For the past few weeks, Vince McMahon has reportedly been all over the WWE creative team to book John Cena stronger to prove to his fans that he’s “still in the fight” after being dominated in what amounted to a squash match at the hands of Brock Lesnar at WWE SummerSlam.

When Cena returned to RAW the following week and dominated The Wyatt Family, we noted that it was Vince who was responsible for the way Cena was booked that night. Apparently many backstage felt that this was the wrong thing to do, especially against Bray Wyatt and The Wyatt Family, however Vince reportedly insisted that it be booked that way and was unwilling to change his mind.

– WWE stock was up over 4% today (currently up 3% as of this writing), trading at over $15 per share for the first time since the big crash that took place in April and May.

– The Hulk Hogan special edition version of WWE 2K15 is essentially sold out in the United States. Copies of the Hogan edition are currently selling on eBay for upto $277 (MSRP: $99.99).

– Speaking of WWE 2K15, the @WWEGames Twitter account posted the following teaser photo on Thursday afternoon, revealing that Bray Wyatt will be featured in a commercial for the game:

Out on the bayou, capturing a moment with @WWEBrayWyatt for the #WWE2K15 commercial. #FEELIT pic.twitter.com/TgIiO1SSkJ

— WWE 2K (@WWEgames) September 11, 2014

– The top two possibilities for matches on the WWE Night Of Champions “Kickoff Show” right now appear to be either Bo Dallas vs. Jack Swagger or Adam Rose and The Bunny vs. Titus O’Neil and Heath Slater.

– As we reported on Tuesday, Diamond Dallas Page noted during a recent interview that he received a text from Chris Jericho where he claimed he broke his toe during a “Lionsault” spot in his steel cage match with Bray Wyatt on this week’s RAW. Apparently that was a simple case of miscommunication, as Jericho reportedly told DDP that he “almost broke his toe” during the match. Jericho himself quipped via Twitter that he “jammed his toe” during the match.

There is talk in WWE right now of Bray Wyatt feuding with Dolph Ziggler for the WWE Intercontinental Championship as his next program.

The steel cage match Wyatt had on RAW with Chris Jericho was said to be the blow-off to their program.

As far as Wyatt’s status for Night Of Champions is concerned, there is talk that while he may not compete in an actual match on the show, he may shoot an angle of some kind to set up his next feud.

– Diamond Dallas Page noted during a recent interview that Chris Jericho texted him after last night’s RAW, telling him that while he was fine after doing the dive off of the top of the steel cage during his match with Bray Wyatt, he thinks he suffered a broken toe while doing the Lionsault spot during the bout.

– As noted earlier today, while KENTA will be appearing at the NXT Takeover 2 special on the WWE Network this Thursday, he will not be wrestling an actual match. The belief right now is that they will shoot an angle during the special to set up his first official match, which is expected to take place at the NXT television taping the following night.

WWE announced via Twitter that the steel cage match between Chris Jericho and Bray Wyatt will be the opening bout on tonight’s “season premiere” of RAW.

The Brooklyn Brawler tweeted the following:

#RAW kicks off with a STEEL CAGE match – it doesn't get better than this! @IAmJericho and @WWEBrayWyatt – you're gonna want to watch this!

— Brooklyn Brawler (@brawlerreal) September 8, 2014

As things stand right now, the only matches officially set for the September 21st WWE Night Of Champions pay-per-view in Nashville, Tennessee are Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Sheamus vs. Cesaro for the WWE United States Championship and Dolph Ziggler vs. The Miz for the WWE Intercontinental Championship.

According to reports, two additional matches that are all but confirmed are The Usos vs. Goldust and Stardust for the WWE Tag-Team Championships and Mark Henry vs. Rusev.

The plan right now for the WWE Divas Championship match on the card appears to be a four-way with Paige defending against AJ Lee, Nikki Bella and Brie Bella, as all four were linked together on all of WWE’s television shows this week.

Another match likely for the show, although it may not be a pay-per-view match, is Bo Dallas vs. Jack Swagger.

The key Superstars left without matches that are expected on the show are Chris Jericho (in his final match of his current run with WWE), Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan, Randy Orton, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns.

It appears WWE is going with a Reigns vs. Rollins match, so they may go with Jericho vs. Orton since the Jericho vs. Wyatt and Reigns vs. Orton matches are set for next week’s RAW to combat the season premiere of Monday Night Football. However, they could either way, with one final Jericho vs. Wyatt “blow-off” match, as well as another Reigns vs. Orton bout.

As noted in the past, the WWE Studios film “Lockdown,” which Dean Ambrose is off filming, is set to wrap up on the Saturday before Night Of Champions, so he could end up on the show if WWE chooses to go that route.

Two big matches were confirmed for next week’s edition of WWE RAW, which emanates from Baltimore, Maryland.

One of the matches scheduled for next week’s show is a steel cage match between Chris Jericho and Bray Wyatt.

Also announced for next week’s show, which like the cage match was announced on this Monday’s RAW, is a SummerSlam rematch between Roman Reigns and Randy Orton.

Tonight is the Labor Day edition of WWE RAW, which takes place live tonight at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa.

Confirmed thus far for tonight’s show is a “Highlight Reel” segment with Chris Jericho and special guest, Randy Orton.

Superstars advertised for tonight’s show in Des Moines include John Cena, Roman Reigns, Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, Erick Rowan, Kane, Seth Rollins and Triple H.

The WWE.com “Five Point Preview” for tonight’s show focuses on the following:

– What hard-hitting questions will Jericho have for Orton?
– How will Cena respond to Brock Lesnar?
– What is going on between AJ Lee and Paige?
– Will Reigns get his hands on Rollins?
– How will Brie Bella move past her sisters actions last week?

Make sure to join us here tonight for live WWE RAW results coverage.

• DIRECT LINK: Two SEXY New UFC Octagon Girls In SKIMPY BIKINIS! [Smokin’ Hot Photos >>]

The following are highlights of a new Miami Herald interview with Bad News Barrett:

On how he’s doing since the injury: “I’m great. I’m back in the gym lifting weights again. I’m working hard on my rehab to come back as soon as I can. I miss performing in front of the WWE Universe and traveling around the world seeing the fans all the time.”

On getting injured during a push: “…There is never really a good time to get injured. I felt like I was in the middle of a good run. I had some good matches, and people were enjoying what I was doing. Obviously, I also had the Intercontinental championship, which was huge in itself. There are elements of this happening that really did suck, but I want to be back and better than ever. I want to push forward. Eventually, I want to win the WWE world heavyweight championship.”

On if he change his in-ring brawler style? “I think with me and the injury, it was kind of an unfortunate situation. We can do that 100 more times, and it wouldn’t have happened. Sometimes you have this element of bad luck. It would be a struggle to go out and not give a 100 percent, especially when you have the loud crowd behind you and the adrenaline pumping. I would find it hard to step back and do things a little different. Maybe it’s something I need to look at with a bit more maturity. However, with this particular injury, I think it was just a case of bad luck.”

On Bray Wyatt and Roman Reigns: “For me, he (Wyatt) is definitely one of the guys I would look at as the future. What a unique guy and amazingly talented in the ring. I think his character is just so unique within the world of WWE that you can’t help but to take notice. So he is a guy who I enjoy a lot. Another I like is Roman Reigns. He has the potential to be the next top, top guy, which only happens once in a generation. With this generation, he kind of has everything on paper to be that guy. Fingers crossed for his development. I think he has a great head on his shoulders. He is a great athlete and a good attitude. Everyone seems to like him in the locker room, which is pretty rare in itself. If he keeps developing the way he has, I can see him being the guy who is pulling the whole train along.”

Check out the complete interview at MiamiHerald.com.

– The official WWE website is currently running a poll asking fans who they feel will be the next WWE World Heavyweight Champion. The options are Dean Ambrose, John Cena, Roman Reigns, Dolph Ziggler, Seth Rollins, Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton and Sheamus. With over 12,000 votes cast, Reigns is in a commanding lead with over 40 percent of the votes. After him are Cena and Ambrose, with the rest falling way behind in the vote.

– Sinn Bodhi posted the following update on Jake “The Snake” Roberts via Twitter:

With @JakeSnakeDDT at hospital, he's more worried about disappointing fans then getting better! We told him 2 shut up &beat this phnemonia!

— Sinn Bodhi – Kizarny (@SiNNbODHi) August 29, 2014

The following are highlights of the latest Jim Ross blog:

On how John Cena was booked on RAW: “I wasn’t overwhelmed with how John Cena was booked on RAW as I would have been in favor of leaving him off TV another week or doing a vignette from Cena’s home where he could express himself about “Do I have it in me to beat a healthy Brock Lesnar?

When the hero says he’s not going to a major event to win his title back but to beat the champion’s ass it usually means that the champ IE Brock Lesnar retains as he should in this re-match.”

On the way Bray Wyatt has been used lately: “Bray Wyatt has been feeling main event special the past several weeks but not so much Monday night. Hopefully, he gets back on his roll next Monday. A potential Lesnar vs. Wyatt match down the road interests me if it could be presented in a compelling manner.”

On the Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman video on RAW: “The Lesnar-Heyman video was excellent and it confirmed even more my Ross Report take that Lesnar doesn’t have to be on most RAW’s to be an effective champion. If Lesnar just wrestles on PPV’s or on most PPV’s I will be just fine with that. This scenario forces all involved parties to accelerate the advancement of new main event stars and to, hopefully, try new talents in fresh spots.”

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

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+

WWE has confirmed a match for tonight’s RAW. The returning John Cena will square off against Bray Wyatt, according to the official WWE Twitter page.

WWE tweeted the following on Monday afternoon:

Don't miss @JohnCena going HEAD TO HEAD with @WWEBrayWyatt on #Raw! Tune in tonight at 8/7c on @USA_Network to catch all the action.

— WWE (@WWE) August 25, 2014

As noted earlier today, WWE is advertising Daniel Bryan for their upcoming European tour in November.

Current WWE advertisements list Bryan for one-half of the tour, which begins on November 6th in Cardiff, Wales and also includes Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt as the key Superstars.

Additionally, Bad News Barrett, who is also currently on the sidelines with an injury, is advertised to return during the tour. Barrett is currently advertised for the other half of the tour, which begins on November 5th in London, England and also features John Cena.

– The official WWE website is currently running a poll asking fans which WWE Superstar they would most like to see in a WWE Studios film. The options are Brock Lesnar, The Undertaker, Roman Reigns, Bray Wyatt, Seth Rollins, Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, Chris Jericho, Sheamus and Stardust. Leading the pack with a considerable amount of the vote is Undertaker, followed by Reigns and Wyatt. You can vote in the poll today at WWE.com.

– Although he has yet to be cleared to return, Daniel Bryan is being advertised for the WWE European tour in November. Matches advertised for the tour include Big Show vs. Rusev and John Cena vs. Seth Rollins on one side, with the other set featuring Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton and Dean Ambrose vs. Kane.

Heading into Sunday’s match between Chris Jericho and Bray Wyatt at the WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view, one of the original ideas was to center the entire match around building up the Wyatt character.

Apparently, Wyatt was also scheduled to win the first meeting between he and Jericho at the WWE Battleground pay-per-view, however Vince McMahon reportedly changed his mind at the last minute.

Jericho has mentioned in the past that he is scheduled to wrap up his current run with WWE after the upcoming WWE Night Of Champions pay-per-view, as he is going on tour with his rock band Fozzy. As things stand now, the current plan is for a third match between Jericho and Wyatt at Night Of Champions, with the match having some sort of stipulation.

– After the cameras stopped rolling at Monday’s edition of WWE RAW, a SummerSlam rematch took place as the dark match main event for the live crowd in Las Vegas, Nevada. The post-show match saw Chris Jericho defeat Bray Wyatt in one-on-one action, sending the fans home happy.

– Below are the RAW Fallout videos for this week’s show.

http://youtu.be/oQW2rKiRK6M

http://youtu.be/ducn1REyaVs

http://youtu.be/bknxRBVqSvQ

http://youtu.be/IIo4T2jYFgM

• MMANEWS.COM: Update On Gina Carano’s Return, Ronda Rousey/WWE & MORE!

During WWE SummerSlam weekend in Los Angeles, California, veteran wrestling journalists Dave Meltzer and Brian Fritz caught up with Bad News Barrett.

Barrett, who has been on the sidelines with a shoulder injury, spoke to the guys about his current physical condition, his history with injuries and who he’d like to work with when he’s back in action, which he says is targeted to be in December.

Check out the complete video interview above.

– Apparently both Stephanie McMahon and Brie Bella have spent a lot of time practicing their match over the last week or so. It is being said that the two will be given a decent amount of time for their match tonight, and many expect a lot of bells and whistles to help ensure that the match comes off well on the pay-per-view.

– Following tonight’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view in Los Angeles, Brock Lesnar is scheduled to appear on tomorrow night’s WWE RAW follow-up show, which is advertising a main event (likely a dark match) of Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose & Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton & Seth Rollins & Bray Wyatt.

The following are highlights from the latest Jim Ross blog, which features the WWE Hall Of Famer giving his predictions for tonight’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view.

On John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar: “If you’ve listened to my Ross Report Podcast on podcastone.com and iTunes you know that I’ve been saying for months that I thought Lesnar would win the WWE Title at Sumer Slam even before Cena regained the championship. I will stay with my prediction as I feel that WWE is grooming Roman Reigns for the to spot and that Reigns beating Lesnar next year at WM31 would be a big money match if properly built. Yes, one can build it ‘properly’ even if Lesnar isn’t a ‘full time’ talent. It’s called smart booking. It was done for decades with the traveling, NWA Champion.”

On The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler: “Timing is every thing in the wrestling biz and Ziggler has had too many false starts to endure many more w/o being looked upon by many frustrated fans negatively. I’d put Ziggler over and take a positive step in restoring the shine to the IC Title and what it has meant in years past in WWE…the in ring, work horse champ.”

On AJ Lee vs. Paige: “As I have said many times, AJ is WWE’s top in ring Diva while Paige has the ability to put herself firmly in that conversation. Although neither lady may find themselves ever on ‘Totally Divas,’ and they both may not care, I feel that AJ will retain her title Sunday.”

On Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton: ” ‘The Roman Empire’ begins its build in earnest with a quality win over a proven, top talent at a major PPV. WWE is doing a nice job building Reigns who is a work in progress but, as I’ve said, he has until April 2015 to be truly ready for ‘the spot.’ Funny how some fans of today’s generation are already having issues with Reigns which, based on their own reasoning, is embarrassing in my opinion.”

On Rusev vs. Jack Swagger: “It is hard to logically fathom seeing the Russian Flag prevail over the American flag in a match where capturing the flag determines the winner. I’m going with my fellow Oklahoman Jack Swagger who will always be the 2nd toughest wrestling from Perry, Oklahoma (Next to Dan Hodge) Sunday in LA in this traditional, nationalistic story line. A loss in this type of match won’t hurt Rusev in the least as he is still a work in progress too. The more personality Swagger demonstrates the better chance he has to contribute in a more significant way in WWE.”

On Stephanie McMahon vs. Brie Bella: “I like this storyline, although I wasn’t crazy about the physical therapist component added last week implicating Brie’s husband Daniel Bryan having an affair with the physical therapist, and think that WWE can easily get more mileage out of this pairing. By hook or crook, I’d get Steph over and continue the rivalry in a very personal way which may include Nikki Bella. Steph has been a star in this presentation thus far. For a mother of three who has multiple full time jobs Mrs. HHH looks great and will represent well in the ring.”

On Bray Wyatt vs. Chris Jericho: “Wyatt needs to win here and if he doesn’t I’d suggest counseling for all involved in the decision making process. There’s no reason that these two couldn’t have the match of the night or damn close to it.”

On Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose: “I’d like to see Rollins win a close one here and am curious to see how the Lumberjack Stipulation creatively plays into the match. I’d start the show with this match and feel that these two will tear down the Staples Center if provided the time so that they don’t have to rush the process.”

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

Based on several online betting sites that are currently running odds for tonight’s WWE SummerSlam, below are the current favorites and underdogs for tonight’s big show.

– Brock Lesnar over John Cena

– Stephanie McMahon over Brie Bella

– Roman Reigns over Randy Orton

– AJ Lee over Paige

– Seth Rollins over Dean Ambrose

– The Miz over Dolph Ziggler

– Jack Swagger over Rusev

– Bray Wyatt over Chris Jericho

Make sure to visit the website tonight for the best WWE SummerSlam live results coverage on the web!

WWE has finally announced a SummerSlam “Kickoff Show” match for this Sunday, as Rob Van Dam will take on Cesaro during the 30-minute pre-show that airs prior to SummerSlam on the WWE Network.

With that now known, below is a look at the finalized card for this Sunday night.

WWE World Heavyweight Championship
– John Cena (c) vs. Brock Lesnar

WWE Divas Championship
– AJ Lee (c) vs. Paige

WWE Intercontinental Championship
– The Miz (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler

Lumberjack Match
– Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose

Flag Match
– Rusev vs. Jack Swagger

Harper & Rowan Banned From Ringside
– Chris Jericho vs. Bray Wyatt

– Stephanie McMahon vs. Brie Bella

– Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns

Kickoff Show Match
– Rob Van Dam vs. Cesaro

Make sure to join us here on the website this Sunday night for the best WWE SummerSlam live results coverage on the web!

– The latest edition of Steve Austin’s “Steve Austin Show” podcast, which features part one of an interview with Mick Foley, is now online. The official description for the show reads as follows:

SASu – EP142 – Mick Foley Pt1

“What happens when two WWE Hall of Famers sit down and start shooting the shit? Well lucky for you, recorders were rolling when Stone Cold Steve Austin sat down with Cactus Jack aka Mick Foley at 316 Gimmick Street! You can learn a thing or two about the rasslin’ buisness from this one… negotiating pay, taking care of your body, concussions and head trauma, and surviving steel chairs! Don’t worry, you’ll also be laughing your ass off – loaded boots, loaded Gucci bags, Clash of the Champions, “The Commissioner,” and plenty of Vince McMahon impersonations! And the best part?? This is only part 1!”

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

– The latest edition of Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, which features an interview with Bray Wyatt and an American Idol contestant, is also online now. The official description for that show reads:

TIJ – EP65 – WWE’s Bray Wyatt & American Idol’s James Durbin

“James Durbin finished 4th on Season 10 of “American Idol.” That was the same year Y2J competed on “Dancing With The Stars” at the sound stage next door. They had many LA adventures together while competing… and you’ll hear some of the crazier stories! Plus, get a very real look at the behind-the-scenes workings of Idol, the audition process, & what James believes led to his demise! James is also a HUGE pro wrestling fan & had a quite a moment with Hulk Hogan. It’s wrestling, singing, DIO, and the trappings of instant fame.”

You can also download that show at PodcastOne.com.

The following are the latest betting odds for this Sunday’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view. The odds come courtesy of BetWrestling.com.

Brock Lesnar -505
John Cena +335

Bray Wyatt -900
Chris Jericho +500

Brie Bella -120
Stephanie McMahon -120

Jack Swagger -260
Rusev +180

Roman Reigns -750
Randy Orton +450

Seth Rollins -130
Dean Ambrose +130