If you don’t want to know what happens on Smackdown on Friday, stop reading immediately (and don’t visit wwe.com, either).

For the third time in 18 months, an injury to the world heavyweight champion has disrupted WWE’s long-term plans and forced a title change.

Edge, who suffered a torn pectoral muscle at last week’s Smackdown taping and is expected to be out for four months, handed over the title at last night’s taping in Laredo, Texas. A battle royal was held to determine the new champion, and the winner was The Great Khali. At Sunday’s Great American Bash pay-per-view, Khali will defend the title in a triple-threat match against Batista and Kane.

This is a big blow for Smackdown. Edge has become the best heel in the business and is clearly the top star of the brand. The plan reportedly had been for him to have a long title reign, but his run has ended after just two months.

Ironically, Edge would never have been given the opportunity to be in the top spot on Smackdown had the previous champion, The Undertaker, not suffered a torn biceps a few months ago. The run of bad luck for holders of the big gold belt began at the beginning of 2006, when Batista suffered a torn triceps and had to relinquish the title.

Serious injuries are part of the business, but WWE has had an especially tough stretch when it comes to main-eventers getting hurt. Just as Triple H and Rey Mysterio are about to return, Edge joins The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels on the disabled list.

I’m sure WWE’s decision to put the belt on Khali will be criticized by a lot of fans, but I really don’t have much of a problem with the choice (it would have been better, however, had Khali not been pinned and forced to tap out by WWE champion John Cena on two recent pay-per-views). I would have preferred someone like Matt Hardy or MVP been given a shot, but I think WWE has done a good job with Khali since he was moved to Smackdown. He plays his role as a menacing monster well, and I’ve found some of his backstage segments – where he bullies the production crew and tosses then around – to be entertaining.

The obvious problem with Khali is that he is extremely limited in what he can do in the ring. And on Sunday he will be in there with Batista and Kane – who aren’t exactly Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle – so the potential exists for this match to be a disaster. I wouldn’t be surprised if Khali’s reign is a short one and Batista ends up with the title again.