The upcoming WWE Money In The Bank pay-per-view, which takes place on June 29th, is expected to feature only one multi-person ladder match for a shot at the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

While no one has been officially decided upon as the projected winner for this year’s Money In The Bank match, the front-runner is said to be up-and-coming WWE Superstar Cesaro.

Considering the fact that “The King Of Swing” has been earmarked for a big singles push, and is slotted as the number three baby face in the company for later this year, behind only John Cena and Daniel Bryan, it’s considered likely that if he indeed wins the Money In The Bank ladder match, he would go on to become WWE World Heavyweight Champion whenever he eventually cashes in his title-shot.

WWE SummerSlam is less than three months away and we’ve received some information regarding the top matches that have discussed for the show. The planning of these matches dates back to before Daniel Bryan’s neck surgery, however, Bryan will back in action before August so these preliminary matches could still be in the works:

– Daniel Bryan vs. Bray Wyatt for the WWE World Heavyweight Title.

– Triple H vs. Roman Reigns. This one has been rumored since around WrestleMania XXX and there’s a very strong chance it will happen. Triple H has handpicked Reigns his next big singles opponent.

– Brock Lesnar vs. Cesaro. As previously reported, Lesnar is returning this summer and WWE wants him on board for SummerSlam and Night of Champions in September, right after the 6-month mark of the WWE Network.

As of this past Monday, WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair had yet to travel to Pittsburgh to take his required WWE medical tests.

According to one source, Flair could potentially be dealing with the blood clot in his leg that he has suffered with for a while. WWE does not allow performers to use blood thinners, so that could be an issue with bringing Flair back.

For what it’s worth, Flair noted in a recent interview with Mike Mooneyham and claimed that his blood clot issue has been “cleared up.”

As noted previously, “The Nature Boy” was backstage at the WWE SmackDown television taping on Tuesday night in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, however there is no update yet on his official status in terms of a full-time return to television.

At one point WWE had plans for Cesaro to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship in a recent program. Instead, WWE opted for “The King of Swing” to work with Sheamus for the WWE United States Championship, with the feeling that going for the I-C title would be counter-productive for the newest “Paul Heyman Guy.”

As of now, there is no definitive word as to whether or not this will impact Sunday’s WWE Payback pay-per-view, where both the I-C and U.S. titles will be on the line.

The TNA Slammiversary pay-per-view main event could be in jeopardy, as MVP has apparently suffered a knee injury on Friday night while working for Preston City Wrestling. MVP later explained that he heard his knee “pop” during the match.

MVP was scheduled to work another match on Saturday, but came out at the beginning of the show and cut a promo explaining that he was injured. He said he went to the hospital and got an X-Ray that came back inconclusive. He said he needs to undergo an MRI.

Whether or not the injury is serious enough to affect his pay-per-view match with Eric Young in two weeks is a serious question.

The following are highlights of a new Slam! Wrestling interview with Dolph Ziggler:

Not losing sight of his goals: “For me, it’s not just focusing on moving up in the title picture. It’s about every aspect of the WWE. Whether it’s the App or taking on the superstars, whether it’s five minutes or 20 minutes, finding a way to stand out, steal the show and use that to get back in contention for the title.”

Social media: “It gives you another way to connect with the fans. For five years, fans didn’t know much about me other than I go out, steal the show and put on great matches every night. Now they’re able to find out what I actually care about, what my goals are in this business, etc.”

NXT Champion Adrian Neville: “I was shown a package of things he’s done and I was wondering if I could keep up in the ring with him. Once he gets here he’ll not only already be established, but Superstars like myself will already have ideas in our head about things we can do with him. And that will make it that much better.”

Check out the complete interview at Canoe.ca.

Following last night’s edition of WWE SmackDown, here is your updated official lineup for this Sunday’s WWE Payback pay-per-view:

No Holds Barred Elimination Match
– The Shield vs. Evolution

WWE United States Title Match
– Sheamus (c) vs. Cesaro

WWE Intercontinental Title Match
– Bad News Barrett (c) vs. Rob Van Dam

WWE Divas Title Match
– Paige (c) vs. Alicia Fox

Last Man Standing Match
– Bray Wyatt vs. John Cena

– Rusev vs. Big E

– Daniel Bryan’s decision regarding the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and Brie Bella

Kickoff Show
(Hair vs. Mask)
– Hornswoggle vs. El Torito

Make sure to join us here this Sunday night for live play-by-play results coverage of the WWE Payback pay-per-view.

• Additionally, SESCOOPS.COM’s own Michael Hicks recently published his WWE Payback predictions and analysis, which you can check out at WWE Payback Preview and Predictions

The following are highlights of a new Live Audio Wrestling interview with Jeff Jarrett:

Decision to leave TNA and start GFW: “At the very end, I knew it was time to move on. I’m very grateful and thankful. The TNA fanbase over the years – very loyal and passionate. I can’t say enough about my TNA years, but I knew in 2014 it was time for something new. With Global Force, the vision I have for it is – you know, people love professional wrestling. Some people call it a “dirty word,” some people call it sports entertainment. It’s all one and the same. I believe in 2014 professional wrestling, it’s time to evolve. As the weeks and months get there, I’m gonna be very excited to share that vision. At this time, I’m keeping it very close to the vest. The journey videos that we’re posting on GlobalForceWrestling.com and all through social media, I want to literally immerse the fanbase from day one. Yes, I’ve talked to a lot of wrestlers but there’s not one wrestler signed yet. We’re really close on making some talent announcements, but we’re in negotiations on every level. With the way technology is today – can I share everything? I don’t think that’d be very smart or prudent business, but I can share as much as I can for the wrestling press, as well as the Hollywood Reporters of the world and Variety. I’ve had people reach out to me in New York and LA that are in the television business, but they’re mesmerized with the amount of information that we are sharing, bringing the fans along literally step by step in this journey, because they’re a part of the journey.”

Still having ownership stake in TNA: “Yes, that’s a hundred percent accurate, if you’re curious. It is a unique situation, but professional wrestling is unique, isn’t it? It doesn’t permit me whatsoever (from starting GFW).”

Check out the complete interview at LiveAudioWrestling.com.

[attention]Make sure to join us here Sunday night for our Live Coverage of WWE Payback. Starting at 7:30pm (EST), we’ll have the Chat Room open and will be doing realtime results of the pre-show and pay-per-view.[/attention]

Early Betting Odds For WWE Payback

The WWE’s top superstars will seek retribution at this Sunday’s Payback pay-per-view. Two rematches from last month’s Extreme Rules will highlight the card, with the Shield and Evolution meeting in a no-holds barred elimination match, and John Cena and Bray Wyatt meeting once again, this time in a last man standing match.

Here are my predictions for this Sunday’s event.

Hornswoggle vs. El Torito (Hair vs. Mask Match)

These two will once again square off on the pre-show. They actually put on a pretty entertaining match at last month’s event, but I’m afraid this one will suffer because there are no props involved. After some high-flying spots by El Torito to get the crowd pumped up, he will eventually pull off the victory and Hornswoggle’s beautiful mane will be no more.

Winner: El Torito by pinfall

Rusev vs. Big E

Since losing the Intercontinental Title, Big E has entered into a tailspin of sorts. He has lost a few bouts and has not been presented well since losing clean to Bad News Barrett last month.

He will not take a shot at ending Rusev’s undefeated streak. I expected both superstars to get a chance to show off their strength, and this should be Rusev’s longest bout on the main roster. Ultimately, Big E’s woes will continue and he will be forced to tap out to Rusev’s finisher, the Accolade.

Winner: Rusev by submission

Paige (Divas Champion) vs. Alicia Fox

A divas championship match that actually has a bit of a backstory to it? I never thought I would see the day. Alicia Fox has been booked strong in recent weeks, picking up a clean win over Paige and destroying anything in her path (including ringside employees).

Fox will dominate this one for the most part, much like she did during their contest on Raw a few weeks back. She will eventually succumb to the champion after losing concentration and showboating, allowing for Paige to take advantage and pick up the win with her scorpion crosslock.

Winner: Paige by submission

Sheamus (United States Champion) vs. Cesaro

This has the chance to be one of the best matches of the night. Both guys are good workers and they should be given a solid 10-15 minutes to show what they are capable of. Expect a number of near falls and high intensity action.

It seems as if a big push is in store for Cesaro, which would normally lead one to believe that he would slay the Jolly Green Ginger. That will not be the case, however, as there are much bigger plans in store for Cesaro than the United States Championship. Sheamus wins after hitting a Brogue Kick, and Cesaro gets ready to compete in next month’s Money in the Bank ladder match.

Winner: Sheamus by pinfall

– The following is the official description for the latest edition of “Who’s Next w/ Goldberg.”

Who’s Next w/ Goldberg – Ep02 – Terry Crews

“NFL Stud-Turned Wrestling Legend Bill Goldberg welcomes NFL buddy turned actor Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Old Spice stud) to talk about his journey and what makes a real man.”

You can download the show right now at PodcastOne.com.

– The following is the official description for the latest edition of the “Steve Austin Show.”

SASu – EP120 – TNA’s Cowboy James Storm Pt 2

“Cowboy James Storm and Steve Austin are sharing their tag team pet peeves, and the worst matches of their respective careers (at least according to Dave Meltzer). They’re also talking Shawn Michaels vs Bret Hart, the Superkick, the Stone Cold Stunner, cars, vegetarians, and 80s heavy metal.”

You can download the show right now at PodcastOne.com.

– The following is the official description for the latest edition of Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho.”

TIJ – EP43 – TNA’s Bully Ray Pt2 & WWE Payback Predictions

“TNA’s Bully Ray (formerly known as Bubba Ray of the Dudley Boyz tag team at WWF/E) is back talking about ECW, Paul Heyman, shaving his head, working for WWE, and his favorite matches! Plus, Egypt returns to predict this weekend’s WWE Payback PPV matches with Chris! Who will come out ahead?”

You can download the show right now at PodcastOne.com.

Thanks to SEScoops.com reader Tara for sending along the following NXT TV taping results for the next four weeks …

Spoilers For June 5, 2014:

– Mojo Rawley kicks off NXT and gets everyone hyped. Aiden English sings and gets beat with Mojo’s finisher in a fairly quick match.

– Bayley comes out and gives her bandana to one of the Special Olympic athletes at ringside. NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte comes out for a match. Charlotte gets the win with Bow Down to the Queen after Summer Rae returned to NXT and distracted Bayley. Sasha Banks, Summer and Charlotte beat down Bayley until Emma and Paige made the save.

– Jason Jordan and Tye Dillinger defeated two indie wrestlers from FIP.

– CJ Parker came out with more Earth friendly signs in protest.

– Tyler Breeze comes out for an in-ring segment and talks about beating Sami Zayn to become the new #1 contender. Breeze promises he will be the new NXT Champion when he gets his shot against Adrian Neville. Breeze shows us a music video he had made which is a compilation of his greatest entrances.

– Adrian Neville defeated Justin Gabriel. After the match, Tyson Kidd came out and apologized for his actions at Takeover. They shook hands and agree to a rematch at a future date that isn’t announced.

Spoilers For June 12, 2014

– Bayley, Emma and Paige defeated Charlotte, Sasha Banks and Summer Rae. The BFF’s argued from the time they came out to the stage. They argued all during the match, allowing Bayley to get the pin on Charlotte. The problems continued after the match as Charlotte and Sasha argued to the back. Summer ended up staying at ringside and taking photos with fans.

– More protesting from CJ Parker.

– Big Cass defeated Sylvester Lefort.

– Bo Dallas comes out under a mask and he’s called Mr. NXT. Sami Zayn comes out and exposes him. After Sami wins the match, he calls for security to escort Bo out of the arena since he was banned from NXT previously. Bo runs around the arena but security catches up with him. Bo begs for someone’s help but they take him away.

– Adrian Neville defeated Tyson Kidd with the NXT Title on the line. Natalya was at ringside. Kidd won the match at one point but the referee didn’t see Neville’s foot on the bottom rope and the match was re-started. The end came when Kidd grabbed a steel chair from Natalya but got caught with a heel kick and Red Arrow. Kidd walked away from Natalya after the match.

Spoilers For June 19, 2014

– There’s an off-camera segment with Bo Dallas running around asking for help from security.

– Alexa Bliss defeated Sasha Banks. Charlotte and Summer Rae were at ringside with Sasha. Sasha lost when there was more arguing among the BFF’s.

– Mojo Rawley defeated Garrett Dylan.

– “The Vaudevillians” Aiden English and Simon Gotch defeated Travis Tyler and Angelo Dawkins.

– Tyler Breeze defeated Kalisto.

– The Ascension defeated Sami Zayn and Tyson Kidd with the NXT Tag Team Titles on the line. Sami got hit with Fall of Man after Kidd walked out on him.

Spoilers For June 26, 2014

– The Vaudevillians defeated two unknown wrestlers.

– CJ Parker comes back out with more Earth friendly signs in protest.

– Bull Dempsey defeated Xavier Woods. Dempsey took the mic and said the business used to be dominated by brawler guys like him. He said he’s the last of a dying breed.

– Becky Lynch defeated Summer Rae when she was distracted by Sasha and Charlotte arguing at ringside.

– Big Cass defeated Sawyer Fulton in a squash match. After the match, Marcus Louis and Sylvester Lefort came out and beat Cass down. Enzo Amore made his return and made the save for Cass. Enzo cut an awesome promo and the crowd was all into it. Cass and Enzo did their schtick and left to a new theme song.

– Tyler Breeze is out next for commentary. Rob Van Dam vs. Adrian Neville in a non-title match is next. Neville gets the win with the Red Arrow. Breeze and Neville stare each other down after the match.

WWE uploaded the much-talked-about NXT Takeover “Fallout” post-show from Thursday night to their official YouTube channel.

The official description for the show reads as follows:

“Now that the smoke has cleared from NXT Takeover, watch NXT Takeover Fallout. Renee Young and Paul Heyman get on-the-spot reactions from the NXT Superstars and Divas after their matches and see what the future holds for WWE NXT. “

You can check out the full show above.

The following are highlights of a new TNA News interview with Frankie Kazarian:

Do you still have a good relationship with Jeff Jarrett? If you were asked to join his newest company, Global Force Wrestling, would you be part of it?

“I have a good relationship with Jeff, I mean the guy gave me a huge break. He was my boss for a long time. He became a pal. He’s got a great vision. He has wrestling in his blood. I’ll wait to see how everything pans out before, I mean, let’s wait till GFW is actually an existing entity. Right now everything is speculation, so until there is an actual wrestling company to go we’ll see. I mean, I can’t really answer a question that the possible answer is that you have to guess. Anything Jeff puts his name on I would jump at the chance to be part of because he is a brilliant business man when it comes to professional wrestling.”

Your run in the company lasted till 2005 where actually signed with WWE. Did you think you fit the “WWE mold”? Does it bother you that you have never had a long run with them?

“I don’t think there is such a thing as a mold – You either get over or you don’t. At the time I just wasn’t mentally prepared for WWE the machine and the big business that it is cause that is exactly what it is. I don’t know what I was expecting but I just wasn’t mentally prepared. I wasn’t mentally mature enough cause it is such a huge business. It is not just a wrestling promotion, it is a business and it is run very smoothly and it is run by people are the best in the industry and have been doing it forever. There is a reason why they are the best. So, at the time I was a little bit young, a little bit naïve about things and that’s all 100% my fault. You know, just being a little unprepared for the business side of things and a little bit overwhelmed also.”

Now for a question that many people are wondering – Are you finished with TNA Wrestling? If not, is the contract coming up soon?

“I’m technically still under contract but that’s for a very, very short amount of time. Once that contract runs out I will no longer be with TNA.”

How do you feel about TNA’s way of sending you off?

“It wasn’t much of a sending off. I was in the position where they wanted to introduce new characters and get over other characters, so if the guy isn’t going to be there, that’s, I guess, is the best use of them – is to put them at the expense of other characters. Hey, that’s their decision and I’m good with that if they are good with that. If they think that is a good way to put a new character over, then hey, I’m a company guy and I’ll do it. It’s somebody’s vision – They decided to go with this crop of guys going forward and decided to not go with guys Chris Sabin, AJ Styles, Daniels, and myself. You don’t want to fight that. There’s no need to fight it. Just go with it.”

Check out the complete interview at TNANews.com.

– Don’t forget that WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross will be at the House Of Blues in Chicago, Illinois for his “RINGSIDE” one-man show today.

– The following is a new video promo from Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy for their Big Time Wrestling matches this weekend. The two also speak about a dream match that’s coming up.

– TNA stars Robbie E. and Brooke Tessmacher are among those on the cast of the CBS reality show “The Amazing Race.” The event officially kicked off in New York City on Saturday. For more information, visit CBSPressExpress.com.

– Speaking of reality shows, former “Survivor” cast member Jonny Fairplay, as well as WWE Hall Of Famer Jake “The Snake” Roberts are advertised for the May 31st and June 1st West Coast Wrestling Connection events near Portland, Oregon. For more information on that, visit WestCoastWrestlingConnection.com.

– TNA began running promotional ads on the New York City radio station WFAN this week. WFAN is among the most expensive sports radio stations in the country to advertise on. TNA is running ads for their upcoming television tapings in August, with the following talent listed in the advertisement: Eric Young, MVP, Bobby Lashley, Kenny King, Velvet Sky and “New York’s own Bully Ray.”

– Samoa Joe made his return to TNA on last night’s edition of Impact Wrestling. Prior to Joe returning at the TNA tapings in early May, he had been away since the company’s TV tapings in March.

Angelina Love vs. Madison Rayne for the TNA Knockouts Championship has been announced for next week’s edition of Impact Wrestling on Spike TV. Also announced is a match featuring Willow vs. Bram.

Above is a video preview for next week’s Impact Wrestling.

Kurt Angle appears to be the victim of another bad promoter. According to a recent report, the Olympic gold medalist was paid with a bad check for his appearance at a Sparkes Productions event in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Angle then reportedly received another check that ended up bouncing until finally getting paid with a legitimate money order.

It appears that the Sparkes Productions company is now out of business. The Canadian Wrestling Elite promotion in Winnipeg that had worked with Sparkes in the past said that the promoters’ cell phone was disconnected, his website was down and they were told that he was in both financial and potential legal trouble.

The Thursday, May 29th edition of TNA Impact Wrestling on Spike TV scored a final cable rating of 0.89, up from the 0.87 final draw that the show has drawn the previous two weeks.

Thursday’s Impact Wrestling show averaged 1.079 million viewers, up slightly from the 1.07 million viewers who tuned in the previous week.

The following are highlights of a new v2 Wrestling Podcast interview with Jeremy Borash:

On Vince Russo: “I have not seen or spoken to Vince Russo in two years, so I couldn’t tell you of his involvement, on what level it is, if at all.”

On his spat with Eric Bischoff, after a bartender told Bischoff that Borash had been claiming to be the TNA owner: “The guy that told him that was a guy named Magnus – not the wrestler; Magnus the bartender – who is a family friend, and I believe knew that Eric and I had not exactly gotten along before. I think Eric might have been tipping a few back, and I think Magnus was effing with him a little bit. Anybody who knows me knows that I would not go around and tell anybody that I own TNA, that is absurd. And if I did own TNA, I’d be driving a much better car and dating a supermodel. Eric apologized to me a hundred times for it, and more than made good for it, and I totally forgive him. It was just a joke that got out of hand.”

On what he would do differently if he owned TNA: “Move it to London. The fan base is a huge missed opportunity. The production in the UK is miles ahead of anything that is in the U.S., and I have no idea why, but I am a huge fan of the production values over here. I would use that production, and take advantage of how passionate the crowd is.”

Check out the complete interview at Podomatic.com.

– Christopher Daniels has reportedly signed a contract with Ring Of Honor. The former longtime TNA star is expected to start full-time with ROH on the company’s upcoming June 22nd show.

– As things currently stand, there are no official plans on the existing schedule for New Japan to work with ROH in the near future, however the company is said to be interested in bringing in a NJPW star for their “Final Battle” show. ROH is said to be most interested in Kazuchika Okada, since other than Jushin Liger, he was the performer who got over the best with the ROH fans.

There is still no definitive word as to when Christian will be making his return to the ring after suffering two concussions in the past year.

There are those within WWE that have suggested Christian be hired as a producer/agent for the company when his contract as an active performer expires.

As noted in the past, the talk within WWE was that Christian is expected to be phasing down his in-ring career this year even prior to suffering the second concussion.

David Otunga could be returning to WWE soon and his fiancé Jennifer Hudson is not happy about it, according to the latest issue of Star Magazine.  The article notes that she is “fuming” that Otunga wants to wrestle again and is concerned he won’t be spending enough time with their son David Daniel.

“The will-they-or-won’t-they debate about Jennifer Hudson and David Otunga’s wedding just took a turn for the worse,” Star Magazine writes.

The couple is “constantly arguing” and Hudson does not think being a pro wrestler is a good career move for him.

“Jen knows that it’s his passion, but she doesn’t want him away from home for long periods of time, and there’s always the chance that he could get hurt,” according to a source close to Jennifer.

– WWE will tape another set of NXT TV tapings tonight from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. We will have full spoiler coverage tonight. Rob Van Dam and Summer Rae will be appearing, with Summer doing a pre-show meet & greet at 4pm.

– Batista has been announced for the June 12th WWE NXT TV tapings from Full Sail.

– Triple H revealed on last night’s NXT Takeover post-show that the next live NXT special will happen around the end of the summer or early fall. He aded that WWE is planning to do a live NXT special every quarter.

– Last night on the NXT Takeover kickoff show, Paul Heyman revealed that he was scouting for new Paul Heyman Guys or Paul Heyman Girls at the show. He noted that he signed Cesaro shortly after seeing his match against Sami Zayn at NXT Arrival back in February, which is widely regarded as a Match of the Year candidate.

WWE Diva Brie Bella recently spoke with Scott Fishman of The Miami Herald to promote the season finale of WWE Total Divas, which airs this Sunday night on E! Here are some highlights:

Being on Total Divas: “I look at all of us girls, and we all bring something different to the table. I think women can relate to us because I think it’s very common women have to balance career and relationship. At the same time, you never know what the world is interested in at that moment. There was the thinking of, ‘I think it will do well because we have something great here.’ At the same time, are people interested in women fighting in the ring and fighting for relationships outside?”

Daniel Bryan Appearing On The Show: “When I brought it up to Bryan [about doing the show], he was just like, ‘Brie, I don’t think we’re entertaining to watch. I don’t think this is a good idea for you and I.’ I was kind of like, ‘I think you’re right. We are kind of boring.’ It’s because we are very private, so it was hard for us to open up with all the cameras. He is such a good sport. He is just so good to me. With anything I want to do, he is 100 percent for it, even if he thinks I’m crazy. It was very hard for he and I at first, but now we have fun with it. We are so comfortable that sometimes we forget that the cameras are there. Bryan and I came to look at this as people can see he and I are very into the environment. That’s our passion outside of work.”

Rosa Mendes Joining The Cast Next Season: “She has kind of been in this business for a really long time but has never really gone to the top. It will be neat to see her story and her struggles.”

Wanting Babies: “I’m 30, and I’ll be 31 in November. You do get that baby fever where everyone around me is having children. I think in two years Bryan and I would love to have kids. Now it could be sooner, or it could be later. I’m not ready just yet, so for me it’s later. You never know. I just can’t wait to be a mother and to see Bryan as a father because I know he will be amazing at that. It will be crazy.”

Her “Girl Crush” on Stephanie McMahon: “I have to say I have like a girl crush on her. She is just an amazing woman. She is so talented and with the way she is with all the charities to represent WWE. Then she can put that all aside, when she gets to that ring. It’s just insane to me. I just really admire her, and it has been a lot of fun to work with her and learn from her. I’ve really enjoyed it. The storyline is insane, and you never know what it holds. I’m excited for Payback because I think it will have a really great twist.”