TORONTO -- In an exciting championship-filled SmackDown, some Superstars fell short in their pursuit of gold, while others rose to the challenge to capture ultimate glory.

WATCH all of the action now in the SmackDown Quick Cut and check out WWE.com's exclusive ringside PHOTOS.

WWE Champion Jeff Hardy def. Big Show (Count-out) (PHOTOS)
Big Show returned Friday night to find Edge once again standing side-by-side with SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero. Nevertheless, he managed to secure Guerrero's word that if he won a non-title match against Jeff Hardy, he would earn a WWE Championship opportunity.

But, the WWE Champion's quickness and cunning ways proved too much for The World's Largest Athlete. After a drag out battle that saw Big Show kick out of the Swanton Bomb, Hardy beat the count back into the ring in order to refuse his gigantic opponent his chance at the title. After Hardy's victory, ECW Champion Matt Hardy emerged to cheer on his brother as an irate Big Show looked on.

Maryse def. Michelle McCool (Divas Championship Match) (Maria as Special Guest Referee) (WATCH | PHOTOS)
In a Divas Championship Match that enlisted the services of Maria as the Special Guest Referee, Maryse made history by capturing the Divas Championship from Michelle McCool. Maryse reigned supreme over Michelle by executing a devastating kick on the distracted champion while she was busy criticizing Maria's officiating. After the new Divas Champion left the arena with the title, Michelle proceeded to viciously attack Maria.

United States Champion Shelton Benjamin def. Hurricane Helms (United States Championship Match) (PHOTOS)
Hurricane Helms' tremendous success since returning to SmackDown nearly gave him the momentum to overcome Shelton Benjamin. But, the Gold Standard rallied with the resilience of a true champion, hitting Pay Dirt on Helms to retain his title. 

WWE Tag Team Champion Carlito def. The Brian Kendrick (PHOTOS)
The Brian Kendrick took advantage of a distraction caused by an altercation between his associate Ezekiel Jackson and Primo outside the ring, brutally kicking Carlito in the side of the head. However, when he tried to finish the WWE Tag Team Champion off with The Kendrick, Carlito ducked behind him and implemented the Backstabber for the big win.

Triple H def. Chavo Guerrero (PHOTOS)
After Chavo Guerrero interrupted Triple H's attempt to call out Vladimir Kozlov, The Cerebral Assassin insulted Chavo's family honor, prompting Vickie Guerrero to quickly make a match between the two Superstars. During the match, Chavo attempted to borrow a page from the playbook of his late, great Uncle Eddie, throwing a chair into Triple H's hands while the referee's back was turned in an attempt get The Game disqualified. When this classic maneuver blew up in his face, The King of Kings hit the self-proclaimed "Mexican Warrior" with the Pedigree to pick up the victory. Following the match, Triple H sent a message to Vickie Guerrero, bashing her nephew with the sledgehammer.

Vladimir Kozlov def. Jimmy Wang Yang (PHOTOS)
The Moscow Mauler caught Jimmy Wang Yang with his obliterating battering-ram headbutt as Yang was attempting his from the top rope. Kozlov then drove Yang into the mat for the impressive win. After the match, the Moscow Mauler put WWE on notice, declaring that he would win the Royal Rumble.

The Great Khali def. Montel Vontavious Porter (PHOTOS)
A sudden burst of offense by MVP only served to anger The Great Khali, who completed his domination of the Franchise Playa with the Punjabi Plunge, simultaneously plunging MVP's record further into oblivion. After the match, an unconscious Ballin' Superstar once again fell victim to Mr. Kennedy's merciless microphone. Mr. Kennedy emerged to give his best MVP imitation and plug his new movie Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia.