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It's that time of the day again when we put together all the biggest rumors swirling around in the world of WWE.
The biggest piece of speculation going around is that WWE is interested in getting two controversial former superstars back for a major role on NXT. However, the company outright denied the rumor as per Pro Wrestling Sheet's Ryan Satin.
The increasing backstage influence of Paul Heyman regarding the promos and a particular superstar's recent presentation was also a big highlight today.
Clash of Champions is edging closer with each passing week and there are many backstage updates about the final card of the PPV.
Wondering what's happening with Lio Rush and Lars Sullivan? And what about the odd new pairing of Shinsuke Nakamura and Sami Zayn? Some reports shed light on the futures of the aforementioned superstars as well.
So let's get right into it then, shall we?
#1. WWE want Enzo Amore and Big Cass to return, or maybe they don't?
As the adage goes, all is fair in love and war and there is certainly no love lost between AEW and WWE. It's an all-out war and to win such a battle in pro wrestling, the surprise element is a necessity.
As revealed by Dave Meltzer on the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE is reportedly in touch with Big Cass and Enzo Amore regarding a surprise return. The company wants to get the former Superstars back and make them the top names in NXT.
WWE has been in contact with Enzo and Cass about a surprise return to be top stars on the NXT brand. We don't know if they've accepted, but Cass really hasn't done much on the indie scene and has also made it clear he wants to get back. Enzo, who really knows. He says a lot of things but his rap career isn't exactly going anywhere and he also hasn't done much on the indie scene but hasn't walked away from wrestling either.
We don't know, but the obvious speculation is either a return on the first show or, the way Vince thinks, I could see the third show being the favorite. The crowd in Orlando live would probably go nuts if this happens, and keep in mind we only know they've been talked to, not that they've accepted, but I can also see a lot of social media negativity toward Enzo in NXT as a featured star. But it's a war and you want surprises and there just aren't that many surprises out there.
However, in what can be perceived as a twist of sorts, WWE rallied information via Pro Wrestling Sheet and shot down the report.
Even Meltzer tweeted an update saying that WWE has no interest in getting Enzo and Cass back.
As Tom Colohue aptly stated, things do change fast in pro wrestling.
#2. The reason why The Usos have been out of action
The Usos' last match was a Triple Threat Match for the Raw Tag Team titles on July 29th. It was the match in which Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows won the titles from The Revival.
Jimmy and Jey Uso have not been featured on TV for a month and there have naturally been questions regarding their status.
Dave Meltzer revealed that Jimmy Uso's most recent DUI has kept the six-time tag team champions away from the ring.
The Usos are out of action after Jimmy's most recent DUI arrest. They are expected back in a couple of weeks
#3. Paul Heyman is the man behind Sasha Banks' heel turn
There are many perks of having a man as seasoned as Paul Heyman running the show backstage on Raw. Not only has the content on Raw gotten more cohesive, but also how the Superstars have been pushed and portrayed.
Sasha Banks returned to TV on last week's episode of Raw and turned heel by attacking Natalya. She cut a promo this week and explained the reason behind her actions.
Now, PWTorch reveals that Paul Heyman has had a big role to play in Sasha Banks' heel turn. The Boss' new character has Paul Heyman written all over it. Heyman was also said to be responsible for the promo that Banks cut on Raw this week.
Paul Heyman has been very involved with developing Sasha Banks’ heel character, per PW Torch. It’s believed he was responsible for her promo that opened this week’s Raw.
Sportskeeda's Tom Colohue gave further insights on Heyman's impact backstage.
Brock Lesnar's advocate has been instrumental in altering the style of promos that are delivered on Raw. He has worked with Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Natalya on their microphone work and the results are there to be seen.
Here's what Tom said regarding the positive change:
According to a #WWE source, Paul Heyman has been instrumental in rewriting the tone and style of promos on #Raw, including those of Lynch, Natalya and Banks. Improvisation isn't happening often but when it does happen, Heyman is apparently relaxed about it.
#4. Clash of Champions match card and the King of the Ring Tournament finals
The build-up for Clash of Champions is heating up as the card saw major additions being made on this week's Raw and SmackDown Live.
Here's how the confirmed match card looks thus far:
WWE Universal Championship Match: Seth Rollins (C) vs. Braun Strowman
WWE Championship Match: Kofi Kingston (C) vs. Randy Orton
Raw Tag Team Championship Match: Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman (C) vs. Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler
Smackdown Women’s Championship Match: Bayley (C) vs. Charlotte Flair
King of the Ring Finals: TBD vs. TBD
WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match: Drew Gulak (C) vs. Humberto Carrillo
Apart from the matches mentioned above, Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks for the Raw Women's Championship and The Miz vs. Shinsuke Nakamura are expected to be announced next week.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the idea of having Big E and Xavier Woods vs. The Revival for the SmackDown Live Tag Team titles was pitched last week and it could feature on the final card.
Regarding AJ Styles' US title match, Meltzer confirmed that there will be a title defense at the PPV and the opponent hasn't been revealed as Styles has been embroiled in an angle with Braun Strowman for the past few weeks. Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan is another match that seems locked in for the show.
Regarding the King of the Ring tournament, this is how the updated bracket looks after the first round matches:
So, who will win it this time? There were a bunch of scenarios discussed. One of the probable finals could be Andrade vs. Ricochet. The other likely option would be to have Baron Corbin vs. Ali.
WWE is unlikely to have heel vs. heel or face vs. face matches and keeping that in mind, it's easy to deduce how the tournament could pan out. Baron Corbin, Ricochet and Ali are the favourites to win the tournament with Alexander being the wild-card pick as he is one of Paul Heyman's projects.
#5. WWE's creative direction for Shinsuke Nakamura and Sami Zayn
Do you remember the highly-entertaining alliance of Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho that culminated in a match between the two? Of course, you do.
According to WrestleVotes, WWE wants the Sami Zayn and Shinsuke Nakamura angle to resemble the one that Jericho and Owens were involved in a few years ago. The idea is to have Nakamura and Zayn follow a similar path and have a match in the end. However, will the angle have enough steam to go all the way until WrestleMania? Only time will tell.
One of the ideas I’ve heard when the Zayn / Nakamura storyline was decided upon was to eventually resemble that of the Jericho / Owens friendship from a few years ago, leading to a big-time blowoff match. However, I’d be surprised if this story lasted all the way through to Mania.
Nakamura is expected to defend the Intercontinental Championship against The Miz at Clash of Champions. It's interesting to note that Zayn has not won a title on the main roster yet, but that could all change if WWE books this storyline well.
#6. Concerning update on the WWE futures of Lars Sullivan and Lio Rush
It's been a while since we saw Lars Sullivan and Lio Rush on WWE TV. Sullivan suffered an unfortunate knee injury while enjoying the routine monster push angle in June and has since been on the shelf. The recovery timeline was said to be six to nine months and it may be a while since we see him back in action.
Lio Rush was taken off TV after countless reports of 'attitude problems' and backstage heat on the young superstar began doing the rounds. He has since shifted his focus on getting his rap career going and has already released a few singles.
PWInsider's Dave Scherer was questioned regarding the statutes of the two superstars. Scherer said that Sullivan and Rush were currently 'in limbo'.
That doesn't sound good if you ask us.
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