Credit: WWE.comThis year's Money in the Bank participants.
Heading into Sunday's Money in the Bank pay-per-view, WWE has put together several matches that are guaranteed to make this one of the best shows of the year.
However, there are a lot of other stories making headlines. Let's go through some of the biggest news from the past seven days.
Jerry Lawler Arrested, Suspended by WWE
Jerry Lawler and his fiance, Lauryn McBride, were arrested following a dispute at their home on June 17, and Lawler was suspended as a result, according to WWE.com. The promotion released a statement on its website:
According to a police report, Lawler and his girlfriend, Lauryn McBride, were taken into custody and booked on alleged charges of domestic assault—bodily harm, a misdemeanor.
WWE has zero tolerance for matters involving domestic violence, and per our policy, Jerry Lawler has been suspended indefinitely following his arrest.
Lawler's longtime friend and former broadcast partner Jim Ross took to his blog over at J.R.'s Place to share his thoughts on the situation:
Shocked to hear of my friend Jerry Lawler's arrest in Memphis late Thursday night on a domestic battery charge. King's fiancé was also jailed on the same charge.
Allegedly alcohol was a contributing factor in this matter that resulted in Jerry being suspended indefinitely from WWE as WWE has a zero tolerance policy as it relates to domestic violence issues.
For the record, Jerry doesn't drink whatsoever nor have I ever seen him act aggressively toward any female or anyone else for that matter.
Lawler spoke with WMC Action News 5 from jail about the incident and had this to say: "It's just an unfortunate situation. Nobody was hit and nobody was hurt. It's just something that happened as a result of drinking too much."
WWE Signs 1st Chinese Superstar
WWE has employed wrestlers from dozens of countries across all six habitable continents over the years, but the company had never previously signed anyone from China.
Following a tryout camp in Shanghai, WWE signed Bin Wang to a developmental deal, according to WWE.com.
The 22-year old WWE hopeful has been training for two years at the Inoki Genome Federation, which is a wrestling school founded by WWE Hall of Famer Antonio Inoki.
Wang spoke about what an privilege it is to be the first Chinese-born Superstar signed to a WWE developmental deal: "It is an honor to be the first-ever Chinese talent in WWE history. There are no fans in the world that show the same passion as the WWE Universe, and I look forward to training and developing my skills so I can perform for them in the future."
Ric Flair Selling Personal Phone Calls
Ric Flair is branching out into the celebrity phone call business, according to his official website.
If you want to speak with The Nature Boy, it's not going to be cheap. The site lists a five-minute call at a staggering $495.
At almost $100 for each minute, it might just be the most expensive phone call you would ever receive. It would literally be cheaper to call Antarctica.
You can't blame Flair for diversifying, but the hefty price tag may not make too many fans reach for their wallets.
Injured WWE Superstar Returning Soon
We recently saw the returns of John Cena and Seth Rollins from different injuries, and we are still waiting for Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt to make their comebacks.
With all those big names on the shelf at the same time, it's easy to forget Neville has also been out of action for a few months with a broken ankle.
According to Mike Johnson of PWInsider, the English Superstar is set to return soon, bolstering WWE's roster even further before the brand extension returns on July 19.
Neville has had a hard time finding as much success on the main roster as he did in NXT, but all that may change when management splits the roster between Raw and SmackDown.
Updated Money in the Bank Card
WWE added a few bouts for Sunday's Money in the Bank pay-per-view over the past week. Here is a look at the updated card, according to WWE.com:
With 10 bouts scheduled, we have a stacked show set for Sunday. A number that high is usually reserved for bigger shows such as SummerSlam or WrestleMania, so it will be interesting to see which matches get the most time and which ones are shortened.
Head over to the Bleacher Report Expert Panel posted Friday by Aaron Bower for further reading, and share your predictions for the event in the comments section below.
Thanks for reading, and follow me on Twitter: @BR_Doctor.
Source: Jerry Lawler Arrested, Money in the Bank and Top WWE News from Week of June 18
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