WWE Rumors: Buying or Selling Buzz on Brock Lesnar, Ronda Rousey and More

The WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view is drawing near, and the status of one of wrestling's most recognizable Superstars is being discussed this week.

While fans are sure to be curious about Brock Lesnar and whether he'll appear at SummerSlam on August 19, there are also rumblings about the future of the company's second-most recognizable athlete, Ronda Rousey.

What should fans expect of the crossover stars?

Let's take a look.

Brock Lesnar's SummerSlam Status

The Universal Championship has not been present on a WWE broadcast since the Greatest Royal Rumble in April. According to WrestleVotes, that will change in time for SummerSlam, despite concerns to the contrary.

If and when Lesnar appears at SummerSlam, it will mark only the 11th defense of his title since he won it in from Goldberg at WrestleMania 33 on April 2, 2017.

Buy or Sell?

Buy. Lesnar, love or hate him, is a marquee performer whose presence at SummerSlam will only serve to heighten the prestige of the summertime spectacular.

Fans buying into the storyline surrounding the contractual negotiations he is hung up in with Raw general manager Kurt Angle are doing so because he and Paul Heyman have done a masterful job of mixing fiction with reality.

It not only helps strengthen his narrative, even when he is not around, it creates a sense of unpredictability surrounding his availability.

For a character specifically scripted to come across as superior to everyone around them, keeping fans talking about contract details and dollar figures only helps.

Ronda Rousey's Role At Extreme Rules

Rousey's attack on Alexa Bliss on the June 18 episode of Raw may have led to her 30-day suspension, but it also set up her involvement in the Extreme Rules Raw Women's Championship match between Bliss and Nia Jax, which is expected to happen, according to Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats.

Rousey last competed at Money in the Bank, where Bliss interfered in her match against Jax and successfully cashed in her title opportunity.

Buy or Sell?

Buy. The suspension angle was executed with the sole purpose of bringing Rousey back hot and seeking vengeance just in time for Extreme Rules, so this report should surprise no one.

It makes sense within the context of the story being told and will result in a huge pop from fans excited to see the biggest badass in the women's division dish out some sweet revenge to Bliss.

The only question is whether Jax remains involved in the women's title program, creating a Triple Threat scenario for SummerSlam, or the company opts to go with the one-on-one match between Rousey and Bliss.

Hell in a Cell Plans

According to ABC KSAT 12 in San Antonio, the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event will feature Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens and WWE champion AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe.

Reigns and Owens feuded from the fall of 2016 through the beginning of new year, including a stellar match for the Universal Championship at the 2017 Royal Rumble.

A match between the two would seem to suggest they will rekindle their rivalry in grand fashion in time for one of the more popular gimmick events of the year.

Styles and Joe have not met in a one-on-one title bout since the two have been under the same WWE umbrella.

Buy or Sell?

Sell. Arenas and local media receive promotional information for WWE events way before those shows actually take place.

The idea that Styles will still be WWE champion come September or the Universal Championship will still not be a factor in time for the pay-per-view are far-fetched. That WWE Creative, which does not typically seem to know what it is doing from week to week, would suddenly be able to lay out two big matches like those for September is even more far-fetched.

The most likely of those two matches is Styles vs. Joe, if only because The Phenomenal One is running out of credible competition and The Destroyer certainly is that.

Reigns vs. Owens, as good as it would be, does not seem plausible now, but booking trends could change between now and September.