It is believed that we will see some hints towards the direction heading into WrestleMania 31 at Sunday night’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view.

If Brock Lesnar wins the WWE World Heavyweight Championship from John Cena, the belief is that he will remain champion until next year’s WrestleMania, where it is expected that he will drop it to Roman Reigns, resulting in the climax of Reigns’ push as WWE’s new top Superstar.

Another key to Sunday’s show is that WWE needs a strong build coming out of the event and heading into Night Of Champions, because many of the initial six-month WWE Network subscriptions are set to expire in September, so WWE will need to give a strong incentive for fans to re-subscribe.

The following are highlights of a new Chad Dukes Wrestling Show interview with Paul Heyman:

On others using ideas built in ECW: “I’m a realist and I’ve always been of the opinion that Steve Jobs wasn’t the head of Apple and every single solitary idea that Apple implemented was a Steve Jobs’ idea. People came to Steve Jobs and said, ‘What if we did this?’ And he said, ‘Yes, let’s do that.’ The guy with the bigger platform, more money, a different way to market it, and distribution channels got to make more money than the guy who actually came up with the idea. And that’s just the real world. So, I don’t sit here and bitch and moan and complain, ‘Oh well the Attitude Era kinda my idea in ECW.’ It’s just the reality of it. They had bigger money, they had more distribution, and therefore when they put their spin on it they can claim it to be their own. That’s just the real world. I look forward to the young people who come to me with new ideas today that I can steal from them and become a billionaire with.”

On which MMA star could make the transition to WWE: “Ronda Rousey. I would love for Ronda Rousey to be a Paul Heyman Girl.”

On Cesaro: “I remain very good friends with Cesaro and I appreciate his hard work, I think he is a magnificent talent, but when it became obvious that Option C had to be implemented, Brock Lesnar is a full-time job. Advocating for Brock Lesnar requires my attention 24/7, 365, when that is in play. So when it came time for Option C to be presented to the Authority, I very respectfully noted to Cesaro, ‘This is going to require my full undivided attention.’ Which Cesaro knew from day one, and that’s why we have no hard feelings with each other. I still have great admiration and respect for Cesaro as a man and for his future.”

On Sunday’s match: “Brock Lesnar is going to slap John Cena silly. Brock Lesnar is going to beat him up unmercifully and sadistically twist John Cena up in a manner he’s never experienced, being manhandled, in his entire career.”

On whether we’ll see Brock Lesnar more often as Champion: “You will see Brock Lesnar when your conqueror deems it appropriate to be seen by you.”

“So Brock will appear when he damn well feels like appearing, unless you’ve got someone tough enough to drag him out there on nights he doesn’t feel like appearing before you.”

Check out the complete interview at ChadDukesWrestlingShow.com.

The hottest event of the summer is practically hours away at this point. The card is set, the matches have been hyped, and it’s time to sit back and enjoy the show (after making a few predictions, of course). Here are my predictions for this Sunday’s pay-per-view.

AJ Lee (Divas Champion) vs. Paige

Paige has been a thorn in AJ Lee’s side since arriving on the main roster, especially since turning heel. She has had the upper hand on the champ over the past few weeks, even pushing her off of the stage on SmackDown at one point. Although Paige has been booked strong, the company realizes AJ Lee is the most marketable Diva on the roster right now. She retains after forcing Paige to tap out to the Black Widow.

Result: AJ Lee by submission

The Miz (Intercontinental Champion) vs. Dolph Ziggler

Since his return, the Miz has sort of fallen flat with the audience, especially since picking up the title at last month’s Battleground. Over the past year, it’s safe to assume Dolph Ziggler will lose any match of even moderate significance, but this could be different, as he has been booked strong and is still over with the fans.

The company is trying to promote the Miz’s dud of a movie that will soon be gracing dollar bins across the country, but I think they realize his title reign isn’t catching on. Dolph Ziggler will pick up the upset victory on Sunday after hitting a Zig Zag in what will likely be one of the shorter matches on the card.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler by pinfall

 Jack Swagger vs. Rusev (Flag Match)

Call me crazy, but this is perhaps my most anticipated match on the card. The feud has been built very well and given adequate time to develop. Fans still aren’t entirely sure of what the rules will be for this one, but I’m assuming it’s going to involve the winning wrestler grabbing his country’s flag and waving it proudly in the center of the ring to end the contest.

This is the perfect opportunity for Swagger to go over Rusev and extend the feud a bit longer. He doesn’t have to pin the Bulgarian Brute to win so he won’t look as weak as he would if he lost via pinfall or submission. Expect the managers to also play a role in this one, and expect Swagger to walk out victorious to set up a rubber match at Night of Champions.

Winner: Jack Swagger

 Chris Jericho vs. Bray Wyatt

Much like the Rusev/Swagger feud, this program has also been given a proper build. The promo/interview the two cut last week on Raw was awesome and really hyped the match well.

Jericho won last month after hitting Wyatt with a Code Breaker. It will be even tougher for Wyatt this time around, as both Harper and Rowan are banned from ringside. This will likely be a back-and-forth contest with several near falls, with the in-ring work hopefully being a little more polished than last month’s affair. There’s no way Wyatt loses again, however, and will walk out victorious after forcing Y2J to succumb to Sister Abigail.

Winner: Bray Wyatt by pinfall

The following are highlights of a new Xfinity interview with Seth Rollins:

Onda: You’re no stranger to being the bad guy, to being disliked by wrestling fans. In a way, was this getting back into your comfort zone?

Rollins: I don’t know if that was really ever a thought. It was mostly just a way to separate myself from the other two, separate myself from the pack and really try to stand out and be the guy that everyone is gonna be talking about. That was the goal the whole time, and I think we accomplished that goal. Whether or not I’m more comfortable in this role is yet to be determined, but like you said, I’m definitely no stranger to this position, so we’ll see how it all comes together.

Onda: Based on the win-loss record of past “Money in the Bank” briefcase holders, you are likely to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Do you ever think, “Oh my god, I’m going to be WWE Champion” or do you not let those thoughts creep in?

Rollins: I don’t know if I think “Oh my god, I’m going to be WWE Champion” – I think there was a moment after I grabbed that briefcase, the night that I did it, where I sat by myself and reflected upon exactly what it meant to win that. I don’t say, “Oh, my god.” I say, “Damn right, I’m about to be WWE World Heavyweight Champion someday.” Having that to look forward to is pretty awesome.

Onda: The WWE Universe is craving a brutal, knock-down drag-out between you and Ambrose, and some fans are pessimistic that a Lumberjack Match – in which the ring will be surrounded by other WWE superstars – will satisfy that craving. What would you say to those people?

Rollins: I would tell them to order “SummerSlam.” Get their eyes on it, because if they’re expecting anything less than a knock-down drag-out bar fight, then they’re completely mistaken. We’ve been at each other for months over this, and the premise of the Lumberjack Match is to keep the two opponents in the ring together. A lot of people might be worried about what the involvement of the lumberjacks might be, but essentially it’s gonna keep us in the same 20-by-20, 400-square-foot space, and that’s something we haven’t see yet from me and Ambrose. And I can guarantee you it won’t be the least bit disappointing.

Onda: As a member of The Authority, you are in a position that puts you in the company of WWE’s greatest minds and veterans. What do you learn from them on a weekly basis?

Rollins: You learn how to be successful and how to stay successful. Stephanie is a McMahon. She knows all of the ruthless and cunning things that must be done to stay at the very top. And she’s a woman. And to be a woman at the top is not always the easiest thing, and some may say it’s more difficult than to be a man on top. She’s been able to excel in that role. Triple H – “The Game,” the “Cerebral Assassin” – that’s a nickname [announcer] Jim Ross gave to him based on the way he operates in the ring, but I think it has as much to do with the way he operates outside of the ring and how he conducts himself. Learning those things – how to carry yourself, how to be the top guy, the man in our industry – those are the things I’ve picked up from Triple H and Randy Orton. Those are the guys who have been to the mountain top and know what it’s like to hold that spot. That’s where I wanna be, and there’s no better person or people to learn from.

Onda: Are you crazy enough to cash in on Brock Lesnar?

Rollins: I don’t think Brock’s gonna come out of that match (with John Cena at SummerSlam) looking too pretty either. I didn’t say, “Let’s see the condition of Cena.” I said, “Let’s see the condition of the champion.” Whoever the champion is at “SummerSlam” after that main event, they better watch out, because if the time is right and it feels good… you never know.

Check out the complete interview at Xfinity.Comcast.net.

– Jim Ross has debuted a new FOX Sports editorial on John Cena on Monday, which looks at why he is such a polarizing figure that many fans don’t embrace. You can check out the feature at FOXSports.com.

– TMZ has coverage of The Rock’s mother and cousin being involved in a drunk-driving accident. The celebrity-gossip website is reporting that the female driver who fled the police and then collided with a car driven by Ata Maivia-Johnson and Lina Fanene in Clermont, Florida has been charged with a DUI. You can check out their coverage at TMZ.com.

Below is the latest official WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view lineup following Friday’s edition of WWE SmackDown:

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

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

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

Lumberjack Match
– Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose

Flag Match
– Rusev vs. Jack Swagger

Erick Rowan and Luke Harper banned from ringside
– Chris Jericho vs. Bray Wyatt

– Stephanie McMahon vs. Brie Bella

– Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns

Make sure to visit us on August 17th for live WWE SummerSlam results coverage!

The following are highlights of a new Ring Rust Radio interview with Paul Heyman:

Donald Wood: SummerSlam is Sunday, August 17, on the WWE Network. Your client, Brock Lesnar, will be fighting John Cena for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. After being behind one of the most shocking moments in wrestling history, what does the duo of Lesnar and Heyman have in store for SummerSlam?

Paul Heyman: The same thing that was in store for The Undertaker at WrestleMania; a beating beyond compare. I don’t need to hype SummerSlam to those who understand the dominance that prevails in the universe that has been conquered by Brock Lesnar. I think the people who need to be sold on this Pay-Per-View are John Cena fans, to which I offer this very quick sales pitch. If you are a fan of John Cena, and if you are there is no accounting for taste, this is your last opportunity to see him. And if you think it’s all hype and hyperbole, here’s something to consider; if you look back on 21 appearances at WrestleMania by The Undertaker, you can rarely find a video clip of someone even getting a two-count on The Undertaker. Brock Lesnar just didn’t beat The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar hospitalized The Undertaker. Brock Lesnar gave The Undertaker such an ass-kicking that The Undertaker has not been seen, nor heard from since. There was no controversy. There was no outside interference. There was no manager distraction. Brock Lesnar stepped into the ring and beat The Undertaker within an inch of his life, and the same fate awaits for John Cena at the Staples Center, on August 17 in Los Angeles at SummerSlam.

Mike Chiari: Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena is the biggest money match WWE has to offer right now, but after SummerSlam what Superstar or Superstars would you like to see Brock face moving forward? Who do you think is ready to and worthy of going up against Brock?

Paul Heyman: I see Brock Lesnar defending the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against all comers. That could mean Randy Orton, that could mean Seth Rollins, that could mean Roman Reigns, that could mean Dean Ambrose, that could mean Big Show, that could mean Daniel Bryan. If there is anyone that wants to step up and try to take the title away, because that’s the key. You’re not going to just luck a victory over Brock Lesnar. You’re going to have to beat Brock Lesnar in order to take the championship from him. The same way Brock Lesnar is going to hoist John Cena up on his massive shoulders on August 17 at SummerSlam, drive John Cena down to the mat with such ferocity that John Cena will not know what hit him with the F-5 and pin John Cena’s shoulders to the mat 1-2-3 to take from John Cena the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. To strip John Cena of the dignity of being champion.

Brandon Galvin: The running joke among us is that every new promo you cut is a top 10 promo of the year because your delivery and intensity is impeccable and you always incite an emotional reaction from the audience. Is there anybody you’ve studied during your career, whether they be in wrestling or outside wrestling, to help you evolve into the best promo man in the business?

Paul Heyman: Everyone. I watch everyone. I look to see what everyone does. I watched my father present his case to juries, my father was a personal injury attorney in the Bronx, I watched my father present cases to juries when I was a kid. I look now at the WWE Universe as if they are my jury and I am the advocate for my client. In terms of people that I watch, I watch everybody. There is something to learn from every single person who goes out there and performs because you’re going to be judged up against them. The way they hold their hands, the way they hold the microphone, the way they tilt their head, the way they engage the audience, the way someone cuts their eyes to the right and to the left, the way someone avoids the camera, the way someone looks into the camera, how do they hold their legs, what is their body language, what does anything they do tell you in their desire to convey their message to you. And I study everybody because I’m competing with them in terms of being the best person on the microphone.

Donald Wood: Tuesday marked the release of the new “Ladies and Gentlemen, My Name is Paul Heyman” DVD. As someone who has been around the business for a long time, how does it feel to have a DVD made about you and what’s it like knowing the WWE is behind the production?

Paul Heyman: If you asked me two years ago if the WWE would’ve made a DVD of me, I wouldn’t say yes. I wouldn’t have envisioned this coming and I wasn’t particularly happy when I heard they were going to do it because I didn’t know what stories they were going to tell. I also knew that meant sitting down and reflecting upon my career and my life and I hate looking back. I’m obsessed with looking forward. I’m flattered by all of the positive reviews the DVD has gotten and I’m glad people like the take that was offered. Really, I have nothing to bitch about regarding it.

Brandon Galvin: Was there anything cut from the DVD that you wish made it?

Paul Heyman: I have no idea what was shot for the DVD. My participation in this DVD, besides giving them pictures of my children and a few pictures of my parents to the WWE, was I sat down for an interview, we did it all in one shot, it took about 16 hours. The only request that I had was that we kinda do it like a Charlie Rose interview. I’m sitting at a table because it’s a more relaxed atmosphere. I didn’t want to shoot it in my house. I didn’t want to shoot it in my office. I sat down for 16 hours and we banged it out. I went in with the full intention of just whatever the question was, I’m going to give it a 100 percent honest answer. I don’t know what else was shot. I wasn’t privy to who was being interviewed for it, although I had heard. I don’t know what footage that was shot ever made it, I don’t know which stories were told never made it, which probably means if this documentary goes well there will be a Part II. After doing an interview for 16 hours, I don’t really know what they asked me that didn’t make the cut simply because it was a 16-hour interview and I was glad to be done with it.

Mike Chiari: You were there front and center when Brock Lesnar picked up the biggest win in WrestleMania history against The Undertaker. Knowing what type of condition he was in after that match and knowing everything he’s accomplished over the course of his career, in your opinion do you believe we’ll ever see The Undertaker wrestle another match?

Paul Heyman: I don’t know. I truly don’t know. I don’t know as a human being and I don’t know as a character. I don’t know what he’s thinking and I don’t know what his reaction to this is. I didn’t see The Undertaker after the match. The Undertaker legitimately collapsed five seconds after he walked through that curtain. He never even made it to the Gorilla position. He was in between the set and the curtain that leads to the control room, known as the Gorilla position. He collapsed there. They loaded him into the ambulance down a side ramp from right behind the curtain and was taken straight to the hospital. That’s not a storyline, that’s the way it happened. I don’t know how he feels about it. I don’t know if he feels that once his streak was over, that’s what he had left to give. And I don’t know if he feels that he doesn’t want to go out like that. It’s not something I’m privy to the answer of and nor should I be for that matter. It’s clearly his decision.

Donald Wood: I’d be remiss as a kid from Philadelphia who witnessed the ECW revolution if we didn’t touch on that. You helped build one of the most successful wrestling federations in the history of the sport. With TNA struggling and a wide-open market desperate for a viable alternative, do you ever think about getting back in the saddle as a primary shot caller for a company again?

Paul Heyman: No. No. No. In 2010, after Brock Lesnar choked out Shane Carwin, there was a discussion that I had with TNA that involved Spike TV. Ultimately, because TNA had been trying to get me on the phone from the day I left WWE in 2006 and I never took the phone call. We finally got into a conversation because Spike TV had reached out to make that happen. Ultimately, the story of this is, if I was going to do it, I wanted the Dana White deal. I wanted complete control, I wanted a piece of the company and I wanted the ability to, when the time was right, to take it public. I wanted to do the programming completely different than the way they had been doing it and Spike TV signed off on it. The concept was a very youth-oriented, youth-based, youth-marketed promotion. A complete contrast to the way WWE does things. A complete and utter alternative to WWE at the time. While the ruling family in TNA had no problem with my salary request, my ownership demands, my concepts, etc. etc., they didn’t want to implement as much of a youth-oriented product as I was looking for and I balked at it. I have no regrets about that. At the end of the day, they were happier being a WWE-lite promotion than they were branding themselves something different as TNA. So that was the last flirtation I had with doing my own thing. I do my own thing with my marketing brand and talent agency in New York City called Looking 4 Larry Agency. I’m very proud of the body of work. We have a long list of clients including 2KSports and in the past THQ and EA Sports and a number of different clients. And I get to do my own thing in the mainstream world with a marketing firm right in the heart of New York City. In regard to doing my own thing in sports entertainment, I kinda do my own thing now with Brock Lesnar and I’m very happy doing it. Running a whole show is a 24/7 and 365 commitment, and you would need an enormous amount of financing and very strong distribution set up front to get me to the table to even consider such a task. Otherwise, it’s doomed to fail.

Mike Chiari: During your time at the helm in ECW you became known for your ability and willingness to scour the globe and bring in unique talent. With WWE currently doing the same in the form of Kenta and Prince Devitt specifically how impressed are you with WWE’s efforts to broaden its horizons in a sense?

Paul Heyman: Very. I commend them on this reach out for the best talent on the face of the planet. That obviously includes the two men you just mentioned. We’re getting the cream of the crop and that notes a style change in the WWE. A higher work rate. Higher customer satisfaction in terms of the actual in-ring product. It’s a very exciting future to think about the kind of people who have yet to debut on WWE television.

Check out the complete interview above.

• Jon Jones CAUGHT ON VIDEO Saying He’s LITERALLY Going To KILL Daniel Cormier

The dog days of summer are winding down and the biggest wrestling event of the season is just around the corner. With the card for SummerSlam essentially finalized, it’s time to look at the possibilities.

In recent years, the WWE has saved its biggest surprises for the most important pay-per-views of the year, and with SummerSlam being the last special event for the first cycle of WWE Network subscribers, the company will undoubtedly be pulling out all stops in an attempt to entice fans to renew. With that said, here are five potential SummerSlam shockers.

Last night’s Raw was held in the supposedly great state of Texas. Fans in attendance were treated to the return of Mark Henry, as well as an entertaining contest between Dean Ambrose and Alberto Del Rio.

Although John Cena and Brock Lesnar were both notably absent on Sunday, the WWE did their best to promote the SummerSlam main event. As always, a few questions were answered on Monday, but many still remain. Here are five questions that need to be answered following Monday’s Raw.

5. Did Fans Witness the Burial of Cesaro?

It is no secret that the WWE has no idea what to do with Cesaro right now. Once one of the most over superstars in the company, Cesaro has been relegated to minor roles since the return of Brock Lesnar. After failing to join the Authority a few weeks back, Cesaro has been in a slump, once again losing to Dolph Ziggler in a short match on Monday.

There are rumors that Cesaro’s push is being limited because the company wants to focus on pushing Roman Reigns. It makes sense to want to promote a young superstar, but others who got over on their own should not be punished as a result. Let us hope that the company soon finds something for Cesaro instead of wasting his talent.

4. Which Stipulation Will Dean Ambrose Choose?

Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins competed in a beat the clock challenge last night, with the winner having the ability to choose the stipulation for their match at SummerSlam. Ambrose won after a long battle with Alberto Del Rio, and also assured Seth Rollins would not win his match with Heath Slater.

The Lunatic Fringe now gets to choose the stipulation at tonight’s SmackDown taping (check in tonight for spoilers if you’re too eager to wait until Friday). He will probably choose something typical like a no-holds barred match, but here’s to hoping he chooses a ladder match for the contract. Which stipulation do you think Ambrose will choose?

Here’s the Brock Lesnar and John Cena promo video that aired on Monday’s RAW hyping their WWE Championship match at SummerSlam:

http://youtu.be/S0AIIusp_Ko

Paul Heyman spoke to Ariel Helwani MMA Hour on Monday afternoon and revealed that a special interview with Brock Lesnar will air tonight on RAW.

Heyman said the interview is “beyond fascinating” and is the most raw, candid interview he’s ever seen Brrock do.

He added that the interview was completely unscripted and WWE writers had nothing to do with it.

Topics that will be covered include John Cena, peoples’ expectations of him in WWE and why he was the man to conquer The Undertaker’s streak.

Heyman said Lesnar was ramped up and ready for this segment, which sounds like it’s going to be must-watch.

Heyman noted that he’ll be watching RAW from home tonight, a rare occurrence since he’s usually on the road with WWE.

Below is the latest officially announced lineup for this year’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view:

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

Flag Match
– Jack Swagger vs. Rusev

Erick Rowan Banned From Ringside
– Chris Jericho vs. Bray Wyatt

– Stephanie McMahon vs. Brie Bella

– The official WWE website has a new poll up asking fans who has the “most patriotic submission move,” with the options being Jack Swagger and Rusev. At last check, with just under 15,000 votes cast, Swagger was considerably ahead of Rusev with roughly 80-percent of the votes. You can vote on the poll by going to WWE.com.

– The following is a new WWE 2K15 teaser video from IGN, which features Sting, Paul Heyman, Daniel Bryan, Stephanie McMahon, Steve Austin and John Cena.

WWE Hall Of Famers Hulk Hogan and Jimmy Hart appeared at a meet and greet event in New Jersey on Saturday and revealed a couple of newsworthy notes during the appearance.

Hart mentioned the Hogan on RAW rumors, claiming he didn’t want to spoil anything, but that Hogan fans should watch RAW every week, especially next week.

Hogan himself spoke about training lately to possibly make a return to the ring, noting that John Cena would be the person he would most like to work with if he is able to wrestle another match.

The following are highlights of the latest blog by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:

On his next FoxSports.com project: “I’m working on a pre Summer Slam piece for FoxSports.com on John Cena specifically as it relates to why many perceive John to be so polarizing. If you have an opinion please tweet me @JRsBBQ or provide me your thoughts at ‘Ask JR’ here on the site.”

On part two of Sting on The Ross Report: “Part two of my conversation with Sting drops this Tuesday night at 9 pm eastern time on podcastone.com and iTunes. I loved catching up with the Stinger on part one even though many thought I was too involved in the conversation with an old friend. I will address that matter going forward but I can tell you that doing these interviews via the telephone are much more challenging than doing them in person which is impossible to do with me in Oklahoma and my guests coming to us from all over the country. Nonetheless I will continue to refine the process and hopefully take less trips to the woodshed from a few keyboard warriors.”

On some future Ross Report guests: “Also, this Tuesday evening I will have a visit with my mentor Cowboy Bill Watts for a future Ross Report. Can’t wait on that one as the outspoken Cowboy will hold nothing back and his views on ring psychology and his overall philosophy of pro wrestling is as viable today as it was during Bill’s peak years as a talent, booker, and territory owner.”

“I’ve communicated with Dixie Carter on being a guest on our podcast in the future and potential dates are being contemplated.”

“Vince Russo and I had a civil conversation this past week for our podcast coming up with him even though we still have differing opinions of how the pro wrestling bushiness should be conducted. In my later years, I’ve come to realize that people can disagree on things that they are passionate about without coming to blows or having a cuss fight. And yes, I asked Vince about the creation of the Oklahoma character in WCW. I think that you will like this conversation a great deal when it drops in a few weeks.”

“Working on dates to have both Matt and Jeff Hardy on the Ross Report together in the next few weeks. That podcast will be a blast. It might be just me but seeing the two North Carolina brothers back in tag bouts just feels right and, essentially, new again.”

On a Brock Lesnar vs. Cesaro program: “Looks like WWE is building towards a Brock Lesnar vs. Cesaro match down the road of which I can’t wait to watch if it does become a reality.”

On this week’s TNA Impact Wrestling show: “Good job Thursday night by @OfficialTaz and @RealMikeTenay on the Impact Wrestling show. They had some solid content to work with and doing legit play by play and keeping the TV viewer’s mind focused on what the viewer is seeing works more often than not. Pro wrestling commentary is still about telling plausible stories with the proper amount of passion depending on the moment and understanding that unrelated banter helps erode the suspension of disbelief.”

“Bobby Lashley seems to be much more comfortable working in TNA than he did in WWE or at least it appears that way. He certainly makes for an imposing World Champion.”

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

– Both John Cena and Brock Lesnar are not scheduled to appear live at this coming Monday’s edition of WWE RAW. We reported earlier this week that although he wasn’t scheduled, Lesnar could possibly appear on Monday’s RAW. At this point, however, it seems unlikely.

– Below is the latest edition of “SmackDown Fallout” for this week’s show:

The following are highlights of a new Busted Open Radio interview with Paul Heyman:

On his early days in the business hustling to get press passes: “I just didn’t want to be another face in the crowd. I was a huge fan of the product. On Sunday my parents would go to the lower east side of Manhattan because my Mother likes to shop there and my Father and I would bum around before we picked up my Mother. One of the things My Father liked to do was we would pick up these radical lower New York free news papers with their own social agenda because their writing was always very passionate. Whether we agreed with their politics or not doesn’t matter, you would find great emotions in the writing. In one of these papers was a sports column and it was more of a sports gossip column and the writer mentioned that after Madison Square Garden, Vincent J McMahon would take his inner circle to lunch at Ben Bensons Steak House in midtown Manhattan.

“Now I don’t know the readership of this article, so I don’t know if a lot of old WWWF fans got to see this, so I figured this was some inside information. I found out that the office was at the Cape Cod Coliseum which was owned by Vincent Kennedy McMahon, so I called and said ‘My name is Paul Heyman. I was told to call by Vince McMahon to get my press pass for Madison Square Garden’. I’m put through 3-4 assistants until I got patched through to Vince J McMahon. I said ‘This is Paul Heyman from the Wrestling Times’ because we have The New York Times. I said ‘I was talking to you at Ben Bensons and you said to call you about a press pass at Madison Square Garden.’ He said ‘I did?!’. I said ‘Yeah you did.’ Because who else would know he dines at Ben Bensons and who would tell him that he was in a radical news paper in the lower east side of New York with a readership of a couple hundred, so I must have been real.

“He said ‘Go to the Holland Hotel at 42nd street and 8th Ave and talk to Gorilla Monsoon and Arnold Skaaland and I look forward to seeing you at the Garden.’ I got a ride down to the Holland Hotel and I saw Monsoon and Skaaland playing pinnacle with a bottle of booze, I got my press pass, BS’d my way into Madison Square Garden with my press pass and got in Vince Sr’s good graces by snapping some photos with him and Andre The Giant and bringing him some 8X10 the next month. For the rest of the time he was in charge, I would bring pictures they could use in their programs or on posters and they would give me 50 bucks for my transportation and trouble. I’ve always found that honesty is dramatically overrated.”

On Brock Lesnar vs John Cena at SummerSlam: “Brock Lesnar is going to beat John Cena. That’s not a prediction, that’s a spoiler. Brock is going to win and it will bring more prestige and box office draw to the championship title than anybody in the past 25 years. Brock Lesnar is going to make that title mean more than it ever has before and people are going to understand that when the title is on the line it is special and it’s going to mean something.”

On the shock of Lesnar ending Undertaker’s Streak and why people didn’t believe him when he announced that Taker will lose to Lesnar: “You should have listened to me. I’m gonna tell you this again, Brock Lesnar is going to deliver an F-5 that will drive Cena with such force he will pin John Cena and win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. You can believe what I’m telling you and you won’t be surprised next time you interview me and you can say ‘every time Heyman says something it comes true. He’s not Nostradamus and he doesn’t have a crystal ball or any special voodoo powers’ Brock Lesnar is going to beat John Cena. Take it to the bank.”

On where the moment Brock pinned the Undertaker ranks in his career: “As an advocate and performer, it is the moment. Absolutely. Nothing else is even close. John Cena brought it up on Monday night. 40 men have held the WWE championship. Only one man can say ‘I beat the streak’. That’s a moment. The only equivalent I can give you is if someone was announced as the President of the United States and someone comes up and says ‘I’ve been elected God’. There have been a few men who ever had the title. Only one man beat the streak.”

On his relationship with Vince McMahon today: “Strictly platonic. I think Vince McMahon serves his company well as the chairman and recognizes the talents and exploiting the ability of Paul Heyman every Monday night on Raw.”

Check out the complete interview at BustedOpenNation.com.

The following are highlights of a new Busted Open Radio interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Hulk Hogan:

On Brock Lesnar and John Cena: “Well, Brock is a phenom. His credibility is over the top, but you got to realize John Cena is the man. He’s the foundation of the whole company. He’s the guy that they bet on and his attitude is he loves the company. He loves being on the road, he’s got wrestling in his blood. And for him to be so graceful when he’s tired and there’s no sleep, no food and these Make-A-Wish kids come to him even for five minutes, he’ll spend a whole day with them. His priorities are in order. No matter what whether he wins or loses he’s still the man. To me, I’ve been around for a long time and I’ve done a lot to help this business, but it fails in comparison to what John Cena has done. In my opinion, John Cena is the greatest WWE champion of all time. If Brock Lesnar was to beat him, creative storyline wise yeah you have something there. I hope he knows he’s got huge shoes to fill. I don’t think Cena’s going anywhere. I may go out there and hit Brock with a chair just so he doesn’t win.”

On Sting wrestling in WWE: “He made his debut at Comic Con and that’s all well and good. I ran into him at the airport because we’re all on the same flight. I said to him that he needs to wrestle and this is something that needs to be done. He’s never established himself on the big stage. No disrespect to his accomplishments, but he was always a southern type of wrestler and always was with NWA or WCW. He has to make that statement. He’s still got it and he can still do it and he’s still over. If it’s not The Undertaker, he needs to wrestle Cena. That’s the match. You gotta get in there and have to make your mark. It can’t be just a game or an action figure.”

Check out the complete interview at BustedOpenNation.com.

The following are highlights of a new Busted Open Radio interview with Jim Ross:

Whether or not he regrets missing out on signing AJ Styles when he was in WWE: “I missed on him. He just started getting rolling and he was just starting on the WCW roster when the WWE bought out WCW. Our team missed on him. We could have hired him, but he did not have the skill set he has now. In hindsight, the right thing occurred. He got more experience and ended up in TNA. I would suggest that his long run in TNA is what kept him from getting hired. From talking to him, he would be a huge asset to anyones roster.”

His contract with WWE ending: “I look it at it a little differently. I’ll never be able to pay back the debt I owe to the wrestling fans since 1974. I’ve been on this amazing journey and the genre of wrestling/sports entertainment whatever you call it. The fans have invested in my work and they have invested in my BBQ sauce, followed me on Twitter, downloaded the podcast. I’m just very grateful. This hasn’t been a sad week. I had to go through a certain period of time from a legal standpoint to fulfill all of my obligations for WWE. I’m now completely out there. I’m not looking for work. There’s plenty to do. I’ve said it a bunch of times, coming to WWE in 1993 was the best career move I ever made. I don’t owe them money and they don’t owe me any. We’re done. I have no regrets. The only thing I would have liked differently was the 3 bells palsy attacks and have to constantly explain to people why I don’t smile. I’d like to be more HD friendly. I wouldn’t change a thing and a lot of things are on the horizon.”

His new interview with Sting & Sting in WWE: “We go all the way back to the mid 80s so we really started way back. I don’t go for the dirt immediately. I let it come out naturally. I can tell you, the funny thing is people don’t understand business. Just because he showed up at Comic Con doesn’t mean he has a contract with WWE. He’s got a contract with Mattel from what I understand. He has a contract with 2K. He has some sort of agreement with WWE to basically sell T-shirts, like a licensing/marketing deal. It’s not a traditional legends deal. Him being in San Diego means zero about him wrestling there. People are getting pissed at me because I’m telling the truth. Wrestling people are not supposed to always be honest, so I say to the best of my knowledge he doesn’t have a wrestler contract, so the lock on Sting being in the ring in some point in time with WWE is there is no lock. If you’re going to have Sting wrestle, book it right. If I was there I can book it in 30 minutes easy. He wrestles once. And if he wrestles once and he says “win lose or draw I’m done”. That match is at Wrestlemania because it takes everything full circle. He’s said he wants to wrestle one Wrestlemania before calling it quits. He doesn’t need to win the Royal Runble. He doesn’t need to come on Raw every Monday. That’s stupid. He could make them a lot of money. I believe that the guy has paid his dues and deserves his Wrestlemania moment.”

Why WWE hasn’t signed Sting yet and should they: “There’s no logical reason why they shouldn’t. He has no drug or alcohol issues. He is in good health. A lot of those younger kids grew up watching him. That’s how I got Shawn Michaels to come back from his hiatus. I said if you don’t want to wrestle, that’s fine. Come back and be a positive influence in the locker room with your born again Christian faith and your outlook on life and how you screwed up your life and fixed it. You would be a positive influence. That’s how Shawn Michaels came back to WWE. He came back to help the young guys, got the itch, and he was better than he ever was. Have Sting around people. Have him at PR functions. There’s a lot of big time players that were one time big wrestling fans. I find it amazing that they say to me ‘man I remember when you said this.’ and sometimes that gets them a gig or interview. Sting has been on national television for how many years without missing a beat. He’s been on TBS, he’s been on Impact, he has a name and has been on ongoing TV forever. Why wouldn’t you have that story and have that great story. I hear WWE supposedly has 30 writers. If you tell me that 30 writers can’t come up with a storyline that would appeal to Vince McMahon, I’m sorry that they’re in that condition, a company that I have been and forever loyal to and a company I feel like I contributed a little bit back in the day when we were almost out of business in the mid 90s. Sing is in great shape. He goes to the gym. He doesn’t drink or smoke. Would you bring him back long term? No. But for one big match as part of an ensemble cast.”

Whether or not Sting has to wrestle for WWE to cement his legacy: “No. I think he wants to do it as a personal goal. When I was trying to hire him after WCW closed, he was owed so much money by Time Warner he would have been foolish to have come worked for us. I feel like he should be in the WWE Hall Of Fame even if he doesn’t wrestle a match. If the WWE is what they say they are, they are the gatekeepers for the business now. You shouldn’t have a 20 year career in the WWE to qualify, and when he goes in you should maximize that chance.”

A Sting vs. The Undertaker dream match: “As it’s working out now, that dream match with the Undertaker doesn’t exist anymore. A match with Undertaker was to try and beat the streak, so that mystique is over. That whole attraction of Undertakers streak is now a DVD. It’s over. You can’t replicate that. Stings opponent could be a lot of things. It could be a hot shot heel. I’m not big on him having to win his last match. If he wins, great. If he doesn’t, well as far as I know him, he could care less. Him winning his last match isn’t the issue. Him building up his last match, him being a part of the program, the promotion, the hype and finally being able to have that entrance and performing at Wrestlemania, that’s the end game. Maybe you could have that match with Undertaker and have that be a one off where both of them retire and go out guns blazing. ‘You were the guy up here (WWE) I was the guy down there (WCW) I just want to know who was best’. No returns, no returns, no appearance on Raw the night after, that’s it. I think they can have a great presentation. On the other side, you could have a hot young heel like Seth Rollins for example. Have him take a beating from Sting and have Rollins go over in the end. There’s so many ways to go about this, but bottom line is he deserves the opportunity. Austins not going to be there to wrestle. I highly doubt The Rock will be, so what are you gonna do?”

The Undertaker’s Streak ending: “If you listen to my podcast, Shawn Michaels explains the whole story. The decision was made 4 hours before Wrestlemania started by Vince McMahon after sitting down and talking to Undertaker. I’m thinking it was to promote the network, which is the be all end all to WWE right now. They need to get subscribers.”

Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena: “I do fantasy booking on my podcast. Brock Lesnar is going to win the title at Summerslam. He’s going to be put into beast mode until April. At the Royal Rumble Roman Reigns will win the Rumble and Lesnar will pass the torch to Reigns at Wrestlemania. Reigns isn’t ready now. He needs to be protected now and the producers on the road have to work with him and coach him up. He has to be ready in April. He’s good enough now to win the Royal Rumble. I think that Lesnar is in beast mode and is not touched until April. He has to be booked like a heel but when he is working with Cena, there is going to be a tremendous amount of people cheering for Brock Lesnar. You can’t have that trend continue. He has to be a heel. You don’t want him going into Wrestlemania 31 as a face. That’s what I would do and I don’t care if wrestling fans are like ‘that’s predictable. I won’t watch!’ Yes you will.”

Check out the complete interview at BustedOpenNation.com.

WWE Diva Nikki Bella recently appeared as a guest on shock-jock radio program “The Kidd Chris Show.”

In addition to a number of outside-the-box type questions, the Total Divas star was asked about Beth Phoenix’s genitalia, John Cena’s ex-wife and how far she would be willing to go with a homeless woman to end world hunger.

The official description for the appearance, which you can check out above, reads as follows:

“WWE Diva chats about her relationship with John Cena, her thoughts about his ex-wife, and how far she would go sexually to stop world hunger!”

If media player fails, click here.

– Several wrestling legends, as well as current talent have been praising Paul Heyman and John Cena for their promo work in the opening segment of this past Monday’s RAW. WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, for example, tweeted the following:

@HeymanHustle serves up a tremendous promo for @JohnCena on #RAW. Cena returns fire with an A-1 promo. Great work by both guys. #wwe

— Steve Austin (@steveaustinBSR) July 29, 2014

– The tag-team combination of Heath Slater and Titus O’Neil is now being called “Slater Gator.”

– The new nickname for Summer Rae and Layla’s duo is “The Slayers.”

Last night’s Raw was held in Houston, TX, and a few superstars on the roster certainly had problems. In total, eight matches were held and a few matches were confirmed for SummerSlam.

With Stephanie McMahon and Brie Bella set for SummerSlam, a few questions were answered last night, but many still remain. Here are five questions that need to be answered following Monday’s Raw.

5. Will Orton And Reigns Disappoint?

The Viper unleashed a devastating attack on Roman Reigns last night, delivering two RKO’s and driving Reigns through the announce table. This match is all but set in stone for SummerSlam and should be one of the most anticipated contests on the card.

However, recent reports indicate that the match could be a bust. The WWE has been running this match at live shows in recent weeks and fan reviews seem to indicate that Orton and Reigns have not been working well together. Although many think this will disappoint, I think they will work things out and put on a great contest, and the build so far has actually been pretty solid.

4. Was It Time To End Bo’s Streak?

The most shocking moment of last night’s Raw was probably Bo Dallas being pinned clean by R-Truth. It seems odd that the WWE would end Bo’s undefeated streak after talking it up over the past few weeks.

I think it will be a good move in the long run though. Undefeated streaks have pretty much always been a no-win situation for bookers. They can now have Dallas lose clean on occasion without having to discuss an undefeated streak, and the loss brought out a vicious side in Bo, which could add another dimension to his character. The only problem was that it looked like Dallas could sneak his way into an Intercontinental Title match SummerSlam, but that seems to be off the table now.

While it’s possible these plans have changed, as of yesterday, Chris Jericho vs. Luke Harper and a Miz TV segment with Bo Dallas was in the script for tonight’s edition of WWE RAW.

Additionally, tonight’s RAW is expected to advance the story line behind Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton for SummerSlam, as well as John Cena’s first “reaction interview” for his match at SummerSlam with Brock Lesnar.

News broke today that Spike TV would not be renewing their television deal with TNA. The company – which is owned by Dixie Carter and currently employs Vince Russo – has had financial difficulties in the past.

In fact, it has almost become a joke to post pictures of TNA crowds on social media websites in recent weeks, as they more closely resemble the crowds one would find at a small county fair, not a touring professional wrestling promotion.

This recent TNA crowd perfectly illustrates why the company is having a hard time securing a television deal.

Although Spike TV decided not to renew TNA’s contract, the current deal still runs through October, providing the company with a few months to find a new home for Impact Wrestling. Initial reports indicate that there is little chance of that happening, however, as few cable providers will be willing to pay the company what Spike TV was paying to air TNA programming.

With their television revenue gone at the end of October and poor ticket sales not bringing in enough to keep the company afloat, Monday’s announcement was likely the death of TNA. With that said, it will be interesting to see if TNA’s departure from the world of televised wrestling will affect the WWE.

After acquiring WCW in March of 2001, the WWE held a virtual monopoly on the world of televised wrestling in the United States. That monopoly was eventually broken after Jeff Jarrett founded TNA in May of 2002. Although TNA has never provided the same level of competition that WCW brought to the table during the 1990s, it at least prevented the WWE from acting as a monopoly.

Other promotions have gained a sizable following in the United States (ROH, CZW, etc.), but TNA has been the only company the WWE had had to worry about finding on television.

When John Cena handed Ric Flair the World Heavyweight Championship belt on RAW, it was said to be a symbolic gesture of retirement for that particular title. Cena gave it to Flair specifically because the belt itself is most associated with Flair. Cena is expected to only carry the WWE Championship belt from this point, until the new championship belts are introduced.

As noted previously, WWE has ordered all new championship belts that will have the new company logo on them.