Triple H, Daniel Bryan and Latest WWE News and Rumors from Ring Rust Radio

Ring Rust Radio is the best wrestling show on the airwaves, and this week was no different. With strong opinions on Triple H, Daniel Bryan and more, this is where you need to get all of your weekly WWE nuggets.

Bleacher Report featured columnists Michael Cahill, Brandon Galvin, Mike Chiari and Donald Wood give the lowdown on all things going on in the wrestling world.

With another unpredictable episode of Ring Rust Radio in the books, you can't afford to miss another second of the action. Catch us LIVE every Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET (some language NSFW) or follow us on Twitter @RingRustRadio.

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Upcoming Guests/Events

June 25 - WCW/ECW Match Madness

July 2 - PG Era Fantasy Draft and 100th episode celebration

Triple H's Concussion Storyline Progresses

Triple H faced Curtis Axel in the latter's first match under his new persona a couple weeks ago. Axel ended up winning the match because The Game couldn't continue. He suffered a storyline concussion the previous night after Brock Lesnar hit him with a sledgehammer and beat him at Extreme Rules. Triple H was scheduled to have a rematch against Axel on Monday, but Vince and Stephanie McMahon prevented it from happening.

Question on Everybody's Mind: Is This an Intriguing Angle?

Raw opened with Stephanie and Vince in the ring as they discussed Triple H's status. Although Triple H vs. Axel was announced prior to the show, Stephanie announced that she was making an executive decision to protect the health of her husband and the father of her children. Vince came to the ring and agreed with his daughter.

In fact, Vince went so far as to cut a heel-esque promo as he blamed the fans for wanting to see Triple H wrestle.

Vince brought up the situation between Ryback and Kofi Kingston on SmackDown as Ryback powerbombed him through three tables as fans chanted, "One more time!" Vince said that the Superstars are human beings and shouldn't be treated in such a manner. Triple H confronted Vince later in the night and vowed to wrestle, but he ultimately decided to leave. Triple H said that he would be facing Axel the following week, however.

Ring Rust Radio's Take

It remains to be seen exactly where this storyline is heading, but it is something that is extremely unique and hasn't really been done before. Concussions are a hot-button issue in all sports today, including wrestling. The fact that Vince scolded the fans for not caring about the wrestlers as people adds a dimension of realism to the product. Fans are constantly complaining about things not being realistic enough, so it's great to see the WWE going the extra mile.

Also, seeing Triple H and Vince at odds feels fresh, as all of their interactions have been positive in recent years. Vince hasn't played a heel role since around Money in the Bank 2011, and seeing him go back to his roots is always welcome.

With Payback approaching, perhaps Triple H will face Axel at the pay-per-view and further the concussion storyline even more. Whatever the case may be, this is an angle worth tracking throughout the entire summer.

Rumor Mill: Concussion Storyline Reportedly Moved Up From SummerSlam (F4WOnline via WrestlingInc.com)

Daniel Bryan Steals the Show on Raw

Most fans came to the realization long ago that Daniel Bryan is one of the most exciting talents in professional wrestling today, but it seems like the WWE creative team is finally taking notice as well. Bryan was booked in two matches on Monday night as he, Kane and Randy Orton lost to The Shield and he then defeated Ryback by disqualification in a singles match. It appears as though there are big things in Bryan's future.

Question on Everybody's Mind: How Far Can Bryan Go in WWE?

Bryan has already accomplished a ton for a guy who came from such humble beginnings. Not only is Bryan a former United States champion, Money in the Bank winner and World Heavyweight champion, but he and Kane just ended one of the longest Tag Team Championship reigns in WWE history. Bryan is just 32 years old, though, and he seemingly has plenty of peak years remaining in his career.

He has been a work horse for the WWE since becoming a full-time roster member as he almost always puts on the best match of the night and has proven capable of working almost anywhere on the card in every role imaginable. Bryan hasn't quite risen to the main event level yet, but if the fact that he is being featured more than any Superstar on the roster right now is any indication, he may soon find himself in the WWE Championship hunt.

Ring Rust Radio's Take

Bryan has always been a great wrestler, but his personality wasn't evident until his heel turn after becoming World Heavyweight champion. Bryan then took things to another level when he formed Team Hell No with Kane, as they have been among the most entertaining Superstars in the WWE for the past nine months. As good as Kane is, the time is now for Bryan to break free and go off on his own. Kane has already reached his ceiling, but Bryan can still get better and has the potential to be one of the faces of the company.

Perhaps the best thing about Bryan is that almost every type of fan can appreciate him. The so-called "smarky" fans like him because he's great in the ring and has independent roots. The younger fans like him as well due to his crazy look and personality. He offers a skill set that literally nobody else in the company does, so it's probably only a matter of time before Bryan ascends to the pinnacle of the WWE.

Rumor Mill: Big Summer Plans Rumored for Daniel Bryan (Wrestling Observer via WrestlingInc.com)

Reviewing TNA Slammiversary

As arguably TNA's second-biggest pay-per-view behind Bound For Glory, hopes were high for Sunday's Slammiversary event. The card was headlined by Bully Ray vs. Sting for the World Heavyweight Championship as well as a grudge match between A.J. Styles and Kurt Angle, who was also named the second member of the TNA Hall of Fame. There were some bright spots, but TNA ultimately came up short in delivering a strong pay-per-view.

Question on Everybody's Mind: Was Slammiversary a Quality PPV?

Slammiversary was largely about titles changing hands. Chris Sabin defeated Kenny King and Suicide to become the new X-Division champion. Abyss replaced his "brother" Joseph Park and beat Devon for the Television Championship. Also, the newly formed team of James Storm and Gunner outlasted Bad Influence, Austin Aries and Bobby Roode and incumbent champions Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez to win the Tag Team Championships.

While those title changes were fine, with the notable exception of Storm and Gunner winning, it seemed like the creative team tried far too hard to create shock value. It's almost as if the writers knew that they didn't have a great card and they compensated for that by playing musical chairs with most of the titles.

Ring Rust Radio's Take

The true issue that prevented Slammiversary from being a quality show was the manner in which the main event was booked. Bully Ray winning was both expected and the correct call, but the match itself was an absolute mess. Bully Ray made a big deal out of doing the piledriver prior to the bout only for Sting to kick out on several occasions. Also, at one point, Bully Ray looked under the ring for a chair, but couldn't find one. This forced him to go all the way backstage and grab a chair, which disrupted the flow of the match.

It mercifully came to a conclusion when every member of Aces and Eights interfered and Sting was ultimately hit with the ball-peen hammer. Bully Ray pinned Sting to retain his title and the group celebrated over him.

Having Aces and Eights stand tall is fine, but it's absolutely ridiculous that nobody came out to help Sting after months of the TNA roster battling Aces and Eights. It was completely illogical and it marred a pay-per-view that wasn't too great to begin with.

RRR Fantasy WWE Standings

1. Michael Cahill: 225

2. Mike Chiari: 135

3. Brandon Galvin: -30

4. Donald Wood: -75

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