The WWE is getting closer to its most oddly named pay-per-view of all time.

And after that, SummerSlam is right around the corner. Whatever happens at Great Balls of Fire will likely serve a bigger, more important storyline down the road. 

The card is stacked. Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman. Samoa Joe vs. Brock Lesnar. It's a battle of giants on Raw, and the rumors are swirling. Here's a roundup of the best ones we've read.

Inappropriate Language?

The best part of Raw on June 26 was the women's gauntlet match, which utilized the entire women's roster to put on a wonderfully told, athletically ambitious story. But for mainstream news, the highlight was LaVar Ball and his family, who took part in a MizTV segment before leaving ringside.

But according to Wrestling Observer (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats), this was not the original plan. That was to have the family remain at ringside to cheer, and perhaps get involved, in the subsequent match. But, unfortunately, LaMelo Ball's "inappropriate language" put a stop to that.

The WWE squashed a potentially incredible photo opportunity to maintain its family-friendly image. This is a hard turn from the old days. After all, there have been several other incidents of WWE personalities using "inappropriate language" in the past (links contain NSFW content). Here's another one to add to the parade of awkwardness.

Backstage Cameos

Ortman of Cageside Seats also reported that Tyson Kidd and Rusev were spotted backstage at SmackDown on June 27.

Perhaps Kidd is settling into his new, inevitable role as a non-wrestling employee. He's been on the shelf for a long time since his fateful match with Samoa Joe. But there is life after the in-ring career is over. Corey Graves made a successful transition, after all. And hopefully, Kidd can do the same

It must be daunting to be a wrestler, who's trained for years in something so niche, to seek employment elsewhere. And it's great that the WWE, rather than pushing these young guys out the door, is finding them alternative employment opportunities.

As for Rusev? He looks more clean-cut these days—perhaps a babyface turn? But time will ultimately tell.

Bayley Back to Being a True Underdog

Ortman also reports what's been obvious to viewers for a few weeks: Bayley will be taking on a decreased role on the Raw women's roster for the foreseeable future.

Her match against Bliss at Extreme Rules was a one-sided loss. She was the first victim of Nia Jax's gauntlet at Raw on June 26. And taking those losses in context, it seems that Nia Jax and Sasha Banks will both get title shots before WWE Creative circles back around to Bayley.

But ultimately, this could be positive news for Bayley. She's a long way from the type of pop she got when she first debuted on Raw. This break gives her the chance to retool a character that has gotten stale and to have her fans miss her before she comes back, stronger than ever.

Bliss vs. Jax?

According to Wrestling Observer Live (h/t Johny Payne of Sportskeeda), the plan for the Raw women's title match at SummerSlam is Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax.

That's why the two of them have been doing so many backstage segments together; WWE Creative is slowly planting the seeds for their rivalry and the culminating match.

If true, this is great news. It would be a David-versus-Goliath showdown, except that in this case, David's the heel and Goliath is the babyface. The two ladies have a long history; in a Fox Sports interview (via TPWW.net), Bliss said Nia Jax has been her best friend going back to their days at NXT. So hopefully, they can collaborate to put on the type of thought-out, classic match that they're both capable of.