» Mr. Kennedy posted this update on his injury status on his website:

Hi everybody! I just wanted to give you a little heads up... As Dennis Spencer speculated, at our recent house show in Georgia, I did indeed dislocate my right shoulder after taking Shelton's finisher. I basically landed with my arm stretched across my body. My body weight, his body weight, and the force that he applied in delivering the maneuver caused my shoulder to pop right out of the socket.

I'm going to tell you right now, it was honestly the most painful thing that I have ever endured in my life up to this point. (Aside from watching a Great Khali promo.) I was able to get some relief in the locker room after being held down by two people while a doctor pulled, twisted, and popped it back into place. The pain immediately went from a 10 to 1, and I was so relieved that I actually started laughing.

Over the course of the past few days I have had four different MRI's in four different places...absolutely AWESOME when you're extremely claustrophobic. Yesterday, I visited an orthopedic surgeon in GB who specializes in shoulder surgeries. He did a "Great Swami" routine on me by twisting and feeling around my shoulder, and then attempted to schedule a shoulder surgery that would keep me out of action for 6 months BEFORE even looking at the MRI. I was obviously a bit skeptical and decided to get a second opinion.

Today, I traveled to the Andrews Institute in Pensacola, Florida to see Dr. James Andrews - a renowned orthopedic surgeon. I spent the day undergoing different tests, including an MRI, range of motion, etc. Dr. Andrews offered me great advice and a different approach towards rehabilitation. Here's the deal: I have a torn labrum, which basically is a muscle in the shoulder joint that holds everything in place. I also have some damage in the rotator cuff muscles, but it's from the accumulative effects of being in the ring for ten years. I'm going to spend the next two weeks in Pensacola doing two-a-day rehab sessions. I will also be working out the other parts of my body that aren't hurt by swimming, sprinting, cycling, leg training, and eating 6 nutritious high protein meals a day. After two weeks, Doc Andrews will assess my progress and determine if I have to have surgery or not. If not, I'll have an additional 2 to 4 weeks before I can return to the ring. If surgery is required, I'll be out for 4-6 months. Obviously, I'm hoping for the first option.

Regardless of the severity of my injury, I will be working as hard as I can to return to the ring and continue to do what I love. I have the unbelievable support of my wonderful wife, family, extended family within the WWE, and my loyal fan base. I ask for your continued support! As this situation unravels I will keep you updated!

» The Smackdown rating isn't in yet but the show apparently held up to just below normal levels despite going head-to-head with the Olympics opening ceremonies coverage on NBC which drew over 35 million viewers.