WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

Stephanie’s Arrest: “Stephanie McMahon arguably stole the show with her interaction with Brie Bella and subsequently Steph getting ‘arrested.’ Her facials were priceless as was her timing and her natural ability to be a heel. The acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree. Steph wrestling at Summer Slam is a gimme as it should be.”

Video of Stephanie McMahon Being Arrested On RAW

Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena at SummerSlam: “It makes perfect sense for Brock Lesnar to challenge John Cena for the WWE Title at Summer Slam and for Lesnar, as I’ve outlined on the Ross Report podcast the past couple of months, to win the title and then lose it to Roman Reigns at WM31. I love Lesnar as champion and his infrequent, in person schedule of making Monday Night Raw shows doesn’t bother me at all especially if the creative team has their thinking caps on and the booking is territory-like as in where the world champion was never on regular, weekly TV.”

Paul Heyman’s Promo: “Paul Heyman @HeymanHustle promo to close RAW was one of the best that I have heard in years. Even though I am WAY out of the WWE loop, I am still proud that I was able to help Paul early in his career and hope that his DVD that’s released soon will be a huge hit. Listen to Heyman’s promo again and see how he covered every base and will have the Summer Slam crowd in LA loudly cheering for the ‘Angry Viking’ vs. ‘ The Dr. of Thugonomics’ as Paul described Cena. In other worlds, the main event at S’Slam will be loaded with emotion especially if Cena takes it dead serious in his promos between now and then.”

• THE ROCK Talks Brock Lesnar, Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano & More

It was announced on the post-Battleground edition of WWE RAW that Triple H would reveal his plan for John Cena’s opponent for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match at the upcoming SummerSlam pay-per-view.

Top 4 SummerSlam Matches Revealed

After many teases, it was revealed that Triple H’s “plan A” was Randy Orton, his “plan B” was Seth Rollins, but by the end of the night, “The Game” was convinced by Paul Heyman to go with “plan C,” which is Brock Lesnar.

So there you have it, after weeks of rumors, it has been confirmed that SummerSlam this year will be headlined by John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

• UFC On FOX 12 Coverage This Saturday + Gina Carano vs. Ronda Rousey Update! [>>]

Following Sunday night’s WWE Battleground pay-per-view, Paul Heyman tweeted a photo of himself on an airplane heading to pick up his “Plan C” for Monday’s WWE RAW from Miami, Florida.

It’s expected that Plan C will be Brock Lesnar, who will be returning to set up a match with WWE World Heavyweight Champion John Cena at SummerSlam.

Here’s the tweet:

In case you’re wondering … Heading to pick up #PlanC … Just in case. @WWE #RAW pic.twitter.com/Sgpkz47ewv

— Paul Heyman (@HeymanHustle) July 21, 2014

John Cena has been pulled from the listing for this Monday’s post-Battleground edition of WWE RAW because he will be busy filming the new “Trainwreck” movie that he is appearing in.

Some are speculating that as a result of Cena not being at Monday’s RAW, where Brock Lesnar is scheduled to return, that it is a sign that the WWE World Heavyweight Championship may change hands at tonight’s Battleground show.

Additionally, there are a lot of people within WWE pushing for the company to “pull the trigger” on Roman Reigns because they feel that now is the right time.

Several weeks ago, Amazon.com posted the artwork for the SummerSlam 2014 DVD featuring John Cena and Brock Lensar. While it was assumed that this would be the SummerSlam main event, a match between the two superstars was technically not mentioned on the poster. Now, WWE commercial hyping John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar is airing in select markets across the United States, confirming the WWE World Heavyweight title match.

As noted previously, Levi’s Stadium, the host of next year’s WrestleMania, recently revealed artwork for WrestleMania 31 that featured Brock Lesnar, The Rock and Batista.

First WrestleMania 31 Poster Features The Rock, Brock Lesnar & Batista

Apparently the stadium used the artwork as a placeholder until WWE unveils the official artwork for the show.

As it turns out, the Levi’s Stadium artwork that featured the aforementioned three Superstars was likely created by a fan.

• HUGE NEWS: Sting WILL Be On RAW TONIGHT! In What Capacity? FIND OUT HERE!

As noted previously, the top four matches planned for this year’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view include Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt vs. Chris Jericho and Stephanie McMahon vs. Brie Bella.

Another match that was originally under consideration for the show is a “Buried Alive” match between Daniel Bryan and Kane. That match is considered unlikely at this point, as it depends on Bryan’s condition, which doesn’t seem to be approving at a rate that would allow him to perform in time for SummerSlam.

It’s been noted in the past as well that WWE will be stacking the deck for Night Of Champions, the pay-per-view following SummerSlam, as that is when they will be needing something big to lure subscribers to the WWE Network, as their six-month subscriptions will be expiring at around that time.

There continues to be talk within WWE that Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns will headline WrestleMania 31 next year. The belief is that Lesnar will defeat John Cena to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion at SummerSlam, building to the moment that he drops the belt to Reigns as Reigns’ crowning moment as the new top baby face in the company.

While there has been no confirmation that Lesnar is defeating Cena at SummerSlam, the word going around is that it is going to be a big show and that September’s Night Of Champions pay-per-view, which will also feature Lesnar, will be just as big to try and persuade people to renew their expiring six-month WWE Network subscriptions.

The WWE’s brightest stars will attempt to cash in at this Sunday’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view. Two ladder matches will main event the program, with one being held to declare a new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. In addition, former champion Daniel Bryan will address the WWE Universe during the pre-show.

Here are my predictions for this Sunday’s event.

Summer Rae vs. Layla (Fandango Guest Referee)

I was never the biggest Fandango supporter, but I definitely thought he would be doing something bigger than referring a divas match a year ago. He has regressed over the past year and lost a lot of momentum. This will likely be the bathroom break match of the night, and Fandango will play a major role in the outcome, of course. Summer Rae will win this one by either rejoining Fandango or using him to influence the outcome of the contest before abandoning him.

Winner: Summer Rae by pinfall

Rusev vs. Big E

These guys performed well together at last month’s Payback, even though they were given less than four minutes total. They will hopefully get a little more time during this one, allowing both superstars to showcase their strengths.

I think Rusev will ultimately win this one, but Big E will also look strong during the match. Big E cut a passionate promo on last week’s Raw, so it appears the WWE wants to showcase him a bit more. Both guys will look good, but Rusev will force Big E to tap out in the end.

Winner: Rusev by submission

Stardust and Goldust vs. Ryback and Curtis Axel

The Rhodes Brothers storyline has been moving slowly over the past few months. It first looked as if the two brothers were going to feud with one another, with Cody searching for an adequate replacement because he felt Goldust deserved better.

He eventually rebranded himself as Stardust and the two have been on a winning streak ever since. They will continue to look strong on Sunday, picking up the win after Cody hits his Diamond Dust finisher on Curtis Axel.

Winner: Stardust and Goldust by pinfall

According to one source, up until the WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view poster with John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar featured on it leaked out earlier this week, the plan was for Cena to win the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship at this Sunday’s WWE Money In The Bank pay-per-view.

It’s being said now that with the poster leaking, and with WWE pushing Cena-Lesnar hard in a “news blast,” which we wrote about here on the website earlier today, that there’s a good chance that the originally intended finish for this Sunday’s main event will be changed.

It should be noted, however, that the talk going around is that regardless of what happens on Sunday night, WWE is likely still going to run with a Cena-Lesnar main event for this year’s SummerSlam.

As reported recently, Amazon released a SummerSlam DVD pre-order recently, which featured cover artwork that displayed John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar, leading many to assume that Cena would be winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship this Sunday and headlining the event against Lesnar in August.

After it was released, WWE was reportedly none too pleased that the image was made public and it has since been removed from the website.

Shortly after all of this, however, WWE issued a “news slam” in which they once again teased Cena vs. Lesnar, even going as far as to address the leaked pay-per-view poster. The caption on the “news slam” reads as follows:

“We have an early sneak peek at SummerSlam’s poster, which seems to pit John Cena against the man that brought down the streak, Brock Lesnar. August 17 can’t come fast enough!”

It’s worth noting that even though Cena and Lesnar were featured on the SummerSlam DVD cover, it did not list the two as competing in a match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

• WWE Planning To FIRE More Superstars — Details Here!

Money in the Bank is only a few days away, and it appears that the card is all but set. There are two ladder matches scheduled so fans can enjoy double the fun. Leading into the event, most questions have been answers, but a few still remain. Here are five questions that need to be answered heading into Money in the Bank.

5. Should Big E Be Given More Time to Speak?

This past week on Raw, Big E cut a rather passionate promo on Rusev. During his Intercontinental Title run, Big E was never really given an opportunity to connect with fans, leading many, including myself, to believe that his run with the title was stale.

However, after seeing him on Raw last week, I think that he could be one of the top superstars if booked properly. Instead of writing Big E cookie cutter promos that bore the fans, he should be given more time to speak freely and be himself as he did on Raw. If he had been given this opportunity while he still held the title, he could still be holding the strap today.

4. Will Bad News Barrett Compete?

Bad News Barrett was unfortunately the one receiving the bad news this week after separating his shoulder during a SmackDown taping. It seems that Barrett cannot avoid the injury bug, as he has been known to go down to injury at the worst possible times.

There has been no official announcement regarding his status for this Sunday’s pay-per-view, but it seems as if he will have to sit out while his fellow competitors attempt to win at shot at the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. One can only hope that he recovers quickly and gets back in the ring, especially considering how successful his latest push has been.

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

RAW’s Final Segment: “Watched Raw from our LA hotel Monday at 6 pacific. Loved the last segment but thought the show was talk heavy. That seems like a trend on both WWE and Impact….talking segments that would be more effective if shorter…IMO.”

Vickie Guerrero Leaing WWE: “Really proud of Vickie Guerrero for not only her run in WWE but most importantly for working on her college degree. Atta girl…great Mom.”

SummerSlam Poster Possibly Spoiling Money In The Bank Outcome: “This has to be frustrating for WWE….Summer Slam poster w/ Cena & Lesnar on it made public. Let the speculation begin re: MITB, etc.”

TNA in New York City: “Good luck to TNA in NYC..They likely have never had a bigger series of TV tapings. Hope NYC fans turn out and create a great atmosphere. LONG talking segments in abundance won’t be accepted in the Big Apple.”

ROH’s Nashville PPV: “Why did ROH select Nashville to present their first PPV? Antiquated and not tech friendly. Disappointed that the show looked much like their weekly show. Please Sinclair….buy a lighting grid. Talent worked hard nonetheless.”

• Shocking *SPOILER* — WWE Reveals SummerSlam MAIN EVENT, SPOILING MITB Outcome!!

Amazon.com just added the WWE SummerSlam 2014 DVD to their online store – and the cover art contains a MAJOR spoiler for Sunday’s ladder match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Money In The Bank.

As you can see below – the main event of SummerSlam will fact feature Brock Lesnar. If this DVD cover is any indication, it’s clear that John Cena will be Lesnar’s opponent – a very, very strong indication that Cena will be walking out of Money in the Bank with championship gold.

The following are highlights from the latest Jim Ross blog:

On ROH’s pay-per-view tonight: “Big weekend for ROH and I hope that they are ready for it. Sad that most of us did not see as much promotion on the ‘barker channels’ for ROH’s PPV this weekend as one would have preferred but the hay’s in the barn now. My hope is that ROH can pull this off without any significant production snafus and that the talents slow down, tell logical stories, SELL, have believable conclusions to the matches and give the announcers time to tell a meaningful story and not just try and keep up with the non stop action with wall to wall talking.

“Spot’ management is critical in these shows and the last thing that ROH mgmt should want is for the audience to be ‘numb’ by the main event at the end of the night. I wish everyone involved the best of luck and am hopeful for their success.”

On Brock Lesnar likely winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam: “Anyone that thinks that Brock Lesnar won’t be the WWE World Champion sooner or later this year in WWE isn’t paying attention. Lesnar is WWE’s mot imposing, name worthy, PPV selling superstar who can PASS THE TORCH the best to the next “Big Thing” who seems to be Roman Reigns. As I have stated on my fantasy booking segments on the Ross Report, I fully expect this to go down at WM31.

I’d book Lesnar to headline Summer Slam in Los Angeles and build the card around him. Yes, I’m prepared for the onset of knee jerkers who will say that Brock is part time and that part time talents are efficient. I don’t concur and think that overexposure is running rampant in the wrestling biz and Lesnar certainly isn’t over exposed. The WWE World Champion doesn’t need to be on every TV or at every live event. That concept is antiquated.

If some fans feel that this may be too predicable, then perhaps some are over thinking a pro wrestling storyline that makes sense. Making sense when executing a story line is much more important than doing the unpredictably stupid moves to just ‘surprise’ he audience. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good pro wrestling surprise as much as the next fan but NOT at the expense of doing the right thing.”

On Sting appearing on The Ross Report: “I will be talking to @Sting next week for a future Ross Report Podcast that will drop on Tuesday July 15 at 6 pm pacific time. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover and have been friends since he broke into the biz almost 30 years ago. Steve Borden is one of the nicest people in wrestling and his son is the starting tight end at the University of Kentucky.”

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

One week from today, WWE’s annual Money in the Bank pay-per-view will be held in Boston, Massachusetts. The event has quickly become one of the most anticipated programs of the year, as it provides exciting action and sets up the storyline for months by allowing a WWE superstar to stalk his prey while holding a contract for a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match.

There will be two Money in the Bank ladder matches this year. One will be held for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and the other will be a traditional contest for a shot at the title. The first contest will feature perennial title contenders such as John Cena, Randy Orton, Sheamus, and Alberto Del Rio, as well as up-and-coming stars such as Roman Reigns, Bray Wyatt, and Cesaro.

It seems like John Cena is once again the favorite to leave Boston as the champ.

The second ladder match will feature Seth Rollins, with the rest of the lineup to be determined in a series of qualifying matches. Thus far, only three matches have been announced for the entire pay-per-view, and with only one week left before the event, one has to wonder how the WWE will tie everything together in such a brief period.

Other than the two ladder matches, a matchup between the Usos and Luke Harper and Erick Rowan of the Wyatt family is the only confirmed contest on the card. It seems apparent that Dean Ambrose will be one of the participants in the traditional ladder match. Potential options also include those who did not qualify for the championship ladder match, including Bad News Barrett, Dolph Ziggler, and Rob Van Dam.

The two ladder matches will soak up a large portion of the roster, meaning the midcard will have to pick up some slack in order to fill up the three hours of airtime. Rumored contests include Cody Rhodes and Goldust vs. RybAxel, Rusev vs. Big E, and a Divas Championship match involving Paige and all or part of the Funkadactyls.

WWE sent out a survey today asking fans, “If Lesnar challenges for the title at SummerSlam, who would you like him to face?

The options include all 7 competitors in the upcoming ladder match at Money in the Bank for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

So far, Roman Reigns is running away with over 43% of the votes. Cesaro is in second place with 15%, followed by John Cena (13%), Bray Wyatt (13%), Randy Orton (12%), Sheamus (3%) and Alberto Del Rio (1%).

Based on this poll and what we’ve been hearing from sources in WWE, it appears almost certain that Brock Lesnar will be wrestling for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam.

The plans for the top of the card for this year’s SummerSlam have reportedly been finalized in recent weeks. While obviously things can — and usually do — change a hundred times between now and then, especially in the case of a big show like SummerSlam, the company has apparently decided on the key directions they want to go for this year’s big summer event.

Originally the plans called for a Daniel Bryan vs. Brock Lesnar match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the show, however with Bryan’s neck injury and uncertain in-ring future, that idea is said to be off the table.

As things stand now, Lesnar will still challenge for the title upon returning, with the idea that Lesnar — coming off ending Undertaker’s streak — going for the title will make the belt seem more important.

The most likely scenario for SummerSlam would be Lesnar challenging whomever wins the title at the 6/29 Money In The Bank pay-per-view. With that being the plan, it’s expected that a top baby face — likely John Cena or Roman Reigns — ends up winning the title at the pay-per-view in two weeks.

There is a long shot that Cesaro could win the title, seeing is how there’s been a long-standing plan for Lesnar and Cesaro — the two “Paul Heyman Guys” — to eventually collide with each other. While there haven’t been any indications that the company plans on turning Cesaro into a face anytime soon, it is considered a possibility considering the built-in story line.

It should be noted that Heyman, when referring to the Money In The Bank ladder match for the title on 6/29, said it was a “spoiler” that Cesaro would win, the same word he used when promising fans that Lesnar would break Undertaker’s streak at WrestleMania XXX.

• HUGE WWE Superstar From The Past To Return SOON! [Full Story Here >>]

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

As things stand right now, WWE is running with the mindset that Daniel Bryan will not be ready in time for their Battleground pay-per-view, which takes place on July 20th in Tampa, Florida.

The current working plan is for Bryan to return at SummerSlam in one of the main events, although it’s unlikely that he’ll be working against Brock Lesnar in the title match on the show, which was originally the plan.

SummerSlam Plans Finalized: Brock Lesnar’s Return, Cesaro

In fact, WWE isn’t even sure Bryan will be available in time for SummerSlam. They do, however, expect him back in time for the Night Of Champions pay-per-view, which takes place on September 21st in Nashville, Tennessee.

It is believed that Bryan will work a stipulation match with Kane — possibly the originally planned “Buried Alive” match since the “Stretcher Match” was used on RAW this week — upon his return, as from a story line standpoint, he’s the guy who put Bryan on the shelf.

WWE is currently advertising Bryan for shows in mid-August. He’s not officially included in the advertising for SummerSlam, but is included in advertisements for the live event in San Jose, California on August 16th, which is the event that takes place the night before SummerSlam. He’s also booked to appear on one of the house show tours the weekend following SummerSlam on the West Coast, and television tapings after SummerSlam.

• HUGE WWE Superstar From The Past To Return SOON! [Full Story Here >>](Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

As we reported last week, WWE sent out a casting call looking for 14 actors that will be featured in a promo video featuring wrestling legend Sting. The promo begins shooting today, Monday, June 16th.

While the news seemed to indicate that Sting would be making his WWE television debut soon, the promo is actually being shot for the new WWE 2K15 video game.

Sting will be this year’s “Featured Character” – a role that’s been filled by Brock Lesnar, Mike Tyson and most recently, The Ultimate Warrior.

Similar to Warrior’s initial involvement with Take-Two Interactive, Sting’s deal is believed to be directly with the video game producer, not WWE.

Aside from WWE 2K15, Sting will also be the subject of an upcoming WWE DVD release and has long been rumored to be signing with the company under a Legends contract.

Pre-Order WWE 2K15 NOW From Amazon.com

When it comes to Batista’s latest run, one could argue that management hit him with a bait and switch. He was promised that he would win the Royal Rumble and go on to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania. Instead, he was practically booed out of the building after winning the Royal Rumble and ended up tapping out to the Yes Lock at WrestleMania to allow Daniel Bryan to win the championship.

As most probably know by now, Batista “quit” on this past week’s Raw, as he will be taking a few months off to promote his new movie Guardians of the Galaxy. Upon return after a several year hiatus, Batista represented what many feel is wrong with the current state of the WWE.

Batista did not win a title after returning, but he was involved in a memorable feud between Evolution and the Shield.

Instead of relying on the guys that work day in and day out to headline the biggest pay-per-views of the year, the WWE has instead relied upon part-time superstars such as the Rock and Brock Lesnar to headline their biggest events. The reliance on part-time superstars is one of the reasons a certain someone (*cough* CM Punk *cough*) decided to pack his bags and head home.

However, despite all of the criticism Batista has received since returning, one has to wonder if he earned the respect of fans. In my opinion, I think it is fair to say that he did just that.

In the end, Batista was promised the world but was basically handed a half-empty bag of peanuts. Following the Royal Rumble, which featured an extremely hostile Pittsburgh crowd, it became apparent that Batista’s wishes would not be granted. The company was quickly forced to turn him heel, which messed with the dynamics of the WrestleMania main event, which featured a heel champion in the form of Randy Orton.

We can confirm that WWE has a long-term plan right now to work towards a Daniel Bryan vs. Brock Lesnar match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at this year’s SummerSlam pay-per-view. These plans could change depending on what happens with Bryan and the title heading into the upcoming Money In The Bank pay-per-view at the end of this month.

With Bryan-Lesnar planned for SummerSlam, this would mean that the inevitable showdown between “Paul Heyman Guys” Lesnar and Cesaro, when Cesaro makes his eventual baby face turn, wouldn’t be taking place until after SummerSlam.

• BACKSTAGE NEWS: The Story BEHIND Seth Rollins Heel Turn Against The Shield

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Brock Lesnar’s home located at 2324 Copeland Road in Maple Plain, Minnesota is up for sale at Zillow.com for $800,000.

Lesnar bought the 4-bedroom, 4-bathroom, 3,247-square-foot home back in 2003 for $783,500. The house sits on 43 acres with wooded areas, a pond, a heated storage barn, a detached garage, a hot tub and more.

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.

Former WWE & WCW Superstar Bill Goldberg was Jim Ross’ guest on this week’s Ross Report podcast. When asked if he would consider wrestling one more match, Goldberg said he’s open to it if the money is right. He still hits the gym 5 days a week, stays in great shape and would want his young son see him wrestle live at least once.

“My last conversation with WWE brass, which was a while ago, was to the effect of I have a seven-year-old son who would love to see me wrestle and whatever differences we’ve had in the past, if you guys want to make some money and do this again, then I’d then be willing to talk about it. That is my answer.”

When asked who his ideal opponent would be, Goldberg named Brock Lesnar, Triple H and Roman Reigns.

“Hunter and I will always have unfinished business until the day I die,” Goldberg said, regarding to their behind-the-scenes issues from Goldberg’s WWE run over a decade ago.

“Brock and I have unfinished biz in the ring,” a reference to their infamous match at WrestleMania 20.

Goldberg named Roman Reigns due to their mutual backgrounds playing college football in Georgia.

“Whoever it is, I don’t care,” Goldberg said. “As long as it makes sense, then I’m in for it.”

You can listen to the interview below: