READING, Pa. -- Friday night on SmackDown, Edge & Chavo Guerrero found out that the family that stays together doesn't always win together.

While Royal Rumble week may have been a good one for the "familia" -- Chavo won the ECW Championship from CM Punk on ECW on Sci Fi, Edge beat Punk on SmackDown and then defeated Rey Mysterio to retain the World Heavyweight Title at Royal Rumble -- this past one wasn't quite as fantastic.

Coincidentally, their downward spiral also began at the Rumble. Although Edge defeated Mysterio, he did so at a price: The health of his lover, SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero, who was injured when she threw herself in front of Rey's 619 to shield Edge and spur him to victory.

It only got worse on Tuesday night, as Chavo's Championship Fiesta on ECW on Sci Fi was cut short by a guest appearance from Punk. Dressed as a member of the mariachi band brought in to help Chavo celebrate, the Straightedge Superstar brained the new ECW Champion with a guitar, turning his fiesta into an unwanted siesta.

So, heading into their big tag team battle with Mysterio & Punk on Friday Night SmackDown, it seemed as if Edge & Chavo had all the motivation they needed.

But when it rains, it pours.

Having been placed in charge by Mr. McMahon due to Vickie's absence, Assistant General Manager Theodore Long opened SmackDown with two huge announcements for No Way Out. In addition to sanctioning an Elimination Chamber Match -- in which six SmackDown and ECW Superstars will vie for the right to face the World Heavyweight Champion at WrestleMania XXIV -- he also made a Royal Rumble rematch between Edge and Mysterio for the gold. An angry Rated-R Superstar came out to protest, but the much-maligned (by Edge, anyway) Assistant GM turned a deaf ear to his complaint.

When it came time for the main event, a frustrated and focused pair of champions made their way to the ring to battle Punk & Mysterio. And for most of the match, Edge & Chavo dominated their opponents, letting their frustrations loose and particularly targeting Mysterio's previously injured left knee.

Late in the bout, however, the Master of the 619 was able to escape a double team and make the tag to Punk, which was the beginning of the end for the ECW & World Heavyweight Champions. After a momentary melee, Mysterio forced both men into position for the 619. Edge bailed out of the ring, but no matter; Rey nailed Chavo with the move and then flattened the Rated-R Superstar with a breathtaking cross bodyblock. Meanwhile, inside the ring, Punk got a little retribution on Chavo, dropping him with the Go to Sleep to claim the winning pinfall.

While Mysterio & Punk stood victorious in the ring, the beaten tandem of Edge & Chavo stood in the entrance aisle still displaying the one thing each victor wants most: The World Heavyweight and ECW Championships, respectively.

But will Mysterio & Punk's physical victory on SmackDown springboard them back to the gold? The Master of the 619 knows he has another opportunity at No Way Out, while Punk's future is a little less clear. Can the newfound "familia" of Edge & Chavo keep it together and stay a golden duo with this dual threat staring them straight in the face -- and perhaps without ringleader Vickie Guerrero physically able to help them do so?