. Kane in an Unsanctioned Steel Chain match; Batista vs. Umaga; Big Show vs. Snitsky; and a Fatal Four-Way match for the WWE United States Championship.

WWE Champion John Cena vs. Edge vs. Randy Orton (Triple Threat match)
At Judgment Day, Edge defeated Batista to determine who would be the next challenger for the WWE Championship. On that same event, John Cena would retain the title over Randy Orton. On the May 22 edition of SmackDown, SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long announced the original main event for The Bash as Cena vs. Edge for the WWE Championship. The following week, Edge and Orton were booked in a singles match, however, decided not to wrestle the match, Edge believing that it was not important due to his status as number one contender. Edge agreed to give Orton the first title match, not if, but when he won the title at The Bash. Long would put the two in a tag team match against Cena and Rey Mysterio, with Edge and Orton winning the match. Orton would help Edge out in a match with Mysterio on the June 19 SmackDown, protecting his potential future title match. After defeating Mysterio himself on June 26, Long announced that he was fed up of Edge’s nonchalance when it came to non-title matches and added Orton to the match at The Bash, making it a Triple Threat match. Edge and Orton would team up again with Umaga in a winning effort over Cena, Big Show and Batista on July 3. On the final episode of SmackDown before The Bash, Orton defeated Cena in a non-title match due to interference by Edge and Lita. However, post-match, Edge would give both his opponents Spears.

Kurt Angle vs. Kane (Unsanctioned Steel Chain match)
After their second pay-per-view encounter at Judgment Day where Kane defeated Kurt Angle, Angle still was not finished with his rival. The two met again on the May 29 episode of SmackDown, with Angle picking up the win via countout when Kane feigned an injury, followed up with Kane giving Angle a Tombstone Piledriver. To prevent further injury on his neck, Theodore Long removed Angle from competing at any upcoming WWE events. Angle would return to SmackDown two weeks later during Kane’s impromptu WWE Championship match against John Cena, with his entrance music distracting Kane, allowing Cena to score the win. Angle returned to the ring on the July 3 SmackDown in an unsanctioned match against Kane, instantly ending in a double countout. Angle revealed a chain and began to beat Kane’s head with the weapon. It was announced on Heat two days later that their final encounter would take place at The Bash in an Unsanctioned Steel Chain match, with neither Theodore Long nor WWE being held responsible for any permanent damage to Angle as a result of the match.

Bottom Line
Prior to the pay-per-view, the pre-show Bottom Line featured a singles match between Unified WWE Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston and Chuck Palumbo. It was also announced that a singles match between Finlay and Gregory Helms would take place on the pay-per-view