The main rivalry on the SmackDown brand was between Edge, Triple H and Jeff Hardy over the WWE Championship. At Survivor Series, Edge returned to the WWE after a three-month absence after being announced as a replacement for Hardy, who was originally scheduled to face the defending champion Triple H and Vladimir Kozlov (Oleg Prudius) in a Triple Threat match for the championship, but was found unconscious in his hotel and did not compete in the match. Edge pinned Triple H and won the championship. On the November 29 edition of "SmackDown", General Manager Vickie Guerrero announced a "Beat the Clock Sprint" tournament, where the one of the three competitors (Triple H, Hardy, and Kozlov) would face Edge at Armageddon for the WWE Championship. Both Triple H and Hardy beat their opponents at twelves minute and thirteen seconds (12:13). The next week, Vickie Guerrero announced that WWE board members had decided Edge would have to defend the title against both Triple H and Jeff Hardy.