For three years, Undisputed Era has dominated the rings of NXT but the wrestling rumor mill suggests their days as a unit may be coming to an end.
That report headlines a week that also saw an update on the main event of the upcoming Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, Peyton Royce's big singles push and the latest on the teased All Elite Wrestling video game.
Dive deeper into each of those topics with this round-up of all things rumor and innuendo in the world of sports entertainment.
Mike Johnson of PWInsider reported Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly will, in fact, be turning babyface in NXT. Roderick Strong and Bobby Fish will not, however.
Might this suggest Undisputed Era is about to explode?
Perhaps.
NXT has spent so many years building the faction into such a dominant force that there really is only one direction for the group of immensely talented performers to go and that is a full-fledged battle among themselves.
Cole began showing signs of a face turn during, and shortly after, his match with Pat McAfee at TakeOver: XXX. O'Reilly has been trending in that direction in recent weeks.
Strong and Fish being chosen as the heel tandem within the group makes sense, but one has to worry that the duo will struggle to find their footing in NXT after they wrap up their series against Cole and O'Reilly.
One can only hope there is a definitive plan within NXT management because once you split Undisputed Era, it will be extremely difficult to put that genie back in the body and replicate the success the group had prior to it.
WrestleVotes reported the plan as of now is for Bayley vs. Sasha Banks for the SmackDown Women's Championship to headline the October 25 Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. The match would take place in the event's namesake structure.
If that is indeed the plan, the feud and performers alike certainly deserve the honor.
Bayley and Banks have been workhorses for WWE throughout 2020 and their rise to dominance, and subsequent split, has been one of the bright spots of wrestling in this uncertain year. They has seized every opportunity, made the most of it and will almost undoubtedly live up to lofty expectations set by their previous in-ring encounters.
While Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats reports the blowoff to Drew McIntyre and Randy Orton is also slated for the event, it is nearly impossible to foresee a scenario in which that match trumps Bayley-Banks in the emotional investment department, making the women's bout the more plausible of the two potential show-closers.
Peyton Royce has been at the center of discussion for a singles push for weeks now and, as Louis Dangoor of WrestleTalk reported, it's not just because she has impressed Vince McMahon.
"Sources have told WrestleTalk’s Louis Dangoor that the former IIconics member has not only impressed Vince McMahon and other higher-ups within WWE, but also several of her colleagues on the roster." The report continued, "one WWE star we spoke to noted that the Australian has a “tremendous attitude” and deserved the opportunities she’ll reportedly be getting as a singles star over the coming weeks and months."
The seeds for such a push were sown when Royce and longtime tag team partner Billie Kay recently split. On the September 21 episode of Raw, we saw the Aussie battle women's champion Asuka while Kay served in a more managerial role.
Perhaps that is the direction the company heads with Royce and her lifelong bestie. Maybe it completely disassociates them.
Whatever the case, it appears as though Royce is on her way to a push to the top of the women's division, where she will earn invaluable in-ring time against the top workers in the company and, in the process, become the well-rounded performer that can (and will) be adequately prepared to carry the title.
Kenny Omega told Gamespot that the teased All Elite Wrestling video game is still a ways off.
A video game enthusiast, to say the least, it makes sense that Omega would work very closely with developers to ensure the finished product that he, the company and fans would be proud of.
We have seen with recent WWE releases what happens when things are rushed or attention is not paid to the details and AEW understandably does not want to replicate those shortcomings with their debut offering.
That the company just passed its first full year in existence this past May and is already working on a video game is a testament to the rapid growth and expansion of AEW, not to mention the demand for as much merchandise and product as fans can absorb.
