On social media this past Sunday night, mostly Twitter, there were some rumors being spread around that claimed former WWE Superstar CM Punk had been arrested.

The rumors got out of control enough to the point that Punk actually commented on them. When a fan on Twitter asked Punk why people were saying he got arrested, Punk jokingly replied with the following:

“@thatnigga_juju: @CMPunk why everyone saying u was arrested ?” Because I totally got arrested.

— Coach (@CMPunk) August 18, 2014

The following are highlights of a new Complex Magazine interview with Paul Heyman:

There was a great moment on Monday Night Raw this past week for Hulk Hogan’s birthday with the appearances of Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Rowdy Piper, and others. Although there wasn’t a punch thrown between Brock Lesnar and John Cena, everyone was on the edge of their seat. If you were booking that angle, what would you do differently?

I view that incident from Monday Night Raw differently than you do. I view it as that Brock Lesnar punked out a ring full of WWE Hall of Famers, including the immortal Hulk Hogan. And John Cena thought he was going to play Superman—gonna be a hero—and dived into the ring, but didn’t have what it takes to jump on Brock Lesnar.

Okay, that’s fair. You’ve talked about it a lot this week, but two days away, how do you see the Cena/Lesnar match playing out at SummerSlam?

I’ll be happy to tell you what’s gonna happen Sunday. I’ll save you the time and the effort of scratching your head trying to figure out where this leads. Brock Lesnar is going to deliver a beating to John Cena, the likes of which John Cena has never experienced in his life. When Brock Lesnar is done sadistically smacking around John Cena, Brock Lesnar will hoist John Cena up on his mammoth shoulders. Brock Lesnar will F5 John Cena. Brock Lesnar will pin John Cena. And Brock Lesnar will go on to be the reigning, defending, undisputed WWE heavyweight champion of the world.

Before this interview, I revisited “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s podcast and you said that you still talk to CM Punk and that’s he’s a friend—he’ll always be a friend. Have you spoken to him recently? And do you guys have a “no-wrestling policy” when you guys talk now?

It would be very uncomfortable to describe to anyone any personal conversations I have with anybody. It would be akin to me saying, “So what did you and your wife talk about at the dinner table last night?” Or, “Hey, I heard you went to the baseball game with your best friend, what was he talking to you about?” The answer is, to the entire world, none of your business. Whether Punk and I have a “no-wrestling policy” or a “no-music policy” or a “no-religion policy,” that’s between us. And since we’re not marketing anything in public together, I’m hesitant in describing anything regarding a conversation I would have with—whether it’s CM Punk, or any other friend of mine.

Understood. Switching gears, you’re known for your superb skills on the microphone. In your opinion, of those wrestler that you have worked with, who is the best of all time in terms of cutting a promo?

That I’ve worked with in terms of writing and producing for them? Or in terms of teaching them? Or in terms of, “I’m on the same roster at the same time I watch that guy and I say, ‘Oh my God, he’s great’”?

I think the last criteria broadens the scope a bit…

I think John Cena has been on top for over 10 years because he understands how to convey his message to his audience. I think “Stone Cold” Steve Austin has revolutionized the way in which a character on a wrestling program can speak. I think that when Vince McMahon was opposed against “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, there were things that he said and things that he did that were absolutely brilliant and ground-breaking and changed the sculpt of the villain in professional wrestling. So there are a lot of people that I watched—hey, The Rock is one of the biggest movie stars of the past decade. There’s a reason for it: He understands how to convey his message. And he learned that in front of a live audience in WWE, so how could you not include him on that list? There are others that are coming up—I thought the work that Punk did as Champion was simply brilliant and ground-breaking and trend setting, so I would be remiss not to include him on this list as well.

Check out the complete interview at Complex.com.

– On Saturday night, WWE will hold one of their biggest live events in a while, as the crew heads to San Jose, California for a show that features both Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair. Also scheduled for the show is John Cena, Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, Dean Ambrose and Chris Jericho.

– In addition to Triple H, who we posted about earlier today, CM Punk also took part in the “Ice Bucket Challenge.” You can check out a video of Punk getting a cold bucket of ice water splashed on himself below.

http://youtu.be/1-T0gBJJSaU

Pre-Order WWE 2K15 NOW & Get STING As A Playable Character

CM Punk has been confirmed as a playable character for the upcoming WWE 2K15 video game. He will be featured in the special 2K Showcase Mode, which will spotlight two epic rivalries in WWE history: Punk vs. John Cena and Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H.

Here’s the official press release:

2K today announced details of 2K Showcase, the story-driven single-player campaign in WWE® 2K15, the forthcoming release in the flagship WWE video game franchise. Through high quality cinematics and historic WWE footage, players will intimately explore two notable WWE rivalries: the bitter rivalry between Triple H® and Shawn Michaels® from 2002 to 2004, as well as WWE 2K15 cover Superstar John Cena® and CM Punk®’s spirited rivalry spanning 2011 to 2013.

“The moment Triple H ended his longtime friendship with ‘The Heartbreak Kid’ by slamming him with a Pedigree was a defining moment in WWE history,” said Chris Snyder, Vice President of Marketing at 2K. “No fan can deny the fierce competition marking the notorious battles waged between Cena and Punk. These two rivalries are firmly etched in WWE history, and 2K Showcase enables fans to take part in those memorable experiences.”

2K Showcase will tell the epic history of the two rivalries through documentary-style video packages of classic WWE footage, authentic WWE Superstar commentary and cinematic cut scenes. In the 33 available matches across the rivalries, players will be tasked with completing a set of bonus historical objectives that will unlock new WWE Superstars, Championship titles and alternate attire that can be used in all other WWE 2K15 game modes. With this wealth of unlockable content, players can recreate current rivalries or stage dream matchups between WWE Superstars of the past and present. Additional 2K Showcase rivalries will be made available via downloadable content following the game’s scheduled release on October 28, 2014 in North America and October 31, 2014 internationally.

“Featuring two of the biggest rivalries in WWE history, including my storied matches with Shawn Michaels, there’s no doubt fans will experience the thrill first-hand through WWE 2K15,” said Paul “Triple H” Levesque, Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative at WWE. “2K Showcase brings WWE to life in a way our fans have never seen before through a video game.”

Jim Ross noted during a recent “Ross Report” podcast that he had an idea of working with CM Punk on commentary for New Japan Pro Wrestling’s internet pay-per-view shows.

Ross noted that he didn’t actually speak to Punk about the idea and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of interest from NJPW, as they don’t usually receive many iPPV buys outside of the Japanese market.

The following are highlights of a new Digital Spy interview with Paul Heyman:

On Sting in WWE: “I think Sting would be denying his fans a great moment if Sting did not step into WWE competition at least once. I have always been a huge admirer of what Sting brings to the table and his relationship with his audience, and I would be dramatically disappointed if Sting does not wrestle a WWE match.”

On why fans are having a hard time letting go of CM Punk: “It’s a very difficult break-up when an audience loses its ability to thrust its adulation upon their hero. CM Punk clearly established during his time as a Paul Heyman Guy that he was, as the billing suggested, The Best In The World.”

“So when he abruptly disappears and the audience doesn’t have the ability to say goodbye or shower him with their affection, then it causes a situation. It causes the audience to miss him even more vociferously, because they never had the closure of letting him know how much they appreciate his hard work.”

Check out the complete interview at DigitalSpy.com.

CM Punk appeared on the latest edition of “The Nerdist” podcast from the San Diego Comic Con and shared a story about the only time he’s ever run a marathon. You can check out that podcast at Nerdist.com.

Additionally, Punk was a guest on The Wrestling Compadres podcast during Comic Con. You can check out that appearance at iTunes.Apple.com.

Punk tweeted the following about his experience at the San Diego Comic Con this year:

I have t had this much fun in a long time. Thanks to everyone who made it great! @NerdistDotCom @jonahray @MattMira @jasonaaron @GerryDuggan

— Coach (@CMPunk) July 27, 2014

And anybody else I forgot or the people who are twitterless. Especially all the behind the scenes people at Nerdist filming and editing!

— Coach (@CMPunk) July 27, 2014

The following are highlights of a new Alternative Nation interview with Jeff Hardy:

Moving onto wrestling, the first thing I’ve got to ask, is what’s your reaction to the reports that SpikeTV won’t be renewing their contract with TNA, and all of the crazy stories flying around?

I don’t know, I’m not a social network guy, I don’t even read timelines or tweets. But I’m sure negotiations are – I still have hope. It’s not really my problem, but I hope we remain on Spike, I hope they can work something out. Gosh, I hope 1 or 2 years from now we’re still coming on every Thursday night on Spike. I don’t know, I go to the shows, I do the best I can in the ring. That’s my commitment to the company, is to do what I can do to make the show good. It’s their job to use me in the right fashion. As far as re-signing with Spike, I don’t know what’s going to happen. I hope we remain.

You’ve gone through a lot of character changes in the last year. How did bringing your Willow character to TNA come about, and when and why did you go back to being Jeff Hardy recently?

Years ago, I think my 2nd year in TNA on this 2nd run, my buddy Shannon Moore and his wife, she’s a phenomenal seamstress, and she made me a Willow mask. We’d thrown the idea around, but my hair was short, so I was like: ‘I need to grow my hair back if I want this to really look right.’ She made the mask, and then some time passed, and then maybe a year and a half or so later, my hair got longer. Jeff Jarrett and I started talking about the possibility of bringing Willow to TNA. I was like, ‘Yeah!’ I was kind of intimidated, but it’s one of those things that when I look back on my career, I’ll be glad I that I did it.

It’s something I would have loved to do years ago, but the timing was never right. WWE never would have went for it. They would never want ‘Jeff Hardy staying covered, because [he’s] this money maker.’ But that’s what’s so cool about TNA being open-minded, they take a few risks, especially with me, and letting me do that. Because instead of that aggressive heel bad guy character that Willow was back in the OMEGA days, I think now that we’ve experimented with it, it can be a more kid friendly type of deal. Because my daughter Ruby just loves Willow, Kurt Angle’s son Kody loves Willow too. When Jeff Hardy came back, I was just starting to see masks in the crowd, it was just getting rolling good.

But then the reason for Jeff Hardy’s return, is obviously because Matt Hardy came back, and naturally we wanted to do some Hardy Boyz tag matches. That’s the big match this week on Destination X, Thursday night at 9PM on SpikeTV, it’s going to be the Wolves and the Hardy Boyz for the World Tag Team Titles. But that’s basically why Willow is not around right now, because the Hardy Boyz have reunited.

You mentioned Matt being back in TNA, your facing the Wolves on Impact, and Team 3D on an upcoming episode. What’s it like tagging with Matt again after awhile being at such a good place in your life now? Also what was it like being back in the ring with Team 3D after so many years, and do you think you will continue tagging in TNA, maybe some other matches, like getting Beer Money back together?

Oh, that that would be amazing if that happened. But as Matt goes, I don’t know if he’s going to sign a long term deal, I don’t know what he wants to do. But I think the coolest thing for me, I did a few independent shots with Matt back in June, we had two tag matches and they were just great. The guys we worked were just awesome, and we just felt like we were just as good as we were back in the day. Now bringing that back to TV, after Matt and myself, we went through our dark period, and to come out of that and the other side still rocking it, it feels really good to say that we can still go out there and be the Hardy Boyz, and for the fans to still vibe on our style.

That run ended obviously with the Victory Road thing with Sting, and you had a match with Sting on Impact too and wrestled him a few times. What was your relationship like with Sting over the years, when he was in TNA?

It was great, I was still always a bit starstruck every time I would say hello to him at TV’s, because he’s the man. He’s a huge influence for me, back in the day it was him in the NWA, and The Ultimate Warrior in the WWF, that was the combined Jeff Hardy. It really shows now, I’m 36 years old, I think that influence shows pretty clearly through who I am now. But yeah it was great, I can’t wait to see him pop up here in the future.

A guy you did a lot with in the past was CM Punk, who recently reportedly retired. There have been different things said between you guys during the years, but it’s been 5 years now, how do you look back at that now as being a key feud in your career?

It was one of the biggest, pretty close to the best. We had a good chemistry, completely different people, but at the time it was perfect. He is so good, he is so good. That’s another collection as far as feuds go, that I am going to look back at and go, wow I am glad I got to work with that guy and create some immortal artwork that is going to go down in the history books. It’s all good now, I went through my times as far as the way I felt about him, but he’s a good guy, and a good wrestler, he’s done great.

In a perfect world, who would you like to wrestle before you retire? May it be from WWE, TNA, ROH, or wherever?

I think deep down, it would have to be Jushin Thunder Liger. When I first started watching Japanese wrestling way back in the day, he just stood out to me. A lot of the inspiration for Willow back then, was from [him], as far as the mask, superhero, or villain. Oh my gosh, to know he’s still flying over here and working every now and then, makes me want to say: ‘Hey, I want to be part of that dream match.’ So more than anything, I’d say it’s Jeff Hardy vs. Jushin Thunder Liger.

Check out the complete interview at AlternativeNation.com.

– Following Monday’s RAW, the next time WWE will be in Houston, Texas is on October 28th for a SmackDown television taping. Tickets for that show are available right now with the code: HOUSTON.

– CM Punk appeared as a guest on Ariel Helwani’s “The MMA Hour” at MMAFighting.com on Monday. Punk made it clear he was not going to be speaking about anything pro wrestling-related, however he did talk a lot about UFC and noted that he was recently at the San Diego Comic Con. You can check out Punk’s appearance on the show at MMAFighting.com.

Former WWE Superstar CM Punk served as the on sight reporter for The Nerdist’s coverage of the San Diego Comic Con.

Check out the above video to see Punk provide highlights of his day one experience at the Comic Con event.

If video fails, click here.

Batista recently spoke to Digital Spy as part of his promotional tour for the upcoming “Guardians of the Galaxy” movie. During their discussion, Batista offered his comments on a potential return to WWE for CM Punk.

“I know for a fact that he loves professional wrestling. I couldn’t see him taking a step down and wrestling for a lesser organization. Unless he spent some time in Japan, I just don’t see it. I think eventually he’ll come back. I think he belongs there. I think the fans really love him and miss him. I think he loves it and misses it just as much. I’m really not sure why he left. He’ll be back, I would think that he would be back. I think it would be kind of crazy if he didn’t go back.”

Batista also predicted that Roman Reigns will be the first member of The Shield to capture a major title, and said he expects WWE to “push him to the sky.”

Check out the complete interview above.

The word going around in WWE is that things may not exactly be done yet as far as the CM Punk issue is concerned.

Punk, whose WWE contract officially expired recently, noted during a recent interview that he will “never” return to WWE again.

While nothing is official at this point, there is at least some talk going around the company regarding a possible lawsuit against Punk for breach of contract.

There aren’t a lot of specific details regarding this story as of right now, however it is known that there are many people very high up in WWE who are less than pleased with how everything went down with Punk.

If and when any updates become available, we will be sure to post them here on the website.

Former WWE Superstar CM Punk spoke with with Chris Van Vliet from CBS-19 on the red carpet at the AP Music Awards at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and spoke about what he’s been up to since leaving WWE earlier this year and whether he’ll ever return to the company.

– The second web exclusive clip for WWE’s upcoming “Ladies and Gentlemen My Name Is Paul Heyman” DVD/Blu-Ray has been posted online and can be viewed at HeymanHustle.com. The description for the video reads:

“In this online exclusive, Paul Heyman discusses the creative process behind-the-scenes in WCW. Hear more insights from Heyman in his DVD, “Ladies and Gentlemen, My Name is Paul Heyman,” available Aug. 5.”

– Former WWE Superstar CM Punk was the red carpet host at Monday night’s AP Music Awards at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.

– Entertainment reporter Chris Van Vliet of Cleveland’s CBS 19 News spoke with Punk on the Red Carpet at the awards show and asked him if he’s a WWE Superstar or a former WWE Superstar. Punk replied: “Neither. I’m CM Punk.”

Here’s a photo of Punk with his co-host for the show, Juliet Simms.

– In addition to The Rock, former WCW star Buff Bagwell was in attendance at the ESPY Awards earlier this week.

– Former WWE Superstar CM Punk is scheduled to appear on Chris Hardwick’s “Nerdiest Podcast Live!” on July 26th in San Diego, California.

– The latest edition of Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, which features an interview with Diamond Dallas Page and Jake “The Snake” Roberts, is now available. The official description for the show reads as follows:

TIJ – EP57 – DDP & Jake The Snake Roberts + Fozzy New Album Preview

“DDP & Jake The Snake Roberts together in-person with Y2J. They sat down at DDP’s Accountability Crib in Atlanta, and talked about EVERYTHING! Jake’s descent into drugs & alcohol, his resurrection, his WWE comeback & Hall of Fame induction, working the sober program with Scott Hall, and how Jake really feels about all those snakes!”

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

The following are highlights of a new Between The Ropes interview with Jim Ross:

Following up on a recent question asked to him on Twitter if he would be open to broadcasting for TNA Wrestling and him saying ‘never say never’: “Well, it’s kind of far-fetched it the sense that A) those discussions aren’t happening. I don’t have any desire to get back into the weekly grind of pro wrestling. Or the weekly grind of anything other than this podcast is weekly. I could do it from home if I wanted to. But I enjoy doing it at the radio station and I enjoy having a destination, to go to work, prepare. I enjoy it. I think when you’re an independent contract as I am, and you’re a freelance talent as I am, by in-large, you don’t want to say ‘I’m never doing that’ because someone can come along and make you an offer that is really better than you dreamer you would ever get. It’s not likely at all. I’m not looking at that direction but I don’t think it’s very smart to say I’ll never do that. It would take an extraordinary deal because I don’t know why I would be excited about replacing one of two guys that I like. You don’t get that many friends in the wrestling business that stick with you through thick and thin. You get a lot fewer calls when you can’t help somebody or can’t do something for them. And I don’t know if I would feel comfortable about of upsetting the team of Mike (Tenay) and Taz. As I sit here, I don’t feel right about that.”

On possibly working with CM Punk on broadcasts: “I’m not saying I’ll never do wrestling again. I did my podcast this week and said you know, crazy idea what if CM Punk and I joined forces and made a broadcast team and did an internet pay-per-view for a New Japan show. Something completely off the tracks. An not do it in a studio but go to Tokyo or go wherever the event was held. Be there as the English speaking crew. We might be the version of the Spanish announce table. And I just threw that out there and know I’ve got all kinds of people ‘oh, when are you and CM Punk. when did you talk to Phil’. Well, I haven’t talked to Phil. I made it clear on the podcast this is fantasy booking. I said this will get people talking. Well, here’s a good one for you. This will get people talking. Watch how this works. And then I laid it out: New Japan is doing these pay-per-views and they want to air them in the States. They’re inexpensive and all this good stuff. CM Punk is going to be available to do some stuff one of these days. And I’d love to work with him as the analyst of a pro wrestling match or a MMA fight.”

If he thinks he’ll be broadcasting MMA in the near future: “I don’t have any idea. I’ve thrown it out there. That’s what you have agents. I got two of them. They’re both talking different deals so I don’t know. I’m interested the door is open so we’ll see who walks through if anybody.”

On him starting work on his book: “Just this week, we’re starting to do some serious work on my autobiography. And I’m doing it differently than people would say is probably customary. I don’t have a book deal. I turned down book deals from a lot of places. I decided I want to write the book I believe to be true and honest, entertaining, eye-opening and more than just wrestling headlocks and screwjobs and stuff like that. So, I’m going to write the book. I’ve got a writing partner and we’re going to write the book the way that we want it. We’re figured up an ending place which right now is probably going to be when I came back from my second bout of Bell’s Palsy to call the first Rock – Austin WrestleMania main event. I’m thinking that would be the end. That would give us cause to write a second book that would bring in the Attitude Era, the Monday Night Wars, my role in the WWE and the corporate side and then having that third bout of Bell’s Palsy and then kind of getting futured and moving off Raw and moved to Smackdown. I think it give us plenty of material for the second book.”

Check out the complete interview at BetweenTheRopes.com.

The following are highlights from the latest Jim Ross blog:

On WWE’s depth issues: “WWE’s depth issues are easily identified when so many top, top stars are seen on the show in front of the live audience multiple times. We live in unique times as it relates to being not only a wrestling fan but a talent as well. Never in my recollection has the landscape been more conducive for someone to break though and soar to the top of a card than now. That speaks to the overall depth issues within the business in general. Secondly, it’s never been more challenging to be in the biz as there are simply too few places that one can work full time and earn a good living. It’s the old, double edge sword conundrum as in damn if you do and damn if you don’t.”

On the dynamic between John Cena and Roman Reigns on RAW: “I enjoyed the Cena-Reigns dynamic throughout the broadcast as both men walked a fine line but one can easily see that a personal issue could develop between the two quite easily although I somewhat doubt that it would be a long term one considering that WWE needs both men to be fan favorites. Nonetheless they have noticeable chemistry together which interests me.”

On Dean Ambrose: “Dean Ambrose took a fine, restaurant quality ass whipping early in the show. Heroes who don’t quit and show no fear while selling thoroughly usually get themselves over. Ambrose is.”

On CM Punk commercials during RAW: “The CM Punk promotional material for the WWE Network is a good way to create interest and sell subscriptions for the Network and I don’t think it means any thing more than that which is merely my speculation and not based on any ‘inside’ knowledge.”

On the Sting/WWE 2K15 commercial: “Great video done by 2K Sports to promote @Sting as a player on their upcoming, WWE video game. Sting will be available if one pre orders the game as I understand it. Does this mean that Sting will be wrestling in WWE? It’s not a lock whatsoever and I’d suggest it is a long shot but things can always change. I’d love to see Sting have a WrestleMania moment in his career but I’ll admit that I’m biased.

“Sting will be a guest on my podcast on July 29 of which we’ve already taped and it’s a great conversation.”

Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com.

CM Punk is no longer under contract and thanked his fans for their support on Tuesday:

Nope, thank YOU.Thanks for all the help and support through the years. Health and happiness above all.Don’t ever take any shit from anybody. — Coach (@CMPunk) July 15, 2014

His superstar profile has been moved to the Alumni section of WWE.com.

Ronda Rousey Comments On Why CM Punk Left WWE

Punk signed a 3-year contract with WWE back in July 2011 shortly after his infamous Pipe Bimb promo. Punk would go on two win the WWE Championship twice, including his 434 day reign, the longest in over 20 years.

• MMANews.com – Gina Carano Meeting With UFC, Photo of RONDA ROUSEY With The Expendables Cast

– WWE confirmed the CM Punk “Best in the World” documentary for Tuesday night on the WWE Network.

– Also announced on RAW was a need match for this Sunday’s WWE Battleground pay-per-view, as Rusev takes on Jack Swagger.

As noted recently, CM Punk has resurfaced on Twitter. Punk’s contract is said to be expiring this week and many expect that he will start doing things more publicly.

Punk posted the following tweet on Sunday, teasing that he may be starting a podcast in the near future:

Starting a band, a podcast, and a fire. One of these is true. (Okay, two).

— Coach (@CMPunk) July 13, 2014

With CM Punk’s WWE contract expiring soon, there has been talk that WWE might exercise their right to extend their deal, due to Punk leaving the company several months early.

The latest on this situation is that WWE won’t be forcing a contract extension, since it’s not really in anybody’s best interest.

WWE did exercise this right with Rey Mysterio’s contract earlier this year, since he was out of action for so long while still under contract.

CM Punk owns the rights to his ring name and already has appearances lined up using the CM Punk name after his WWE contract expires. As noted earlier this week, Punk will serve as the red carpet host at the coming AP Music Awards on July 21st.

(Source: F4Wonline.com)

The Alternative Press has announced that former WWE Superstar CM Punk will be appearing at the first annual AP Music Awards on Monday, July 21st. The show is presented by Gibson and takes place at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.

CM Punk will serve as the red carpet host as the event and will be joining co-host Juliet Simms as they interview celebrities on the red carpet pre-show. Punk said this about his role at the show:

“Well, I’m actually stoked to get out of the house and get gussied up for the first-ever Gibson Brands AP Music Awards, fueled by Monster Energy Drink. Red carpets and me don’t mix, so I figure it’ll be a perfectly hilarious night with friends and a live microphone—my favorite! Be there and be square!”

Legendary guitarist Slash will be presented with the first Guitar Legend Award.

The show will air live on AXS TV head-to-head with WWE RAW.

For more information, visit Altpress.com.

Tonight’s episode of Raw took place in Montreal, Canada and featured a total of eleven matches, including a first ever one-on-one meeting between the WWE World Heavyweight champion John Cena and Money in the Bank briefcase holder Seth Rollins.

Canadian icon and WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart graced the WWE Universe with his presence and cut a promo. Of course, he brought up the Montreal Screw Job, but it was a nice moment. Also, WWE continued to promote current on-going storylines leading up to Battleground.

Last week’s episode of Raw was one of the best and most exciting in recent history. Did this edition live up to last week’s high standards?  Without further ado, here are highlights, lowlights and my random thoughts on the 7/7/2014 edition of Monday Night Raw:

BEST MATCH: The opening bout between the Usos and the Wyatt Family was the best match of the night. There were two other matches that could have stolen the show, but they failed to do so for a couple of reasons. First, Randy Orton and Dean Ambrose gave it their best effort, but it was clear to see that the two didn’t have very much chemistry, at least when it comes to singles action. Also, the Dean Ambrose botch wasn’t a crowd-pleasing moment.

Chris Jericho vs. the Miz could have been special, but the match didn’t last as long as I hoped. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins had the most promise, but they weren’t given enough time to do anything memorable and the obvious interference by Kane and Randy Orton ruined the match for me.

What was your favorite match of the night?

WORST MATCH: AJ Lee/Paige vs. Naomi/Cameron was the worst match of the night. Aside from the main event and the tag team match between the Usos and the Wyatt Family, there weren’t any real standout matches. However, this bout stood out for all the wrong reasons and it was a poor showing amongst the four Divas involved. Bo Dallas vs. El Torito was a close second for the worst match of the night award because at least the crowd was somewhat into it.

The worst segment of the night was the Nikki Bella/Alicia Fox disaster, but I don’t think there was an opening bell and nobody was declared the winner. Therefore, Idon’t consider this to be a match; otherwise, it would have won the award.

UPSET OF THE NIGHT: Kofi Kingston defeating Cesaro was the upset of the night. I know that Kofi defeated Cesaro last week on Raw, but I didn’t expect him to do it again and I don’t think the fans/crowd did either. I see Cesaro winning the Intercontinental Title at Battleground and Kingston falling into obscurity once again, but at least Kofi is living in the moment now.

To quote the great Mike Adamle, Kofi be Jamaican me crazy.

MOST SHOCKING MOMENT: I expected Randy Orton to defeat Dean Ambrose in their match tonight, but I was anticipating Seth Rollins to screw Ambrose over, resulting in Ambrose losing cleanly. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Ambrose has been really hot as of late and Rollins costing him the match would have protected Ambrose a bit more. Also, it would have spiced things up and furthered the Ambrose/Rollins feud.

WWE issued the following today:

WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced that television executive Laureen Ong has been elected to its Board of Directors. Ong is a 30-year veteran of the cable industry with extensive experience in sales, marketing, programming and management.

Most recently, Ong spent three years as President of the Travel Channel, where she was responsible for building brand strategy, developing programming and creating new business opportunities for the network. Prior to the Travel Channel, Ong was Chief Operating Officer of Hong Kong-based STAR Group Limited, where she oversaw STAR’s media and entertainment operations spanning 55 countries.

Ong was also responsible for launching the National Geographic Channel. As the network’s Founding President, Ong oversaw National Geographic’s distribution, which reached 60 million households in just six years and included several shows that became ratings successes. Ong also oversaw National Geographic’s expansion into online, video-on-demand, and other new media platforms, and spearheaded the launch of the high-definition simulcast of the linear network.

“We are pleased to elect Laureen to WWE’s Board of Directors,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman & Chief Executive Officer. “Laureen brings more than 30 years of global media experience that will be very beneficial to the future growth of our company.”

Earlier in her career, Ong was Vice President and General Manager of WTTG-TV in Washington, D.C., a top 10 market affiliate and one of FOX’s most successful television stations. She also spent time with the Chicago White Sox as Vice President, Programming, where she helped launch SportsVision in Chicago, one of the first regional sports networks in the country.

Ong’s honors include Woman of the Year from Women in Cable Television (WICT), the Vision Award from the Washington Chapter of Women in Film and Video and Multichannel News’ Wonder Woman award in recognition of her significant accomplishments in the cable television industry.

She graduated from Montclair State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater before receiving a Master’s degree in Communications from Columbia University.

WWE is offering a “free preview” to fans who still have not signed up for the WWE Network. The offer is now live and runs through next Monday, July 14th. WWE says there is “no credit card required and no strings attached” as part of the promotion.

“Get your FREE preview of WWE Network now and enjoy access to every WWE, WCW, and ECW pay-per-view event ever produced in history! It’s just like Netflix and Hulu, but also features 24/7 programming. Simply create an account and start watching immediately. No credit card required.”

One of the new shows airing on the WWE Network this week is a “WrestleMania Rewind” special focused on CM Punk’s two Money in the Bank victories. The show’s description reads:

“The Straight Edge Superstar, C.M. Punk, has been raging against the system ever since his WWE debut in 2006. Now, see the ‘Voice of the Voiceless’ shatter the glass ceiling in WWE through his performances in not one, but TWO Money-in-the-Bank ladder matches. Relive both high stakes matches from WrestleMania 24 and 25 in the entirety, and witness the rise of the ‘Best in the World,’ C.M. Punk.”

Other new programming on the Network this week includes a “sneak peek” of the Monday Night War series after tonight’s RAW, this week’s episodes of Main Event and NXT and a Saturday Night’s Main Event marathon on Saturday.

Visit WWE.com to check out the free 1-week trial of the WWE Network.