Cesaro, Dean Ambrose 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 Cesaro, Dean Ambrose 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. Lucha Underground announcer Vampiro also joined the show to offer his 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

July 7: Former WWE and WCW creative writer Vince Russo

Cesaro's Steals the Show on Raw Against John Cena

Although the most recent episode of Raw wasn't notable for much, one segment managed to steal the show: when Cesaro locked horns with John Cena as part of the U.S. Open Challenge as Kevin Owens sat in on commentary. Cesaro and Cena had a fantastic match, but KO factored into the ending, attacking the Swiss Superstar to warrant a disqualification.

Question on Everybody's Mind: Will Cesaro's Performance Lead to a Push?

Cesaro has essentially been on the back burner since shortly after his breakthrough performance at WrestleMania XXX. The veteran won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and received a massive reaction from the crowd, yet the creative team decided to ignore that and forced him to remain heel alongside Paul Heyman. That move backfired in a big way, and Cesaro has been unable to regain his momentum ever since.

The Swiss Superman started to pick up steam when he and Tyson Kidd won the Tag Team Championships, but with his partner on the shelf with an injury, he went back to wrestling primarily on Main Event and Superstars as a low-card singles talent. Despite that, he was given a chance to impress against Cena, and he certainly did that, pushing the United States champion to the limit. He was seemingly on the verge of making him tap to a Sharpshooter before Owens got involved.

Ring Rust Radio's Take

Cena's U.S. Open Challenges have led to some excellent bouts thus far, and it can be argued that his clash with Cesaro was the best one yet. The crowd seemed to love what the challenger was doing throughout the match, and it is clear that the WWE Universe wants him to be featured more heavily.

There is no question that Cesaro should be a focal point, since his in-ring work is elite and his strength is unreal, but it is difficult to have confidence in WWE to do the right thing as far as he is concerned.

Neville put on a similarly great performance against Cena prior to the Payback, and he also looked as though he was going to win until Rusev got involved. Rather than elevating Neville, he has since been floating around in half-hearted feuds with the likes of King Barrett, Bo Dallas and the New Day.

WWE could really elevate Cesaro by doing something drastic such as adding him to the United States Championship match at Battleground in order to make it a Triple Threat, but until it proves its commitment to the talented Superstar, it is tough to get too excited.

Rumor Mill

Backstage talk regarding WWE's writing (Wrestling Observer Newsletter via WrestlingInc.com)

Dean Ambrose Lost in the Shuffle

Few Superstars on WWE's roster receive bigger and more positive reactions than Dean Ambrose. The Lunatic Fringe also proved capable of carrying the main event load during his multi-pay-per-view feud with Seth Rollins over the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but he has since faded into the background without much explanation.

Question on Everybody's Mind: What Are WWE's Plans for Ambrose?

Ambrose vied for the world title at Payback, Elimination Chamber and Money in the Bank, with the latter two matches being singles bouts. There was no question the Unstable Superstar looked the part, and he pushed Rollins to the limit on multiple occasions.

Many thought he won the strap at Elimination Chamber before the referee reversed the decision. He almost prevailed once again at Money in the Bank, but the belt left his possession when he came crashing to the canvas during a ladder match.

While most figured that temporarily spelled the end of his rivalry with Rollins, few could have envisioned he would go from the top of the card to being without a storyline so quickly. It looked as though he was poised to feud with Kane, which wasn't a particularly exciting proposition, but at least it was something.

He has tussled with the Devil's Favorite Demon and the rest of the Authority in the weeks since Money in the Bank, but those skirmishes haven't amounted to anything close to a substantial angle.

Ring Rust Radio's Take

As if often the case in WWE for guys who aren't named Cena, Ambrose seems to be stuck between feuds. While his work with Rollins was excellent, the creative team apparently didn't have plans in place to help him continue his momentum.

He has lost multiple matches since his Money in the Bank contest against Rollins, and it feels as though he may not even be involved in a match at Battleground unless WWE quickly sets something up between him and Kane or someone else in the coming weeks.

Even if Ambrose isn't in the main event, he is a guy who should constantly be involved in meaningful storylines that aid in his continued progression into a top star. As was the case last year after his feud with Rollins, the former Shield member has essentially faded into obscurity.

He is too talented to not bounce back and eventually become a world champion, but watching one of WWE's most gifted performers get squandered is an extremely frustrating experience for WWE fans.

Rumor Mill

Potential WrestleMania 32 plans (Wrestling Observer Newsletter via WrestlingInc.com)

RRR Interview with Lucha Underground's Vampiro

Wrestling fans have been tuning in to El Rey Network in droves on Wednesday nights to enjoy the budding sensation known as Lucha Underground. Vampiro, who made his mark as a performer in Mexico and WCW, is one of the voices of Lucha Underground as a color commentator. He brings his brand of excitement to the product each and every week, and he recently sat down with the Ring Rust Radio to discuss Lucha's ascent.

Question on Everybody's Mind: What's Next for Lucha Underground?

While Vampiro is Canadian, he is revered in Mexico because of the work he did south of the border throughout the 1990s. He knows as much about lucha libre as anyone, so the fact he feels so strongly about Lucha Underground and its prospects speaks to just how special the promotion could become:

"

The whole experience is pretty exciting for me, everything from the talent, the phenomenal athleticism of the guys, the crowd reaction and the whole vibe. I've been around the wrestling business since 1984, and I have never seen anything as cool and smooth as this.

I think it's just scratching the surface of what's to come, and it's only going to grow. ... You know very well that in this stage of the game, it's very hard to do something new. The way we do wrestling and the business is going to catch a fan's eye and bring new people into the game.

I think Lucha Underground is breaking ground, and we won't know the impact just yet since it's just starting.

"

The current roster is loaded with talented stars who previously made a name for themselves in WWE such as Johnny Mundo and Alberto El Patron, but it also boosts up-and-coming talents such as Prince Puma, Cage, Ivelisse, Angelico, Sexy Star, Drago and many others.

Lucha Underground is a true alternative to every other wrestling company, and Vampiro is clearly thrilled to be part of it.

Ring Rust Radio's Take

As great as Lucha Underground is, there is some uncertainty surrounding it right now. Once the two-hour Ultima Lucha event airs in August, it will mark the end of the first season. While a second season has yet to be announced, Vampiro feels pretty strongly that it will come to fruition:

"

If you were an investor, don't matter if you're a...billionaire, dude, if you had $28 million or $38 million invested in something, would you do that because you're a wrestling fan, or would you do it because straight up you have a seven-to-12 year plan that's going to school it? I think I would put my vote on the seven-to-12 year plan.

I think guys with $28 million would have something better to do with it than just throw it away because they want to see a couple of guys take bumps. That's just me, though. So my confidence is pretty high is what I'm trying to say.

"

Nothing is guaranteed until an official announcement is made, but based on how successful Lucha Underground has been in terms of gaining critical acclaim throughout the wrestling business, it is tough to envision the promotion ending after one season.

Vampiro has his finger on the pulse of Lucha Underground, and his comments should inspire confidence that he'll be calling the action beyond August's season finale.

B/R Article

Vampiro Talks Lucha Underground, Ultima Lucha, WCW, WWE and More (via Donald Wood)

Ring Rust Radio's Season 9 Fantasy WWE Standings

1. Donald Wood: 40

2. Brandon Galvin: 35

3. Joe Arcidiacono: 20

4. Mike Chiari: -20

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