Payback, Charlotte 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 Payback, Elimination Chamber 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. NXT Diva Charlotte also joined the show to offer her inside perspective on the business.

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.

We may just read your questions and comments live on the air. Visit our website at RingRustRadio.com. You can also email us here: [e-mail].

Some language NSFW.

Upcoming Guests/Events

May 19: ROH and GFW star Moose

May 26: Former WWE Superstar JTG

Breaking Down Payback Card

Payback may ultimately prove to be little more than a stopgap pay-per-view for WWE, but there are certainly some intriguing matches on the card that could have big impact on the company moving forward. Chief among them is the Fatal 4-Way between Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the line.

Question on Everybody's Mind: Who Will Leave Payback as World Champion?

Rollins retained the world title against Orton at Extreme Rules in a Steel Cage match, but he needed plenty of help, as Kane and J&J Security got involved. He may need even more help at Payback, though, as he will be taking on three of his biggest rivals.

Orton, Reigns and Ambrose have all been wronged by Rollins in one way or another over the past year, and each of them is eager to get his hands on the former architect of the Shield.

While the odds are stacked against the Authority's hand-picked face of the company from a storyline perspective, that seemingly makes it fairly clear that Rollins will retain. It is inevitable there will be some dissension between Orton, Reigns and Ambrose, given they will all be vying for the world title. That will create an opening for Rollins, who will find a way to slither out of Payback with his title.

As predictable as they match seems on paper, the fact it features four quality workers could make it a match of the year candidate.

Ring Rust Radio's Take

The most significant match on Sunday's card aside from the world title bout is likely the "I Quit" match between John Cena and Rusev for the United States Championship. Cena has beaten the Bulgarian Brute at each of the past two pay-per-views, and he has said that he won't ask for a rematch if he loses. That seems to suggest that the Super Athlete has a shot, but Cena simply doesn't lose under this stipulation.

Also, Cena has done well to restore the prestige of the U.S. title. There isn't much reason to move him back up the card because of that. Even though a loss would do plenty of damage to Rusev's credibility, it is tough to envision Cena losing under these circumstances.

Additionally, Bray Wyatt and Ryback will meet for the first time. Both Superstars need victories to gain some momentum, but only one can get it. One can only assume that WWE is higher on Wyatt, so expect the New Face of Fear to come out on top.

The rest of the card is littered mostly with rematches such as Dolph Ziggler versus Sheamus, King Barrett against Neville and the New Day defending the Tag Team Championships against Tyson Kidd and Cesaro. All three of those bouts could go either way, which is a positive, but the smart money is on Ziggler, Neville and New Day getting their hands raised.

Rumor Mill

Backstage news on Payback main event (Wrestling Observer Newsletter via WrestlingInc.com)

WWE Announces Return of Elimination Chamber

WWE took fans by surprise a couple weeks ago when it announced the return of King of the Ring, but it somehow managed to top that on Monday's Raw. In an unprecedented move, WWE added a WWE Network exclusive pay-per-view for May 31: Elimination Chamber. That means WWE will be staging another significant event just two weeks after Payback.

Question on Everybody's Mind: Is This a Smart Move on WWE's Part?

The return of Elimination Chamber was sudden, but now that it has finally sunk in, there are several ways to look at it. On one hand, the Elimination Chamber match is one of the coolest and most innovative gimmicks in WWE, so there is certainly some excitement surrounding its return.

There was some concern WWE would never bring it back because of the logistical issues involved with utilizing such a big structure, but it only took a few months for it to resurface.

In addition to that, WWE seems to be taking a different approach with the Elimination Chamber than it has in previous years. Rather than putting the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the line, there will be Chamber matches for the Tag Team Championships and the vacant Intercontinental Championship. That should increase the importance of a couple of championships much like Cena has done for the United States Championship.

Ring Rust Radio's Take

While there is reason to believe the Elimination Chamber event will be entertaining, the obvious issue it creates is that it lessens the importance of Payback in many ways.

For example, it doesn't really matter which team wins the Tag Team Championship match between New Day and Cesaro and Kidd, since both teams are likely to be in the Chamber match on May 31 anyway. That could be mitigated by forcing the losing team to be left out of the Elimination Chamber, but that seems unlikely.

Also, the midcard matches featuring Ziggler, Sheamus, Barrett and Neville don't mean much at this point, either. All four are candidates to be placed in the Elimination Chamber match for the Intercontinental Championship, so whether they win or lose at Payback is fairly inconsequential.

Had Elimination Chamber simply taken the place of Payback, it would have made more sense, but adding it out of nowhere definitely seems to cheapen the pay-per-view calendar to some degree.

Rumor Mill

Backstage news regarding Elimination Chamber (PWInsider via WrestlingInc.com)

RRR Interview with NXT Diva Charlotte

There are many reasons why WWE's NXT developmental territory has become the hottest brand in professional wrestling. There is no question that the emphasis on quality women's wrestling is among them, and former NXT Women's champion Charlotte has been at the forefront of that movement.

The extremely talented daughter of Ric Flair recently sat down with Ring Rust Radio to discuss NXT and her goals once she inevitably reaches the main roster.

Question on Everybody's Mind: What's Next for Charlotte?

Compared to many of the indie stars on NXT's roster, Charlotte is fairly new to professional wrestling. She was born into it as the Nature Boy's daughter, but she hasn't truly been part of the business for long. Even so, she has managed to establish herself as one of the most athletic and best all-around Divas in the entire company.

Her rise has been meteoric, to say the least, and her lofty goals seem to suggest she expects her ascent to continue:

"

The sky's the limit. I want to main event a pay-per-view [and] be the Divas champion. I mean gosh, when I started, I didn't know I would be where I am today. I want to see where my hard work takes me, but I want to main event Raw. I want to main event a pay-per-view and be the Divas champion. I want to see the entire female NXT roster on Raw at one point.

"

While NXT has placed its female wrestlers in important spots on the card, headlining a pay-per-view on the main roster would be groundbreaking. Charlotte has all the tools needed to be a star, though, which means she perhaps has a better chance of reaching the pinnacle than any other Diva.

Ring Rust Radio's Take

Charlotte is currently one of the star attractions in NXT, but it is inevitable she will make her way to WWE's main roster in the very near future. Whenever that comes to fruition, the fast-rising star fully intends to go full bore rather than being tentative.

"

When I do debut, I just want to run with it. I don't want anything to hold me back, and I just want to shine and not be timid or scared. NXT is getting bigger and bigger, but it still doesn't have the fanbase the WWE Universe has. I want to take my NXT fanbase with me to the main roster and show what I can do on a larger scale. That is what I am most excited about.

"

There was a great deal of pressure and plenty of expectation heaped upon Charlotte when she entered the business because of her pedigree. Despite that, she has managed to pave her own way and build a massive following independent of her famous father.

Add in the fact that her status as a Flair makes her a natural, and it is tough to envision Charlotte being anything short of a huge success in WWE.

Ring Rust Radio's Season 8 Fantasy WWE Standings

1. Donald Wood: 122.5

2. Joe Arcidiacono: 102.5

3. Mike Chiari: 65

4. Brandon Galvin: 62.5

For more wrestling talk, listen to Ring Rust Radio. Catch the latest episode in the player below (some language NSFW).

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