The following are highlights of a new website Q&A update by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:

On who the best WrestleMania opponent, besides Undertaker, would be for Sting: “[Randy] Orton would work but so would HHH. I think HHH vs. Sting would be interesting and feel that they’d have good chemistry.”

On how he thinks Brock Lesnar could be the face of WWE while working a part-time schedule: “It was mere speculation as it will go one way or another as to who the fans embrace or not. Lesnar’s not working a full time schedule in any role at any time in his future career so it would have to be done creatively but it could be done. The top dog or WWE Champ doesn’t need to be on TV every week whatsoever.”

On whether or not AJ Styles should change his character if he were to sign with WWE: “I don’t think, unfortunately, that it is any thing that we need to discuss because WWE is highly unlikely to ever sign the talented AJ who seems content on what he’s doing now a days. Great talent without question.”

On how TNA and ROH can compete with WWE: “TNA and ROH only need to focus on their brand and eliminate WWE from their mind, by and large. If they commit to their brand, develop new talents, have strong TV outlets, and use logical booking philosophies, they can be more profitable. No one is ever going to threaten WWE’s spot at the top.”

You can check out more of Jim Ross’ online Q&A at his website, JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.

The following are highlights of a new interview with Cesaro:

On having a hero in wrestling: “It’s always good to have heroes and people you look up to, and it’s very important to look to them for inspiration. But you need to be your own hero. The way I went to get here, nobody else did it this way, so I’m very proud of that.”

On making a big first impression in the first ever Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal: “You only get one chance to make the first impression. And I made the biggest first impression ever by throwing the Big Show over the top rope.”

Check out the complete interview at DesMoinesRegister.com.

– WWE stock was up by 1.71 percent today, closing at $14.89 per share. The high today was $14.99 per share while the low was $14.66.

– In addition to the matches that we reported about last week, John Cena vs.Triple H from WrestleMania 22 and Cena vs. Shawn Michaels from the April 23, 2007 edition of RAW is also going to be included in the new “John Cena: Greatest Rivalries” DVD.

– Below is a new Sam Roberts interview with Stardust.

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

On Monday’s announced RAW segment: “WWE announcing a Hall of Fame forum to kick off RAW this Monday that includes Flair, Hogan and Shawn Michaels. I guess I missed the call. LOL. I hope that the panel is hard hitting and thought provoking and refrains from eye ball rolling rhetoric as it’s a great opportunity to sell the Lesnar-Cena rematch coming in September. Let the talents use their old school promo skills and not how a writers rendition of what they ‘think’ these legends might say. Give them bullet points and turn them loose.”

On Mick Foley’s back: “My friend Mick Foley is talking major back surgery to help alleviate the pain that he is in 24X7 after a long career of taking extraordinary bumps. I wouldn’t be surprised if Mick also did not need knee and/or hip replacements sometime down the road as well. Riding in those rental cards thousands of miles each year on his tours doesn’t help matters either. Less may be more for Mick who I hate to see suffer simply getting out of a chair or walking from point A to point B. It almost seems as if Mick is working harder today than he has a certain times of his wrestling career. Mick is simply too nice a man and a friend to see suffer on a daily basis.”

On rumors of Steve Austin wrestling at WrestleMania 32: “Love the speculation on @steveaustinBSR talk of coming back to do one last match at WM32 if it is going to be held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The average fan has zero idea how long the odds are on that ever occurring but I assume it’s fun to speculate. No one would like to see it more than me but….”

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

WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan spoke to Brian Fritz of the Orlando Sentinel during SummerSlam weekend and revealed that he signed a 3-year deal with WWE back in January. Hogan admits that WWE could have used him more so far this year, but he believes Vince McMahon has a vision of how to use him long-term.

“I think they want to keep mystique and keep me more valuable than me standing there with the microphone and saying the same crap every week and it basically meaning nothing. I think they’ve got a plan and that’s what I’m praying for.”

Hogan said his in-ring work at the end of his WCW was “embarrassing” and called his one match in TNA a “nightmare.”

“The thing is, I watch the old tapes of myself, WCW, and it’s embarrassing because towards the end I was getting to where it was embarrassing to kind of like be in there and then I watch the TNA stuff and that was a nightmare,” Hogan said.

“I tried to get in there. I was in the middle of the back surgeries trying to keep up. The doctors would say, ‘You’ll be fine,’ but to watch it now is embarrassing.”

Hogan doesn’t want his TNA match to be the last thing fans remember about his in-ring career and is pushing hard for a grand retirement match in WWE. He feels that he’s healthy enough to compete, but he’ll have to convince Vince McMahon and Triple H.

“Not that Vince would want this, not that Triple H would want this but I keep telling everybody that my goal, because I’m not in pain anymore, that my goal would be to get back in there, not embarrass myself if that’s possible and have that one more match. And if that works, if that really were to work I would love to contribute and participate and do some stuff because I miss it so much,” Hogan said.

He added that he wants to face John Cena at WrestleMania 31 next year, but “if that’s unrealistic, I get it.”

– WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan and Sting recently took part in their first-ever joint autograph appearance. Photographer Bob Mulrenin got exclusive photos of the signing, which you can view here.

– The WrestleMania 31 ticket pre-sale that was originally scheduled for today has been postponed.

– TV personality Maria Menounos answered Vince McMahon’s “Ice Bucket Challenge” on Friday to raise awareness for the ALS disease. She nominated acress, Julian and Derek Hough, Tony Robbins and Stephanie McMahon to take the challenge next. Maria also wished Stephanie good luck in her match tonight and said she’ll be there in person at SummerSlam.

The following are highlights of a new Yahoo! Sports interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Hulk Hogan:

YS: How close were you to coming to tears during Monday’s birthday tribute video during Monday Night Raw?

HH: That was brutal, dude. They do things at WWE sometimes because I’m what they call a “veteran.” Vince [McMahon] trusts me and he doesn’t let me in on all the secrets like at WrestleMania XXX when I’m out in the ring and here comes The Rock and Stone Cold [Steve Austin]. It could have been an explosive situation. I didn’t know what these two were up to, but Vince thought that was really, really funny. It’s kind of like when I went out on Monday for my birthday and they gave me a little sheet that said you’re going to go to the ring and “Mean” Gene [Okerlund] is going to play a package.

I didn’t think about what they were going to do but the package was so compelling. It just really rocked me because it showed all these WrestleMania moments. These high points in my career like my son, Nick, and my daughter, Brooke, when I was getting inducted in the Hall of Fame. Thank goodness I had my yellow sunglasses on, bro, because they had me really off balance with that deal. I wasn’t expecting that package to be so compelling.

YS: Despite all the clashes with Vince McMahon in the past, you always find yourself back with the WWE. Is this final run the proper closure you need to end your career?

HH: Yeah, this is the period at the end of the sentence. This is where I need to be. Vince McMahon and I have always been good friends. On a personal level he would do anything for me, for you, for anyone he loves. He would give you the shirt off his back. On a business level? He’s a different animal. Cut and dry. Black and white. Sometimes I would wobble between the lines and mix up business and personal. If anyone kind of defected over the years, it was me. So for me to be back with him — I did start with his dad in the late ’70s, Vince McMahon Sr. — and for me to come full circle and Vince and everybody to be gracious enough to let me end my career where I started my home in the WWE is really a great way to wind things up and just put a period at the end of the sentence. I’m really glad to be back.

YS: John Cena, who was sporting the red and yellow t-shirt on Monday Night RAW. Did you sign off on that?

HH: Don’t get me started.

YS: In a recent interview, Steve Austin said he’s a bigger legend than Hulk Hogan. What are your thoughts about that?

HH: I think that’s in his own mind. My career was twice as long as his. I’ve been a main eventer since 1978 when we sold out Shea Stadium. I just totally disagree with him. I know he had a good run when he was in the Attitude Era. I don’t know how long the Attitude Era was — four years, eight years — I don’t know how long it was. That’s where we totally disagree. Maybe he and I should lock up and figure this thing out. That would be a nice match.

YS: Do you think we will see Sting in a WWE ring?

HH: Sting and I last talked when he made his appearance at Comic-Con and they announced he was part of the WWE Universe and that his dolls were coming out. We had a long talk on the plane and I said, “Brother, you have got to wrestle. I mean, I don’t care what kind of deal you signed, I said you can still go. You’ve never made a mark in the WWE.

I was begging you to come here in the ’80s and the ’90s and now you just show up out of nowhere. You’ve got to wrestle.” So, I hope it happens really soon. And I think by the time I beat on him for the three hours from Los Angeles to Dallas that I think we were on the same page and he knows that he needs to get in that ring and leave his mark in the WWE and make a huge statement. I hope it happens sooner than later.

Check out the complete interview at Yahoo.com.

The following are highlights of a new DC101 interview with Paul Heyman:

O Brock Lesnar not being at every WWE event: “Brock Lesnar is not here 365 days a year, so when he appears, it’s can’t miss, it’s something extraordinary, it’s must see, it’s something special. Besides, if Brock Lesnar wrestled every single week, he would wipe out the entire WWE and in three months we’d have no one left to work with!”

On Brock Lesnar defeating “the streak” being the greatest WrestleMania moment of all time: “Only one man, one beast has ever conquered the streak. And he didn’t just conquer the streak. Brock Lesnar massacred the Undertaker at Wrestlemania. Beat him up, F5’ed him into oblivion, hospitalized him, crushed and ended and conquered the streak and walked away The Beast. I think it is the most historical moment in Wrestlemania history and I think it is the biggest moment in modern day WWE completely.”

Check out the complete interview at DC101.com.

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 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 checks for this year’s WrestleMania were sent out to talent this past week and mostly everyone should have received them at some point within the past few days.

The only word going around right now is that the payoffs were better than people were fearing they would be, but around what everyone pretty much expected.

Originally, talent feared that because of the situation surrounding the WWE Network and the confusion as to how that affects pay-per-view bonuses, as well as the video game royalties coming in much lower than expected, talent were expecting WrestleMania checks to be much smaller than they actually ended up being.

As part of WWE’s 2014 Second Quarter earnings results released on Thursday morning, WWE also reported pay-per-view buyrate information for WrestleMania, Extreme Rules, Payback and Money in the Bank.

These figures are for traditional pay-per-view buys, not including people who watched the shows on the WWE Network.

• WrestleMania XXX drew 690,000 buys, down from 1,039,000 last year
• Extreme Rules drew 108,000 buys, down from 231,000 last year
• Payback drew 67,000 buys, down from 186,000 last year
• Money In the Bank drew 122,000 buys, down from 199,000 last year

The following are highlights of a recent Q&A update by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:

On whether or not TNA can survive without a new TV deal: “I’d like to think that TNA can find a cable TV home by October if they catch a break. I won’t speculate on what I know nothing about specifically their finances.”

On how WWE would book Sting vs. Undertaker at WrestleMania: “There are many right ways to do an angles. I wouldn’t beat Taker twice. No non finishes for sure.”

On whether or not he would accept the announcing position for Jeff Jarrett’s Global Force Wrestling: “I have no issues with Jeff Jarrett. What happened in 1999 seems like a lifetime ago. Nonetheless, I’m not looking to get back into the wrestling biz on a full time basis. As always, never say never.”

On whether or not TNA could survive overseas and what the hold up is between Sting and WWE: “TNA needs a prime time USA Cable TV clearance to survive IMO. The monies earned outside the North America likely isn’t enough to sustain them. I do not know how motivated WWE is to sign Sting to a short term wrestling deal. That’s merely my speculation as I don’t know.”

Check out more Jim Ross Q&A at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.

WWE has ordered new championship belts reflecting promotion for the WWE Network and the new company logo.

The logo that will be used on the new belts is the same one that was first introduced in December at the WrestleMania press conference in San Jose, California, and is the one that will be used for everything beginning in a couple of weeks.

The WWE Championship, Intercontinental, United States, Tag Team and Divas titles will all be updated with the new logo.

This is a major order for WWE, since the company has many versions of each title, including ones for television, photo shoots and house shows.

• MMANEWS.COM: Jim Ross To UFC?, Carano/Rousey Update, Lashley’s MMA Return

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Wrestling legend Sting spoke to Grantland.com this week to promote his appearance in the upcoming WWE video game. Here are some highlights of what said about:

How It Feels To Be Part Of WWE: “It’s an honor. It’s something I always hoped I could do — to somehow or another be a part of the WWE family in some capacity. And here I am.”

Will He Be Appearing On WWE TV? “I’ll just say that I’m all in and very willing to participate. Believe me.”

His Favorite WWE Superstars: “I’m a strange breed. When I got into the business I really didn’t know anything about wrestling. I never watched wrestling on TV because we didn’t have it in the area of Southern California where I grew up. So it’s amazing that I even ended up wrestling. I still don’t watch a whole lot. Thirty years and I never really watched anything — I never even watched myself. I’m just now at a place where I’m like, “Let me start to learn some of these newer guys coming up.” I always heard that when John Cena started, a lot of people looked at him as the new Sting. That was flattering. As far as some of the new guys, I love the look of Roman Reigns and I think he has all the ability in the world. Daniel Bryan, I’ve seen him perform. Bray Wyatt, I’ve seen him. Unreal what they do.”

Wanting To Wrestle The Undertaker: “I would love to have that match. I think for wrestling fans it’s a dream match, but really it’s been a dream match of mine for a long time, as well. I know that the streak was taken away by Brock Lesnar at this last WrestleMania, but I hope [Undertaker]’s not done. I don’t believe he is. And if he is going to be around, I’m hoping for an opportunity.”

His WWE 2K15 Promo Video: “One of the interesting things I read about the promo video was that for anybody who thought the generational gap would be not in Sting’s favor, well, we can put that to rest. The way the crowd reacted was amazing — and even the younger kids who don’t know who I am. The painted face, that video — I’m the sort of guy who’s really hard to please, but when I saw that video, with the violins playing, it was great.”

Fearing WWE Would Misuse Him When They Purchased WCW: “Honestly, back then I probably did make rumblings like that. But the truth is that I had a contract with AOL/Time Warner. WWE didn’t assume those. I had 18 months left on that contract, and AOL had to pay me the money they owed me, and they did. I also did an audit for merchandise and got another lump of money there. After 18 months, I had a conversation with Vince. Long story short, when I spoke with Vince it was great, then when the attorneys got involved it wasn’t so great. It never materialized. I let it go at that point.”

Does He Regret Not Signing With WWE Sooner? “Yeah, you know what they say about hindsight. I can look back now and wonder why I didn’t do this earlier. But it is what it is, and I’m excited right now. It’s like Vince used to say every time I came close to signing but never did: “Don’t forget to cross your t’s and dot your i’s, and someday we’ll do business together.” And here we are. It’s a video game, but that’s for starters, and we’ll see how it develops from here. I’m glad it turned out the way it did.”

How Many Matches He Has Left In Him: “One more match. That’s what I’m hoping to do, and I’d like it to be Taker, and then I’ll hang it up.”

• MMANEWS.COM: TOP UFC Star Training At WWE + HUGE TNA Star Jumping To MMA!

Levi’s Stadium has launched a sub-site for WWE’s WrestleMania 31, which takes place at the venue on Sunday, March 29th, 2015.

The following promotional poster is featured on the Levi’s Stadium site and features The Rock, Batista and Brock Lesnar.

Many are saying it will be interesting to see how WWE’s decision to phase out their pay-per-view business in favor of the WWE Network will affect big returns, such as The Rock, for future shows.

In his last two WrestleMania appearances, the financial side of The Rock’s deal with WWE depended heavily on the percentage of revenue he would garner from the pay-per-view intake, a source of revenue that doesn’t really exist anymore with WWE bringing in less and less money from pay-per-view.

The Rock noted in recent interviews that while he would be willing to come back to WWE for another match or two, it would depend on whether or not it was with the right person, and if the money was right.

Today is the all-important day where Americans celebrate their independence by consuming large amounts of alcohol and grilled fare. No WWE superstar claims to have America’s best interests in mind more than Jack Swagger.

The so-called Real American, accompanied by his founding father Zeb Colter, has advocated an isolationist domestic policy that is free of illegal immigrants. Along the way, Swagger has made national headlines by entering into a feud with conservative radio host Glenn Beck.

It appeared that Swagger was in the midst of a massive push while bickering with Beck, having just defeated accomplished stars such as Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, and Daniel Bryan to earn a chance to compete against Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 29.

Swagger and Colter made national news in 2013 after attracting the attention of Glenn Beck.

Unfortunately for Swagger, he was arrested for DUI and possession of marijuana, ending what could have been a classic feud between a border-protecting nationalist and an immigrant Mexican. Del Rio defeated Swagger at WrestleMania and the Real American was quickly shifted out of the main event scene.

Since aligning himself with Zeb Colter, Swagger has always acted as a heel, often using cheap heat as a way to get his character over. However, it seems as if a face turn could be just around the corner.

In recent months, Rusev has been dominating the WWE roster, taking out superstars such as Big E, Kofi Kingston, and R-Truth. Much like Swagger, Rusev has also used cheap heat as a way to build his character, praising Vladimir Putin and Russia along the way.

Rusev was up to his usual antics this past week when the crowd actually started chanting for Jack Swagger. Colter and Swagger defended America by taking out Rusev and acting as faces for the first time since joining one another. Unsurprisingly, Colter cut an amazing promo on Rusev and Lana, perfectly setting up what could be an entertaining feud.

The following was issued today:

“CELEBRATING CHAMPIONS: 2014 SPECIAL OLYMPICS USA GAMES” TO AIR ON FOX SPORTS 1 THIS MONDAY, JUNE 30 AT 7 PM ET

STAMFORD, CONN. and NEW YORK, June 26, 2014 – WWE® and FOX Sports today announced that Celebrating Champions: 2014 Special Olympics USA Games, a one-hour television event chronicling the passion, dedication and determination of America’s most inspiring athletes during the week-long celebration of the 2014 USA Games, will air on FOX Sports 1 this Monday, June 30 at 7 pm ET. The special, produced by WWE, will be hosted by Mike Hill and Molly McGrath of FOX Sports 1’s America’s Pregame. Customers of participating video providers can also watch via FOX Sports GO, the app that provides live streaming video of FOX Sports content through iOS and Android devices, as well as on desktops through FOXSportsGO.com.

The one-hour special will highlight six Special Olympics athletes as they travel from their hometowns to the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games. Viewers will experience a first-hand account of the excitement and pride each athlete exudes while training for, traveling to, and participating in the Games.

The special will include the following six athletes:

Theo “TC” Bazile, a 40-year-old from Vacherie, Louisiana, is a track and field athlete in sprints and shot put. Theo is very involved his community, where he volunteers at the local nursing home and fire department, sings in his church choir and remains active with his former high school football team.

Erica Bookout is a long-distance runner from Christiansburg, Virginia. The 22-year-old is a Junior at Radford University in Virginia majoring in Special Education. She is also the 2013 Special Olympics Virginia Athlete of the Year.

Andy Miyares, a 31-year-old from Miami, Florida, has competed in multiple sports, but has a passion for swimming and holds numerous records in the sport. He works for Special Olympics Miami-Dade and speaks both Spanish and English. In 2010, Andy was selected to serve a four-year term as one of just 12 Special Olympics International Global Messengers chosen from around the world to represent Special Olympics.

Derrick and Delon Noble, identical twin brothers from Bloomfield, New Jersey, compete in flag football. At 21-years-old, Derrick is the Quarterback and Delon is the Running Back. In addition to playing in the 2014 USA Games, during the last two weeks they’ve attended prom, seen their images on a Times Square billboard to promote the Games and graduated from high school. The twins were also honorary captains at a Rutgers football game last fall.

Scott Rohrer, a 24-year-old from York, South Carolina, is the 2010 Special Olympics USA Games Gold Medal Golfer with record scores for both 18-hole and 54-hole tournaments. Scott was also the 2013 South Carolina Special Olympics Athlete of the Year and he will be playing in Special Olympics World Golf Cup this August in Denmark.

In addition to the athlete profiles, the TV special will include highlights from the 2014 USA Games Opening Ceremony from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, which was hosted by actress and model Brooklyn Decker and Philadelphia 76ers point guard Michael Carter-Williams. The Ceremony included the traditional parade of athletes, athlete oaths and the lighting of the Special Olympics cauldron. Other celebrities that participated in the Opening Ceremony included WWE Superstars Big Show® and David Otunga®, TV personality Jack Ford, Glee’s Jane Lynch and musical artists Michael DelGuidice & Big Shot.

Also included is coverage of the first-ever Young Athletes Festival, held at the Special Olympics New Jersey Sports Complex. Children between the ages of two and seven, and their families, were invited to learn more about this program which provides critical early childhood development through the power of play.

Founding Partner WWE has helped promote the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games through its global platforms, including TV broadcasts, live events, digital and social media, all of which increased the exposure of Special Olympics and reached a larger and more diverse audience. The partnership was announced in 2013 during WrestleMania® 29 in front of more than 80,000 fans at a sold-out MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and millions more watching around the world. Over the past year, WWE has hosted Special Olympics athletes at its weekly live events, including WrestleMania® 30 in New Orleans, where the athletes got a chance to meet WWE Superstars and Divas, sit ringside and be recognized on TV for their accomplishments. WWE Superstars and Divas also served as honorary coaches for Special Olympics Unified Sports competitions around the country. WWE is the Official Production Partner of the 2014 USA Games, which included producing Celebrating Champions, producing the official sizzle reel and PSA, filming and serving as a production consultant for the Opening Ceremony, and creating daily electronic press kits for national media to help enhance coverage of the Games. In addition, WWE Superstars and Divas participated in various events at the Games, including daily autograph signings and medal presentations, while WWE employees served as volunteers.

21st Century Fox announced its Founding Partnership with the 2014 USA Games in November 2013. The network serves as the Official Presenting Media Sponsor and provided broad exposure for the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games across its U.S. channels, which include FOX News Channel, FOX Business Network, FOX Broadcasting, FOX Sports, 28 local stations and FOX Sports 1. As Presenting Media Sponsor of the 2014 USA Games, 21st Century Fox committed to media exposure across its cable and broadcast networks as well as its local stations, most notably WNYW and WWOR in New York and WTXF in Philadelphia. In addition, 21st Century Fox provided exposure via live and recorded segments on FOX News Channel; FOX Sports 1, including a preview segment that ran the week before Super Bowl XLVIII; a PSA created by YES Network featuring New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter; and, on FOX Television Stations across the country, more than 50 athlete profiles, a 30-minute Games special, and the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games PSAs which have aired thousands of times, among many other efforts. On site at the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games, Mike Hill and Molly McGrath, hosts of AMERICA’S PREGAME on FOX Sports 1, hosted the Closing Ceremony, capping a great week of events. Cleatus and five FOX Sports Girls from across the country – Sara (Ohio), Kendall (North), Katie (Midwest), Chyna (Wisconsin) and Morgan (South) – came out to interact with athletes and fans at the 21st Century Fox tent in Corporate Park.

The following are highlights of a new Who’s Slamming Who interview with Brodus Clay:

On Being Released: “If I’m not able to be out there and contribute I don’t want to be there. If you’re not going to bring it, then sitting around on the sidelines is not something I want to do. I was a little bit frustrated. This is where creative [was] in one of those funks where they don’t know what to do. I probably could have handled it a little better but I’m one of those guys who, when I’m frustrated, do not get vocal.”

On the Origins of “The Funkasaurus”: “I was like, “Well it’s different.” When something is put at you, when you’ve worked on something else for quite some time … Once I was told the direction we were going, the Funkasaurus [name] I figured out with my trainer Rob, [Naomi and Cameron] were my pitch, and all I asked was could I see [Dusty Rhodes] and go down to the [NXT] school and figure it out …. It was a lot of support, and it wasn’t a bad thing …. We kept running those vignettes of the juggernaut and the monster character so people had no idea what was going on. On this day of stooges and the Internet and all that kind of stuff it didn’t get out.”

Having his match pulled from WrestleMania XXIX: “You’re devastated. You’re disappointed. You help your team get to the SuperBowl, then your coach, for some reason, doesn’t call your number. You know, as it went down, they were fighting for every last minute …. I was standing in gorilla and I saw them look at the time and they were trying to figure out any possible way to get us out there. It’s the nature of the business. It’s just like that nightmare of running out onto the football field without your helmet …. You hate to be on the receiving end of it. It was what it was but it stung for a long time.”

Check out the complete interview at VOCNation.com.

The following are highlights of a recent interview with Jey Uso:

On growing up with other sons of Legends: “I remember the Rotundo boys . . . mostly Bray [Wyatt] and the Hennigs. We’d be just hanging out. Our dad would tell us to sit still, and we just didn’t move.”

On working with John Cena: “He just made us comfortable. It really calmed us down. And now we’re really starting to get our personality out there more. If the fans in the WWE Universe think the Usos played a big part in that last man standing match, man, I’m thankful for it.”

On his WrestleMania dream match: “If it came down to it, I would love to headline WrestleMania with my brother. I think it would be the easiest match I ever had in my career. And it would be the most fun.”

Check out the complete interview at Newsday.com.

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

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

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

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

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

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

There is at least preliminary discussions within WWE of involving The Four Horsewomen (Ronda Rousey’s MMA “faction”) at the SummerSlam pay-per-view on August 17th in Los Angeles, California.

The feeling is that since it’s in L.A., and considering Rousey’s popularity, it would be a decent publicity stunt for the show.

Rousey has claimed to have interest in doing something at WrestleMania, but the timing didn’t work out for this year. She hasn’t ruled out possibly working at a WrestleMania in the future, such as next year’s, which takes place in California.

• BACKSTAGE NEWS: WWE To Make HULK HOGAN The NEW RAW GM?! [Full Story >>](Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Since WrestleMania season, there have been numerous reports regarding Sting and the possibility of him coming into WWE for a run with the company. At one point, it was considered to be a lock that he was signing and coming in, however with him still having yet to put pen-to-paper, there are some who are thinking that there’s at least a chance that he won’t end up signing when all is said and done.

Sting revealed in an interview a while back that he had discussions and negotiations with WWE several years ago and that he came close to signing a deal for 100 dates per year with the company. Ultimately, Sting ended up backing out on the deal while the offer was still officially on the table. There are some who are worried that could be the case again with the current negotiation.

At last word, Sting was still scheduled to work on several WWE Network and WWE DVD-related projects, for whatever that is worth.

It seemed as if the tag team division had been revitalized last year. However, almost as soon as fans started to become excited about the division again, half of the teams were broken up and it has been largely ignored.

The Usos are the current champions, and I think their pay-per-view exposure shows how confident the WWE is that the Uso brothers will draw. After all, they defended their tag titles on the pre-show at WrestleMania and did not appear in any capacity at Extreme Rules.

With that said, it would not take much effort to get the division back to where it was at the end of last year. Here are five current or potential tag teams that could help make the division relevant again (or at the very least, get it onto the pay-per-view card).

5. Rybaxel – At first, this team seemed like it would go nowhere. They had both just basically flopped while under the tutelage of Paul Heyman, so why would anyone believe that they would fare well without him? Surprisingly, both have improved since leaving Heyman, especially Ryback. He is hilarious on the microphone and can actually be pretty entertaining when he’s allowed to speak. I think the WWE still has plans to push both guys in the future, and a run with the Tag Team Championships could help elevate both superstars.

4. Damien Sandow and Dolph Ziggler – These guys have adopted similar personality traits in recent weeks, most notably because both guys seem disgruntled, annoyed, and displeased that their talents are not being properly utilized. Sandow and Ziggler would make a great team if paired together, as both are impressive in the ring and on the mic. There were rumors a while back of a possible stable of disgruntled superstars being formed, including Ziggler and the Miz, but a team of Sandow and Ziggler would work even better and could make the tag title picture exciting again.

3. Jack Swagger and Cody Rhodes – It is no secret that Zeb Colter has been trying to recruit a new member to the Real Americans since Cesaro betrayed him a few weeks back. With Cody being the son of the American Dream Dusty Rhodes, it would make sense for him to become a Real American. Cody and Goldust are definitely going to part ways soon, with Cody likely being the one to turn heel, so it would provide the perfect opportunity for Cody to align with Swagger and Colter afterward.