John Cena, Finn Balor 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 John Cena, Finn Balor 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. Former WWE, WCW and TNA creative writer Vince Russo 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 14: WWE Hall of Famer and GFW ambassador "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan

July 21: TNA star DJ Z

John Cena and Cesaro Put on Another Classic

For the second straight week on Raw, John Cena and Cesaro did battle in a fantastic match with the United States Championship on the line. The Swiss Superman interrupted Kevin Owens' challenge and pushed Cena to the brink, but the U.S. titleholder was ultimately able to come through with a successful defense, hitting Cesaro with an Attitude Adjustment off the ropes.

Question on Everybody's Mind: Is Cena Underrated in the Ring?

While Cena's clash with Cesaro on Monday was excellent, it was far from his first great match since becoming United States champion. In fact, his list of quality bouts is a long one, featuring names such as Owens, Neville, Sami Zayn and Dean Ambrose, among others. The leader of the Cenation has long been criticized by the Internet Wrestling Community for his limited moveset and overall staleness as a competitor, but things have certainly changed since WrestleMania in that regard.

Not only has Cena restored a great deal of prestige to the United States Championship, but he has also improved his reputation as an in-ring worker. There is no question that the 15-times world champion has been aided greatly by squaring off against the very best WWE has to offer in terms of wrestling ability, but it takes two to tango, and Cena has held up his end of the bargain.

Ring Rust Radio's Take

Cena has clearly made some massive strides as a wrestler recently, but he is far from perfect. His effort to add more moves to his arsenal is admirable. However, he gets sloppy at times, with his botched Springboard Stunner against Cesaro being the most glaring example of that. There has to be a middle ground between Cena expanding his repertoire and ensuring everything he does is smooth. It would behoove him to find that happy medium.

Even though Cena is still very much a work in progress, he is far more enjoyable now than he has been for a very long time. The fact he is outside the world title picture is extremely refreshing, and watching him mix it up with some different talent is highly entertaining.

Although WWE could still stand to improve the manner in which it books him, as evidenced by the way Cena took out Owens at the conclusion of Raw just after finishing a grueling match with Cesaro, Cena's stock is very much on the rise.

Rumor Mill

Backstage talk on WrestleMania 32 plans (Wrestling Observer Newsletter via WrestlingInc.com)

Finn Balor Beats Kevin Owens for NXT Championship

The July 4 Beast in the East event in Japan featured several intriguing matches that goaded many wrestling fans into waking up very early in the morning. None of the bouts measured up to the NXT Championship match between Owens and Finn Balor.

Most figured Balor would come out on top because of KO's transition to the main roster, which is precisely what happened, as Balor took the title in the country that first launched him to superstardom.

Question on Everybody's Mind: What Does the Future Hold for Balor?

It has been known since Balor joined WWE last year that he had all the makings of a future NXT champion and perhaps even a WWE world heavyweight champion. The second part of that equation has yet to come to fruition, but Balor's win at Beast in the East is a huge vote of confidence.

Past NXT champions Seth Rollins, Neville, Zayn and Owens either already have or likely will become world champions, and Balor's name has now been added to that illustrious list.

The Irish Superstar received a hero's welcome in Japan in recognition of all he accomplished there as Prince Devitt. Owens played a fantastic heel in the match, taunting the fans and Balor throughout. It was a back-and-forth affair that managed to make both competitors look fairly strong. In the end, Balor was allowed to win the match cleanly, which lays a great foundation for his reign as NXT champion.

Ring Rust Radio's Take

With Owens seemingly on the main roster on a full-time basis and both Zayn and Hideo Itami on the shelf, everything is in place for Balor to be the face of the NXT brand moving forward. Samoa Joe figures to be a factor in that regard, but the Demon is very much the go-to guy thanks to his level of popularity. There is little doubt that he would be able to excel on the main roster if called up tomorrow, but there shouldn't be any rush to make that happen.

The main roster is already pretty stacked with talent as it is, and there are plenty of great wrestlers who aren't being utilized properly. Balor, on the other hand, is NXT's top star, and he will continue to carry the load for the foreseeable future. Feuds with the likes of Joe, as well as Zayn and Itami when they return, are exciting prospects. Mixing it up with Superstars of their caliber will ensure he is ready when that main roster call does eventually come.

Rumor Mill 

Backstage talk on plans for Balor (PWInsider via WrestlingInc.com)

RRR Interview with Vince Russo

Few would argue with the notion that Vince Russo is one of the most controversial figures in the history of professional wrestling. The former WWE, WCW and TNA creative writer experienced many successes and failures within the business, and he is as divisive as they come—every fan seems to have a strong opinion on him.

That made him the perfect guest for Ring Rust Radio. Russo recently joined the show to discuss his career, as well as what the future holds.

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

Russo was undoubtedly a driving force behind WWE's rise during the Attitude era, as he and Ed Ferrara were the primary writers. Vince McMahon had the final say on everything, as he still does to this day, but Russo was responsible for many of the ideas that made it to television during wrestling's boom period.

Many seem to believe that Russo was only successful thanks to McMahon acting as a filter, but he certainly doesn't subscribe to that theory:

"

As far as Vince as a filter, the whole premise of that is just ridiculous. The fact of the matter is he is still there now. So you've got the same guy there now that was there for the Attitude era. Vince Russo had no impact, Vince McMahon had to filter him, well Vince McMahon is still there running the show.

How did they go from an 8.2 rating to 3.5 million people? From a factual basis, someone has to explain that to me, since the same guy is running the show.

"

There is no question the overall popularity of wrestling has fallen over the past two decades, and much of that likely has something to do with a lack of competition going up against WWE. Russo attempted to push the most prosperous company in sports entertainment by jumping ship to WCW and more recently working with TNA, but neither promotion was able to reach the same heights as WWE.

Ring Rust Radio's Take

Russo isn't associated with any wrestling promotions at present, but it is clear that he has the itch to return to his roots as a creative writer. He has reached out to WWE and TNA, but neither company has expressed interest in bringing him back:

"

When I watch WWE and TNA on a weekly basis, I see how subpar the television shows have become. I see the drastic decrease in ratings, and that concerns me.

Without wrestling, there may not be a Vince Russo. I would love to help those companies. I know I can help them; I know what they are doing wrong, but when you offer your services free of charge and they say thanks but no thanks, there isn't too much you can do.

The answer to that question is for my own longevity, the wrestling business needs to prosper, and I am willing to help it. If they aren't interested, that's up to them, but I'm more concerned about my own future.

"

Russo certainly wasn't perfect during his time as a creative writer, but he is extremely experienced and has an excellent mind for the business. He raised some very good points regarding what is currently plaguing WWE throughout his interview with Ring Rust Radio, and it would be wise of WWE to address many of those problems.

It isn't likely to happen with Russo along for the ride, but with his podcast and online musings continuing to attract an audience, it is clear the controversial personality won't be fading away from the wrestling business any time soon.

B/R Article

Vince Russo Talks WWE Attitude Era, WCW, TNA, Hulk Hogan and More (via Brandon Galvin)

Ring Rust Radio's Season 9 Fantasy WWE Standings

T1. Joe Arcidiacono: 50

T1. Donald Wood: 50

3. Brandon Galvin: 35

4. Mike Chiari: -5

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

Follow @RingRustRadio on Twitter.