Can Rey stay focused?

Two of SmackDown's most impressive and entertaining Superstars will meet on Friday when the high-flying Rey Mysterio faces the brash Mr. Kennedy. With two recent wins over The Animal Batista, Kennedy will look to continue to make a name for himself with a win over the former World Champion. But the question on everyone's mind is whether or not Rey will be able to put aside the turmoil with Chavo Guerrero and focus on Friday.

Recently Rey has come under attack from close friend Chavo Guerrero who betrayed him at The Great American Bash and cost him the World Championship. He has also accused Mysterio of using the memory of the late Eddie Guerrero for his own personal gain. Chavo has gone as far as calling Rey a "leech living off the blood of the Guerrero family."

WWE.com caught up with the Superstars to get their thoughts.

"Anytime there is a competition in the ring, my focus has to be completely on the ring," said an adamant Rey. "Distractions can occur, but once I step into the ring, my focus is going to be on Kennedy. Yeah, I have Chavo and Vickie in the back of my mind, but I'm not going to let that mess up my fight Friday."

But the excitement left his voice when the conversation turned away from Kennedy and Rey talked more about his personal problems with Chavo.

"It has to come to an end," said a despondent Mysterio. "We either have to talk like men or fight like men."

Last week on SmackDown, things got so bad that Eddie's widow Vickie jumped between the men to try to put a stop to the fighting.

"When Vickie came out, I was completely shocked," recounted Rey. "I hadn't heard from her in a while. The next thing I know, I see her in the middle of the both of us in the arena, you know, in front of all the fans on TV. I hope Chavo's not getting into her head."

Kennedy, meanwhile, is skeptical that Mysterio will have his head fully in the match.

"I'm kind of hoping for that - kind of counting on that," said Kennedy. "But you know what? Rey Mysterio has to quit whining. He always has something going on - always. First it was Eddie, then it was losing the title, now it's his best friend betraying him. What's next? What's next? A little while back, it was his kid. I mean, come on. He's always got some sort of excuse, and I'm tired of excuses."

Even without the family distractions, Kennedy is confident he can beat Mysterio.

"I've already beaten Rey Mysterio and King Booker," boasted Kennedy. "I beat Batista. I beat that big son of a bitch."

Upon hearing what Kennedy had to say, Rey perked up and became focused on his match again.

"A lot of people own a victory over Rey Mysterio and I can say the same, you know?" Rey shot back. "I've battled and won against many guys here in WWE. This is what competition is all about. That is what being the best is all about. If Kennedy has one up on me, then Friday we'll find out if he's going to have two or if it's going to be one to one."

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