Night of Champions, Bella Twins & Latest WWE News & 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 Night of Champions, the Bella Twins and more, this is where you need to go to get all of your weekly WWE nuggets.

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

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Some Language NSFW.

John Cena Solidifies Title Shot vs. Brock Lesnar

One week after dominating Bray Wyatt and the Wyatt Family on Raw, John Cena's status as No. 1 contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship came under fire. Triple H suggested that Cena didn't deserve to have a rematch against Brock Lesnar, but Cena made an emphatic case for himself by the end of the night, winning a six-man tag match and giving Seth Rollins an Attitude Adjustment on the announce table.

Question on Everybody's Mind: Is Cena Being Booked Effectively?

After Lesnar decimated Cena at SummerSlam, it became clear that WWE would have to find a way to make a rematch between them interesting for the WWE fanbase. The initial booking decision was for Cena to look as dominant as Lesnar did against him. That hammered home the point that Cena is undeterred by the loss to Lesnar, but it came at a price, since Wyatt is one of WWE's hottest stars but had to put Cena over in a big way.

Cena was still booked strong on the most recent edition of Raw, but it was far more reasonable. He got in plenty of offense in the six-man tag and got the win, but most importantly, he confronted Triple H and proved his worth. Triple H questioning Cena's ability to beat Lesnar certainly added some intrigue to Raw, but it also seemed somewhat out of place considering what happened one week earlier.

Ring Rust Radio's Take

Even though Cena has been booked stronger than anyone else in professional wrestling for more than a decade, there is nothing wrong with WWE trying to re-establish him in light of what happened at SummerSlam. Whether it was a good or bad idea, Cena did that against Wyatt. That is why the timing of Triple H turning his nose up on Cena is so odd. Realistically, Triple H should have waffled when Cena first announced his intention to exercise his rematch clause.

In some ways, it almost feels as though WWE ignored the fact that Cena destroying the Wyatt Family ever happened. In retrospect, having Triple H question Cena followed by Cena beating Authority members such as Kane and Randy Orton in singles matches in the weeks after SummerSlam would probably have been a better route to go. Cena's build ahead of Night of Champions has certainly been inconsistent, but there is still time to create some clarity.

Rumor Mill

Backstage speculation on Cena's health (WrestlingInc.com via PWInsider Elite)

Bella Twins and Divas Title Picture Intertwine

The rivalry between Nikki and Brie Bella continued on Raw with Brie getting some measure of revenge on her sister by shoving her to the canvas. In the midst of this angle, however, Divas Champion Paige, prospective No. 1 contender AJ Lee and Stephanie McMahon got involved as well. With so many moving parts, there is a certain amount of intrigue within the Divas division at present.

Question on Everybody's Mind: Where Is This Angle Going?

There is no doubt that there has been more emphasis placed on the Divas division in recent months, with multiple Divas matches taking place on several pay-per-views. That continues to be the case with two fairly substantial Divas feuds working in lockstep. Those two feuds have now seemingly been combined, with Stephanie giving Nikki a shot at Paige's title. AJ claimed that she was still in line for a rematch, though, and it is quite clear that Brie will be involved as well due to her situation with Nikki.

With that in mind, it seems quite possible that Night of Champions will play host to a Fatal 4-Way for the Divas title. Since the reaction to the Bellas storyline has been lukewarm at best thus far, it makes sense to involve two universally respected Divas like Paige and AJ, as well as they presence of Stephanie. On top of all that, a Fatal 4-Way between Nikki, Brie, Paige and AJ has a chance to be one of the better Divas matches in recent memory.

Ring Rust Radio's Take

Based on the direction in which this franken-angle is currently heading, Nikki is likely the favorite to take the title at Night of Champions with help from Steph. That would then allow Nikki and Brie to branch off and feud with the title on the line. More interesting than that, though, is the potential dynamic between AJ and Stephanie. The two of them mixed it up on the mic on Raw, and Stephanie flexed her authoritative muscle when she demanded that AJ hand her the Divas Championship.

That looked very much like a tease for a future match, so perhaps those already planted seeds will start to sprout at Night of Champions. Stephanie can use Paige as protection for a period of time, but an AJ vs. Stephanie match seems almost inevitable. It is difficult not to get excited about that, since AJ is quite possibly the only Diva capable of holding her own against Stephanie on the mic. The build toward that match would be good and make the current chaos in the Divas division well worth it.

Rumor Mill

Backstage news on Bella Twins angle (WrestlingInc.com via F4WOnline)

Making Sense Out of Build Toward Night of Champions

While the Divas division is fairly unpredictable right now, it pales in comparison to what is happening in the ranks right below the main event scene. It initially seemed pretty clear that Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose and Chris Jericho vs. Bray Wyatt rematches would all happen at Night of Champions, but a metaphorical game of musical chairs has apparently thrown everything into disarray.

Question on Everybody's Mind: How Will the NOC Undercard Look?

With a couple weeks remaining until Night of Champions, it is anyone's guess how the upper midcard will shake out. Reigns is still somewhat involved with Orton, but his main focus in recent weeks has been on Rollins. Also, a straight-up rematch between Rollins and Ambrose seems unlikely with Ambrose currently away shooting a movie. Ambrose could still return in time to have some involvement on the pay-per-view but there wouldn't be any build toward a possible match. 

Also, Jericho and Wyatt could come to an end prior to Night of Champions. They are slated to face each other in a steel cage match on Raw, which could be their blow-off encounter after already having two pay-per-view matches. Jericho's band, Fozzy, is scheduled to go back on tour starting Sept. 13, so Y2J may not even be featured on Night of Champions. He has nothing scheduled for the night of the pay-per-view, though, so that is still very much up in the air.

Ring Rust Radio's Take

One school of thought is that the creative team doesn't know what to do when it comes to the midcard, but it could just as easily be a case of leaving all options open. Reigns vs. Rollins is definitely a match that will draw, and it seems like a guarantee that they'll lock horns in some way. If it isn't a singles match, then a triple threat involving Orton or perhaps even a tag team match involving a returning Ambrose could be options.

At the same time, Jericho and Orton had some tension between them on the Highlight Reel, and they could put on a good match at Night of Champions if Jericho does indeed work the pay-per-view. That would obviously leave Wyatt as the odd man out, but a very possible opponent for him is Big Show. The World's Largest Athlete has been at odds with Luke Harper and Erick Rowan, so transitioning to Wyatt would be a natural move.

Although it is tough to say with certainty what WWE will do, the likeliest scenario is a triple threat between Reigns, Rollins and Orton as well as Wyatt vs. Big Show with Jericho sitting the pay-per-view out in favor of Fozzy.

Rumor Mill

Possible matches for Night of Champions (WrestlingInc.com)

Ring Rust Radio's Season 6 Fantasy WWE Standings

1. Donald Wood: 70

2. Joe Arcidiacono: 45

3. Mike Chiari: 42.5

4. Brandon Galvin: -15

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