WWE SmackDown: Rumors, Preview and More for July 3 Great American Bash

With WWE’s weekly SmackDown being live this July 3, the company has decided to give the WCW another shot by turning the live event into the Great American Bash.

The once-proud pay-per-view is now nothing more than a joke to the WWE hierarchy.

Despite the fact that WWE loves disrespecting one of the best wrestling companies in history, this week’s SmackDown should have major implications for the Money in the Bank PPV and the company as a whole going forward.

You don’t want to miss this!

Where: American Bank Center Arena, Corpus Christi, TX

When: Tuesday, July 3 at 8 p.m. ET

Watch: SyFy Channel

Great American Bash Battle Royal

With 20 of the biggest names in the WWE participating in this battle royal, there is bound to be enough action to keep every wrestling fan happy. As great as this sounds on paper, the winner will only receive the ability to be SmackDown GM for a week.

Question on Everybody's Mind: Who Is Going to Win?

There are a million directions the WWE can go with this match, but this big of a window scares me as a fan of the company. While Dolph Ziggler should win and give himself a title match, I wouldn’t be surprised if Hornswoggle won.

Hype Meter: 4 out of 5 Pessimistic Smiles

As an old-school wrestling fan, I love the battle royal concepts and the storylines that can get furthered through it. While there is almost no way to screw this kind of match up, WWE always finds a way. Let’s hope for the Great American Bash’s sake that this one is something the fans want.

Rumor Mill

The Great American Bash Returns as a Live Special

SmackDown Money in the Bank

While five stars have already made it into the match (Christian, Santino Marella, Tyson Kidd, Damien Sandow and Tensai), there are many questions about who the final three will be. We also can’t forget Cody Rhodes is appealing his loss from last week.

Question on Everybody's Mind: Who Will the Final Three Be?

Besides almost guaranteeing that Rhodes will be in the match, the final two spots could be any of a litany of stars. The hope, though, is that WWE names them tonight and builds properly to the match. The last thing we’d want is a late participant that ends up winning it all.

Hype Meter: 4 out of 5 Hanging Briefcases

Fans love this PPV because there were two guaranteed great bouts on the card between both ladder Money in the Bank matches. While the RAW ladder match won’t be great, the SmackDown version could steal the show.

Rumor Mill

Will SmackDown’s Money in the Bank change anything?

Antonio Cesaro vs. The Great Khali

While it’s true that Aksana and Layla will be involved in this match, there is a real feeling that we could see WWE newcomer Antonio Cesaro go over The Great Khali. With Khali being a huge face, this would prove Cesaro is in contention to be a major star.

Question on Everybody's Mind: Will the WWE Push Cesaro?

As someone who had the fortune of seeing this man perform on the independent circuit, Cesaro could be a real star for the WWE if they give him the time on the mic and in the ring to shine.

Hype Meter: 4 out of 5 Rings of Honor

Despite what Mark Madden wrote, Ring of Honor has been a non-stop breeding ground for top-level talent. If Cesaro gets the push he so richly deserves, there is little doubt that he can get over as a heel and really be a star.

Rumor Mill

Antonio Cesaro’s Upside, Direction & Long-Term Potential

Don’t forget wrestling fans, Ring Rust Radio is LIVE! Tuesday, July 3 at 7 p.m. ET or you can catch the replay or back episodes here.

Check back for more on the World Wrestling Entertainment as it comes, and visit Bleacher Report’s Wrestling Page to get your fill of WWE/TNA. For more Wrestling talk, listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics you just can’t miss (some language NSFW).

Follow @Donald_Wood

Listen to internet radio with RingRustRadio on Blog Talk Radio