WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently updated his official blog with his predictions and thoughts on tonight’s WWE Battleground pay-per-view. Below are some of the highlights.

On Undertaker and Sting rumors: “There is no reason for WWE to ‘save’ Taker and/or Sting for Monday night when they can easily creatively position both on the PPV Sunday leaving the air with more questions posed than answers provided that would drive viewers to the Monday night flagship broadcast. Sting still has a massive fan following as his two appearances on my podcast garnered over 3M+ downloads combined for the two shows.”

On WWE Battleground main event: “I do not feel that it is time for Seth Rollins to lose the WWE Title and in my mind, as I’ve discussed on my podcast, I’d have Rollins hold the title until Wrestlemania Texas in April in Arlington, Texas where Brock Lesnar would beat him after Lesnar wins the Royal Rumble in January. That’s one school of thought but that scenario could be efficiently changed if decided early and worked toward whatever plan is chosen with strategic, long term planning.

So I have Rollins retaining the title Sunday and it’s certainly possible for Taker to leave both Lesnar and Rollins in a bad way as the show goes off the air. I don’t know and I’m happy that I don’t as I don’t lke the spoilers aka the Jardine’s and prefer to watch the big shows just as I would a movie without knowing all the details.”

On John Cena vs. Kevin Owens: “John Cena will likely retain the US Title unless WWE is really going to be bold and do all they can to make Kevin Owens a ‘made man’ which would not hurt Cena one iota. I can also see the underutilized Cesaro playing into this equation Sunday night. Cesaro is as I’ve expressed here before a main event level talent who could be the WWE World Champion as easy as anyone on the roster….he’s that good.”

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

• RONDA ROUSEY Trashes FLOYD MAYWEATHER For Domestic Abuse LIVE On ESPN

The Daily Beast has published a feature looking at John Cena’s role in the new Amy Schumer comedy, Trainwreck.

In a piece titled, “John Cena: The Hardbody With A Heart Of Gold,” Jen Yamato writes that Cena is “not only one of the world’s most charitable athletes, but also one of its funniest.”

Cena’s been getting rave reviews for his role as Steven, one of Amy’s love interests in the film. Some people have been questioning if Cena was cast to portray a fictional version of fellow WWE Superstar Dolph Ziggler, who previously dated Amy Schumer. Cena was asked about the comparison and jokingly replied:

“Why do you ask? A sexually-confused CrossFit instructor?” “Seems far from the Dolph Ziggler I see on Monday Night Raw. I don’t see the correlation.”

Trainwreck is on track for a strong opening weekend and should bring in well over $30 million, which would make it the strongest debut for director Judd Apatow.

– WWE Network does not have a Battleground post-show scheduled for this Sunday.

– Next week’s edition of NXT on the WWE Network will feature a “Takeover: Brooklyn” contract signing between NXT Champion Finn Balor and challenger Kevin Owens. NXT General Manager William Regal will be on hand to oversee things.

– The following are some recent WWE and NXT attendance figures:

* July 9th in Largo, FL for NXT drew a sellout of 375 fans
* July 10th in Orlando for NXT drew 275 fans
* July 10th in Philadelphia drew 8,000 fans (John Cena, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins)
* July 11th in Jacksonville for NXT drew a sellout of 500 fans
* July 11th in Pittsburgh drew 6,000 fans (Cena tour)
* July 11th in Nashville drew 4,500 fans (Reigns tour)
* July 12th in Macon, GA drew 2,000 fans (Randy Orton headlined)
* July 12th in Knoxville, TN drew 4,500 fans (Rollins and Reigns)
* July 13th in Atlanta for RAW drew 12,500 fans

• SPOILER: TOP WWE Legend Set For SURPRISE RETURN At Monday’s RAW!

WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins recently appeared as a guest on the PodNasty Wrestling Podcast. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On upcoming match against Brock Lesnar being the biggest of his career: “I feel like I’ve had a lot of ‘biggest matches of my career’ up until this point. I would say this one is certainly special. I mean, there’s not a lot of guys who get the opportunity to go one-on-one with Brock Lesnar at this point in his career, so to be one of those guys to main event a pay-per-view with Brock Lesnar over a very prestigious title it all adds up to being certainly one of if not—I’ll leave that up to you and the other media pundits to decide what is the biggest match of my career—but it certainly ranks up there with the very, very biggest of my career.”

On the U.S. title vs. the WWE title and competing with John Cena: “(The WWE World Heavyweight Championship) is (the most dominant title in the company) no matter what, no matter who is wearing what other title, this is the big boy, this is the one that everybody wants and if John (Cena) tells you any different he’s a liar,” said Rollins.

“But the bottom line, though, is that I’m always competing with John Cena, John’s a guy who has set the bar extremely high for the past 10, 12-15 years, he’s a guy who—not only in the ring, but outside the ring—is an example of what a WWE Superstar should be and he has put in the work over that period of time to prove that and that’s definitely something I strive to be as well. I strive to have that work ethic and instill that in people around me the way John has over the past decade and a half so I’m always competing with John Cena in my mind, but my title is the title and there’s definitely no doubt about that.”

On Tough Enough contestants not standing out: “Not one person stood out to me (on Tough Enough. Not a single one, nope, not one. I went down there and I tried to help them out, give them a few pointers here and there, let them know what it takes to be a star but, let me tell you, those kids got it easy.

“They don’t know anything about anything when it comes to putting in the time, they think they’re going to get through this little three-month course and they’re going to be WWE Superstars and they’re going to be famous, and rich and travel the world. That’s not how it works, it’s a whole lot of hard work and I think they’re going to figure that out along the way, or they’re going to fall by the wayside. For me, I didn’t see a whole lot, maybe as they move along in the process they’ll show more personality and a little more guts, but for now I’m not holding my breath.”

If there will be any tension between Tough Enough winners and WWE/NXT talent: “Absolutely, that’s what I’m talking about. Tough Enough is phenomenal, it’s great, don’t get me wrong. It pushes WWE out into the masses and everyone can see it’s physical and they get an inside look at kind of what it’s like to be a WWE Superstar,” said Rollins.

“But at the same time you’ve got to understand that’s not all that it takes, you don’t just get to be on a reality gameshow and all of a sudden you’re just a top star in 12 weeks. They’re going to have to put in a lot of time, and a lot of hard work, and they’re going to have to sacrifice a lot of relationships, they’re going to be injured often, it’s going to take a toll on them physically and emotionally that they’re not prepared for and I think it will be very interesting to see who comes out of Tough Enough, who really is Tough Enough I guess when you look at it. Who’s going to come out of it alive and who’s going to make a success out of themselves?”

On John Morrison recently stating he would destroy Seth Rollins in everything: “If I’m not mistaken, I believe John Morrison is a zero-time WWE World Heavyweight champion. Mind you, zero. As in never once did he win the big one. And I’m, what, not even three years into my WWE career and I’ve already won Money in the Bank, won the WWE title at WrestleMania, first-ever NXT champion so there’s a lot of things that I’ve already destroyed John Morrison at and if John Morrison thinks he can take me in any of those endeavors, I would love for John Morrison to step up and say something like that to my face.”

Check out the complete interview above.

• SPOILER: TOP WWE Legend Set For SURPRISE RETURN At Monday’s RAW!

WWE United States Champion John Cena recently spoke with MTV U.K. to promote the new Judd Apatow film “Trainwreck,” which he has a part in. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On wanting to do wrestling and movies at the same time, unlike The Rock: “My life is with WWE. And at 38 years old I tell everybody I feel as strong and as good as ever. I think you can check out Monday Night Raw and watch any US Open challenge and my actions speak for themselves. When opportunities like this come up, I’m going to do it for the same reason that Dwayne has done what he’s done. Him being such a success has just gotten more eyeballs on WWE and that’s my goal. So when opportunities like this come up, I’m going to go for it. But unlike Dwayne I won’t take a sabbatical to do so, I take nothing away from his accomplishments – he is the most successful WWE superstar ever.”

On having respect for The Rock: “A few years back I was just too ignorant to see his vision. It is amazing after beating somebody up, how much respect you have for them. But what he was doing was absolutely correct, for where he wanted to go – he’s there tenfold now. Hopefully I can ride a little bit on his wing.”

Check out the complete interview at MTV.co.uk.

• *NEW* — PHOTO Of THE UNDERTAKER Working Out At The Gym! [>>]

– John Cena and Michael Strahan shared some raps during Cena’s appearance on “Live! With Kelly & Michael” this morning, which you can check out above.

– WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley noted on Facebook that he cried when Sasha Banks, Charlotte and Becky Lynch debuted on the main roster on Monday’s edition of WWE RAW. Foley wrote the following:

“I actually shed tears of happiness while watching the women on ?#RAW?! The first non-death related, non-Green Mile, non-Tori Amos induced tears I’ve shed since I was 14. Truly one of my all-time favorite ??WWE? moments!”

• HUGE Backstage Update On Beef Between RODDY PIPER & STEVE AUSTIN~!!

Troy Rivers filed a lawsuit against WWE claiming that he was hit with a chair to the head while working as a security guard at a WWE live event.

Rivers was working a show in Savannah, Georgia when he claims he was struck. “Suddenly, and with no warning whatsoever… struck about the head, neck, and back by a folding chair.” Rivers believes Dean Ambrose (a/k/a Jonathan Good) swung the chair. However, his attorney said that’s unclear.

“We haven’t reviewed the video from the event yet, so we’re bringing in everyone on the card that night,” Rivers’ attorney, Kevin Elwell, told Courthouse News. “Only one guy did it, but we don’t know which one yet.”

The lawsuit lists John Cena, Seth Rollins, Ryback, Kane, Daniel Bryan, R-Truth, and other wrestlers who worked the show as defendants.

• BACKSTAGE NEWS: USA Network UPSET w/ WWE Over Tough Enough!

WWE United States Champion John Cena recently spoke with The New York Post about a number of topics including the cleaning up of the WWE following the Attitude Era.

Cena explained: “In the height of the Attitude Era, it could be compared to a touring frat party. We made a conscious effort to clean up.”

He also spoke about all of his contributions to the Make-A-Wish foundation where he currently holds the records for most wishes granted (460 in total).

“When I hear that this child wants to hang out with [me] for the day, I think that’s the most flattering thing that I could ever be a part of.”

To read more of the interview with John Cena, click this link.

Below is the current card for this year’s WWE Battleground PPV which will take place on July 19th from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri and will be available on the WWE Network.

WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Seth Rollins vs. Brock Lesnar (with Paul Heyman)

Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt

WWE United States Championship
John Cena  vs. Kevin Owens

WWE Tag Team Championship
The Prime Time Players vs. The New Day

WWE Intercontinental Championship
Ryback  vs. Big Show vs. Miz

*Champions shown in bold.

– WWE United States Champion John Cena was reportedly at the JC Penny headquarters in Plano, Texas on Friday to sign some type of new deal, possibly bringing his “Never Give Up” clothing line for kids to the department store.

– The following is a clip of the WWE Tough Enough competitors at the NXT live event on Friday night in Orlando, Florida.

The competitors of #ToughEnough were embraced by the #NXTUniverse in #NXTOrlando @WWEToughEnough https://t.co/x1LhHzVDva

— WWE (@WWE) July 10, 2015

• CM Punk Narrows His UFC Fighting Debut Down To The EXACT MONTH!

The North American Wrestling Rankings website, which has been keeping WWE television related statistics since November of 2006, reported the following on Sheamus breaking a record this week:

“When Sheamus defeated Roman Reigns by countout on the 7/6/15 episode of Raw it was his 200th televised singles victory! The Celtic Warrior is the first wrestler to win 200 tv matches!!! [He was just the 4th wrestler to win 100 matches back on 8/3/12]. Others nearing this milestone [as of 7/8/15] are Randy Orton with 197 wins and John Cena with 188.”

Sheamus tweeted the following about the record:

First Superstar to notch-up 200 televised singles victories? In @WWE history, you say?

Greatest of all time? #AreYouNotEntertained?

— Sheamus (@WWESheamus) July 9, 2015

• VIDEO: UFC Releases Footage Of CM Punk Training For Octagon Debut!

WWE Superstar John Cena recently spoke with Access Hollywood about his sex scene in the Judd Apatow film “Trainwreck,” starring Amy Schumer.

Above is a video of Cena talking about the scene and below are some quotes.

“Trainwreck” drops in theaters on July 17th.

“There was talk about it being a closed set, but within 20 minutes there’s two camera ops, two focus-pullers, three lighting guys, two sounds guys, props. Catering was in there at one point. It became the most un-intimate environment possible – and that helped! There’s nothing intimate or sexy about it – it’s true comedy.”

“It was all day. My mom is probably so proud – I wore a sock to work all day! Special.”

“I have a lot to learn in this game and Amy and Judd are both very funny people with unbelievable track records. They created an environment where I didn’t feel threatened, I didn’t feel out of place, I didn’t feel uncool. That reinforcement and that environment led to some crazy awkward moments that you see onscreen.”

“A lot of the stuff that was [improvised] ended up in the movie. And that was only because, like I said, [Amy and Judd] didn’t make me feel for one second as if I was inferior. They treated me as a peer and I’m so, so thankful for that because I’m out of my element.”

VIDEO: UFC Releases Footage Of CM Punk Training For Octagon Debut!

WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross has updated his official blog with his latest thoughts and comments. Below are some of the highlights.

On John Cena vs. Cesaro at Monday’s RAW: “Enjoyed John Cena vs. Cesaro on RAW Monday night. Cena is the consummate pro and Cesaro showed, again, that he’s ready for main events on a regular basis with no start and stop involved. Turn Cesaro loose. I’d love to see Cesaro vs Lesnar some day.”

On Steve Austin/WWE 2K16: “Amazing the publicity and positive response that WWE has garnered with the announcement that Steve Austin is on the cover of the 2K16 video game due out in October. Now the Austin wrestling at Wrestlemania Texas will commence again which simply isn’t happening. Sorry folks, the park is closed…said in the late, John Candy’s voice.”

On Paul Heyman: “Paul Heyman adds so much to RAW when he’s on the show especially, and obviously, with Brock Lesnar. Paul’s verbal skills are unparalleled in the business today and he seems to get better with time. Hope young talents every where are paying attention. Heyman does plan advocate for his client. He IS an advocate IE Paul is a natural extension of his real personality. Tough Enough participants need to especially be closely watching him. Lesnar, on the other hand, has animal magnetism that can’t be taught.”

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

• KEN SHAMROCK Talks About BEATING UP Big Show & JBL BACKSTAGE In WWE!

– As shown in the video above, after RAW went off the air last night, John Cena addressed the fans about his match against Cesaro and spoke about the city of Chicago.

Cena was full of praise for Cesaro and told those in attendance that he believes Cesaro should be in the main event every night adding that Cesaro gave him another memory he’ll never forget.

Various fans have reported that the speech was incredibly touching and some people were visibly emotional while Cena was speaking.

– After Brock Lesnar destroyed the cadillac that was given to J&J Security by Seth Rollins last week, WWE posted two videos showing the car being taken away once the show was over.

The remains of @WWEJJSecurity's Cadillac CTS are loaded on a flatbed and taken away. #RAW pic.twitter.com/Ao3iCszav4

— WWE (@WWE) July 7, 2015

A final farewell the @WWEJJSecurity's Cadillac! #RAW https://t.co/0kzmDhelzO

— WWE (@WWE) July 7, 2015

– WWE United States Champion John Cena took to Twitter on Sunday to thank the fans in Japan and to look ahead to Monday’s WWE RAW crowd. Monday’s RAW takes place in Chicago, Illinois, a city that Cena always gets a ton of heat in.

Thanks to @WWE Tokyo, Singapore! VERY excited 4 #RAW in AllState Arena. Such a special place. Im sure the crowd will be VERY vocal. #respect

— John Cena (@JohnCena) July 5, 2015

– Tyson Kidd and Natalya are the guests on the latest edition of Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast. You can download the show right now at PodcastOne.com.

• PHOTO GALLERY: Ronda Rousey’s S.I. Swimsuit Issue Outtakes

– Moments after winning the WWE NXT Championship at WWE’s Beast in the East live event in Tokyo, Japan, Finn Balor was congratulated by a number of Superstars backstage.

In the video above, after defeating Kevin Owens for his first title reign in the WWE Balor was congratulated by Cesaro, Neville, United States Champion John Cena and William Regal.

– Following the match against Kevin Owens yesterday in Japan, Balor took to his Twitter account and shared the following photo:

WE became NXT Champion#BálorClub

????? ???? ???? pic.twitter.com/gQQWPc13GP

— Finn Bálor (@FinnBalor) July 5, 2015

If you missed the match then you can watch the full show at this link.

WWE were live this morning (July 4th) from Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, Japan for their “Beast in the East” special event which was broadcast on the WWE Network.

The event has been focused around Brock Lesnar making his return to Japan where he would compete in a WWE ring for the first time since WrestleMania 31 where he lost the WWE Championship.

Below are the results for the show:

Chris Jericho vs Neville
Winner: Chris Jericho by making Neville submit with the Lion Tamer.

WWE Divas Championship
Paige vs. Tamina vs. Nikki Bella (c)
Winner: Nikka Bella retains with a forearm on Tamina.

Kofi Kingston vs. Brock Lesnar
Winner: Lesnar wins with an F5 and attacks New Day after the match.

WWE NXT Championship
Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens (c)
Winner: Finn Balor wins after defeating Kevin Owens with a Coup De Grace.

John Cena & Dolph Ziggler vs. Kane & King Barrett
Winner: John Cena and & Dolph Ziggler win after Cena hits the AA on King Barrett.

If you didn’t get to see the show live then click this link to be taken to the WWE Network where you can catch a replay of exactly what went down.

– WWE Battleground isn’t due to take place until July 19th but the latest betting odds have been released by BetWrestling.com.

Favourites to win are shown in bold. The odds are so close because they have been revealed earlier than they usually are.

WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Seth Rollins(+145) vs. Brock Lesnar (-185)

WWE United States Championship
John Cena (-170) vs. Kevin Owens(+130)

WWE Tag Team Championship
The Prime Time Players (-185) vs. The New Day (+145)

Roman Reigns (-130) vs. Bray Wyatt(-110)

– WWE Hall of Famer Lita recently appeared on the Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling Podcast and spoke about her latest role within the company as a coach on Tough Enough.

She discussed what it was like working with Billy Gunn and Booker T, dealing with eliminations, working with the contestants and she revealed her favourite match of all-time. Hear it at this link.

– Before today’s WWE live event in Singapore today WWE United States Champion John Cena met with US service men, women and their families. WWE shared the following pictures on Twitter:

Before tonight's Live Event in #WWESingapore, @JohnCena met with U.S. Service men, women, and their families! pic.twitter.com/Er2hChlCS7

— WWE Community (@WWECommunity) July 2, 2015

– If you didn’t see it, the WWE have posted a short video looking at the interview with Triple H and Sting where they discuss pivotal moments during the Monday Night Wars.

The interview is hosted by Renee Young for the new “Monday Night War: Shots Fired” DVD and Blu-ray and a teaser can be seen here.

The synopsis for the DVD, which is due to be released on the 10th of August, reads:

A 20-episode documentary series that follows the stories in and out of the ring of both Vince McMahon’s WWE and Ted Turner’s WCW, as they battle head to head in a primetime power struggle that forever changed the face of sports entertainment. This first volume will cover the first ten episodes in this documentary, along with matches and moments from that era!

The content on the DVD is set to include: (Source: WrestlingDVDNews.com)

DISC 1

The War Begins
– WWE’s Evolution
– NWA to WCW
– Raw Entertainment
– Eric Bischoff’s Impact
– Monday Nitro
– Dirty Tactics
Past Episode Analysis with Renee Young, Triple H and Sting

The Rise of The nWo
– Scott Hall & Kevin Nash
– Outsiders Invade WCW
– The Third Man
– Fake Razor & Diesel
– Popularity of the nWo
– Overexpansion
– Making Their Mark
Past Episode Analysis with Renee Young, Triple H and Sting

DISC 2

Embracing Attitude
– A Declaration of Change
– Sex Sells
– Violence Rules
– Audience Participation
– nWo Getting Stale
– Austin vs. McMahon
– Raising the Stakes
– New Heights
Past Episode Analysis with Renee Young, Triple H and Sting

A New D-Generation X
– Are You Ready?
– Going Too Far
– Reigns Come Off
– A New D-Generation X
– DX Invades WCW
– Bischoff Calls Out Mr. McMahon
– DX vs. Nation of Domination
– DX Army
Past Episode Analysis with Renee Young, Triple H and Sting

DISC 3

Have A Nice Day
– Cactus Jack
– Mankind
– Three Faces of Foley
– Foley Goes Through Hell
– Mr. Socko
– Champion
– Rock ‘n’ Sock
– Stepping Away
Past Episode Analysis with Renee Young, Triple H and Sting

The Hart Of War
– Dependable Champion
– Hit Man vs. HBK
– Weighing the Options
– Fallout with WWE
– Arrival in WCW
– Return to WWE
Past Episode Analysis with Renee Young, Triple H and Sting

Foundations Of War
– Captivating the Audience
– Changing the Landscape
– Rising to the Top
– Evolving
– Leaders
Past Episode Analysis with Renee Young, Triple H and Sting

DISC 4

The Austin Era
– “Stunning” Steve Austin
– ECW
– Ringmaster
– Austin 3:16
– Injury to Opportunity
– The Face of WWE
– Trailblazer
Past Episode Analysis with Renee Young, Triple H and Sting

Who’s Next?
– A Need for New Stars
– The Look and Presence
– The Streak
– Champion
– 173-1
– WCW’s Biggest Creation
Past Episode Analysis with Renee Young, Triple H and Sting

Flight Of The Cruiserweights
– A Need to Stand Out
– Cruiserweight Division
– Top Talent
– Light Heavyweight Division
– Being Ignored
– Land of the Athlete
Past Episode Analysis with Renee Young, Triple H and Sting

– On this week’s episode of RAW, Cesaro was the one to answer John Cena’s United States Championship Open Challenge and the pair put on a near twenty minute match.

The match came to an end when Kevin Owens, who was sat at ringside on commentary got involved and attacked Cesaro during a Sharpshooter leaving the match to end in a DQ.

Fans noticed during the match however that for a brief moment the screen went black while Cesaro was delivering some European uppercuts on the champ.

The former United States Champion decided to flip off John Cena (as shown below) and either WWE’s production team or the USA Network decided to black the screen momentarily.

https://twitter.com/Daldango/status/615692605179834368

WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross updated his official blog on Tuesday. Below are some of the highlights.

On John Cena vs. Cesaro from RAW: “Loved the Cena vs. Cesaro match but wasn’t overwhelmed with how it ended. Nonetheless the match itself was excellent and showed that Cesaro is one of he best talents in the entire business and is certainly an untapped talent within the WWE, IMO. The United States Title Open Challenge by Cena is one of the best things that WWE has done creatively in a good while. I’ve enjoyed it every week.”

On Lana: “Thought Ziggler looked uncomfortable and it seemed the audience did not know quite how to react when Lana said that she and Dolph were more than friends. Lana has a great look and displays the ‘it’ factor sporadically which may mean that she’s destined for more WWE Films in the future unless she also learns to handle herself in the ring.”

On King Barrett: “Waiting for the “King” Barrett persona to click. The question is, will it? I do like his potential bit O wish that he wold cheat more.”

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

• CM PUNK Fires Back At Top UFC Contender Over Controversial Jesus Comments

TNA star Tyrus (aka Brodus Clay) appeared on CBS Radio’s Chad Dukes Wrestling Show this past week to discuss working with Jason Albert, Dusty Rhodes, his issues with John Cena and more. Below are some highlights from the interview.

On Jason Albert: “I think my game expanded tagging with him. So deep, man he knows so much he doesn’t let anything bother him, where I’m more emotional. Everything bothers me. Like somebody says something sideways I’m like, ‘I’m gonna kill that-‘ and he’ll be like, ‘Hey man, hey, relax it’s okay forget it.’ Perfect example, when we had to do that lingerie spot, I was more upset that he had to do that and he was like, ‘Hey, we’re going to make this work.’ And we ended up being a tag team. I wanted us to turn heel together.”

“Performance-wise not seeing him is a disservice to the fans but as a trainer, I think you’re going to start seeing this next generation of guys coming up under his tutelege, you’re going to see a lot of guys that really got their stuff together. His influence, I mean he was he was in the Attitude Era and he was in after that, he was in New Japan, as far as like moves, psychology, and stuff I can’t think of anyone better to be honest with you.”

On Dusty Rhodes: “I mean, I couldn’t have done [The Funkasaurus] without Dusty Rhodes. He was so instrumental in the whole character thing.”

“I spent the whole day with Dusty and he played ‘Moves Like Jagger’ and me and him danced to it in the arena all day. I actually have the footage but I was told I was never allowed to show it but I watched it the other day because I missed him.”

“This is the same guy when I first got there and I was about four hundred sixty pounds they told me I had to wear trunks. I was like, ‘Oh my god, they hate me.’ So what does Dusty do? He comes to work with his shirt off. He walks around the arena with his shirt off. ‘If I can do it baby, you can do it.’ “

On John Cena’s mention of him on Raw recently: “Cena ran his mouth a couple weeks ago that I was lumped in with the XFL, son of a bitch, and I was like he XFL was cool. And listen, the only difference between him and P.N. News is that he got a push, because he wasn’t the first rapping gimmick. He wasn’t the first guy with a chain, he just won some titles. If he didn’t he’s just white P.N. News.”

“It’s good. He wants to do an open challenge, keep running your mouth you know, you’ll see the US Title in TNA. I’ll keep it for as long as I want to. But yeah I mean it’s one of those things where you know what my name’s being dropped in three wrestling promotions in one week, why not.”

Check out the complete interview at ChadDukesWrestlingShow.com.

• CM PUNK Fires Back At Top UFC Contender Over Controversial Jesus Comments

WWE sent out the following on Monday, announcing that John Cena has been nominated for the Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award:

John Cena Nominated for the Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award

Inaugural event presented by ESPN and PlayStation to salute those using the power of sport to serve community; finalists and Stuart Scott ENSPIRE award winners announced

The inaugural Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards, presented by ESPN and PlayStation, will celebrate and honor athletes, teams, nonprofits and members of the sports industry for using sport to serve communities and make a positive impact on society, it was announced by John Skipper, President, ESPN. The event, which will take place Tuesday, July 14 at the Conga Room at L.A. Live, will be the first of its kind, bringing together the leagues and sporting community to pay tribute to the collective good of sports.

Multiple sports-related leagues and/or governing bodies — including MLB, MLS, NBA, NFL, NHL, USOC, USTA, WNBA, WWE and the Women’s Sports Foundation — have nominated athletes, teams and community members that are using the power of sports to transform lives and uplift communities. Highlights of the evening will be featured during a 30-minute special on ESPN, July 23 at 8:30 p.m. ET.

During the event, which will be hosted by Laila Ali, winners will be announced from among the finalists for two major award categories — Sports Humanitarian of the Year and Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year. Additionally, the event will celebrate four inaugural “Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award” (ESPN + inspire) winners, recognized for taking risks and using innovation to help the disadvantaged.

“Through their selflessness and compassion, the Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award honorees are improving lives of many around the world,” Skipper said. “The awards pay tribute to some incredible individuals and organizations and the extraordinary impact of their efforts on society.”

PlayStation is the presenting sponsor of the Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards, which will benefit the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund at The V Foundation — a fund that encourages cutting-edge research for minority populations suffering from cancer.

An independent panel of judges selected the finalists, including, Tracy Hoover, CEO of Points of Light, Sharon Roerty, Senior Program Officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Sab Singh, Founder of Sports Doing Good and professor at Farmingdale State College, and Caryl Stern, CEO of the US Fund for UNICEF.

“Humanitarianism is a central narrative of sport — as athletes aspire towards greatness, their ability to make a mark on society is as important as their athletic accomplishments,” said Stern. “The Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards give rise to the increasingly important role that sports can play in society, and how the sports community can work together to build and inspire strong communities.”

SPORTS HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR

The Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award is given to an athlete whose continuous, demonstrated leadership has created a positive impact on their community through sports. The honoree will receive a $75,000 grant (and $25,000 grant for each of the three finalists) from ESPN’s Corporate Citizenship department to advance the impact of the charity related to the award-winning humanitarian efforts.

Finalists (winner to be announced at awards ceremony July 14):

• Anquan Boldin, San Francisco 49ers (NFL): Inspired by his own humble beginnings, Boldin is a passionate advocate for underprivileged youth and works to help them to overcome their limitations by expanding educational and life opportunities. Through his foundation, he provides a network of support with mentoring and after-school programs, scholarships, and annual summer enrichment programs — all of which are creating tangible impacts in the lives of children in Baltimore, South Florida and San Francisco. Becoming an Oxfam Ambassador on his own accord, Boldin also has testified before Congress to strengthen human rights protections for communities impacted by the oil and mining industries in Africa. In 2014, Boldin and his wife, Dionne, made a $1 million pledge to help youth in need by providing 4-year college scholarships to four deserving high school graduates annually.

• Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever (WNBA): Growing up with a hearing impairment, Catchings was no stranger to being bullied, but she used her disability as inspiration and fuel to do her best in the classroom and on the court. Today, she teaches young girls about embracing their differences, building their self-esteem and overcoming obstacles. Through her Catch the Stars Foundation, she promotes fitness, literacy and mentoring to youth in Indianapolis. Catchings has served on the U.S. Department of State’s Council to Empower Women and Girls Through Sports and has supported countless programs in the community through her unwavering volunteer efforts and financial support.

• John Cena (WWE): WWE Superstar John Cena’s popular catchphrase “Never Give Up” is also a real-life mantra that he uses to inspire those battling life-threatening illnesses. For more than a decade, Cena has been a force in granting the wishes of children in partnership with Make-A-Wish. As the most requested wish granter of all-time, he has granted nearly 500 wishes for children around the world. Additionally, Cena is also a passionate advocate in the fight against breast cancer, helping to spread the word about the importance of early detection.

• Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers (NHL): As founder of the Henrik Lundqvist Foundation and an ambassador for the Garden of Dreams Foundation, Lundqvist has seized the opportunity to positively impact the lives of children most in need through education and health services. He’s touched the lives of thousands of children and families in New York City, the Dominican Republic and Sweden with both personal and financial support. He’s also providing a platform to the next generation of community leaders, by selecting a group of young adults to complete community service projects and volunteer work, as part of his Young Ambassadors Program.

SPORTS HUMANITARIAN TEAM OF THE YEAR

The Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year represents a sports team (and their community relations department or foundation) that demonstrates how teamwork between athletes and their team’s community relations or foundations can create a significant impact on a community or cause. The winner will receive a $75,000 grant (and $25,000 grant for each of the three finalists) from ESPN to the qualified charity related to the award-winning humanitarian efforts.

Finalists (winners to be announced at awards ceremony July 14):

• Chicago Bulls (NBA): The Chicago Bulls’ work in the community is a collaborative effort among the team’s players, fans, corporate partners, community partners, and front office staff. Community is a fundamental part of the team’s business operations and the Bulls feel a responsibility to give back to the city and people who give so much to them. Last year, the Bulls organized over 100 community events focused on youth education, health and wellness, violence prevention, and the military with more than 30,000 people impacted. The team’s Season of Giving alone, reached 16,000 people in the Chicago community, with 1,000 gifts and 2,200 meals provided to families in need. Additionally, the Bulls distributed $2.5 million in cash and in-kind donations in support of local organizations.

• Portland Timbers (MLS): Stand Together, the club’s community outreach platform, harnesses the power of sport to improve the lives of children and families in the Portland metro area through targeted programs, deep partnerships and philanthropic giving. Stand Together focuses on youth activity, education and the environment, with an emphasis on cultural diversity and access for all to play. Since the club’s inaugural MLS season in 2011, the Timbers have given more than $2.4 million in cash and in-kind donations, including their philanthropic work through the Portland Timbers Community Fund, the club’s field-grants program, and various experiential and charitable activities. The club’s signature Stand Together Week annually benefits 30+ different nonprofits throughout the greater Portland metro area. Since 2012, Stand Together Week has generated over 7,000 volunteer hours by 2,000 volunteers on more than 100 projects.

• San Francisco 49ers (NFL): At the heart of the 49ers philanthropic efforts is their deep commitment to the San Francisco 49ers Academy, a middle school for low-income students in the highly challenged city of East Palo Alto. The team has supported the Academy from top to bottom with grants; player, alumni, ownership and staff involvement; mentorships; and facility enhancement. Inclusive of the contributions to the 49ers Academy, since 1992, the Foundation has donated $30.6 million to support nonprofits, contributing $4.6 million in 2014, including a $1 million grant to launch the 49ers STEM Leadership Institute to enable motivated and talented young scholars to reach their full potential.

• WWE Community Relations: WWE leverages the power of its brand and platforms to help address important social issues worldwide, and through its partnerships, they support programs and initiatives that positively impact children and families around the world. WWE has granted more than 6,000 wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions through Make-A-Wish, and launched an anti-bullying program, Be a STAR, to encourage young people to treat each other with tolerance and respect through education and grassroots initiatives. More than 100,000 kids from all 50 U.S. states and 100 countries have taken the pledge to end bullying through the program. WWE is also a strong advocate for athletes with intellectual disabilities and breast cancer awareness through their work with Special Olympics and Susan G. Komen respectively, and they are staunch supporters of the U.S. military through their annual Tribute to the Troops celebration and partnership with Hire Heroes USA to help returning vets transition to the civilian workforce.

STUART SCOTT ENSPIRE AWARD HONOREES
In honor of former ESPN commentator Stuart Scott’s indomitable spirit, the Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award (ESPN + inspire) celebrates and honors any organization or person who has used the power of sport by taking risk and using an innovative approach to aid the disadvantaged, save lives, alleviate suffering and maintain and protect human dignity. The honorees will each receive a $25,000 grant from ESPN to the qualified charity related to the award-winning humanitarian efforts.

Honorees (to be recognized at awards ceremony July 14):

• “Like A Girl” Campaign: Always, the world’s leading feminine care brand, launched a social experiment to address the drop in confidence girls experience at puberty and change the negative perception of the phrase “like a girl” into one that means downright amazing things. Through a viral video that later aired as a Super Bowl commercial, the Always #LikeAGirl campaign challenged girls, boys, women and men worldwide to change the way they think about and use phrases like “throw like a girl” and “run like girl” which proved to have a profound impact. Prior to viewing the film, only 19% of girls had a positive association toward the phrase “like a girl.” After watching the video, 76% of girls ages 16-24 no longer see the phrase as an insult, and two out of three men who watched said they would stop or think twice before using “like a girl” as an insult.

• MLB Commissioner Emeritus Allan H. (Bud) and Suzanne L. (Sue) Selig: Bud and Sue Selig have helped transform how leagues and sport gives back. At the urging of the Seligs, MLB granted the $10 million founding donation that launched Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) in 2008. Since then, the Seligs have helped raise tens of millions of dollars for groundbreaking cancer research through SU2C’s Innovative Research Grant, the first of which was named in their honor, and they are responsible for MLB’s continued support for cancer research. The Seligs also paved the way for professional sports to become more sustainable, with Bud being called “the single most influential environmental advocate in the history of sports” by the Green Sports Alliance. Under his watch, MLB was the first league to distribute environmental advice and measurement tools to all stadium operators. It was the first league to use public service announcements to educate fans about environmental stewardship and to green its All-Star Game and league championships. Selig received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jackie Robinson Foundation, which aids academically distinguished minority students, and the Chairman’s Award from Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Selig is a major supporter of his alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as well as Marquette University.

• Seattle Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll: Pete Carroll is committed to helping people be the best they can be on and off the field. Carroll works to identify what is unique about each person, understand and help them create a vision for what they want to be and then keep them connected to that vision. It is in this approach that has led to life-changing impact. Coach Carroll incorporated this philosophy to help transform communities and make them better places to live through his violence prevention efforts via A Better LA and A Better Seattle. He was instrumental to bring Free The Children’s We Act & We Day to the U.S. and Seattle in 2013. Annually, students earn their tickets to We Day by completing one local and one global action on any issue of their choice. This program is unique because it provides youth from all types of backgrounds a platform to become agents of change and leaders regardless of their circumstances.

• You Can Play: The You Can Play Project is working to change the sometimes homophobic culture of locker rooms and sports venues with a message that athletes should be judged on athletic skill and ability, not sexual orientation or other discriminatory factors. Inspired by the late Brendan Burke, an openly gay hockey player at Miami University and son of Calgary Flames president of hockey operations Brian Burke, the organization is spreading a message of tolerance, inclusion and equality. Today, You Can Play has been represented in video messages by athletes from every professional sports league in North America, all saying they would support a gay teammate who would contribute to a team’s success.

– John Cena celebrated 13 years with WWE over the weekend, having made his debut back on the June 27th, 2002 edition of SmackDown.

For over 13 years now I have had the unimaginable privilege of being fortunate enough to be part of @WWE I enjoy everyday as much as the 1st

— John Cena (@JohnCena) June 28, 2015

– Chris Jericho tweeted the following about his match at last night’s WWE live event from Reading, PA.

GREAT match in #WWEReading w my former protege @WadeBarrett! He beat the hell out of me, but #Jerichoholics led me to victory! #WeWantTables

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) June 29, 2015

– WWE.com has a new interview up with NXT recruit Nhooph Al-Areebi from Toronto, who is WWE’s first Arab-Canadian Diva. Here’s what she said about signing with WWE:

“My tryout was last June, but I didn’t hear back until August that they were interested, but to keep working out, training and taking bookings [on the independents], because I was on their shortlist to hire. At first, I was a little bummed out, because I wanted to get my life started now. This was what I wanted to do. I found out in October that they were interested in giving me a contract. It was the happiest day of my life. I was running around the apartment crying, calling my mom. It was crazy.”

Following Monday’s edition of WWE RAW from Indianapolis, Indiana, several new matches were made official for the upcoming WWE Battleground pay-per-view event.

Below is an updated look at the official lineup for WWE Battleground 2015:

WWE World Heavyweight Title
– Seth Rollins (c) vs. Brock Lesnar

WWE United States Title
– John Cena (c) vs. Kevin Owens

WWE Intercontinental Title
– Ryback (c) vs. Big Show vs. The Miz

WWE Tag-Team Titles
– The Prime Time Players (c) vs. The New Day

– Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt

WWE Battleground takes place on Sunday, July 19, 2015, live from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Make sure to join us here at SEScoops.com on 7/19 for the best WWE Battleground live results coverage on the web!

• **BRAND NEW PHOTO GALLERY** — Ronda Rousey In SKIMPY Bikinis & SUPER-TIGHT Outfits!

WWE United States Champion John Cena appeared on “The Today Show” on NBC this morning to promote the returning season of the WWE reality show, “Tough Enough.”

Above is a clip of Cena’s appearance on the show, where he discusses the Tough Enough Competition special that will air on the USA Network on Tuesday.

The premiere of Tough Enough will air at 8pm EST. on Tuesday night and will be called, “Boot Camp or Bust.”

Tough Enough episodes will replay on E! and Esquire.

• NEW PHOTO GALLERY: Ronda Rousey In SKIMPY Bikinis, SEXY Outfits & MORE!