Sheamus, SummerSlam 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 Sheamus, SummerSlam 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. WWE Hall of Famer J.J. Dillon 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

Aug. 18: TNA star DJ Z

Sheamus' Cash-in Attempt Foiled by Randy Orton

Randy Orton was on the verge of defeating Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on Raw after hitting him with an RKO, but his moment was spoiled by Sheamus. The Celtic Warrior seemed poised to cash in his Money in the Bank contract, but the Viper was able to get some revenge by taking him out with an RKO before the referee could ring the bell.

Question on Everybody's Mind: When Will Sheamus Officially Cash In?

Monday marked the first time Sheamus truly teased cashing in, and while WWE has nearly a year before it has to do something with the Money in the Bank briefcase, fans are naturally speculating when Sheamus will cash in.

While Raw wasn't necessarily a believable forum since Rollins is set to face United States champion John Cena in a title-versus-title match at SummerSlam, the Irish Superstar's cash in may very well be on the horizon.

WWE has booked itself into a very difficult situation with regard to the clash between Rollins and Cena since the winner gets both titles. It seems a bit premature to already put the world title back around Cena's waist, but to take the U.S. title away from him would be counterproductive because of how much he has done to restore prestige to it.

Getting Sheamus involved in some manner would save WWE from putting two championships on one Superstar, and it could lead to Sheamus winning the company's top prize as well.

Ring Rust Radio's Take

Sheamus is a fairly divisive figure in WWE, as very few people are on the fence about him. Some think his character is directionless and find him boring, while others have admiration for him because of his impressive in-ring work.

His credentials in terms of becoming WWE world heavyweight champion are debatable, but it is tough to argue against the notion the title could use a shakeup based on how poorly Rollins has been booked during his reign.

Raw was another example of that as he nearly lost to Orton when he should have beaten the Apex Predator cleanly. In addition, seeds have been planted with regard to dissension between Rollins and the Authority. Triple H pushed him into defending his title, and the impression is that the Game is starting to get tired of Rollins weaseling his way out of situations.

Aligning Sheamus with the Authority and having him cash in on Rollins would be a great catalyst for everyone involved, and it could lead to a face turn for Rollins as well. Although the architect of the Shield has excelled in a heel role, he has what it takes to be a great face, and it would be a nice change of pace atop the card.

Rumor Mill

Backstage talk regarding Cena vs. Rollins (F4WOnline via WrestlingInc.com)

Lucha Underground Season 1 Goes Out With a Bang

As WWE continues the build toward SummerSlam, one of the hottest new wrestling companies in recent memory wrapped up its debut season, as Lucha Underground's Ultima Lucha aired on El Rey Network on Aug. 5. The show was headlined by a Lucha Underground Championship match between Prince Puma and Mil Muertes, and it set the stage beautifully for a second season should it come to fruition.

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

Few were sure what to expect out of Lucha Underground when it made it to the airwaves, but it ended up being far better than anyone could have imagined. The in-ring style was a great mix of lucha libre and American wrestling, the character and storyline development were top notch and presentation was like something out of a movie.

LU is extremely unique and provides a great alternative to mainstream companies such as WWE, which is likely why so many fans embraced it.

The big problem Lucha Underground faces is that it's on a channel only a limited percentage of its potential viewing audience gets. According to Lucha Underground executive producer Eric Van Wagenen in a Reddit Q&A, distribution is among the biggest things standing between LU and the announcement of a second season. Despite that, he estimates that there is a "99.9 percent" chance the up-and-coming promotion gets renewed by the new year.

Ring Rust Radio's Take

Ultima Lucha was a two-part event with the first part lasting one hour and the finale expanding to two hours. There was no shortage of action between both shows, with Muertes' title win over Puma stealing the show. In addition to that, Vampiro and Pentagon Jr. did battle in a wild Cero Miedo match, and Cage and the Mack competed in an exciting Falls Count Anywhere match that included great spots such as a curb stomp into cinder blocks and a Stone Cold Stunner complete with beer.

Lucha Underground is unlike any other wrestling on TV currently or ever before, and that was on full display during Ultima Lucha. There is understandable concern among the company's fans about a second season coming to fruition, even after Van Wagenen's comments. Provided a second season does happen, though, the seasonal aspect of Lucha Underground could be one of its greatest strengths in terms of keeping things fresh.

The next few months will undoubtedly be nerve-racking for Lucha Underground supporters as they await an announcement, but going back and watching the first season again certainly wouldn't be a bad way to pass the time.

Rumor Mill 

Backstage details on Lucha Underground (F4WOnline via WrestlingInc.com)

RRR Interview with WWE Hall of Famer J.J. Dillon

There are many different roles within the professional wrestling industry, and while many have worn multiple hats over the years, few have worn essentially all of them. WWE Hall of Famer J.J. Dillon is in the latter group, though, and the manager of the iconic Four Horsemen stable stopped by Ring Rust Radio to discuss the business he loves and the many different perspectives he has seen it from.

Question on Everybody's Mind: What Are the Biggest Takeaways from the Interview?

Dillon is known for many things, but his biggest impact in wrestling likely came as a member of the Four Horsemen. Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard are often credited with being the stalwarts of the group, but Dillon was an important cog as well. Several different wrestlers filtered in and out of the stable over the years, but Dillon believes one version in particular stood out above the rest.

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I really believe that in terms of bell-to-bell action, the group with Barry [Windham] was probably the greatest in terms of what we could accomplish any given night in the ring. When Tully and Arn left to go to New York to join Bobby the Brain Heenan to form the Brain Busters, as far as I was concerned the glory years of the Four Horsemen was over.

They were never going to be as big as they were during that extended run. Ole [Anderson] was always special, Barry was the group that was technically the best, and beyond that I really don't think that much about it.

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The Four Horsemen is regarded by many as the preeminent stable in wrestling history, and it is easy to see why. In the best incarnations of the Horsemen, every member of the group could do the business in the ring, and they all fit and lived the gimmick as well. Dillon added a certain amount of legitimacy to the group because of his overall presence and level of experience, and it is only fitting he was part of the Four Horsemen stable that was ultimately inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Ring Rust Radio's Take

In addition to being manager, Dillon was also a wrestler, a referee, an on-screen authority figure and a key talent-relations man at various points throughout his career. In addition, Dillon was privy to behind-the-scenes dealings in both WWF and WCW at different times during the Monday Night War, which has left him with plenty of memories and opinions about the most entertaining time in wrestling history.

In comparing the two companies during that time period, Dillon brought up the positives and negatives of each. He was especially complimentary of Vince McMahon, and he believes WCW's inability to match Vince's business acumen is what ultimately put it out of business:

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I'm not saying Vince didn't lose some sleep when they were losing in the ratings, but during that time, WCW was not successful running pay-per-views and live events. Vince had pioneered licensing and merchandising as a profitable source of income for talent, which WCW couldn't do. When you stand back and look at the big picture, Vince just had to ride it out long enough.

The production budget that WCW was spending kept growing leaps and bounds. When the company was looking at a loss of $80 million projected, somebody said it was time to cut, cut, cut. Because Eric Bischoff had given out all these high-dollar contracts, they cut all the low-level guys but were still looking at a $60 million loss and another projected $60 million loss.

"

WCW gave WWF a good run for a couple years, but when push came to shove, its business model was unsustainable. It seems as though Dillon realized that all along, which speaks to his knowledge and awareness within the realm of wrestling.

Dillon is one of the greatest resources in the world with regard to professional wrestling history, and although he shared a ton of it on Ring Rust Radio, it was likely only a drop in the bucket when it comes to what he knows.

B/R Article

WWE Legend JJ Dillon Talks Roddy Piper, Dusty Rhodes, 4 Horsemen and More (via Donald Wood)

Ring Rust Radio's Season 9 Fantasy WWE Standings

1. Joe Arcidiacono: 130

2. Donald Wood: 60

4. Mike Chiari: 47.5

3. Brandon Galvin: 25

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

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