There was talk at one point of adding Brie Bella to the WWE Divas Championship match between Nikki Bella and AJ Lee at the WWE TLC pay-per-view. Obviously that never happened, however it is one of many signs that WWE officials have been going back and forth on what to do with the Bella Twins.

Additionally, it’s said that WWE considered having AJ defeat Nikki for the title at TLC, although that obviously didn’t happen either.

The following are highlights of a new E! Online interview with WWE Divas Champion Nikki Bella:

On the backstage reaction to her recent WWE Divas Championship victory: “I think everyone’s in shock. They were waiting outside when I came out and gave me hugs and kisses, and Nattie wrote me a nice, super long text. They’ve all been waiting for a change and they’ve seen how hard I’ve been working and I think they are very happy for me; they felt it was very deserving.”

On her new goals: “I definitely want to accomplish so much more. This Divas Championship I hold so close to my heart and I love the Divas division and WWE, and we’ve seen what the power of Total Divas does for our Divas, I want to make this title so much, I want to make every Diva mean something, I want to have a long title run; I know AJ had an insanely long title run and i want to beat it. My first goal is to hold onto this for as long as I can; I want to be challenged every week ; I want to know that my title is on the line and I have to fight to keep it. Those are definitely my new goals with this and just to be the best Nikki Bella that I can be.”

Check out the complete interview at EOnline.com.

– Former WWE Diva Beth Phoenix wil be honored next year, as she is scheduled to receive the Cauliflower Alley Club’s prestigious women’s wrestler award in 2015.

– WWE Divas The Bella Twins turn 31 years old today. Nikki and Brie were born on November 21, 1983. Also celebrating birthdays today are Shane Douglas (51), Afa The Wild Samoan (72) and former WCW star Jerry Flynn (55).

– Below is part four of Jeff Meacham’s “Talk Wrestling” interview with Rob Van Dam, where he talks about the current state of WWE and WWE’s process for developing the next “face of the company.”

– The idea to run the “ECW Week” special on the WWE Network next week was something that was reportedly thought up by WWE officials just 48 hours before it was announced.

– WWE Divas The Bella Twins are scheduled to appear at the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards on Glasgow, Scotland tonight. WWE has announced that the two will be presenting an award during the show.

– Despite his injury, WWE Superstar Roman Reigns will still be making his scheduled appearance at Ringside Fest with Dean Ambrose next weekend in New York City. Also scheduled to appear are The Bella Twins and the WWE Tag-Team Champions, Goldust and Stardust.

– WWE will be “going pink” again in October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. At Thursday’s NXT tapings, the ring ropes were pink for the episodes that will air in October. The crew came out and taped the roles yellow again for the shows that were filmed for November.

– After weeks of anticipation, The Bunny from Adam Rose’s “Rosebuds” group finally made his in-ring debut on Monday’s post-Night Of Champions edition of RAW. The Bunny teamed up with Rose to take on “The Slater Gators,” Heath Slater and Titus O’Neil. The Bunny helped lead Rose to victory in the tag-team contest. It’s also worth noting that after JBL pretended on commentary that he’d be absolutely sickened if The Bunny were to trend on Twitter, with Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler egging the situation on, “#BunnyMania” ended up trending number one worldwide on Twitter during RAW.

– As seen on Monday’s RAW, there seemed to be a tease for a possible future name change for one of the Bella Twins. Since the feud began, Brie Bella has already been forced to change her entrance music. On RAW, Nikki Bella declared that from now on she wanted to be referred to as “THE Nikki Bella,” and noted that she wanted Brie Bella to drop the “Bella” name, pointing out that she was recently married and should have taken the last name of her husband as it is. Whether or not this was a throw-away comment or the beginning of a possible stipulation match that leads to a future name change for one of the Bella Twins remains to be seen.

Night of Champions is only a few days away. Even though the WWE has been serving up plates of garbage on Raw for weeks now, many still have high hopes for this pay-per-view, as every title in the company will be defended.

With that said, here are my predictions for this Sunday’s Night of Champions pay-per-view, which in case you haven’t heard, can be viewed on the WWE Network for only $9.99 (or $12.99 if you’re afraid of commitment).

Nikki Bella vs. Paige (WWE Divas Champion) vs. AJ Lee

I don’t expect it to be a terrible contest, as two of the three competitors are great workers and Nikki isn’t the worst Diva fans have ever seen. In the end, I believe Nikki will capture the title with help from her sister, reuniting the Bella Twins and putting an end to their horrible feud.

Winner: Nikki Bella by pinfall

Sheamus (United States Champion) vs. Cesaro

This should be one of the more exciting contests of the night, but I unfortunately don’t see it being given a ton of time. Although Cesaro will put up a hell of a fight, Sheamus will retain after hitting a Brogue Kick, possibly setting up a feud with Rusev for the United States Championship in the near future.

Winner: Sheamus by pinfall

We are one week away from the WWE’s next pay-per-view, Night of Champions. The card is essentially set and will feature a total of eight matches, with a rematch between John Cena and Brock Lesnar headlining the event.

With every title on the line, the card should provide fans with an exciting event that features a few surprises. Here are five potential Night of Champions shockers.

– The Winner Twins, who became best-selling authors at the age of 12 when they released “The Strand Prophecy,” have taken the Ice Bucket Challenge and challenged WWE Divas The Bella Twins to douse themselves in ice water to raise awareness for ALS. You can check out the video at Paul Heyman’s HeymanHustle.com site.

– Guam Olympic wrestler Jeff Cobb had a tryout at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando this past week. He told Guampdn.com:

“It was pretty much two-a-day workouts of just killing us and seeing if we were going to quit,” he said via telephone from his home in California. “There was a lot of people that had to sit out for a bit, be it from dizziness, cramping, aches and pains, but everybody made it through the three days, some better than others.

Cobb, 32, said getting a tryout in front of Bill DeMott, Billy Gunn and Dusty Rhodes was right up there with the Olympics as one of the biggest moments of his life.

“(The tryout) was one of the coolest things I’ve done in my life,” he said. “Being able to be there and seeing these guys you see on TV, seeing these legends that are there watching you do your craft and giving me feedback. It’s amazing.

“… The Olympics is one thing and pro wrestling is another thing. Both experiences are my top two so far, personal and professional.”

“… Everything was challenging. I took about five ice baths over the three days. It was great, but I was so beat up and sore.”

– Below is a video of The Bella Twins arguing with each other while promoting Total Divas season three in New York City.

– Below is the “All Access” video for the upcoming WWE Night Of Champions pay-per-view.

Following Monday’s “season premiere” of RAW, WWE is claiming that legendary talk show host Jerry Springer was injured during his segment with The Bella Twins.

According to WWE, Springer suffered bruised ribs and a twisted ankle. He was stretchered out of the ring after his appearance and seemed a bit embarrassed.

After the show, the official WWE website caught up with Springer for his “Final Thought,” a segment that he has done on his own talk show for years. You can check that video out at WWE.com.

Speaking of Springer, below is a photo of he and Vince McMahon backstage at last night’s show.

#SneakPeek @VinceMcMahon and @SpringerTV Thank you for having fun with us on #RAW! pic.twitter.com/bMGDD7H7RT

— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) September 9, 2014

The following are highlights of the latest Jim Ross blog:

On his Ross Report podcast this week: “THIS Tuesday night at 9 pm eastern my guest is former WWE, WCW and TNA creative guru Vince Russo @pyroballyhoo. This is one of the most eagerly anticipated Podcasts we have produced and I think that you will be very interested in what Vince has to say about his long albeit controversial career.”

On the Ray Rice situation: “This Ray Rice fiasco in Baltimore is simply horrible. I know this isn’t wrestling related but it’s huge news and it shouldn’t be because a man should never strike a woman.”

On tonight’s RAW: “Baltimore is the site of Monday Night RAW featuring Jerry Springer in a segment with the Bella twins. That’s a far cry from Sammartino vs Billy Graham, the Great American Bash headliners, and yours truly passing kidney stone particles during a PPV featuring an ill advised Scaffold Match.”

Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.

The following are highlights of a new E! Online interview with Jerry Springer:

On the issues surrounding The Bella Twins: “I think it’s something deeper. Because if you’re twin sisters, you wouldn’t let something like the Stephanie McMahon situation break you up. I mean, you’ve had a life together. There’s probably some resentment on one by the other and so I think there’s a deeper issue there. This is either the straw that broke the camel’s back or it’s the thing that set it off. Two twins that get along wouldn’t let that break them up—you have that whole blood is thicker than water argument. But my guess is the intensity of the relationship in either direction, the love or the hate, is gonna be more severe if you’re twins.”

On what he expects from tonight’s RAW with The Bella Twins: “I don’t know that anything works and I don’t have any preconceived notion. I think the idea is that once I’m there in the environment with them and watching how they react or what concerns them, then hopefully something comes to mind, but if one of them is determined to keep the fight going, they’re not going to be talked out of it. You just have to see if there is a common ground that would make them think it’s better to be back together again as twins and have each other’s back, but if they don’t feel that, it’s not gonna happen and there will be chaos.”

On which Bella Twin he prefers: “Assuming that I don’t want to be hurt, I won’t answer that question. Either of them could beat me up and let’s be honest, I’m a 70-year-old man. Who’s not going to beat me up? I just hope everyone has the sense not to hurt me.”

Check out the complete interview at EOnline.com.

WWE issued the following today …

RAW GOES SPRINGER

STAMFORD, Conn., Sept. 3, 2014 – “I will conduct an intervention with the Bella Twins in an effort to achieve sibling harmony,” said Jerry Springer, legendary talk show host, who will make an appearance on the season premiere of Raw® this Monday at 8/7C on USA Network.

The Bella Twins™ have been embroiled in a sibling war since Nikki turned on her sister Brie at SummerSlam two weeks ago.

Nikki and Brie Bella are also featured on the popular E! reality series Total Divas, which will debut its third season this Sunday at 9pm ET/PT.

Springer will bring more than 20 years of experience in moderating family feuds to bear when he steps in the ring this Monday night. Springer has been the host of the tabloid talk show The Jerry Springer Show since its debut in 1991, and last appeared on Monday Night Raw in February, 2010.

– In light of Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar’s current reign of dominance over WWE, the company website has published a feature looking at the 10 Best Manager-Client Partnerships.

– Speaking of Paul Heyman, his HeymanHustle.com website has published exclusive photos of former WWE Diva Maria Kanellis and her soon-to-be-husband Mike Bennett at a recent indy show.

– Michael Cole revealed in his latest sit-down interview with Triple H that Stephanie McMahon will have an announcement on The Bella Twins this Friday on SmackDown.

The latest Michael Cole weekly sit-down interview, which once again features WWE COO Triple H, is now online.

During their discussion this week, “The Game” talks to WWE’s lead announcer about next week’s “season premiere” of WWE RAW, the ongoing drama between The Bella Twins, John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar II at the WWE Night Of Champions pay-per-view and more.

You can watch the complete Michael Cole and HHH interview above.

WWE has announced that popular talk-show host Jerry Springer will be appearing at an upcoming edition of WWE RAW.

Following the season three premiere of Total Divas on E! this Sunday night, Springer will be appearing on the following night’s RAW in Baltimore, Maryland.

WWE.com reports that Springer will be at RAW to moderate a discussion between the Bella Twins.

– A while back, we reported that The Bella Twins were scheduled to be the hosts at a Liquid Sunday event at the Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Connecticut on Sunday, August 31st. Their appearance ended up being quietly canceled a few weeks ago and the two were replaced by a DJ that was already booked to appear.

– WWE posted the following Total Divas clip on their official YouTube channel today.

The following are highlights of a new Slam! Wrestling interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Trish Stratus:

Her relationship with Lita and making appearances together: “It’s great any time I get to spend time hanging out with Amy. We have to work at (scheduling things), but in some ways it can be easy. She can say, ‘Hey, I’ve got this project coming up, so I’m going to swing through Toronto for a couple of days on my way there.’ In fact, we just baptized (Stratus’ son) Max about a month ago, and (Amy) came in to Toronto for that.”

“We have so much that we can relate to each. It’s nice that we were able to stay friends beyond (wrestling). It’s funny, because we’re total opposites in a lot of ways. On paper, you’d never think that we would hang out together. But we lived so much of our lives together on the same path — we were in the trenches together, from the beginning all the way through the end when we both retired — that we just stayed in touch.”

The movie Gridlocked that comes out this month: “It was just an amazing opportunity. Acting wasn’t something that I was necessarily actively pursuing, but I always said that if a good project landed on my desk, I’d certainly consider it. I had taken a break (from acting) after my last movie (2012’s Bounty Hunters) to focus more on my business and my brand. Then after a few months, I was meeting with an agent, and thought, ‘Yeah, let’s see what’s out there.’ Then suddenly I got this opportunity. They were filming Toronto, it was an action movie, which is a natural fit for me. I believe it was the universe saying, ‘Yep, here’s something amazing for you.'”

“I’m very proud of what we did with Bounty Hunters, and it was a great vehicle for me as my first film, but I’d say that the things that were missing in that one, we got to have in this one. With a smaller independent film, you don’t necessarily have the time to shoot it, the budget for giant explosions and extravagant set pieces. If you saw Bounty Hunters, you may have noticed that even though I got beaten up a lot, I didn’t spill a single drop of blood. I remember we were doing a panel, it may even have been at Fan Expo, and someone asked why there was no blood. The producer joked that, ‘Well… blood’s expensive.’ So I got to bleed in this movie. You know you’re in the big leagues when you can bleed.”

The recent feud between Brie Bella and Stephanie McMahon: “I texted Stephanie and told her, ‘Girl, you’re looking good — great to see you out there again.’ She was freaking out over not having worked for so long. But she looked fantastic. I love watching Stephanie, and I love how she’s come out to help build Brie Bella by putting her in this program. And I think Brie did an excellent job — she’s a great character, and a great person, and great for the product as well. It’s tons of pressure to work with the boss, and (you have) to be your best every week. If you’re given the opportunity, and you come through, that’s great. That’s the kind of challenge I love.”

Check out the complete interview at Canoe.ca.

WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley tweeted the following comments about various segments from Monday’s edition of WWE RAW:

I really don't care if he works 20 days a month or just 1 – @BrockLesnar, with @HeymanHustle is a compelling, terrifying @WWE champion #RAW

— Mick Foley (@realmickfoley) August 26, 2014

Maybe the #womb comment was a little heavy, but that #BellaTwins #RAW segment was a great showcase for #NikkiBella.

— Mick Foley (@realmickfoley) August 26, 2014

Campuses around the country are infested with returning college students this week. In honor of all the alcohol that will be consumed and the knowledge that will hopefully be absorbed, it’s time to take the WWE to school, and I’ll be the one doling out the grades.

Welcome to the first ever WWE Raw Report Card. Matches will be graded based on usual factors such as workrate, in-ring psychology, move variety, crowd reaction, and overall impact on the storyline. Important in-ring promos will also be graded based on factors such as originality, believability, and importance. Without further ado, here are this week’s grades.

Hall of Fame Forum

This week’s Raw started with a roundtable discussion regarding the upcoming rematch between John Cena and Brock Lesnar. First off, I never thought I’d see the day where Shawn Michaels was the worst dressed man in the ring, but his combination of cowboy hat, jacket, and Remington t-shirt didn’t do him any favors.

Overall, it was nice seeing the legends together, even if it did feel a bit scripted at times and offered little insight. One hilarious moment was when Michaels said everyone loves Cena, eliciting massive boos from the audience. Speaking of Cena, his promo was surprisingly compelling, and it was nice to see him own up to the beating he took at SummerSlam.

Grade: B-

Rusev vs. Jack Swagger

This was likely the last contest between Rusev and Swagger, and all I can say is, “Good riddance.” This match featured a lot of downtime that resulted in a poor workrate, and a lot of the match was spent outside of the ring with nothing going on.

The in-ring psychology was pretty good (Swagger sold the rib injury well) and the crowd was into it, so that raised the grade a bit, but it was ultimately a fitting ending to a rather pointless program that saw Swagger dominated at nearly every stage of the feud.

Grade: C

Rob Van Dam vs. Cesaro

This was a rather short match, but both superstars worked well together during the time they were given. One criticism is that the ending felt a bit rushed. One moment Cesaro was rolling outside of the ring to avoid the Five Star Frog Splash and only a few seconds later he was hitting the Neutralizer for the win in a sequence that felt a bit off.

The match also served its purpose by building a championship match between Cesaro and Sheamus – a program that looks like it could be entertaining with two of the company’s better workers.

Grade: C+

– PopWrecked.com has published photos of The Bella Twins at the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Sports Awards.

– Here is the first promo video for WWE SummerSlam, which takes place on Sunday, August 17th from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California:

– The Bella Twins were at Philadelphia Comic Con over the weekend and took part in a Q&A session with fans in attendance. You can view photos of the appearance here.

– WWE.com has a new feature up looking at 15 of the Greatest Superstar Entrances of all time.

– Today (6/23) marks 18 years since the 1996 King of the Ring, which featured Steve Austin’s infamous “Austin 3:16” speech that changed the course of wrestling history forever.

Alicia Fox reportedly worked as a baby face in her match against Aksana at the WWE live event earlier today in Rome, Italy.

Speaking of Divas on the WWE European tour, The Bella Twins are scheduled to start appearing at the live events overseas, and are only arriving late because they were sent by WWE to attend the NBCUniversal up-fronts in New York City earlier today.

The following are highlights of a new interview with Maria Kanellis:

On Triple H: “Anybody that wants to say it is the Yes Movement better also remember who the boss is, and who’s the one making the decisions now. And I think that Triple H doesn’t necessarily get as much credit as he deserves, because he is the on building up that NXT, he’s the one that has made it a hub and place for wrestling to grow and get better and better.”

On CM Punk: “Punk came in, changed everybody’s mind. Then management started listening. Management went, ‘Oh, he know’s how to get over.’ Because he knows the people, because he’s been working in front of the people for 9 years now.”

On Squashing the Feud with the Bella Twins: “I actually and done with that part of my life. I talked to Nikki the other day. We’re cool. Like its funny, I don’t think I knew all the facts. I think people were telling me things that weren’t necessarily true. I wanted to be done with it. So, one day I just texted her and was like, ‘hey, I don’t know what happened, but I’m sorry.’ And she responded back and she’s like ‘I understand, you know things happen.’ She was super cool about it. And we’re done with that. Like, I’m an honest person, and when I find out I’m wrong, I’m wrong.”

On Being Stranded on the Side of the Road, and Being Rescued by the Hardy Boyz: “I got pulled over on the way to a show, and the guy took my car away from me (she did not realize she had a speeding ticket out that had not been paid). Here I was with my rental car and they took it away from me, they said I couldn’t drive. I was like ok, cool. The cop leaves me on the side of the road. Me, my two big bags, and my dog Gemini. Here I am on the side of the road. Here comes the Hardy Boyz! Flying down the highway. I get a phone call, ‘Maria, was that you on the side of the road?’ Yeah, it was me. Matt was on the phone. Matt’s like, ‘We’re coming to get ya!’ I’m like, ‘Ok good!’ Here comes Matt, picks me up, and we keep going. So, The Hardy’s are my angels.”

On Nancy Grace: “The Nancy Grace’s of the world are so behind of the times. Holy crap. And how can you be so disrespectful? I mean, how can you be so rude? Like, here this man comes on to talk about a friend, and then you’re going to do that to him? I mean she’s just an evil, evil woman.”

Check out the complete interview at WrestlingOpinion.com.