BS Meter on Roman Reigns' Rumored MITB Opponent, Ex-WWE Stars Heading to AEW Latest and More

The pro wrestling rumor mill doesn' t just up and disappear in the middle of the year after SummerSlam. 

At this point, the thing keeps its momentum without a noticeable dip. 

No wonder. There's big rumblings on injury updates for headlining superstars, whispers about some major names leaving one company and joining another, plus all sorts of speculation about what WWE might be planning for some of its top stars between now and Money in the Bank, if not past that. 

To help fans keep up with the rumor mill, let's place the biggest rumors on the BS Meter, with 10 being the highest form of unbelievable buzz fans can safely dismiss.

Rhea Ripley injury update

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The Rumor

One of the biggest injury items in the sport right now is the status of Rhea Ripley. According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Geno Mrosko of Cageside Seats), WWE still has hopes that she will be back for next year's Royal Rumble. 

Reaction

WWE's putting a February return timeline on Ripley after her knee surgery, then. Meanwhile, Chelsea Green won the Interim WWE Women's Title, only to then suffer an injury of her own. How WWE handles it should be interesting. 

BS Meter: 1

No major reason to doubt this one, given the publicity of the severity of Ripley's injury. A return early next year feels right from a sports sense, and makes even more sense in the pro wrestling world when an event like Royal Rumble is such a hotbed for big returns each year. 

Roman Reigns' next opponent

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The Rumor

The next Roman Reigns opponent won't be much of a shocker. According to WrestleVotes, (h/t Sean Rueter of Cageside Seats), he'll face LA Knight at Money in the Bank, provided things keep trending that way. 

Reaction

Again, no shock here. Knight just had a run-in with Reigns and has been habitually around the Bloodline for a long time now. He's very much still a fan favorite and main-eventer, too, making him a compelling watch as an underdog challenger.

BS Meter: 1

Underdog, though, because everyone knows Knight won't beat Reigns. No number of random Cody Rhodes title drops will instill fear of that on the Reigns side. Even interference and family stuff seems impossible here, as much as a big number of fans would like to see Knight get a run at the top. 

New Day AEW-bound?

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The Rumor

Is the speculated finally happening? According to Fightful Select (h/t Rueter), there is an expectation that Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston, formerly known as New Day, will join AEW soon. 

Reaction

The August 12 edition of Dynamite seemed to hint as much, especially thanks to happenings around Swerve Strickland, hence reporters even diving into the topic right now. Right on cue, Rueter noted that Kofi filed trademarks for the initials "KSM," while Woods filed for "Austin Creed."

BS Meter: 1 

This one has seemed inevitable even before WWE and the iconic duo cut ties. Woods and Kingston just feel like AEW stars who will fit right in at every level imaginable, whether it's presentation, in-ring work or something else. There's also a, forgive the pun, dynamite tag division in AEW, with a dream feud against the Young Bucks a must-do. 

Bayley, AEW buzz causes a stir

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The Rumor

Is Bayley going to AEW too? Maybe not, but her teasing about a change on social media keeps getting attention. On that front, Wrestling Observer Live's Bryan Alvarez (h/t Mrosko) reported that some in AEW are "baffled" by the entire thing. 

Reaction

So…not happening. Unless this is a well-timed rumor to retain the surprise of a company-jump by Bayley. Kidding aside, Bayley is an odd one in that she feels like a WWE-lifer, but would also fit pretty well in AEW. These uncertain times make it hard to tell which way things will really go.

BS Meter: 8

Let's turn an eyebrow up at the idea anyone in AEW is "baffled" by this thing. Speculation about the details of Bayley's contract has been a thing for a long time now. She's a pro wrestler and her job is to get attention (and over with fans), so the fact she's using the speculation about company-hopping to keep her name out there won't surprise anyone in the business. 

Creative updates on Bron Breakker and Austin Theory

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The Rumor

Bron Breakker and Austin Theory are interestingly tied together right now, and not just in their faction. Their creative feels like it's going in wildly different directions. According to Self Made Pro (h/t Mrosko), Breakker is "baffled with his creative in recent months." And connected to this is a report from Jonathan Coachman (h/t Cain A. Knight of Cageside Seats) that WWE is all-in on pushing Theory very high right now. 

Reaction

Tired of hearing about baffling items yet? Breakker's booking has been all over the place and indeed perplexing. But an untimely injury didn't help. Theory's push, at least, feels temporary, as he's in the limelight right now but seems like he could have a hard time expanding out of the "generic bad guy" characterization. 

BS Meter: 1 

WWE obviously likes Theory in a way creative liked Baron Corbin years ago. What's most believable of all, though, is Breakker being a little frustrated with how things have gone for him, especially with Oba Femi shooting past him and stealing that next big thing status. Luckily for everyone, WWE seems to be leaning into this for a high-profile feud very soon.